Interplay between resting heart rate variability, daily affective dynamics and mental health difficulties in autistic youths.

Laura Ilen, Julie Husmann, Clémence Feller, Maude Schneider

Abstract read

In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it

0cells of the map it votes in

1citing papers in PubMed

–field-weighted citation impact

1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

Autism in adolescence and adulthood.Scientific reports · 2026
Article

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Laura IlenClinical Psychology Unit for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, 40, Boulevard du Pont-d'Arve, 1205, Geneva, Switzerland. Laura.Ilen@unige.ch.

Julie HusmannClinical Psychology Unit for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, 40, Boulevard du Pont-d'Arve, 1205, Geneva, Switzerland.

Clémence FellerClinical Psychology Unit for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, 40, Boulevard du Pont-d'Arve, 1205, Geneva, Switzerland.

Maude SchneiderClinical Psychology Unit for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, 40, Boulevard du Pont-d'Arve, 1205, Geneva, Switzerland.

Funding

Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung PZ00P1_174206

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Repeated exposure to external stressors could lead to altered autonomic functioning, contributing to difficulties in emotion regulation and the development of mental health difficulties. This pathway is important to investigate in autistic youths who are vulnerable to develop stress-related mental health difficulties. We investigated the interplay between resting heart rate variability (HRV), fluctuations of daily affects over time (daily affective dynamics) and mental health symptoms (internalizing, externalizing and social anxiety symptoms) in 27 autistic (Mage=17.66) and 24 non-autistic (Mage=19.86) adolescents and young adults. Resting HRV was collected using a mobile electrocardiogram. Ecological Momentary Assessment assessed daily affective dynamics (affective instability and affective reactivity to stress). Mental health symptoms were assessed with questionnaires. Resting HRV did not differ significantly between the groups. HRV was not directly associated with mental health symptoms in analyses corrected for multiple comparisons, but affective reactivity to stress mediated the association between HRV and internalizing symptoms. Finally, differences emerged in the relationship between HRV and daily affective dynamics between autistic and non-autistic individuals. Our results suggest that increased stress reactivity may be a mechanism linking altered autonomic functioning to mental health difficulties, offering important insights for targeting clinical interventions.

Indexed as

AffectAutistic DisorderHeart RateMental HealthAdolescentAutonomic Nervous SystemElectrocardiographyFemaleHumansMaleStress, PsychologicalYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID41495332

DOI10.1038/s41598-025-34614-y

PMCPMC12864953

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.