Journal
JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
Volume 44, Issue 3, Pages 730-737Publisher
SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS
DOI: 10.1007/s10803-013-1923-7
Keywords
Autism; Respiratory sinus arrhythmia; Heart rate variability; Emotion regulation; Internalizing; Externalizing; Social skills
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Theoretical and empirical models describe respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) as a peripheral biomarker of emotion regulation and social competence. Recent findings also link RSA to individual differences in social functioning within autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, associations between RSA and symptoms of internalizing/externalizing psychopathology in ASD have not been explored. We assessed RSA, social functioning, and internalizing/externalizing symptoms among boys with and without ASD. Compared with controls, participants with ASD evidenced reduced parasympathetic cardiac control, which correlated with social behavior. Symptoms were associated with deficiencies in RSA, over-and-above the contribution of social functioning. These findings yield a more nuanced understanding of parasympathetic function in ASD, and suggest a role for integrative intervention strategies that address socioemotional difficulties.
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