Resting autonomic nervous system activity is unrelated to antisocial behaviour dimensions in adolescents: Cross-sectional findings from a European multi-centre study
Prätzlich, M., Oldenhof, H., Steppan, M. , Ackermann, K., Baker, R., Batchelor, M., Baumann, S., Bernhard, A., Clanton, R., Dikeos, D., Dochnal, R., Fehlbaum, L. V., Fernández-Rivas, A., González de Artaza-Lavesa, M., Gonzalez-Madruga, K., Guijarro, S., Gundlach, M., Herpertz-Dahlmann, B., Hervas, A., Jansen, L., Kerexeta-Lizeaga, I., Kersten, L., Kirchner, M., Kohls, G., Konsta, A., Lazaratou, H., Martinelli, A., Menks, W. M., Puzzo, I. 
ORCID: 0000-0002-4480-5519, Raschle, N. M., Rogers, J., Siklósi, R., Smaragdi, A., Vriends, N., Konrad, K., De Brito, S., Fairchild, G., Kieser, M., Freitag, C. M., Popma, A. & Stadler, C. (2018).
Resting autonomic nervous system activity is unrelated to antisocial behaviour dimensions in adolescents: Cross-sectional findings from a European multi-centre study.
Journal of Criminal Justice, 65,
article number 101536.
doi: 10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2018.01.004
Abstract
Purpose: Autonomic nervous system (ANS) functioning has long been studied in relation to antisocial behaviour, but relevant measures (heart rate, heart rate variability, pre-ejection period, respiration rate) have rarely been considered together. This study investigated the relationship between these measures and antisocial behaviour.
Methods: Using a sample of 1010 youths with (47.8%) and without conduct disorder (52.2%) aged between 9 and 18. years (659 females, 351 males, mean age = 14.2. years, SD = 2.4), principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to various measures of psychopathology and antisocial behavior. Structural equation modelling was performed in order to test whether the ANS measures predicted PCA-dimensions. Cluster analysis was used in order to classify patterns of ANS activity. Analyses were performed separately for males/females and controlled for body-mass-index, age, caffeine use, cigarette smoking, sports, socioeconomic status, medication, cardiac problems.
Results: The PCA yielded three components: antisocial behaviour/comorbid psychopathology, narcissistic traits, and callous-unemotional traits. ANS measures were only weakly correlated with these components. Cluster analysis yielded high and low arousal clusters in both sexes. When controlling for covariates, all associations disappeared.
Conclusion: Our findings suggest that resting ANS measures are only weakly related to antisocial behaviour and indicate that smoking should be considered as an important covariate in future psychophysiological studies.
| Publication Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Publisher Keywords: | Autonomic nervous system, Antisocial behaviour, Callous-unemotional traits, SmokingCluster analysis, Sex |
| Subjects: | B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare |
| Departments: | School of Health & Psychological Sciences > Psychology |
| SWORD Depositor: |
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives.
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