Impulsive aggressiveness of pregnant women affects the development of the fetal heart

Mounting evidence indicates that the development of the fetus is heavily influenced by the intra-uterine milieu during pregnancy, and that such influence may have life-long consequences for the individual. The intra- uterine milieu is not only influenced by nutritional factors, but also by maternal endocrine and autonomic activity. Such activity is prone to be affected by an individual's personality, but only little is known about influences of maternal personality on the development of the fetus. We tested pregnant women for their propensity for impulsive, uncontrollable outbursts of temper (referred to here as moderate Intermittent Explosive Disorder, mIED). After the women gave birth, we measured electrocardiograms (ECGs) from their newborn infants to compare ECGs between newborns of women with and without mIED. The data show that infants of women with mIED have larger QRS complexes in the electrocardiogram, and lower heart rate variability, compared to infants of women without mIED. These results reveal effects of maternal mIED on the fetal heart development. These effects may predispose the individual to increased risk for later cardio-vascular disease. The findings open perspectives for better risk prevention models for the unborn child

Opinion TRENDS in Cognitive Sciences Vol.9 No.12 December 2005 Towards

a neural basis of music perceptio

Impulsive aggressiveness of pregnant women affects the development of the fetal heart

Mounting evidence indicates that the development of the fetus is heavily influenced by the intra-uterine milieu during pregnancy, and that such influence may have life-long consequences for the individual. The intra-uterine milieu is not only influenced by nutritional factors, but also by maternal endocrine and autonomic activity. Such activity is prone to be affected by an individual's personality, but only little is known about influences of maternal personality on the development of the fetus. We tested pregnant women for their propensity for impulsive, uncontrollable outbursts of temper (referred to here as moderate Intermittent Explosive Disorder, mIED). After the women gave birth, we measured electrocardiograms (ECGs) from their newborn infants to compare ECGs between newborns of women with and without mIED. The data show that infants of women with mIED have larger QRS complexes in the electrocardiogram, and lower heart rate variability, compared to infants of women without mIED. These results reveal effects of maternal mIED on the fetal heart development. These effects may predispose the individual to increased risk for later cardio-vascular disease. The findings open perspectives for better risk prevention models for the unborn child

Clinical Neurophysiology (in press) EEG correlates of moderate Intermittent Explosive Disorder

* To whom correspondence should be addressed Objective: We investigated electroencephalographic (EEG) correlates of moderate Intermittent Explosive Disorder (mIED), which is characterized by uncontrollable, impulsive attacks that either manifest in aggressive outbursts of temper, or in implosive, auto-aggressive behaviour. Methods: In two Experiments, EEG data were recorded during rest conditions, and while subjects were presented with auditory and visual stimuli. Additionally, scores of the I7 impulsivity scale (designed to capture acting on impulse) were obtained. Results: In Experiment 1, individuals with mIED showed a stronger increase in the power of oscillatory activity in the beta band, along with a stronger power decrease in the theta band in response to both visual and auditory stimuli. Based on discriminant function analysis, a model of discriminant functions was derived that clearly separated the mIED group from the control group. In Experiment 2, subjects were categorized into either of two groups (supposedly without mIED, with mIED) based on this model of discriminant functions. Results showed that I7 impulsivity scores clearly differed between groups. Conclusion: The present data show a relation between oscillatory brain activity and mIED. They indicate that this brain activity is related to the impulsivity facet of impulsive action, and suggest that mIED can be assessed based on the analysis of electrophysiological data. Significance: To our knowledge, this is the first study on EEG correlates of (m)IED. Results open up new perspectives for future investigations on disorders characterized by substantial impulsivity

A cardiac signature of emotionality

Human personality has brain correlates that exert manifold influences on biological processes. This study investigates relations between emotional personality and heart activity. Our data demonstrate that emotional personality is related to a specific cardiac amplitude signature in the resting electrocardiogram (ECG). Two experiments using functional magnetic resonance imaging show that this signature correlates with brain activity in the amygdala and the hippocampus during the processing of musical stimuli with emotional valence. Additionally, this cardiac signature correlates with subjective indices of emotionality (as measured by the Revised Toronto Alexithymia Scale), and with both time and frequency domain measures of the heart rate variability. The results demonstrate intricate connections between emotional personality and the heart by showing that ECG amplitude patterns provide considerably more information about an individual’s emotionality than previously believed. The finding of a cardiac signature of emotional personality opens new perspectives for the investigation of relations between emotional dysbalance and cardiovascular disease