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Heart rate and skin conductance in four-year-old children with aggressive behavior

J A Posthumus1, K B E Böcker, M A J Raaijmakers

  • 1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Biological Psychology
|July 15, 2009
PubMed

Insights

In preschool children, low skin conductance level (SCL) is linked to aggressive behavior and ODD/CD. However, heart rate (HR) levels did not differ significantly, suggesting SCL is a key indicator in young aggressive children.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Child Psychiatry
  • Psychophysiology

Background:

  • Autonomic underarousal, characterized by low heart rate (HR) and skin conductance level (SCL), is associated with childhood aggression.
  • Previous research findings regarding autonomic activity in preschoolers exhibiting aggression have been inconsistent.
  • Understanding these physiological correlates is crucial for early identification and intervention in disruptive behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate autonomic nervous system activity, specifically HR and SCL, and their reactivity in four-year-old children.
  • To compare physiological measures between aggressive and non-aggressive preschoolers, and between children with ODD/CD and controls.
  • To clarify the role of autonomic underarousal in preschool aggression and related disorders.

Main Methods:

  • Assessed heart rate (HR), skin conductance level (SCL), heart rate reactivity (HRR), and skin conductance reactivity (SCR) in four-year-old children.
  • Compared physiological data between children with high versus low aggressive behavior (Child Behavior Checklist 1 1/2-5).
  • Compared physiological data between children diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder/Conduct Disorder (ODD/CD) and children with low aggression.

Main Results:

  • Preschool children with high aggressive behavior exhibited significantly lower SCL and SCR compared to less aggressive peers.
  • Children diagnosed with ODD/CD also showed significantly lower SCL.
  • No significant differences in HR or HRR were found between aggressive and non-aggressive children or between ODD/CD and control groups.

Conclusions:

  • Decreased skin conductance level (SCL) appears to be a characteristic physiological feature of preschool children with aggressive behavior.
  • Lower SCL is also associated with Oppositional Defiant Disorder/Conduct Disorder (ODD/CD) in this age group.
  • Heart rate (HR) and its reactivity do not seem to be reliable indicators of aggression or ODD/CD in preschoolers, contrary to previous assumptions.

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