PDF(Pubmed)
Abstract：
Previous cross-sectional studies have shown that sympathetic nervous system (SNS) arousal is positively associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in children with trauma exposure. One of the ways that SNS activity is measured is through skin conductance response (SCR), which has been shown to predict future PTSD severity in adults. In this study, we explored the utility of a novel, low-cost mobile SCR device, eSense, to predict future PTSD symptom severity in trauma exposed children. We recruited children (N=43, age 9 years at initial visit) for a longitudinal study in which SCR was recorded at baseline visit, and PTSD symptoms were assessed two years later. Results indicated an interaction between SCR and trauma exposure, such that children with lower trauma exposure who demonstrated greater SCR reported higher PTSD severity two years later. This association remained significant even after controlling for baseline PTSD symptoms. Children with higher levels of trauma exposure did not show this association, potentially due to ceiling effects of PTSD symptoms. Together these findings suggest the utility of SCR as a biomarker for predicting trauma related disorders in children, and that it may be a valuable tool in clinical interventions targeting sympathetic arousal.
摘要：
先前的横断面研究表明，交感神经系统（SNS）唤醒与创伤暴露儿童的创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）症状呈正相关。测量SNS活动的方法之一是通过皮肤电导反应(SCR)，这已被证明可以预测未来成人PTSD的严重程度。在这项研究中,我们探索了小说的实用性，低成本移动SCR设备，eSense,预测创伤暴露儿童未来PTSD症状的严重程度。我们招募儿童（N=43，初次访视时年龄9岁）进行纵向研究，在基线访视时记录SCR，两年后对PTSD症状进行评估。结果表明SCR和创伤暴露之间存在相互作用，因此，创伤暴露较低、SCR较高的儿童在两年后报告PTSD严重程度较高。即使在控制基线PTSD症状后，这种关联仍然显着。创伤暴露水平较高的儿童没有表现出这种关联，可能是由于创伤后应激障碍症状的天花板效应。这些发现表明SCR作为预测儿童创伤相关疾病的生物标志物的实用性。并且它可能是针对交感神经唤醒的临床干预中的有价值的工具。
