Sluggish vagal brake reactivity to physical exercise challenge in children with selective mutism

Cardiovascular response patterns to laboratory-based social and physical exercise challenges were evaluated in 69 children and adolescents, 20 with selective mutism (SM), to identify possible neurophysiological mechanisms that may mediate the behavioral features of SM. Results suggest that SM is ass...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Development and psychopathology 2012-02, Vol.24 (1), p.241-250
Main Authors: Heilman, Keri J., Connolly, Sucheta D., Padilla, Wendy O., Wrzosek, Marika I., Graczyk, Patricia A., Porges, Stephen W.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescence
Adolescent
Autonomic Nervous System - physiopathology
Cardiovascular disease
Child
Child psychology
Child, Preschool
Exercise
Exercise - physiology
Female
Heart Rate - physiology
Humans
Male
Mutism - physiopathology
Respiration
Vagus Nerve - physiopathology
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Summary:Cardiovascular response patterns to laboratory-based social and physical exercise challenges were evaluated in 69 children and adolescents, 20 with selective mutism (SM), to identify possible neurophysiological mechanisms that may mediate the behavioral features of SM. Results suggest that SM is associated with a dampened response of the vagal brake to physical exercise that is manifested as reduced reactivity in heart rate and respiration. Polyvagal theory proposes that the regulation of the vagal brake is a neurophysiological component of an integrated social engagement system that includes the neural regulation of the laryngeal and pharyngeal muscles. Within this theoretical framework, sluggish vagal brake reactivity may parallel an inability to recruit efficiently the structures involved in speech. Thus, the findings suggest that dampened autonomic reactivity during mobilization behaviors may be a biomarker of SM that can be assessed independent of the social stimuli that elicit mutism.
ISSN:0954-5794
1469-2198
DOI:10.1017/S0954579411000800