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Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia Predicts Restricted Repetitive Behavior Severity

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Abstract

In addition to social communication deficits, restricted repetitive behaviors (RRBs) are a key diagnostic feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) in ASD has been posited as a mechanism of RRBs; however, most studies investigating ANS activity in ASD have focused on its relation to social functioning. This study used respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) patterns to measure ANS functioning and analyze its relation to RRBs in children with and without an ASD diagnosis. Baseline RSA and RSA reactivity predicted RRB severity and exploratory analyses revealed these measures may be associated with RRB subgroups. These results are discussed in regards to the behavioral literature on RRBs and the benefits of finding biomarkers for these behaviors.

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Acknowledgments

Funding for this study was provided by the Virginia Tech Center for Autism Research Graduate Student Award and the Virginia Tech Graduate Research Development Program. The authors would like to thank Dr. Martha Ann Bell and Lilian Hummer for their help with this study. Author's Contributions EC devised the study, contributed to its design, data collection, statistical analyses and interpretation, and drafted the manuscript. AS assisted with participant recruitment, interpretation of analyses, and edited the manuscript. BF contributed to the design of the study, the interpretation of analyses, and drafted the manuscript. All authors reviewed the final manuscript.

Author’s Contributions

EEC devised the study, contributed to its design, data collection, statistical analyses and interpretation, and drafted the manuscript. AS assisted with participant recruitment, interpretation of analyses, and edited the manuscript. BHF contributed to the design of the study, the interpretation of analyses, and drafted the manuscript. All authors reviewed the final manuscript.

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  1. Department of Psychology (0436), Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 109 Williams Hall, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA

    Emma E. Condy, Angela Scarpa & Bruce H. Friedman

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  1. Emma E. Condy
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  2. Angela Scarpa
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Correspondence to Emma E. Condy.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards

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Informed consent and permission was obtained from the parents of all participants, and verbal assent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Condy, E.E., Scarpa, A. & Friedman, B.H. Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia Predicts Restricted Repetitive Behavior Severity. J Autism Dev Disord 47, 2795–2804 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3193-2

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