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Hypothalamic pituitary adrenal activity and autonomic nervous system arousal predict developmental trajectories of

Frances R Chen1, Adrian Raine2, Andrea L Glenn3

  • 1Department of Criminology, University of Pennsylvania, Phialdelphia, PA, 19104. ruiyunch@sas.upenn.edu.

Developmental Psychobiology
|November 15, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Investigating the interplay between the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and autonomic nervous system (ANS) arousal in children revealed distinct developmental pathways for internalizing and externalizing behaviors. High HPA activity combined with low ANS arousal predicted stable comorbid problems.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Child Psychiatry

Background:

  • Comorbid internalizing and externalizing problems in youth represent a significant clinical challenge.
  • Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings, specifically the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and autonomic nervous system (ANS), is crucial for developmental trajectories.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the combined effects of HPA axis activity and ANS arousal on the developmental trajectories of comorbid internalizing and externalizing problems in children.
  • To identify distinct developmental pathways and predict the stability of these comorbid problems.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of 394 urban, primarily African American, youth (ages 11-12).
  • Parent-reported behavior problems assessed at baseline and 3, 6, and 12 months.
  • Salivary cortisol (HPA) and alpha-amylase (ANS) measured at baseline.
  • Cross-domain latent class growth analysis used to identify developmental trajectories.

Main Results:

  • Four distinct short-term developmental trajectories and one stable comorbid trajectory were identified.
  • Autonomic nervous system (ANS) arousal was negatively associated with the probability of stable comorbidity.
  • This negative association was significant only among youth with high hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity.

Conclusions:

  • The interaction between HPA axis activity and ANS arousal is a significant predictor differentiating children with stable comorbid internalizing and externalizing problems.
  • Findings highlight the importance of considering both HPA and ANS functioning in etiological models and treatment outcome research for childhood behavioral problems.

Keywords:
comorbidity developmentcortisolexternalizing problemsinternalizing problemssalivary alpha-amylase

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