Cardiovascular Correlates of Misconduct in Children and Adolescents

Prior literature reviews addressing cardiovascular correlates of misconduct have focused on resting heart rate (HR) and skin conductance (SC). The present paper is a quantitative review ofstudies that tested the relationship between child/adolescent misconduct and cardiovascular regulation. An additional selection criterion for the present review was that the study examined physiological variables beyond resting HR and SC (e.g., cardiovascular reactivity). Misconduct was related to low HR reactivity, low resting parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) control, and less withdrawal of PNS control during mental challenge. These findings expand on prior reviews that indicated resting sympathetic nervous system underarousal is associated with antisocial behavior/misconduct. Cardiovascular reactivity to stress and PNS control may also be important correlates of misconduct