This study examined the relationship between indicators of
cardiovascular and neurocognitive regulation in children and adolescents.
Wefound associations between our measures both during
a resting baseline and when children were faced with a behavioral
challenge, namely the need to maintain go/nogo performance during
and after an emotion-induction procedure. During the baseline
period, we found a relationship between RSA and an individual difference
measure of effortful cognitive control. During the go/nogo
task, a relationship between RSA and N2 magnitudes was observed
only during Block B, when children were actively losing points. By
contrast, RSA was correlated with N2 latencies and with behavioral
accuracy during most blocks, suggesting that these relationships
hold even under less arousing conditions.
Taken together, these results are consistent with the hypothesis
that children who are better bodily regulators are also better cognitive
regulators. At rest, higher RSA is thought to reflect an adaptive
regulatory style, indicating physiological flexibility and allowing for
appropriate emotional reactivity (Beauchaine, 2001; Porges, 1995),