Developmental consequences of early life stress on risk for psychopathology: Longitudinal associations with children's multisystem physiological regulation and executive functioning

The etiology of psychopathology is multifaceted and warrants consideration of factors at multiple levels and across developmental time. Although experiences of adversity in early life have been associated with increased risk of developing psychopathology, pathways toward maladaptation or resilience are complex and depend upon a variety of factors, including individuals' physiological regulation and cognitive functioning. Therefore, in a longitudinal cohort of 113 mother-child dyads, we explored associations from early adverse experiences to physiological co-regulation across multiple systems and subsequent variations in executive functioning. Latent profile analysis derived multisystem profiles based on children's heart rate, respiratory sinus arrhythmia, pre-ejection period, and cortisol measured during periods of rest and reactivity throughout a developmentally challenging protocol. Three distinct profiles of multisystem regulation emerged: heightened multisystem baseline activity (Anticipatory Arousal/ANS Responder), typically adaptive patterns across all systems (Active Copers/Mobilizers) and heightened HPA axis activity (HPA Axis Responders). Path models revealed that children exposed to adversity before 18-months were more likely to evidence an Anticipatory Arousal/ANS Responders response at 36-months, and children in this profile had lower executive functioning scores than the Active Copers/Mobilizers. In sum, these findings provide important information about potential physiological associations linking early adversity to variations in children's task-based executive functioning.