Key result
Tympanic membrane temperature asymmetry remained stable over time (r=0.72, p<0.01) and correlated with emotionality, though single-occasion measures were unreliable.
Observational (n=73)
Tympanic membrane temperature asymmetry may serve as a phenotypic marker of vulnerability to negative emotionality in children, but requires multiple aggregated samples (7-10) for reliable measurement.
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Tympanic asymmetry may mark emotional vulnerability in children but requires repeated measures; leaves open its value as a biomarker pending prospective validation.
Tympanic membrane (TM) temperature asymmetry has been proposed as a phenotypic marker of vulnerability to negative emotionality in children. Little is known about the stability of TM temperatures or how readily one can obtain a reliable index of the phenotype. TM temperatures were collected from 3- to 5-year-old children (N=73) over 5 months (Mdn=34 samples). Seven to 10 samples needed to be aggregated to achieve reliable measures (alphas>.70). Using reliable estimates, TM asymmetry remained stable over time, r(72)=.72, p<.01; 70% of the children had warmer left TMs; and TM asymmetry correlated as predicted with measures of children's emotionality. TM asymmetry may be a phenotypic marker of vulnerability to negative emotionality, but measures obtained on one occasion may not reliably index the phenotype.
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Gunnar et al. (2004) reported an observational. Tympanic membrane temperature asymmetry was evaluated on Stability of TM temperature asymmetry over time (r=0.72, p=<.01). Tympanic membrane temperature asymmetry remained stable over time (r=0.72, p<0.01) and correlated with emotionality, though single-occasion measures were unreliable.
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