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. 2013 Apr;38(3):276-84.
doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jss114. Epub 2012 Nov 11.

Cardiovascular and behavioral response to auditory stimuli in boys with fragile X syndrome

Jane E Roberts  1 , Anna C J Long, Lindsay M McCary, Amy N Quady, Bonnie S Rose, Dean Widrick, Grace Baranek
Affiliations

Cardiovascular and behavioral response to auditory stimuli in boys with fragile X syndrome

Jane E Roberts et al. J Pediatr Psychol. 2013 Apr.

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether young boys with fragile X syndrome (FXS) exhibit abnormal physiological or behavioral responses to a moderately intense auditory stimulus, as heightened sensory reactivity is believed to contribute to problem behaviors in this population.

Methods: We examined the physiological basis, via heart activity, of auditory startle in young boys with FXS (n = 22) compared with typically developing controls (n = 27). Associations with mental age, behavioral reactivity, and chronological age were examined.

Results: Results suggest that older boys with FXS display increased cardiac reactivity to auditory input than younger boys with FXS that distinguishes them from typically developing controls. Higher mental age was associated with decreased latency to react.

Conclusions: Results contribute to increased understanding of the pathology in sensory processing in boys with FXS, which can inform refinement of the phenotype in young children with FXS and aid in the development of efficacious psychopharmacological and/or behavioral interventions.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Interaction of chronological age by group membership on change in IBI. IBI = interbeat interval.
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