VAGAL TONE AND ATTENTION IN 8 TO 12-YEAR-OLD MALES EXPOSED TO OPIATES IN UTERO

我们评估了在一项需要注意的CPT任务中迷走神经张力的变化。 12名男孩(平均年龄9岁，5个月)产前接触鸦片类药物和12名 (平均年龄9岁，10个月)男性对照组。鸦片类药物的母亲-接触和 对照组男孩主要是单身，收入较低。群组没有 在母亲的教育程度、收入或婚姻状况上存在显著差异。 这些群体的种族构成也没有差异(阿片类药物暴露：8 黑色，4白色，控制7黑色，5白色)。迷走神经张力在实验前测量 在戈登诊断系统的3项任务中。 迷走神经张力是一种心率变异性指标，它可以量化 心脏的副交感神经抑制。结果表明， 与对照组相比，接触鸦片的男孩未能抑制迷走神经紧张性 当警戒任务中增加了分心物时，男孩(p.05)。正常情况下 儿童和成人，迷走神经张力在需要的任务中被抑制 持续关注。这些初步结果表明，正常 对增加的注意需求的生理反应可能受损 在这个年龄段接触鸦片的男孩中。这些生理反应 模式与产前酒精、尼古丁或 这些样本中的大麻接触情况。这项研究的设计不是 区分遗传、致畸或育儿实践 效果。需要进一步的研究来复制和推广这些 研究结果可能是儿童随后药物滥用的危险因素 产前暴露于鸦片类药物。

We assessed vagal tone changes during an attention demanding CPT task in 12 boys (mean age 9 yrs, 5 mos) exposed prenatally to opiates and 12 (mean age 9 yrs, 10 mos) male controls. Mothers of opiate-exposed and control boys were primarily single and of lower income. Groups did not differ significantly on mother's education, income, or marital status. Racial composition of the groups also did not differ (opiate-exposed: 8 black, 4 white, controls 7 black, 5 white). Vagal tone was measured pre- and post-baseline and during the 3 tasks of the Gordon Diagnostic System. Vagal tone is a heart rate variability measure that quantifies parasympathetic inhibition of the heart. Results indicated that opiate-exposed boys failed to suppress vagal tone compared to control boys when distractors were added to a vigilance task (p .05). In normal children and adults, vagal tone is suppressed during tasks requiring sustained attention. These preliminary results indicate that normal physiological responses to increased attentional demand may be impaired in opiate-exposed boys in this age range. These physiological response patterns were not associated with prenatal alcohol, nicotine, or marijuana exposure in these samples. The design of this study does not distinguish among genetic, teratogenic, or child-rearing practice effects. Further research is needed to replicate and extend these findings as a possible risk factor for subsequent drug abuse in children exposed prenatally to opiates.