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Purpose Low heart rate (HR) has been linked to antisocial behavior (ASB). However, the effect of low HR may be mediated by affiliation with bullies. We hypothesized that individuals with low HR are more likely to affiliate with bullies and in turn are influenced by these peers. Methods Data come from two waves of a subsample of the TRAILS study (N = 809; 44.0% boys; mean age of 11.0 years at T1 and 13.5 years at T2). ASB was measured using the Antisocial Behavior Questionnaire at both waves. HR was assessed during rest at T1. Affiliation with bullies was assessed via peer nominations at T1. Possible gender differences were taken into account, and all analyses were adjusted for family context (i.e., family breakup and socioeconomic status). Results Regression analyses showed that lower HR was only associated with ASB in (pre)adolescents who affiliated with bullies. Moreover, the effect of lower HR on boys' ASB was partly mediated by affiliation with bullies. Conclusions Our findings show that (pre)adolescents, and in particular boys, seem to be in environments that match their biological disposition and in turn are shaped by this environment. Keywords: Aggression, Bullying, Cardiac autonomic nervous system, Delinquency, Peer relationships, Person environment

Objective: To investigate whether externalizing and internalizing problems are related to lower and higher heart rate (HR), respectively, and to explore the relationship of these problems with respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS). Moreover, to study whether problems present at both preschool and preadolescent age show stronger associations with autonomic function than those that were not. Method: In a population cohort of 10- to 13-year-old children (N = 931; 11.6 +/- 0.5 years; 47% boys), autonomic measurements in supine and standing position were performed at school. RSA and BRS were determined by spectral analysis. Current externalizing and internalizing problems were assessed by the Child Behavior Checklist and problems at age 4 to 5 retrospectively by the Preschool Behavior Questionnaire. Results: At supine rest, current externalizing problems were associated with lower HR and higher RSA, but not with BRS and current internalizing problems with higher HR and lower RSA, but not with BRS. These results were specifically found in children with problems that were retrospectively reported to have been also present at preschool age. Standing-induced changes in autonomic parameters were unrelated to the behavioral dimensions. Conclusions: Externalizing and internalizing problems are associated with divergent autonomic patterns, suggesting autonomic underarousal and overarousal, respectively. Problems starting early in life may specifically account for this. This should be confirmed in prospective studies.

Heart rate variability diminishes during mental task performance. This decrease can be related to a change in control of the autonomic nervous system of blood pressure. This change in sympathetic/parasympathetic balance might be caused by a decrease in baroreflex sensitivity. - To study the characteristics of the baroreflex, blood pressure has to be assessed beat-to-beat. Continuously monitored blood pressure can provide the beat-to-beat values for computing spectral measures of blood pressure, and the baroreflex sensitivity. - The objective of this paper is to show that the effects of mental workload on blood pressure in a series of experiments are very consistent, although different methods were used to measure blood pressure continuously (Intra-arterial, FIN.A.PRES model 3 and 5, Ohmeda 2300). We selected one or two similar tasks from four experiments with small differences in task characteristics. - The cardiovascular effects of mental workload are characterized by a decrease in inter-brat interval, heart rate variability, blood pressure variability, and baroreflex sensitivity, and an increase of blood pressure. The blood pressure increase and the BRS decrease was larger for the more effortful tasks within the experiments. These effects are found in spite of the different methods of blood pressure measurements. - We conclude that the FIN.A.PRES devices are very well applicable in our research, where rest-task comparisons play a major role. The task effects in intra-arterially measured blood pressure are very well reproduced by FIN.A.PRES models.