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Childhood adversity and vagal regulation: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Christiane Wesarg1, Alithe L Van den Akker2, Nicole Y L Oei3

  • 1Research Priority Area (RPA) Yield, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Developmental psychology (Addiction Development and Psychopathology ADAPT-lab), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews
|October 22, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Childhood adversity (CA) shows no overall link to vagal regulation. However, specific adversities and psychiatric conditions correlate with altered vagal activity and reactivity, suggesting nuanced impacts.

Area of Science:

  • Psychoneuroimmunology
  • Autonomic Nervous System Research
  • Developmental Psychology

Background:

  • Childhood adversity (CA) is a known risk factor for physical and mental health issues.
  • Vagal regulation, measured by vagally-mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV), is a proposed mechanism linking CA to health outcomes.
  • Understanding the precise relationship between CA and vmHRV is crucial for developing targeted interventions.

Approach:

  • A three-level meta-analysis was employed to synthesize existing research.
  • The study examined the association between CA and both baseline vagal activity and vagal reactivity to various challenges.
  • Statistical analyses controlled for moderator interrelatedness to identify specific conditions influencing the CA-vmHRV link.

Key Points:

  • No significant overall association was found between childhood adversity and baseline vagal activity or vagal reactivity.
  • A link between CA and lower baseline vagal activity emerged in studies with participants diagnosed with psychiatric disorders and for direct adversities like maltreatment.
  • CA was associated with lower vagal reactivity when the adversity was less recent and for studies using task mean vmHRV levels.

Conclusions:

  • Childhood adversity does not uniformly alter vagal functioning.
  • Specific subtypes of CA and subgroups of individuals, particularly those with psychiatric disorders, exhibit small but significant alterations in vagal activity and reactivity.
  • These findings highlight the complexity of the CA-vmHRV relationship and the need for nuanced research approaches.

Keywords:
Childhood adversityEarly adversityHeart rate variabilityMaltreatmentVagal activityVagal reactivity

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