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The impact of adverse childhood experiences on EMG reactivity: A proof of concept study.

ABSTRACT: Adverse childhood experiences (ACE), such as emotional or physical abuse, can produce a lasting effect on the individual. The aim of this study was to investigate how ACE may impact electromyography (EMG) activity of the trapezius muscle in a novel experimental stress paradigm, in a sample of 120 healthy participants. The stress paradigm consisted of a memory task, in which participants were asked to memorize and recall as many words as possible, displayed on a screen. The study protocol included 2 identical experimental sessions (T0 = 0 and T1 = 6 months). EMG activity was analyzed using multilevel regression analysis. EMG activity was higher during the memory task compared to baseline, supporting the validity of the experimental EMG-stress paradigm. In addition, the EMG increase was attenuated during the second session. Analyses were indicative for a moderating effect of ACE on stress-induced EMG activity: higher ACE scores resulted in greater EMG reactivity. These associations were apparent for early ACE exposure (0-11 years) as well as for later exposure (12-17 years). The association between ACE and EMG reactivity remained significant but was much weaker at T1 in comparison to T0, likely because of reduced unpredictability and uncertainty related to the experiment. In conclusion, this study showed that enduring liabilities occasioned by ACE in a non-clinical population can be studied using an experimental paradigm of EMG stress reactivity, contingent on the level of predictability of the stressor.

SUBMITTER: Marsman A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6508727 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The impact of adverse childhood experiences on EMG reactivity: A proof of concept study.

Marsman Anne A Luijcks Rosan R Vossen Catherine C van Os Jim J Lousberg Richel R

PloS one 20190509 5

Adverse childhood experiences (ACE), such as emotional or physical abuse, can produce a lasting effect on the individual. The aim of this study was to investigate how ACE may impact electromyography (EMG) activity of the trapezius muscle in a novel experimental stress paradigm, in a sample of 120 healthy participants. The stress paradigm consisted of a memory task, in which participants were asked to memorize and recall as many words as possible, displayed on a screen. The study protocol include ...[more]

PMID: 31071167

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Project description:ObjectivesThe lifelong health impacts of adverse childhood experiences are increasingly being identified, including earlier and more frequent development of non-communicable disease. Our aim was to examine whether adverse childhood experiences are related to increased use of primary, emergency and in-patient care and at what ages such impact is apparent.MethodsHousehold surveys were undertaken in 2015 with 7414 adults resident in Wales and England using random probability stratified sampling (age range 18–69 years). Nine adverse childhood experiences (covering childhood abuse and household stressors) and three types of health care use in the last 12 months were assessed: number of general practice (GP) visits, emergency department (ED) attendances and nights spent in hospital.ResultsLevels of use increased with increasing numbers of adverse childhood experiences experienced. Compared to those with no adverse childhood experiences, odds (±95% CIs) of frequent GP use (≥6 visits), any ED attendance or any overnight hospital stay were 2.34 (1.88–2.92), 2.32 (1.90–2.83) and 2.67 (2.06–3.47) in those with ≥ 4 adverse childhood experiences. Differences were independent of socio-economic measures of deprivation and other demographics. Higher health care use in those with ≥ 4 adverse childhood experiences (compared with no adverse childhood experiences) was evident at 18–29 years of age and continued through to 50–59 years. Demographically adjusted means for ED attendance rose from 12.2% of 18-29 year olds with no adverse childhood experiences to 28.8% of those with ≥ 4 adverse childhood experiences. At 60–69 years, only overnight hospital stay was significant (9.8% vs. 25.0%).ConclusionsAlong with the acute impacts of adverse childhood experiences on child health, a life course perspective provides a compelling case for investing in safe and nurturing childhoods. Disproportionate health expenditure in later life might be reduced through childhood interventions to prevent adverse childhood experiences.

Project description:BackgroundAdverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are negatively associated with a range of child health outcomes. In this study, we explored associations between five individual ACEs and child mental health diagnoses or symptoms. ACEs included living with someone who had an alcohol-related problem, common mental health disorder or serious mental illness, or experienced victimisation or death of a household member.MethodsWe analysed data from a population-level electronic cohort of children in Wales, UK, (N = 191,035) between the years of 1998 and 2012. We used Cox regression with discrete time-varying exposure variables to model time to child mental health diagnosis during the first 15 years of life. Child mental health diagnoses include five categories: (i) externalising symptoms (anti-social behaviour), (ii) internalising symptoms (stress, anxiety, depression), (iii) developmental delay (e.g. learning disability), (iv) other (e.g. eating disorder, personality disorders), and (v) any mental health diagnosis, which was created by combining externalising symptoms, internalising symptoms and other. Our analyses were adjusted for social deprivation and perinatal risk factors.ResultsThere were strong univariable associations between the five individual ACEs, sociodemographic and perinatal factors (e.g. gestational weight at birth) and an increased risk of child mental health diagnoses. After adjusting for sociodemographic and perinatal aspects, there was a remaining conditional increased risk of any child mental health diagnosis, associated with victimisation (conditional hazard ratio (cHR) 1.90, CI 95% 1.34-2.69), and living with an adult with a common mental health diagnosis (cHR 1.63, CI 95% 1.52-1.75). Coefficients of product terms between ACEs and deprivation were not statistically significant.ConclusionThe increased risk of child mental health diagnosis associated with victimisation, or exposure to common mental health diagnoses, and alcohol problems in the household supports the need for policy measures and intervention strategies for children and their families.

Project description:Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have consistently been associated with elevated risk of multiple adverse health outcomes, yet their contribution to coping ability and psychiatric resilience in adulthood is unclear. Cross-sectional data were derived from the ongoing Stress-And-Gene-Analysis cohort, representing 30% of the Icelandic nationwide female population, 18-69 years. Participants in the current study were 26,198 women with data on 13 ACEs measured with the ACE-International Questionnaire. Self-reported coping ability was measured with the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and psychiatric resilience was operationalized as absence of psychiatric morbidity. Generalized linear regression assuming normal or Poisson distribution were used to assess the associations of ACEs with coping ability and psychiatric resilience controlling for multiple confounders. Number of ACEs was inversely associated with adult resilience in a dose-dependent manner; every 1SD unit increase in ACE scores was associated with both lower levels of coping ability (β = -0.14; 95% CI-0.15,-0.13) and lower psychiatric resilience (β = -0.28; 95% CI-0.29,-0.27) in adulthood. Compared to women with 0 ACEs, women with ≥5 ACEs had 36% lower prevalence of high coping ability (PR = 0.64, 95% CI 0.59,0.70) and 58% lower prevalence of high psychiatric resilience (PR = 0.42; 95% CI 0.39,0.45). Specific ACEs including emotional neglect, bullying, sexual abuse and mental illness of household member were consistently associated with reduced adult resilience. We observed only slightly attenuated associations after controlling for adult socioeconomic factors and social support in adulthood. Cumulative ACE exposure is associated with lower adult resilience among women, independent of adult socioeconomic factors and social support, indicating that adult resilience may be largely determined in childhood. This work was supported by the European Research Council (Consolidator grant; UAV, grant number 726413), and the Icelandic Center for Research (Grant of excellence; UAV, grant number 163362-051). HBD was supported by a doctoral grant from the University of Iceland Research Fund.

Project description:BackgroundThe effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on mental health, self-regulatory capacities, and overall resilience are well-known. Given such effects, ACEs may play a role in how individuals adjust to challenges later in life. Of interest in this study is the transition to university, a time of heightened stress when adapting to circumstances is required and when those with ACEs may need additional in-the-moment support to exercise resilience. A smartphone app may provide a worthwhile and readily accessible medium for a resilience intervention, provided behavioral outcomes are adequately evaluated.ObjectiveThis study evaluates the impact of an innovative, smartphone app-based resilience intervention. The JoyPop app was designed to promote resilience through the use of self-regulatory skills such as emotion regulation and executive functioning. Among a sample of first-year undergraduate students, we explored whether use of the app would be associated with positive changes in resilience and related outcomes, and whether these benefits were influenced by level of childhood adversity.MethodsParticipants (N=156) were requested to use the JoyPop app for 4 weeks, at least twice daily. Changes in resilience, emotion regulation, executive functioning, and depression were assessed after 2 and 4 weeks of app usage using multilevel modeling.ResultsThe sample of 156 participants included 123 females and 33 males, with a mean age of 19.02 years (SD 2.90). On average participants used the app on 20.43 of the possible 28 days (SD 7.14). App usage was associated with improvements in emotion regulation (χ21=44.46; P<.001), such that it improved by 0.25 points on the 18-point scale for each additional day of app usage, and symptoms of depression (χ21=25.12; P<.001), such that depression symptoms were reduced by .08 points on the 9-point scale with each additional day of app usage. An interaction between ACEs and days of app usage existed for emotion regulation, such that participants with more adversity evidenced a faster rate of change in emotion regulation (P=.02).ConclusionsResults highlight that daily incorporation of an app-based resilience intervention can help youth who have experienced adversity to improve emotion regulation skills and experience reductions in depression. The JoyPop app represents an important step forward in the integration of resilience intervention research with a technology-based medium that provides in-the-moment support.

Dataset Information

The impact of adverse childhood experiences on EMG reactivity: A proof of concept study.

Publications

The impact of adverse childhood experiences on EMG reactivity: A proof of concept study.

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