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Heart period variability and psychopathology in urban boys at risk for delinquency
Author(s) -
Pine Daniel S.,
Wasserman Gail A.,
Miller Laurie,
Coplan Jeremy D.,
Bagiella Emilia,
Kovelenku Pavel,
Myers Michael M.,
Sloan Richard P.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
psychophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.661
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1469-8986
pISSN - 0048-5772
DOI - 10.1017/s0048577298970846
Subject(s) - psychopathology , juvenile delinquency , psychology , confounding , psychiatry , poison control , injury prevention , clinical psychology , developmental psychology , medicine , medical emergency
To examine associations between heart period variability (HPV) and psychopathology in young urban boys at risk for delinquency, a series of 69 7–11‐year‐old younger brothers of adjudicated delinquents received a standardized psychiatric evaluation and an assessment of heart period variability (HPV). Psychiatric symptoms were rated in two domains: externalizing and internalizing psychopathology. Continuous measures of both externalizing and internalizing psychopathology were associated with reductions in HPV components related to parasympathetic activity. These associations could not be explained by a number of potentially confounding variables, such as age, ethnicity, social class, body size, or family history of hypertension. Although familial hypertension predicted reduced HPV and externalizing psychopathology, associations between externalizing psychopathology and HPV were independent of familial hypertension. Psychiatric symptoms are associated with reduced HPV in young urban boys at risk for delinquency.