Physiological self-regulation and information processing in infancy: Cardiac vagal tone and habituation

Author(s): Suess, P. E.

Journal/Book: Child Develop. 2000; 71: 350 Main Street, Ste 6, Malden, MA 02148, USA. Blackwell Publishers. 273-287.

Abstract: This study investigates the role of physiological self-regulation (cardiac vagal tone) in information processing (habituation) in 81 infants. Nucleus ambiguus vagal tone (V-na, a measure of respiratory sinus arrhythmia) was used to index cardiac vagal tone. Physiological self-regulation was operationalized as the change in V-na from a baseline period of measurement to habituation. Decreases in V-na consistently related to habituation efficiency, operationalized as accumulated looking time (ALT) in all infants twice at 2 months and twice at 5 months; however, this relation was accounted for by infants who met an habituation criterion on each task. Among habituators, shorter lookers also had greater V-na suppression during habituation. Within-age and between-age suppression of vagal tone predicted ALT, but ALT did not predict suppression of vagal tone. Physiological self-regulation provided by the vagal system appears to play a role in information processing in infancy as indexed by habituation.

Note: Article Bornstein MH, NICHHD, 6705 Rockledge Dr, Suite 8030, Bethesda,MD 20892 USA

Keyword(s): INDIVIDUAL-DIFFERENCES; VISUAL HABITUATION; RECOGNITION MEMORY; LATER IQ; ATTENTION; PERFORMANCE; STABILITY; BEHAVIOR; PRETERM; SKILLS

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