Associations between cortical thickness and parasympathetic nervous system functioning during middle childhood

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Autonomic Nervous System Research

Background:

• Previous studies indicate a link between cortical thickness and parasympathetic cardiac control (respiratory sinus arrhythmia, RSA) in adults.
• This association suggests integrated neural and physiological mechanisms for stress regulation.
• However, the developmental emergence and characteristics of this brain-body association remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine when the association between cortical thickness and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) emerges during development.
• To investigate if the direction and neuroanatomical localization of this association vary across developmental stages.

Main Methods:

• Structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) and resting-state respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) data were collected from 62 children aged 8.28-12.14 years.
• Whole-brain analyses identified clusters associated with RSA and cortical thickness.
• Exploratory region of interest (ROI) analyses further examined specific cortical areas.

Main Results:

• Positive associations were found between RSA and cortical thickness in frontal and parietal clusters in the left hemisphere and one cluster in the right hemisphere.
• Exploratory ROI analyses confirmed a similar positive association, with the inferior frontal orbital gyrus and Sylvian fissure surviving multiple comparison correction.
• These findings suggest the association is present in middle childhood and mirrors adult patterns.

Conclusions:

• The association between cortical thickness and resting RSA is established by middle childhood.
• This brain-body connection, involving areas of the central autonomic network, appears consistent with findings in adults.
• Future research should explore this association in younger children and adolescents.