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@ARTICLE{Strmer:279427,
author = {Stürmer, Marian and Klinger-König, Johanna and Vollmer,
Marcus and Weihs, Antoine and Frenzel, Stefan and Dörr,
Marcus and Kaderali, Lars and Felix, Stephan B and Stubbe,
Beate and Ewert, Ralf and Völzke, Henry and Grabe, Hans J
and Krause, Elischa},
title = {{L}ong-term alteration of heart rate variability following
childhood maltreatment: {R}esults of a general population
study.},
journal = {European psychiatry},
volume = {68},
number = {1},
issn = {0924-9338},
address = {Cambridge},
publisher = {Cambridge University Press},
reportid = {DZNE-2025-00758},
pages = {e86},
year = {2025},
abstract = {Childhood maltreatment (CM) is a risk factor for mental and
physical health problems in adulthood, potentially mediated
by long-term autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysregulation.
To explore this link, the association between CM and
vagal-sensitive heart rate variability (HRV) metrics in
adults was examined, accounting for biopsychosocial
factors.Data from 4,420 participants in the Study of Health
in Pomerania were analyzed, with CM assessed using the
Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. HRV was derived from
10-second electrocardiograms and 5-minute pre-sleep
polysomnographic recordings. Post hoc analyses examined
abuse and neglect.CM was associated with reduced HRV
(logRMSSD: β = -0.20 $[95\%-CI:$ -0.28, -0.12], p =
1.2e-06), driven by neglect (β = -0.27 [-0.35, -0.18], p =
1.9e-09) rather than abuse (β = 0.01 [-0.12, 0.14], p = 1).
Adjustments for age, sex, and medication attenuated these
effects, which remained robust after additionally
controlling for socioeconomic, lifestyle, body mass index,
and depressive symptoms (fully adjusted model: CM β = -0.08
[-0.15, -0.001], p = .047; neglect β = -0.11 [-0.19,
-0.03], p = .009; abuse β = -0.08 [-0.20, -0.04], p =
.174). Age-related differences were found, with reduced HRV
in both young and older participants but not in middle-aged
participants (fully adjusted: F(2,743) = 6.75, p =
.001).This study highlights long-term ANS dysregulation
following CM, particularly neglect, indicated by altered
vagal-sensitive HRV metrics. Although small in magnitude,
the effect on the ANS was independent of adult
biopsychosocial factors. This long-term dysregulation may
contribute to an increased risk of adverse health outcomes
in adulthood.},
keywords = {Humans / Male / Heart Rate: physiology / Female / Middle
Aged / Adult / Autonomic Nervous System: physiopathology /
Adult Survivors of Child Abuse: statistics $\&$ numerical
data / Electrocardiography / Aged / Polysomnography / CTQ
(Other) / ECG (Other) / RMSSD (Other) / childhood
maltreatment (Other) / heart rate variability (Other)},
cin = {AG Hoffmann / AG Grabe},
ddc = {610},
cid = {I:(DE-2719)1510600 / I:(DE-2719)5000001},
pnm = {353 - Clinical and Health Care Research (POF4-353)},
pid = {G:(DE-HGF)POF4-353},
typ = {PUB:(DE-HGF)16},
pubmed = {pmid:40534159},
doi = {10.1192/j.eurpsy.2025.10040},
url = {https://pub.dzne.de/record/279427},
}