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Baseline Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal Axis and Parasympathetic Nervous System Activity Interact to Predict Executive Functions in Low‐Income Children
Author(s) -
Braren Stephen H.,
BrandesAitken Annie,
Perry Rosemarie E.,
Williams Kevon,
Lyons Krystalle,
RoweHarriott Sashana,
Blair Clancy
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
mind, brain, and education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.624
H-Index - 35
eISSN - 1751-228X
pISSN - 1751-2271
DOI - 10.1111/mbe.12267
Subject(s) - vagal tone , hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis , medicine , endocrinology , parasympathetic nervous system , psychology , central nervous system , respiratory system , cognition , autonomic nervous system , developmental psychology , neuroscience , hormone , heart rate , blood pressure
We examined interactions between baseline hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) activity in relation to executive functions (EF) in a sample ( n = 1,005) of children in low wealth, nonurban communities at age 48 months. Salivary cortisol and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) represented baseline HPA axis and PNS activity, respectively. The interaction between RSA and cortisol predicted EF such that children with either lower RSA and lower cortisol, or higher RSA and higher cortisol had higher EF scores. These findings suggest a potential compensatory relation in which the PNS and HPA axis counterbalance each other to support cognition.