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. 2021 Jun:128:105196.
doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105196. Epub 2021 Mar 12.

Identifying profiles of multisystem physiological activity across early childhood: Examining developmental shifts and associations with stress and internalizing problems

Kristen L Rudd  1 , Nicole R Bush  2 , Abbey Alkon  3 , Danielle S Roubinov  4
Affiliations

Identifying profiles of multisystem physiological activity across early childhood: Examining developmental shifts and associations with stress and internalizing problems

Kristen L Rudd et al. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2021 Jun.

Abstract

Physiological regulation is an important predictor of health across the lifespan. Regulation occurs across multiple collaborative systems, yet few empirical studies explore multisystem activity and how this collaborative regulation develops early in life. The current study used latent profile analysis to evaluate multisystem regulation in the autonomic nervous system and hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis in 150 racially/ethnically diverse, low-income children at 18- and 36-months. At both timepoints, profiles of generally moderate activity (Moderate Arousal) and heightened baseline activity (Anticipatory Arousal) emerged. A profile of typically adaptive patterns across all systems (Active Copers) emerged at 18-months and a profile of heightened HPA Axis activity (HPA-axis Responders) emerged at 36-months. Persistent membership in the Anticipatory Arousal profile across time was associated with exposure to greater maternal stress at 18-months and child internalizing problems at 36-months. These findings highlight early multisystem profile development and suggest associations with stress and later behavior problems.

Keywords: Autonomic nervous system; Development; Hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis; Multisystem; Regulation.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict Statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Three latent profiles of multisystem physiology derived by LPA as reported in Roubinov et al., 2020. Note: Figure is from Roubinov DS, Boyce WT, Lee MR, Bush NR. Evidence for discrete profiles of children’s physiological activity across three neurobiological system and their transitions over time. Developmental Science. 2020:e12989, included here to demonstrate similarity of multisystem profiles across the two studies (see Figure 2). This figure is pending re-print approval from Developmental Science.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Graphical representation of 3 class latent profile analysis models at 18- and 36-months using standardized averages of latent indicator means. Note: Resting values are graphed such that zero (the center line) is sample average values. Reactivity is graphed such that farther from zero (the center line) indicates greater reactivity. Positive values for HR and cortisol represent greater reactivity, while greater reactivity for RSA and PEP are represented by negative values.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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