Respiratory sinus arrhythmia in the fourth decade of life depends on birth weight and the DRD4 gene: Implications for understanding the development of emotion regulation

We report an interaction between birth weight status and DRD4 gene (F = 9.42, p = 0.003) in predicting RSA, such that DRD4 long carriers had the highest and lowest resting RSA depending on whether they were born NBW or ELBW, respectively. DRD4 short carriers were less sensitive to birth weight. Additionally, reduced RSA was correlated with a history of major depressive disorder, suggesting it was a reliable index of emotion dysregulation. DiscussionThese results suggest that the perinatal environment influences autonomic nervous system functioning in individuals with genotypes that confer additional sensitivity. Whether the long‐term autonomic outcomes of this environmental sensitivity are beneficial or detrimental appears to depend on the quality of the early life environment, and may influence the development of emotion regulatory and psychiatric problems in adulthood.
Source: Developmental Psychobiology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: RESEARCH ARTICLE Source Type: research