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Early deprivation and autonomic nervous system functioning in post-institutionalized children
Elisa A Esposito1, Kalsea J Koss1, Bonny Donzella1
1Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455.
Developmental Psychobiology
|October 27, 2015
Summary
Early institutional deprivation impacts autonomic nervous system (ANS) sympathetic tone in adopted children. This sympathetic tone, measured by pre-ejection period (PEP), mediates behavioral problems post-adoption.
Area of Science:
- Developmental psychology
- Neuroscience
- Autonomic nervous system function
Background:
- Early deprivation's effects on stress response are well-studied, but its impact on autonomic function development is less understood.
- The autonomic nervous system (ANS) plays a crucial role in stress regulation and development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the longitudinal trajectories of autonomic nervous system function in children following institutional care.
- To investigate the relationship between early deprivation, autonomic function, and subsequent behavioral problems.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study of 60 children adopted from institutional care (15-36 months) over 16 months post-adoption.
- Comparison groups: 50 same-aged peers reared in birth families and 46 internationally adopted children from foster care.
- Autonomic function assessed via pre-ejection period (PEP) for sympathetic tone and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) for parasympathetic function.
Main Results:
- Post-institutionalized children exhibited higher sympathetic tone (PEP) compared to control groups.
- Individual differences in early PEP mediated the relationship between institutional deprivation and later behavioral problems.
- No significant group differences were observed in parasympathetic function (RSA) or in the developmental trajectories of ANS function across the 16-month period.
Conclusions:
- Early institutional deprivation significantly affects the development of sympathetic nervous system tone in adopted children.
- Sympathetic nervous system function in early post-adoption predicts later behavioral outcomes, highlighting a critical developmental pathway.
- While parasympathetic function and overall ANS trajectories normalized, early sympathetic dysregulation persists and links to behavioral challenges.
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