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Project

Stress Physiology and HRV biofeedback in Adolescents with Autism

In recent years, there has been an increased interest in identifying the role of aberrant stress regulation and anxiety in neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this context,
increasing reports have emerged indicating a link between aberrant functioning of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), a central component of the physiological stress system, and psychiatric
disorders. The current project aims to further explore whether and how aberrant ANS functioning is related to increased social and psychological difficulties in adolescents with ASD (13-18 years) and
particularly, to evaluate the potential of a biofeedback intervention for normalizing autonomic dysfunction. To do so, a heart-rate-variability (HRV) biofeedback protocol will be adopted aimed at enhancing
respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), an important component of HRV driven solely by the parasympathetic ‘restorative’ branch of the ANS. The adoption of RSA-based biofeedback for enhancing selfregulation of physiological stress is of particular relevance to ASD, since other commonly adopted stress-regulation therapies (mindfulness, yoga), are associated with figurative language which is
known to be challenging in ASD. Furthermore, the validation of an RSA-based biofeedback intervention for adolescents with ASD may open novel avenues for home-based interventions for ASD where
therapist contact can be limited and integration in the daily routine can be supported by biofeedback apps.

Date:1 Sep 2019 →  8 Sep 2023
Keywords:autism
Disciplines:Orthopedagogical assessment and diagnostics
Project type:PhD project