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Social Behavior Forecasts Moment-to-Moment Changes in RSA in Infants With Autism
Julia Yurkovic-Harding1,2, Vignesh Narayanan2,3, Jessica Bradshaw1,2
1Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA.
Developmental Science
|April 25, 2026
Summary
In infants, social behaviors like looking and smiling dynamically influence respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), a key physiological regulator. Early differences in this bidirectional relationship may indicate risks for autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
Background:
- Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), an indicator of physiological regulation, develops during infancy and is linked to social abilities.
- The moment-to-moment, bidirectional interplay between RSA and social behaviors is not well understood, particularly in infants at risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
- Altered RSA is hypothesized to contribute to social deficits observed in ASD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the dynamic, bidirectional relationship between RSA and social behaviors in infants with and without ASD.
- To examine how familial likelihood for ASD influences these early behavioral-physiological dynamics.
- To identify potential early physiological markers associated with ASD development.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Granger causality analyses to assess the predictive relationship between infant social behaviors (looking, smiling) and RSA.
- Analyzed data from 74 infants (elevated likelihood [EL] and low likelihood [LL] for ASD) at 3, 4, and 6 months of age during face-to-face interactions.
- Classified infants as typically developing (TD) or having ASD based on later diagnosis.
Main Results:
- Social behaviors, particularly looking at the caregiver, significantly forecasted moment-to-moment RSA changes more often than RSA forecasted social behavior.
- Smiling forecasted RSA more in EL infants than LL infants, suggesting ASD likelihood impacts early dynamics regardless of outcome.
- Looking forecasted RSA more in infants with ASD than TD infants, indicating distinct behavioral-physiology processes in early ASD.
Conclusions:
- A bidirectional relationship exists between infant social behavior and RSA, with social behavior often leading physiological changes.
- Infants later diagnosed with ASD exhibit altered dynamics where social attention predicts RSA, suggesting early neurodevelopmental differences.
- Familial risk for ASD influences early physiological and social dynamics, highlighting potential early intervention targets.
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