Longitudinal relationships between proactive and reactive aggression and autonomic nervous system reactivity in delinquent male adolescents : the moderating eff ect of posttraumatic stress symptoms

Background: In this study the longitudinal relationships between proactive / reactive aggression and autonomic nervous system (ANS) (re)activity were studied, as well as the moderating effect of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Methods: Delinquent males were assessed twice over a 5-year period in adolescence. We related self-reported proactive/ reactive aggression and PTSD symptoms to heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV), measured at rest and in response to a public speaking task. results: In line with the polyvagal theory, a longitudinal relationship was observed between attenuated HRV reactivity (decreased vagal withdrawal) and proactive but not reactive aggression. PTSD symptoms was a moderating factor; the relationship between HRV reactivity and proactive aggression was only present at low levels of PTSD symptoms. Conclusions: This study adds to the advancing knowledge on distinctive neurobiological profiles underlying subtypes of aggression. 21536_marjan_de_vries_080212.indd 92 09-02-12 12:51 93 longitudinal relationships between Ans and aggression