Abstract：
Both cortical and parasympathetic systems are believed to regulate emotional arousal in the service of healthy development. Systemic coordination, or coupling, between putative regulatory functions begins in early childhood. Yet the degree of coupling between cortical and parasympathetic systems in young children remains unclear, particularly in relation to the development of typical or atypical emotion function. We tested whether cortical (ERN) and parasympathetic (respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA]) markers of regulation were coupled during cognitive challenge in preschoolers (N = 121). We found no main effect of RSA predicting ERN. We then tested children\'s typical and atypical emotion behavior (context-appropriate/context-inappropriate fear, anxiety symptoms, neuroendocrine reactivity) as moderators of early coupling in an effort to link patterns of coupling to adaptive emotional development. Negative coupling (i.e., smaller ERN, more RSA suppression or larger ERN, less RSA suppression) at age 3 was associated with greater atypical and less typical emotion behaviors, indicative of greater risk. Negative age 3 coupling was also visible for children who had greater Generalized Anxiety Disorder symptoms and blunted cortisol reactivity at age 5. Results suggest that negative coupling may reflect a maladaptive pattern across regulatory systems that is identifiable during the preschool years.
摘要：
皮质和副交感神经系统都被认为可以调节情感唤醒，为健康发展服务。系统协调，或耦合，假定的调节功能之间始于儿童早期。然而，幼儿皮质和副交感神经系统之间的耦合程度仍不清楚，特别是与典型或非典型情绪功能的发展有关。我们测试了在学龄前儿童（N=121）的认知挑战期间，皮质（ERN）和副交感神经（呼吸窦性心律失常[RSA]）调节标志物是否耦合。我们没有发现RSA预测ERN的主要作用。然后，我们测试了儿童的典型和非典型情绪行为(上下文适当/上下文不适当的恐惧，焦虑症状,神经内分泌反应性）作为早期偶联的调节剂，以努力将偶联模式与适应性情绪发展联系起来。负耦合(即，较小的ERN，更多的RSA抑制或更大的ERN，较少的RSA抑制)在3岁时与更大的非典型和不太典型的情绪行为相关，预示着更大的风险。对于5岁时广泛性焦虑症症状更大，皮质醇反应性减弱的儿童，3岁时也可见负耦合。结果表明，负耦合可能反映了在学龄前期间可以识别的整个监管系统的适应不良模式。
