Cited by 179Attention Deficit Hyperactivity DisorderHeart Rate Variability and Autonomic ControlChild and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development

Emotion Regulation via the Autonomic Nervous System in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Open access
Musser, Erica D., Backs, Richard W., Schmitt, Colleen F., Ablow, Jennifer C., Measelle, Jeffery R., Nigg, Joel T.·2011·Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology

Abstract

Despite growing interest in conceptualizing ADHD as involving disrupted emotion regulation, few studies have examined the physiological mechanisms related to emotion regulation in children with this disorder. This study examined parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system reactivity via measures of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and cardiac pre-ejection period (PEP) in children with ADHD (n=32) and typically developing controls (n=34), using a novel emotion task with four conditions: negative induction, negative suppression, positive induction, and positive suppression of affect. Both groups showed strong task-response effects in RSA. However, typically developing children showed systematic variation in parasympathetic activity (RSA) depending on both emotion valence (more activation for negative emotion, reduced activation for positive emotion) and task demand (more activation for suppression than induction). In contrast, children with ADHD displayed a stable pattern of elevated parasympathetic activity (RSA) across all task conditions compared to baseline. No group differences in sympathetic activity (PEP) were observed. It is concluded ADHD in childhood is associated with abnormal parasympathetic mechanisms involved in emotion regulation.

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Crossref · 10.1007/s10802-011-9499-1

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  • Musser et al. (2011) found, in the control group, an increase of RSA from baseline to the negative-emotion suppression condition, reflecting PNS withdrawal, and a decrease in RSA from baseline to the positive-emotion induction condition.

    “An earlier study by the same group (Musser et al., 2011) measured induction or suppression of positive or negative emotions and found, in the control group, an increase of RSA from baseline to the negative-emotion suppression condition, reflecting PNS withdrawal and a decrease in RSA from baseline to the positiveemotion induction condition.”

    From Is autonomic nervous system function atypical in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)? A systematic review of the evidence (2020) · cites this paper as Musser et al., 2011

    The Results section (Effects of Emotion Induction and Suppression on RSA and PEP; page unavailable) reports that controls’ RSA increased from baseline during negative-emotion suppression and decreased during positive-emotion induction. It does not describe the RSA increase as PNS withdrawal, so that interpretation is not supported by the cited passage. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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  • These emotion-condition effects were absent in ADHD.

    “These emotion-condition effects were absent in ADHD, therefore the authors concluded that ADHD is associated with PNS hypo-activation but intact sympathetic functioning (no significant results were found for PEP).”
  • Some studies have demonstrated that cognitively or frustrating challenging tasks incur greater RSA withdrawal levels compared to positive or neutral mood induction tasks.

    “some studies have demonstrated that cognitively or frustrating challenging tasks incur greater RSA withdrawal levels compared to positive or neutral mood induction tasks”

    From Cardiac vagal control and children's adaptive functioning: A meta-analysis (2013) · cites this paper as Musser et al., 2011

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Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. Conners KC Conners 3rd edition manual 2008 New York Multi-Health Systems, Inc
  2. Wechsler D Wechsler intelligence scale for children, fourth edition: administration and scoring manual 2003 San Antonio Psychological Corporation
  3. Wechsler D Wechsler individual achievement test-2nd edition: Examiner’s manual 2005 San Antonio Psychological Corporation
  4. Willcutt EG Doyle AE Nigg JT Faraone SV Pennington BF Validity of the executive function theory of ADHD: meta-analytic review Biological Psychiatry 2005 57 1336 1346 15950006

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Authors
Musser, E. D., Backs, R. W., Schmitt, C. F., Ablow, J. C., Measelle, J. R., & Nigg, J. T.
Affiliations
  • University of Oregon (US)
  • Central Michigan University (US)
  • Oregon Health & Science University (US)
Corresponding author
Musser, Erica D.
Venue
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
Published
2011-03-11
Volume
39
Issue
6
Pages
841-852
ISSN
  • 0091-0627 (ISSN-L)
  • 1573-2835
OpenAlex
W2138056764
Cited by
179
References
74
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 21 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 18 · 2015: 13 · 2014: 13 · 2013: 13 · 2012: 6
FWCI
7.44
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
National Institute of Mental Health (R01 MH-59105, R37MH059105, R01MH059105, R01MH086654)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
Keywords
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, emotion regulation, autonomic nervous system, parasympathetic nervous system, sympathetic nervous system, respiratory sinus arrhythmia, emotion induction, emotional suppression, children
MeSH terms
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Autonomic Nervous System, Child, Emotions, Heart Rate, Humans, Neuropsychological Tests, Respiration

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