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Measuring Cardiac Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) Activity in Toddlers - Resting and Developmental Challenges
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Developmental changes in autonomic nervous system resting and reactivity measures in Latino children from 6 to 60

Abbey Alkon1, W Thomas Boyce, Nicole Vujan Davis

  • 1Department of Family Health Care Nursing, School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, USA. abbey.alkon@nursing.ucsf.edu

Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics : JDBP
|October 20, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Autonomic nervous system (ANS) responses in low-income Latino children showed developmental changes and moderate stability from 6 to 60 months. Reactivity profiles shifted, indicating increased biologic sensitivity to the environment.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental psychology
  • Pediatric physiology
  • Autonomic nervous system research

Background:

  • Understanding autonomic nervous system (ANS) development is crucial for assessing children's health and environmental sensitivity.
  • Previous research has not extensively tracked ANS resting and challenge responses in low-income, diverse pediatric populations over the first five years of life.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe developmental changes in autonomic nervous system (ANS) resting and challenge responses.
  • To examine individual stability in ANS responses among a cohort of primarily Latino, low-income children.
  • To characterize the development of ANS reactivity profiles during early childhood.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 378 primarily Latino, low-income children had autonomic nervous system (ANS) measures collected at 6, 12, 42, and 60 months.
  • Parasympathetic nervous system (respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA]) and sympathetic nervous system (preejection period [PEP]) responses were measured during resting and challenge states.
  • Reactivity profiles were created by comparing ANS changes during challenges to resting states.

Main Results:

  • Significant developmental changes were observed: heart rate decreased, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) increased, and preejection period (PEP) increased from 6 to 60 months.
  • Moderate individual stability was found for resting and challenge ANS conditions, but not for reactivity.
  • The frequency of classic reactivity profiles (reciprocal sympathetic activation and parasympathetic withdrawal) increased significantly over time.

Conclusions:

  • Low-income Latino children exhibit developmental changes and moderate stability in ANS resting and challenge responses during the first five years.
  • Autonomic nervous system (ANS) reactivity showed less individual stability, but the prevalence of classic reactivity profiles shifted significantly.
  • This study highlights the increasing biologic sensitivity to the environment in young children and provides novel longitudinal data on ANS development.
Abstract

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