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Comte A, Szymanska M, Monnin J, Moulin T, Nezelof S, Magnin E, Jardri R, Vulliez-Coady L. Neural correlates of distress and comfort in individuals with avoidant, anxious and secure attachment style: an fMRI study. Attach Hum Dev 2024:1-23. [PMID: 39093338 DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2024.2384393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
Despite a growing literature, experiments directly related to attachment are still needed. We explored brain processes involved in two aspects of attachment, distress and comfort. Seventy-eight healthy adult males with different attachment styles (secure, avoidant, and anxious) viewed distress, comfort, complicity-joy and neutral images (picture database BAPS-Adult) in an fMRI block design. ROIs from the modules described in the functional Neuro-Anatomical Model of Attachment (Long et al. 2020) were studied. Secure participants used more co- and self-regulation strategies and exhibited a higher activation of the reward network in distress and comfort viewing, than insecure participants. Avoidant participants showed the lower brain activations. Their approach and reward modules were the least activated in distress and comfort. Anxious participants presented both higher activations of the approach and aversion modules during complicity-joy. In addition, comfort and complicity-joy were processed differently according to attachment styles and should be differentiated among positive stimuli to disentangle attachment processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Comte
- Université de Franche-Comté, INSERM, UMR 1322 LINC, Besançon, France
- Université de Franche-Comté, INSERM, UMR 1322 LINC, Plateforme Neuraxess, CIC-1431 INSERM, Besançon, France
| | - Monika Szymanska
- Université de Franche-Comté, INSERM, UMR 1322 LINC, Besançon, France
- Université de Franche-Comté, CHU Besançon, Service de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, Besançon, France
| | - Julie Monnin
- Université de Franche-Comté, INSERM, UMR 1322 LINC, Besançon, France
- Université de Franche-Comté, CHU Besançon, Service de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, Besançon, France
| | - Thierry Moulin
- Université de Franche-Comté, INSERM, UMR 1322 LINC, Besançon, France
- Université de Franche-Comté, CHU Besançon, Service de Neurologie, Besançon, France
| | - Sylvie Nezelof
- Université de Franche-Comté, INSERM, UMR 1322 LINC, Besançon, France
- Université de Franche-Comté, CHU Besançon, Service de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, Besançon, France
| | - Eloi Magnin
- Université de Franche-Comté, INSERM, UMR 1322 LINC, Besançon, France
- Université de Franche-Comté, CHU Besançon, Service de Neurologie, Besançon, France
| | - Renaud Jardri
- University of Lille, Inserm U1172, Centre Lille Neuroscience and Cognition, CHU Lille, Lille, France
| | - Lauriane Vulliez-Coady
- Université de Franche-Comté, INSERM, UMR 1322 LINC, Besançon, France
- Université de Franche-Comté, CHU Besançon, Service de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, Besançon, France
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Lin J, Stern JA, Allen JP, Coan JA. Does attachment in adolescence predict neural responses to handholding in adulthood? A functional magnetic resonance imaging study. JOURNAL OF SOCIAL AND PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS 2024; 41:2276-2296. [PMID: 39166123 PMCID: PMC11335342 DOI: 10.1177/02654075241239604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/22/2024]
Abstract
Objective Early life experiences, including attachment-related experiences, inform internal working models that guide adult relationship behaviors. Few studies have examined the association between adolescent attachment and adult relationship behavior on a neural level. The current study examined attachment in adolescence and its associations with neural correlates of relationship behaviors in adulthood. Method 85 participants completed the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) at age 14. Ten years later, at age 24, participants underwent functional brain image when participants were under the threat of electric shock alone, holding the hand of a stranger, or their partner. Results We found that adolescents who were securely attached at age 14 showed increased activation in regions commonly associated with cognitive, affective, and reward processing when they held the hand of their partner and stranger compared to being alone. Adolescents with higher preoccupied attachment scores showed decreased activation in similar regions only during the stranger handholding condition compared to being alone. Conclusions These findings suggest that adolescent attachment predicts adult social relationship behaviors on a neural level, in regions largely consistent with previous literature. Broadly, this study has implications for understanding long-term links between attachment and adult relationship behaviors and has potential for informing intervention.
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Prinsen J, Alaerts K. In the eye of the beholder: Social traits predict motor simulation during naturalistic action perception. Neuropsychologia 2024; 199:108889. [PMID: 38670526 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2024.108889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Previous research has robustly demonstrated that eye contact between actor and observer promotes the simulation of perceived actions into the observer's own motor system, which in turn facilitates social perception and communication. The socially relevant connotation embedded in eye contact may however be different for individuals with differing social traits. Here, we examined how "normal" (i.e. non-clinical) variability in self-reported social responsiveness/autistic traits, social anxiety and interpersonal relationship style (secure, avoidant or anxious attachment) influences neural motor simulation during action observation in different gaze conditions. To do so, we analyzed an existing dataset involving 124 adult participants (age range: 18-35 years) who underwent transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) while observing an actor performing simple hand actions and simultaneously engaging in eye contact or gazing away from the observer. Motor evoked potential (MEP) amplitudes were adopted as an index of motor resonance. Regression-based analyses highlighted the role of social responsiveness and secure attachment in shaping motor resonance, indicating that socially responsive motor resonance during dyadic gaze (i.e., MEPdirect > MEPaverted) was only observed in participants displaying high levels of these traits. Furthermore, a clustering analysis identified two to three distinct subgroups of participants with unique social trait profiles, showing a clear differentiation in motor resonant patterns upon different gaze cues that is in accordance with a recent neurobiological framework of attachment. Together, results demonstrate that motor resonance within a given social interaction may serve as a sensitive tracker of socio-interactive engagement, which allows to capture subclinical inter-individual variation in relevant social traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jellina Prinsen
- Neurorehabilitation Research Group, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Kaat Alaerts
- Neurorehabilitation Research Group, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Stamp GE, Wadley AL, Iacovides S. Could Relationship-Based Learnt Beliefs and Expectations Contribute to Physiological Vulnerability of Chronic Pain? Making a Case to Consider Attachment in Pain Research. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2024:104619. [PMID: 38945383 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2024.104619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Pain is an interpersonal and inherently social experience. Pain perception and administration of medical treatment all occur in a particular environmental and social context. Early environmental influences and early learning experiences and interactions condition the body's response to different threats (like pain), ultimately shaping the underlying neurophysiology. These early interactions and experiences also determine what situations are perceived as threatening, as well as our belief in our own ability to self-manage, and our belief in others to offer support, during perceived threats. These beliefs intrinsically drive the combination of behaviors that emerge in response to perceived threats, including pain. Such behaviors can be categorized into attachment styles. In this interdisciplinary review, we synthesize and summarize evidence from the neurobiological, psychobiological, psychosocial, and psychobehavioral fields, to describe how these beliefs are embedded in the brain's prediction models to generate a series of expectations/perceptions around the level of safety/threat in different contexts. As such, these beliefs may predict how one experiences and responds to pain, with potentially significant implications for the development and management of chronic pain. Little attention has been directed to the effect of adult attachment style on pain in research studies and in the clinical setting. Using interdisciplinary evidence, we argue why we think this interaction merits further consideration and research. PERSPECTIVE: This review explores the influence of attachment styles on pain perception, suggesting a link between social connections and chronic pain development. It aligns with recent calls to emphasize the social context in pain research and advocates for increased focus on adult attachment styles in research and clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriella Elisabeth Stamp
- Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
| | - Antonia Louise Wadley
- Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Stella Iacovides
- Brain Function Research Group, School of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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5
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Santaguida E, Bergamasco M. A perspective-based analysis of attachment from prenatal period to second year postnatal life. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1296242. [PMID: 38840732 PMCID: PMC11150629 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1296242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Attachment is one of the foundational themes in the history of the psychological development of human beings. For this reason, we assume that it must be approached by taking into account multiple scientific perspectives. The present review aims at analyzing the state of the art regarding the genetic, neurobiological and cognitive mechanisms underlying the development of attachment bonding, considering the child as the frame of reference. We hypothesize that attachment may be present in prototypical forms even in the prenatal period, thus our analysis has a temporal origin in the intrauterine period preceding birth. The intrauterine period is assumed to be a period of maximum sensitivity to stimuli and in particular to those coming from a potential primary caregiver: the biological mother. We conclude with a reframing of the state of the art and propose that future research work would benefit from a superordinate model of attachment, capable of containing and regulating all its components and variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Santaguida
- Institute of Mechanical Intelligence, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy
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Domic-Siede M, Sánchez-Corzo A, Guzmán-González M. Brain oscillations during emotion regulation and the two-dimensional model of adult attachment. Biol Psychol 2024; 189:108793. [PMID: 38631550 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2024.108793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2024] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Emotion Regulation (ER) refers to the processes by which individuals influence their own emotions. It is a crucial aspect of human behavior, affecting everything from interpersonal relationships to mental health. The relationship between ER and Attachment Theory (AT) is pivotal. AT suggests that early bonds with primary caregivers influence future relationship expectations and behaviors. These initial experiences shape internal models of self and others, affecting how individuals regulate their emotions. Understanding the interplay between ER and AT is essential for comprehending the human affective system. In this study, we explored the neural underpinnings of ER, focusing on two distinct strategies: cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression. Using electroencephalography (EEG), we examined changes in neural oscillations from 52 adults during an ER task. Specifically, we observed increased frontal theta activity (3-6 Hz) during reappraisal compared to suppression strategies. This frontal theta activity suggests enhanced cognitive control engagement. Conversely, during suppression, we noted a decrease in beta frequency (15-30 Hz) activity from central electrodes, indicative of differing neural processes. Further integrating psychological theories, we explored the relationship between these neural markers and dimensions of human attachment. Employing the Experiences in Close Relationships-12 scale (ECR-12), we identified a negative correlation between attachment anxiety and frontal theta activity. Lower levels of attachment anxiety were associated with increased theta activity, reflecting potentially more effective emotion regulation. Additionally, we found that higher theta activity corresponded with fewer difficulties in emotional control measured by the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). Regarding central beta activity, our findings revealed an interesting correlation with Emotional Inattention, a concept tied to Attachment Avoidance. This suggests that central beta activity may serve as a neural marker for specific attachment-related ER processing. These results highlight the distinct neural pathways involved in different ER strategies and their relationship with the AT and neural responses during emotional processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Domic-Siede
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia Cognitiva, Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile.
| | - Andrea Sánchez-Corzo
- Multimodal Functional Brain Imaging and Neurorehabilitation Hub, Department of Diagnostic Imaging. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Mónica Guzmán-González
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia Cognitiva, Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
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Li Y, Wu S, Xu J, Wang H, Zhu Q, Shi W, Fang Y, Jiang F, Tong S, Zhang Y, Guo X. Interbrain substrates of role switching during mother-child interaction. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26672. [PMID: 38549429 PMCID: PMC10979116 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Mother-child interaction is highly dynamic and reciprocal. Switching roles in these back-and-forth interactions serves as a crucial feature of reciprocal behaviors while the underlying neural entrainment is still not well-studied. Here, we designed a role-controlled cooperative task with dual EEG recording to explore how differently two brains interact when mothers and children hold different roles. When children were actors and mothers were observers, mother-child interbrain synchrony emerged primarily within the theta oscillations and the frontal lobe, which highly correlated with children's attachment to their mothers (self-reported by mothers). When their roles were reversed, this synchrony was shifted to the alpha oscillations and the central area and associated with mothers' perception of their relationship with their children. The results suggested an observer-actor neural alignment within the actor's oscillations, which was related to the actor-toward-observer emotional bonding. Our findings contribute to the understanding of how interbrain synchrony is established and dynamically changed during mother-child reciprocal interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yamin Li
- School of Biomedical EngineeringShanghai Jiao Tong UniversityShanghaiChina
- Department of Computer ScienceVanderbilt UniversityNashvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - Saishuang Wu
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral PediatricsNational Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Affiliated to School of Medicine Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Jiayang Xu
- School of Biomedical EngineeringShanghai Jiao Tong UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Haiwa Wang
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral PediatricsNational Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Affiliated to School of Medicine Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Qi Zhu
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral PediatricsNational Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Affiliated to School of Medicine Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Wen Shi
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringJohns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Yue Fang
- China Welfare Institute NurseryShanghaiChina
| | - Fan Jiang
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral PediatricsNational Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Affiliated to School of Medicine Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Shanbao Tong
- School of Biomedical EngineeringShanghai Jiao Tong UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Yunting Zhang
- Child Health Advocacy InstituteNational Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Affiliated to School of Medicine Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Xiaoli Guo
- School of Biomedical EngineeringShanghai Jiao Tong UniversityShanghaiChina
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Stern JA, Kelsey CM, Yancey H, Grossmann T. Love on the developing brain: Maternal sensitivity and infants' neural responses to emotion in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Dev Sci 2024:e13497. [PMID: 38511516 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Infancy is a sensitive period of development, during which experiences of parental care are particularly important for shaping the developing brain. In a longitudinal study of N = 95 mothers and infants, we examined links between caregiving behavior (maternal sensitivity observed during a mother-infant free-play) and infants' neural response to emotion (happy, angry, and fearful faces) at 5 and 7 months of age. Neural activity was assessed using functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), a region involved in cognitive control and emotion regulation. Maternal sensitivity was positively correlated with infants' neural responses to happy faces in the bilateral dlPFC and was associated with relative increases in such responses from 5 to 7 months. Multilevel analyses revealed caregiving-related individual differences in infants' neural responses to happy compared to fearful faces in the bilateral dlPFC, as well as other brain regions. We suggest that variability in dlPFC responses to emotion in the developing brain may be one correlate of early experiences of caregiving, with implications for social-emotional functioning and self-regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A Stern
- Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Caroline M Kelsey
- Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Heath Yancey
- Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Tobias Grossmann
- Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
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Konrad K, Gerloff C, Kohl SH, Mehler DMA, Mehlem L, Volbert EL, Komorek M, Henn AT, Boecker M, Weiss E, Reindl V. Interpersonal neural synchrony and mental disorders: unlocking potential pathways for clinical interventions. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1286130. [PMID: 38529267 PMCID: PMC10962391 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1286130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Interpersonal synchronization involves the alignment of behavioral, affective, physiological, and brain states during social interactions. It facilitates empathy, emotion regulation, and prosocial commitment. Mental disorders characterized by social interaction dysfunction, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD), and Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), often exhibit atypical synchronization with others across multiple levels. With the introduction of the "second-person" neuroscience perspective, our understanding of interpersonal neural synchronization (INS) has improved, however, so far, it has hardly impacted the development of novel therapeutic interventions. Methods To evaluate the potential of INS-based treatments for mental disorders, we performed two systematic literature searches identifying studies that directly target INS through neurofeedback (12 publications; 9 independent studies) or brain stimulation techniques (7 studies), following PRISMA guidelines. In addition, we narratively review indirect INS manipulations through behavioral, biofeedback, or hormonal interventions. We discuss the potential of such treatments for ASD, RAD, and SAD and using a systematic database search assess the acceptability of neurofeedback (4 studies) and neurostimulation (4 studies) in patients with social dysfunction. Results Although behavioral approaches, such as engaging in eye contact or cooperative actions, have been shown to be associated with increased INS, little is known about potential long-term consequences of such interventions. Few proof-of-concept studies have utilized brain stimulation techniques, like transcranial direct current stimulation or INS-based neurofeedback, showing feasibility and preliminary evidence that such interventions can boost behavioral synchrony and social connectedness. Yet, optimal brain stimulation protocols and neurofeedback parameters are still undefined. For ASD, RAD, or SAD, so far no randomized controlled trial has proven the efficacy of direct INS-based intervention techniques, although in general brain stimulation and neurofeedback methods seem to be well accepted in these patient groups. Discussion Significant work remains to translate INS-based manipulations into effective treatments for social interaction disorders. Future research should focus on mechanistic insights into INS, technological advancements, and rigorous design standards. Furthermore, it will be key to compare interventions directly targeting INS to those targeting other modalities of synchrony as well as to define optimal target dyads and target synchrony states in clinical interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Konrad
- Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH, Aachen, Germany
- JARA Brain Institute II, Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging (INM-11), Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany
| | - Christian Gerloff
- Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH, Aachen, Germany
- JARA Brain Institute II, Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging (INM-11), Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Cambridge Centre for Data-Driven Discovery, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Simon H. Kohl
- Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH, Aachen, Germany
- JARA Brain Institute II, Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging (INM-11), Jülich Research Centre, Jülich, Germany
| | - David M. A. Mehler
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Center (CUBRIC), Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Lena Mehlem
- Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH, Aachen, Germany
| | - Emily L. Volbert
- Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH, Aachen, Germany
| | - Maike Komorek
- Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH, Aachen, Germany
| | - Alina T. Henn
- Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH, Aachen, Germany
| | - Maren Boecker
- Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH, Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Hospital RWTH, Aachen, Germany
| | - Eileen Weiss
- Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH, Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Hospital RWTH, Aachen, Germany
| | - Vanessa Reindl
- Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH, Aachen, Germany
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
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10
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Gustison ML, Muñoz-Castañeda R, Osten P, Phelps SM. Sexual coordination in a whole-brain map of prairie vole pair bonding. eLife 2024; 12:RP87029. [PMID: 38381037 PMCID: PMC10942618 DOI: 10.7554/elife.87029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Sexual bonds are central to the social lives of many species, including humans, and monogamous prairie voles have become the predominant model for investigating such attachments. We developed an automated whole-brain mapping pipeline to identify brain circuits underlying pair-bonding behavior. We identified bonding-related c-Fos induction in 68 brain regions clustered in seven major brain-wide neuronal circuits. These circuits include known regulators of bonding, such as the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, paraventricular hypothalamus, ventral pallidum, and prefrontal cortex. They also include brain regions previously unknown to shape bonding, such as ventromedial hypothalamus, medial preoptic area, and the medial amygdala, but that play essential roles in bonding-relevant processes, such as sexual behavior, social reward, and territorial aggression. Contrary to some hypotheses, we found that circuits active during mating and bonding were largely sexually monomorphic. Moreover, c-Fos induction across regions was strikingly consistent between members of a pair, with activity best predicted by rates of ejaculation. A novel cluster of regions centered in the amygdala remained coordinated after bonds had formed, suggesting novel substrates for bond maintenance. Our tools and results provide an unprecedented resource for elucidating the networks that translate sexual experience into an enduring bond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan L Gustison
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at AustinAustinUnited States
- Department of Psychology, Western UniversityLondonCanada
| | - Rodrigo Muñoz-Castañeda
- Cold Spring Harbor LaboratoryCold Spring HarborUnited States
- Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell MedicineNew YorkUnited States
| | - Pavel Osten
- Cold Spring Harbor LaboratoryCold Spring HarborUnited States
| | - Steven M Phelps
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at AustinAustinUnited States
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at AustinAustinUnited States
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11
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Mercante B, Uccula A, Secchi E, Puggioni G, Loi N, Enrico P, Deriu F. Hand-blink reflex modulation: The role of primary emotions and attachment dimensions. Psychophysiology 2024; 61:e14432. [PMID: 37670673 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023]
Abstract
The hand-blink reflex (HBR) is a subcortical response elicited by the electrical stimulation of the median nerve. HBR magnitude is enhanced when the stimulated hand is close to the face and is modulated by high-level structures according to the perceived threat magnitude. Psychological factors may contribute to threat evaluation and possibly to HBR amplitude modulation. In this study, we assessed distinctively emotional and relational aspects of personality and evaluated their associations with the HBR response, or lack thereof, in healthy subjects. Seventy-one volunteers filled the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale, the Affective Neuroscience Personality Scales, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Form Y questionnaires and underwent HBR recording. We found that the HBR could be evoked only in 50.7% of all subjects (responders). Non-responders subjects showed higher scores in the avoidance dimension (p = .005), and lower scores in the care dimension (p = .008), compared with responders. In responders, regression analysis showed a negative association of HBR amplitude (difference in near vs. far responses) with anger dimension and a positive association with state anxiety (R2 = 0.239). A positive association also emerged with HBR latency and fear dimension (R2 = 0.419). We conclude that primary emotional and relational factors may play an important role in the modulation of brainstem circuits mediating the HBR response. Our results may also contribute to the question about the absence of the HBR in about half of the subjects since high-level cognitive processes seem to play an important role in the differentiation between responder and non-responder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beniamina Mercante
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Arcangelo Uccula
- Department of History, Human Sciences and Education, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Eleonora Secchi
- Department of History, Human Sciences and Education, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Graziella Puggioni
- Department of History, Human Sciences and Education, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Nicola Loi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Paolo Enrico
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Franca Deriu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
- Unit of Endocrinology, Nutritional and Metabolic Disorders, AOU Sassari, Sassari, Italy
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12
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Zhang M, Wang J, Li Q, Li S, Bao X, Chen X. Temporal characteristics of emotional conflict processing: the modulation role of attachment styles. Int J Psychophysiol 2023; 193:112243. [PMID: 37689370 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2023.112243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/02/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
Theoretical account of attachment proposed that individual differences in adult attachment styles play a key role in adjusting balance between affective evaluation and cognitive control. Yet, little is known about the temporal characteristics of emotional conflict processing modulated by attachment styles. Accordingly, the present study used event-related potentials (ERP) and multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) combined with an emotional face-word Stroop task to investigate the temporal dynamics of attachment-related cognitive-affective patterns in emotional conflict processing. The ERP results demonstrated multiple-process of emotional conflict modulated by attachment styles. In early sensory processing, positive faces captured avoidant attachment individuals' attention as reflected in greater P1, while the same situation led to greater N170 in secure and anxious individuals. Crucially, impairment in conflict-monitoring function was found in anxious individuals as reflected by the absence of interference effect on N450, leading to impaired ability of inhibitory control as indicated by decreased slow potential. In contrast, avoidant individuals showed greater slow potential for inhibiting emotional interference. Furthermore, MVPA revealed that the corresponding time window for conflict monitoring was found for emotional distractors decoding rather than congruency decoding in the anxious attachment group. Convergent results from ERPs and MVPA indicated that the deficits in emotional conflict monitoring and resolution among anxious individuals might be due to the excessive approach to emotional distractors, as they habitually use emotional evaluation rather than cognitive control. In summary, the present study provides electrophysiological evidence that attachment styles modulated emotional conflict processing, which highlights the contribution of attachment to social information processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengke Zhang
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Jing Wang
- School of Psychology, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian 116029, China
| | - Qing Li
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Song Li
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Xiuqin Bao
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Xu Chen
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
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13
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Gustison ML, Muñoz-Castañeda R, Osten P, Phelps SM. Sexual coordination in a whole-brain map of prairie vole pair bonding. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.26.550685. [PMID: 37546974 PMCID: PMC10402037 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.26.550685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Sexual bonds are central to the social lives of many species, including humans, and monogamous prairie voles have become the predominant model for investigating such attachments. We developed an automated whole-brain mapping pipeline to identify brain circuits underlying pair-bonding behavior. We identified bonding-related c-Fos induction in 68 brain regions clustered in seven major brain-wide neuronal circuits. These circuits include known regulators of bonding, such as the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, paraventricular hypothalamus, ventral pallidum, and prefrontal cortex. They also include brain regions previously unknown to shape bonding, such as ventromedial hypothalamus, medial preoptic area and the medial amygdala, but that play essential roles in bonding-relevant processes, such as sexual behavior, social reward and territorial aggression. Contrary to some hypotheses, we found that circuits active during mating and bonding were largely sexually monomorphic. Moreover, c-Fos induction across regions was strikingly consistent between members of a pair, with activity best predicted by rates of ejaculation. A novel cluster of regions centered in the amygdala remained coordinated after bonds had formed, suggesting novel substrates for bond maintenance. Our tools and results provide an unprecedented resource for elucidating the networks that translate sexual experience into an enduring bond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan L. Gustison
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin; Austin, TX, USA
- Department of Psychology, Western University, ON, Canada
| | - Rodrigo Muñoz-Castañeda
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
- Appel Alzheimer's Disease Research Institute, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Pavel Osten
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY, USA
| | - Steven M. Phelps
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin; Austin, TX, USA
- Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin; Austin, TX, USA
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14
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Ihme H, Courtet P, Risch N, Dubois J, Belzeaux R, Olié E. Mediation effect of anxious attachment on relationship between childhood trauma and suicidal ideation sensitive to psychological pain levels. Eur Psychiatry 2023; 66:e79. [PMID: 37737057 PMCID: PMC10594339 DOI: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2023.2452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood trauma (CT), depression, and psychological pain are known predictors of suicidal ideation. Recent literature additionally highlights the importance of the attachment system. METHODS We aimed to predict suicidal ideation through CT, attachment, and psychological and social pain by using mediation models aiming to predict suicidal ideation through CT (predictor) and attachment (mediator). In the same models, we introduced psychological or social pain as a moderator of the relationship between attachment, CT, and suicidal ideation. We included 161 depressed patients and assessed depression, attachment, CT, suicidal ideation, psychological pain, and social pain. RESULTS We found (1) a complete mediating effect of anxious attachment (a2b2 = 0.0035, CI95% = [0.0010; 0.0069]) on the relationship between CT on suicidal ideation, and (2) a significant complete conditional mediating effect of anxious attachment and psychological pain (index of moderated mediation VAS: 0.0014; CI95% = [0.0002; 0.0032]) but not social pain on the relationship between CT and suicidal ideation. Both models were controlled for history of suicidal attempt, depression severity, and sex. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest a developmental profile of suicidal ideation in mood disorder that is characterized by the presence of CT and insecure attachment, especially anxious attachment, that is sensitive to experiences of psychological pain. Nevertheless, we cannot conclude that avoidantly attached individuals do not present the same mechanism, as they may not disclose those ideas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Ihme
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, UMR 7289, Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Philippe Courtet
- IGF,Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
- Department of Emergency Psychiatry and Acute Care, Lapeyronie Hospital, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Nathan Risch
- IGF,Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Jonathan Dubois
- IGF,Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
- Department of Emergency Psychiatry and Acute Care, Lapeyronie Hospital, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Raoul Belzeaux
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, UMR 7289, Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Marseille, France
- Pôle Universitaire de Psychiatrie, CHU de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Emilie Olié
- IGF,Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, INSERM, Montpellier, France
- Department of Emergency Psychiatry and Acute Care, Lapeyronie Hospital, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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15
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Domic-Siede M, Guzmán-González M, Burgos J, Carvallo C, Flores-Guerra C, Fredes-Valenzuela C, Suazo J, Véliz-García O, Calderón C, Sánchez-Corzo A, Perrone-Bertolotti M, Marín-Medina J. Emotion regulation strategies and the two-dimensional model of adult attachment: a pilot study. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1141607. [PMID: 37484522 PMCID: PMC10359990 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1141607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Emotion Regulation plays a crucial role in human's daily lives. Extensive research has shown that people with different attachment orientations exhibit divergencies in how they perform emotion regulation strategies. Methods 44 adults performed an experimental emotion regulation task in which they were instructed to attend, reappraise, or suppress their emotions while viewing negative and neutral images taken from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS). Afterward, participants rated valence, arousal, and emotional dominance elicited by the images. Additionally, attachment orientations were measured using the ECR-12 questionnaire. Results Results showed a relationship between attachment avoidance and the level of arousal during the reappraisal condition; specifically, the higher attachment avoidance levels, the greater the emotional intensity during the implementation of cognitive reappraisal strategy. Such results suggest an association between failing in downregulate intense emotions using cognitive reappraisal when there are higher levels of attachment avoidance. Consistently, we also found that lower dominance during reappraisal was associated with more levels of avoidance. Conclusion These results indicate that people with higher levels of attachment avoidance experience difficulties when using the cognitive reappraisal strategy to reduce the emotional impact produced by negative emotional stimuli. Our findings reinforce the idea that avoidant people experience high physiological activation when experience emotions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Domic-Siede
- Núcleo de Investigación en Neurociencia Cognitiva y Afectiva, Laboratorio de Neurociencia Cognitiva, Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Mónica Guzmán-González
- Núcleo de Investigación en Neurociencia Cognitiva y Afectiva, Laboratorio de Neurociencia Cognitiva, Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Josefa Burgos
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia Cognitiva, Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Catalina Carvallo
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia Cognitiva, Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Camila Flores-Guerra
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia Cognitiva, Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Constanza Fredes-Valenzuela
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia Cognitiva, Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Javiera Suazo
- Laboratorio de Neurociencia Cognitiva, Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Oscar Véliz-García
- Núcleo de Investigación en Neurociencia Cognitiva y Afectiva, Laboratorio de Neurociencia Cognitiva, Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Carlos Calderón
- Núcleo de Investigación en Neurociencia Cognitiva y Afectiva, Laboratorio de Neurociencia Cognitiva, Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Andrea Sánchez-Corzo
- Multimodal Functional Brain Imaging and Neurorehabilitation Hub, Department of Diagnostic Imaging, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Marcela Perrone-Bertolotti
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LPNC, Grenoble, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - Jennifer Marín-Medina
- Unidad de Terapia Familiar, Centro de Intervención y Asesoría Psicosocial CIAP, Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
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16
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Blumenthal SA, Young LJ. The Neurobiology of Love and Pair Bonding from Human and Animal Perspectives. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:844. [PMID: 37372130 PMCID: PMC10295201 DOI: 10.3390/biology12060844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Love is a powerful emotional experience that is rooted in ancient neurobiological processes shared with other species that pair bond. Considerable insights have been gained into the neural mechanisms driving the evolutionary antecedents of love by studies in animal models of pair bonding, particularly in monogamous species such as prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). Here, we provide an overview of the roles of oxytocin, dopamine, and vasopressin in regulating neural circuits responsible for generating bonds in animals and humans alike. We begin with the evolutionary origins of bonding in mother-infant relationships and then examine the neurobiological underpinnings of each stage of bonding. Oxytocin and dopamine interact to link the neural representation of partner stimuli with the social reward of courtship and mating to create a nurturing bond between individuals. Vasopressin facilitates mate-guarding behaviors, potentially related to the human experience of jealousy. We further discuss the psychological and physiological stress following partner separation and their adaptive function, as well as evidence of the positive health outcomes associated with being pair-bonded based on both animal and human studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A. Blumenthal
- Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Larry J. Young
- Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
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17
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ERP and attachment dimensions as predictors of seeking care or food comfort in stressful situations. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3170. [PMID: 36823203 PMCID: PMC9950445 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29493-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
In this study, we aimed to test the association of the Late Positive Potential (LPP) response and attachment dimensions in the choice of care/food pictures and its reaction time (RT) in threatening versus neutral conditions. Fifty-two participants (38 females, Mage 22.62) responded to the ECR questionnaire and were exposed to adequate visual stimuli, during EEG recording. Results showed that threatening stimuli increase the choice of care, decrease RT, and increase LPP magnitude in centro-parietal areas (Cpz, Pz, P3 and P4). Food choice was lower, with increased RT. Furthermore, larger LPP magnitude in centro-parietal cluster was associated with increased RT in the choice of care. Considering the dimensions of attachment, in threatening conditions, while anxiety was not associated with RT and care/food choice, avoidance was associated with an increase in care choice and RT. In conclusion, the specific association of increased RT in care choice with high LPP magnitude centro-parietal cluster may be explained in terms of a functional interference of these areas in the choice of care, but not of food. Further, we postulate that the increased RT of avoidant individuals may reflect a more articulated choice process.
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18
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Burra N, Vrtička P. Association between attachment anxiety and the gaze direction-related N170. Attach Hum Dev 2023; 25:181-198. [PMID: 35924946 DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2022.2091337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Attachment theory suggests that interindividual differences in attachment security versus insecurity (anxiety and avoidance) contribute to the ways in which people perceive social emotional signals, particularly from the human face. Among different facial features, eye gaze conveys crucial information for social interaction, with a straight gaze triggering different cognitive and emotional processes as compared to an averted gaze. It remains unknown, however, how interindividual differences in attachment associate with early face encoding in the context of a straight versus averted gaze. Using electroencephalography (EEG) and recording event-related potentials (ERPs), specifically the N170 component, the present study (N = 50 healthy adults) measured how the characteristics of attachment anxiety and avoidance relate to the encoding of faces with respect to gaze direction and head orientation. Our findings reveal a significant relationship between gaze direction (irrespective of head orientation) and attachment anxiety on the interhemispheric (i.e. right) asymmetry of the N170 and thus provide evidence for an association between attachment anxiety and eye gaze processing during early visual face encoding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Burra
- Faculté de Psychologie et des Sciences de l'Education, Université de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Pascal Vrtička
- Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Colchester, UK
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19
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Azhari A, Gabrieli G, Bizzego A, Bornstein MH, Esposito G. Probing the association between maternal anxious attachment style and mother-child brain-to-brain coupling during passive co-viewing of visual stimuli. Attach Hum Dev 2023; 25:19-34. [PMID: 33357029 DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2020.1840790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Brain-to-brain coupling during co-viewing of video stimuli reflects similar intersubjective mentalisation processes. During an everyday joint activity of watching video stimuli (television shows) with her child, an anxiously attached mother's preoccupation with her child is likely to distract her from understanding the mental state of characters in the show. To test the hypothesis that reduced coupling in the medial prefrontal cortex (PFC) would be observed with increasing maternal attachment anxiety (MAA), we profiled mothers' MAA using the Attachment Style Questionnaire and used functional Near-infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) to assess PFC coupling in 31 mother-child dyads while they watched three 1-min animation videos together. Reduced coupling was observed with increasing MAA in the medial right PFC cluster which is implicated in mentalisation processes. This result did not survive control analyses and should be taken as preliminary. Reduced coupling between anxiously-attached mothers and their children during co-viewing could undermine quality of shared experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atiqah Azhari
- Psychology Program, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Giulio Gabrieli
- Psychology Program, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Andrea Bizzego
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Marc H Bornstein
- Institute for Fiscal Studies, London, UK.,Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Gianluca Esposito
- Psychology Program, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy.,Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
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20
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Schoett MJS, Basten U, Deichmann R, Fiebach CJ, Fischmann T. Brain responses to social cues of attachment in mid-childhood. Attach Hum Dev 2023; 25:35-49. [PMID: 33464174 DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2020.1840791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Physical separation from caregivers activates attachment-related behaviors. However, neural underpinnings of this biological mechanism in humans and their development are poorly understood. We examined via functional MRI brain responses to pictorial representations of separation as a function of attachment-security, attachment-avoidance, and attachment-anxiety measured using the Child-Attachment-Interview, in 30 typically developing children (9-11 years). Attachment-related stimuli elicited enhanced activation in the precuneus, temporoparietal junction area, and medial superior frontal gyrus (described as mentalization network). More negatively rated attachment stimuli yielded increased activity in the inferior frontal gyrus/anterior insula and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex/ACC. Furthermore, ACC responses to attachment-related as compared to control stimuli were positively correlated with attachment-security and negatively correlated with attachment-avoidance. Our findings suggest that processing of separation cues elicits increased mentalization-related processing in children and activation of the salience network with increased negative valence of stimuli. Avoidant vs. securely attached children differentially activate ACC-dependent processes of affective evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margerete J S Schoett
- Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Sigmund-Freud-Institute, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,IdeA Center for Individual Development and Adaptive Education, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Ralf Deichmann
- Brain Imaging Center, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Christian J Fiebach
- Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,IdeA Center for Individual Development and Adaptive Education, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Brain Imaging Center, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Tamara Fischmann
- Sigmund-Freud-Institute, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,IdeA Center for Individual Development and Adaptive Education, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,International Psychoanalytic University, Berlin, Germany
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21
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Kungl M, Vrticka P, Heinisch C, Beckmann MW, Fasching PA, Ziegler C, Spangler G. Deactivating attachment strategies associate with early processing of facial emotion and familiarity in middle childhood: an ERP study. Attach Hum Dev 2023; 25:199-217. [PMID: 36222516 DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2022.2132050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Neurophysiological evidence suggests associations between attachment and the neural processing of emotion expressions. This study asks whether this relationship is also evident in middle childhood, and how it is affected by facial familiarity. Attachment strategies (deactivation, hyperactivation) were assessed in 51 children (9 - 11 years) using a story stem completion task. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded during children's passive viewing of mother and stranger emotional faces (angry/happy). At the stage of facial information encoding (N250), attachment deactivation was associated with a pattern pointing to increased vigilance towards angry faces. Further, the attention-driven LPP was increased to happy mother faces as highly salient stimuli overall, but not in children scoring high on deactivation. These children did not discriminate between mothers' facial emotions and showed a general attentional withdrawal from facial stimuli. While our results on attachment deactivation support a two-stage processing model, no effect of hyperactivation was found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Kungl
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Developmental Psychopathology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Pascal Vrticka
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Brain Science, University of Essex, Colchester, UK
| | - Christine Heinisch
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Developmental Psychopathology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Matthias W Beckmann
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Peter A Fasching
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Clara Ziegler
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Developmental Psychopathology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Gottfried Spangler
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Developmental Psychopathology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
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22
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Abstract
This introduction aims to set out the potential as well as some of the pitfalls of the newly emerging area of the Social Neuroscience of Human Attachment (SoNeAt). To organize and interconnect the burgeoning empirical studies in this line of research, including those in this special issue, we outline a programmatic framework including an extension of our conceptual proposals NAMA and NAMDA to guide future research. We hope that this special issue will act as a stimulus for redoubling our efforts advancing the newly emerging SoNeAt area bridging attachment theory and social neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars White
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Melanie Kungl
- Department of Psychology, Friedrich-Alexander-University, Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany
| | - Pascal Vrticka
- Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Colchester, UK
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23
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Uccula A, Mercante B, Barone L, Enrico P. Adult Avoidant Attachment, Attention Bias, and Emotional Regulation Patterns: An Eye-Tracking Study. Behav Sci (Basel) 2022; 13:bs13010011. [PMID: 36661583 PMCID: PMC9855192 DOI: 10.3390/bs13010011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Proximity-seeking in distress situations is one of attachment theory's primary strategies; insecure individuals often also develop secondary strategies. The mechanisms implied in attachment deactivation constitute a key issue in the current debate related to their role in support-seeking. The main aim of this study is to investigate the attachment deactivation strategy and the processes of proximity/support-seeking under distress conditions by analyzing the attentional processes (i.e., an essential emotion-regulation strategy), using eye-tracking techniques. Seventy-two participants (45 female; Mage 23.9 ± 3.97) responded to the ECR-R questionnaire in order to identify their attachment style. They participated in an experimental situation in which they had to choose between pictures of care or pictures of food, following the presentation of threatening or neutral prime conditions (via the pictures' stimuli). Results showed that a care-consistency response pattern was the most frequent pattern of response, particularly under a threatening condition; on the contrary, only avoidant individuals showed a lower care-consistency response pattern by choosing food pictures. The overall findings demonstrate that avoidant individuals used the deactivation strategy to process comfort-related attachment pictures, suggesting that they considered these stimuli to be threatening. The implications for attachment theory and particularly for avoidant strategies are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arcangelo Uccula
- Department of History, Human Sciences and Education, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Beniamina Mercante
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
| | - Lavinia Barone
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Paolo Enrico
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
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24
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Rajkumar RP. Comorbid depression and anxiety: Integration of insights from attachment theory and cognitive neuroscience, and their implications for research and treatment. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:1104928. [PMID: 36620859 PMCID: PMC9811005 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.1104928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
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25
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Beckwith H, van IJzendoorn M, Freeston M, Woolgar M, Stenner P, Duschinsky R. A "transmission gap" between research and practice? A Q-methodology study of perceptions of the application of attachment theory among clinicians working with children and among attachment researchers. Attach Hum Dev 2022; 24:661-689. [PMID: 36384470 PMCID: PMC9721400 DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2022.2144393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Clinical practitioners are frequently encouraged, through literature, training, and policy, to learn, understand, refer to and use their knowledge of attachment theory and research when working to meet the needs of children and families. However, there has been very little empirical study of how practitioners understand and perceive the relevance of attachment concepts and methods. Q-methodology was used to examine the perceptions of attachment knowledge and its applications for practice among 30 UK clinicians working with children and an international group of 31 attachment researchers. Factor analysis revealed three perspectives, described as: i) pragmatic, developmental, and uncertain, ii) academic, and iii) autodidactic and therapeutic. Participants agreed on core tenants of theory, their aspirations for clinical practice and the inaccessibility of current assessment measures for practitioners. Yet they diverged on their understandings of attachment insecurity, disorganisation, and the implications of both for various aspects of child development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Beckwith
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, UK,Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, UK
| | - Marinus van IJzendoorn
- Psychoanalysis Unit, University College London, UK,Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Matt Woolgar
- Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, UK,South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, UK
| | - Paul Stenner
- Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, Open University, UK
| | - Robbie Duschinsky
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, UK,Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, UK,CONTACTCONTACT Robbie Duschinsky Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Clinical School, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, CB2 0SR
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26
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Lindblom J, Bosmans G. Attachment and brooding rumination during children's transition to adolescence: the moderating role of effortful control. Attach Hum Dev 2022; 24:690-711. [PMID: 35536544 DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2022.2071953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Brooding rumination is a maladaptive form of emotion regulation and confers a risk for psychopathology. Insecure attachment and low cognitive self-regulation are important antecedents of brooding. Yet, little is known about the developmental interplay between these two systems. Thus, we tested how children's attachment and cognitive self-regulation, conceptualized as effortful control (EC), interact to predict brooding. The participants in the three-wave longitudinal study were n = 157 children (10 to 14 years) and their mothers. Children reported their attachment and brooding, and mothers reported children's EC. Results showed that children with low avoidance received benefit from high EC to decrease brooding, whereas children with high anxiety brooded irrespective of EC. Thus, high EC may foster constructive emotion regulation among securely attached children, whereas the beneficial effects of high EC on emotional functioning seem to be overridden by insecurity. The functional role of cognitive self-regulation on different attachment strategies is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jallu Lindblom
- Clinical Psychology,KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Guy Bosmans
- Clinical Psychology,KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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27
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Kidd T, Dferevine SL, Walker SC. Affective Touch and Regulation of Stress Responses. Health Psychol Rev 2022; 17:60-77. [PMID: 36346350 DOI: 10.1080/17437199.2022.2143854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Much has been documented on the association between stress and health. Both direct and indirect pathways have been identified and explored extensively, helping us understand trajectories from healthy individuals to reductions in well-being, and development of preclinical and disease states. Some of these pathways are well established within the field; physiology, affect regulation, and social relationships. The purpose of this review is to push beyond what is known separately about these pathways and provide a means to integrate them using one common mechanism. We propose that social touch, specifically affective touch, may be the missing active ingredient fundamental to our understanding of how close relationships contribute to stress and health. We provide empirical evidence detailing how affective touch is fundamental to the development of our stress systems, critical to the development of attachment bonds and subsequent social relationships across the life course. We will also explore how we can use this in applied contexts and incorporate it into existing interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara Kidd
- School of Psychology, Liverpool John Moore University, Liverpool, U.K
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28
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Hippocampal volume and parahippocampal cingulum alterations are associated with avoidant attachment in patients with depression. JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS REPORTS 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jadr.2022.100435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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29
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Kaklauskas A, Abraham A, Ubarte I, Kliukas R, Luksaite V, Binkyte-Veliene A, Vetloviene I, Kaklauskiene L. A Review of AI Cloud and Edge Sensors, Methods, and Applications for the Recognition of Emotional, Affective and Physiological States. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 22:7824. [PMID: 36298176 PMCID: PMC9611164 DOI: 10.3390/s22207824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Affective, emotional, and physiological states (AFFECT) detection and recognition by capturing human signals is a fast-growing area, which has been applied across numerous domains. The research aim is to review publications on how techniques that use brain and biometric sensors can be used for AFFECT recognition, consolidate the findings, provide a rationale for the current methods, compare the effectiveness of existing methods, and quantify how likely they are to address the issues/challenges in the field. In efforts to achieve the key goals of Society 5.0, Industry 5.0, and human-centered design better, the recognition of emotional, affective, and physiological states is progressively becoming an important matter and offers tremendous growth of knowledge and progress in these and other related fields. In this research, a review of AFFECT recognition brain and biometric sensors, methods, and applications was performed, based on Plutchik's wheel of emotions. Due to the immense variety of existing sensors and sensing systems, this study aimed to provide an analysis of the available sensors that can be used to define human AFFECT, and to classify them based on the type of sensing area and their efficiency in real implementations. Based on statistical and multiple criteria analysis across 169 nations, our outcomes introduce a connection between a nation's success, its number of Web of Science articles published, and its frequency of citation on AFFECT recognition. The principal conclusions present how this research contributes to the big picture in the field under analysis and explore forthcoming study trends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arturas Kaklauskas
- Department of Construction Management and Real Estate, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Sauletekio Ave. 11, LT-10223 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Ajith Abraham
- Machine Intelligence Research Labs, Scientific Network for Innovation and Research Excellence, Auburn, WA 98071, USA
| | - Ieva Ubarte
- Institute of Sustainable Construction, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Sauletekio Ave. 11, LT-10223 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Romualdas Kliukas
- Department of Applied Mechanics, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Sauletekio Ave. 11, LT-10223 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Vaida Luksaite
- Department of Construction Management and Real Estate, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Sauletekio Ave. 11, LT-10223 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Arune Binkyte-Veliene
- Institute of Sustainable Construction, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Sauletekio Ave. 11, LT-10223 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Ingrida Vetloviene
- Department of Construction Management and Real Estate, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Sauletekio Ave. 11, LT-10223 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Loreta Kaklauskiene
- Department of Construction Management and Real Estate, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Sauletekio Ave. 11, LT-10223 Vilnius, Lithuania
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30
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Brock RL, Harp NR, Neta M. Interpersonal emotion regulation mitigates the link between trait neuroticism and a more negative valence bias. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2022; 196:111726. [PMID: 35755301 PMCID: PMC9221810 DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2022.111726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Emerging research suggests that trait neuroticism is associated with enhanced attention to and perception of negative emotional stimuli, increasing the risk for multiple forms of psychopathology including depression and anxiety. However, modifiable factors such as certain forms of emotion regulation have the potential to weaken this association. In a large sample (N = 1252), we investigated the link between neuroticism and valence bias in response to stimuli that have the potential for both positive and negative interpretations and examined the moderating role of interpersonal emotion regulation. Primary tests of hypotheses demonstrated that increased neuroticism was associated with a more negative valence bias in response to ambiguity, but only for individuals who are less likely to rely on interpersonal resources to regulate negative affect. Supplemental analyses suggest that this moderation effect of interpersonal emotion regulation might depend on the nature of the stimuli, and that regulation of positive emotions-not just negative affect-can also contribute to a less negative valence bias. Taken together, results suggest that individuals who are high in neuroticism, but consistently rely on interpersonal relationships to regulate their emotions, are better able to override the bias toward negativity that can occur when appraising ambiguity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca L. Brock
- Department of Psychology, The University of Nebraska-Lincoln, United States of America,Corresponding author at: Department of Psychology, The University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 238 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588-0308, United States of America. (R.L. Brock)
| | - Nicholas R. Harp
- Department of Psychology, The University of Nebraska-Lincoln, United States of America,Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior, The University of Nebraska-Lincoln, United States of America
| | - Maital Neta
- Department of Psychology, The University of Nebraska-Lincoln, United States of America,Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior, The University of Nebraska-Lincoln, United States of America
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31
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Musetti A, Pingani L, Zagaria A, Uberti D, Meli S, Lenzo V, Gori A, Franceschini C, Galeazzi GM. Insecure adult attachment and reflective functioning as mechanisms of the relationship between traumatic life events and suicidal ideation: A path analysis. Front Psychol 2022; 13:985148. [PMID: 36248502 PMCID: PMC9561888 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.985148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The relationship between traumatic life events and increased suicide risk has been well reported in literature. However, the complex nature of suicidality phenomena still hinders our ability to comprehend the mediation mechanism underlying this association. In this study, we examined the mediating role of adult attachment and reflective functioning in the relationship between traumatic life events and suicidal ideation. Nine hundred and fifty Italian adults completed an online survey evaluating traumatic life events, adult attachment, reflective functioning and suicidal ideation. The path analysis showed that the positive relationship between traumatic life events and suicidal ideation was partially mediated by attachment anxiety and reflective functioning. From a clinical point of view, these results support the relevance of evaluating and improving patients’ ability to mentalize as a part of psychotherapeutic intervention aimed at reducing suicidality in people with a history of traumatic experiences and attachment anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Musetti
- Department of Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Industries, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
- *Correspondence: Alessandro Musetti,
| | - Luca Pingani
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- Dipartimento ad attività integrata Salute Mentale e Dipendenze Patologiche, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Andrea Zagaria
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Roma, Italy
| | - Daniele Uberti
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Salvatore Meli
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Vittorio Lenzo
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Società e della Formazione d’Area Mediterranea, Università per Stranieri Dante Alighieri, Reggio Calabria, Italy
| | - Alessio Gori
- Department of Health Sciences, School of Psychology, University of Florence, Firenze, Italy
| | | | - Gian Maria Galeazzi
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- Dipartimento ad attività integrata Salute Mentale e Dipendenze Patologiche, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
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32
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Tammilehto J, Bosmans G, Kuppens P, Flykt M, Peltonen K, Kerns KA, Lindblom J. Dynamics of attachment and emotion regulation in daily life: uni- and bidirectional associations. Cogn Emot 2022; 36:1109-1131. [PMID: 35674671 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2022.2081534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Attachment theory proposes that the activation of the attachment system enacts emotion regulation (ER) to maintain security or cope with insecurity. However, the effects of ER on attachment states and their bidirectional influences remain poorly understood. In this ecological momentary assessment study, we examined the dynamics between attachment and ER. We hypothesised that attachment states and ER influence each other through time. Specifically, we hypothesised bidirectional short-term cycles between state attachment security and reappraisal, state attachment anxiety and rumination, and state attachment avoidance and suppression. We also tested how trait attachment is related to state attachment and ER. One hundred twenty-two participants (Mage = 26.4) completed the Experiences in Close Relationship-Revised and reported state attachment and ER seven times daily for seven days. The results were only partly consistent with our cycle hypotheses yet revealed a cycle between low state attachment security and rumination that was attenuated by reappraisal. Moreover, rumination and suppression predicted increased insecure states, and reappraisal predicted increased secure and insecure states. Finally, trait attachment showed associations with state attachment and ER. Our study suggests regulatory dynamics between attachment and ER and opens important questions about their functional relationship in maintaining attachment-related behavioural patterns and emotional well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaakko Tammilehto
- Faculty of Social Sciences / Psychology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Guy Bosmans
- Clinical Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Peter Kuppens
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marjo Flykt
- Faculty of Social Sciences / Psychology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.,Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kirsi Peltonen
- Research Center for Child Psychiatry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.,INVEST Research Flagship Center, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Kathryn A Kerns
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
| | - Jallu Lindblom
- Faculty of Social Sciences / Psychology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland.,Clinical Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.,Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
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33
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Cerebellar engagement in the attachment behavioral system. Sci Rep 2022; 12:13571. [PMID: 35945247 PMCID: PMC9363408 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-17722-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain structural bases of individual differences in attachment are not yet fully clarified. Given the evidence of relevant cerebellar contribution to cognitive, affective, and social functions, the present research was aimed at investigating potential associations between attachment dimensions (through the Attachment Style Questionnaire, ASQ) and cerebellar macro- and micro-structural measures (Volumetric and Diffusion Tensor Imaging data). In a sample of 79 healthy subjects, cerebellar and neocortical volumetric data were correlated with ASQ scores at the voxel level within specific Regions Of Interest. Also, correlations between ASQ scores and age, years of education, anxiety and depression levels were performed to control for the effects of sociodemographic and psychological variables on neuroimaging results. Positive associations between scores of the Preoccupation with Relationships (ASQ subscale associated to insecure/anxious attachment) and cortical volume were found in the cerebellum (right lobule VI and left Crus 2) and neocortex (right medial OrbitoFrontal Cortex, OFC) regions. Cerebellar contribution to the attachment behavioral system reflects the more general cerebellar engagement in the regulation of emotional and social behaviors. Cerebellar properties of timing, prediction, and learning well integrate with OFC processing, supporting the regulation of attachment experiences. Cerebellar areas might be rightfully included in the attachment behavioral system.
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34
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Leconstant C, Spitz E. Integrative Model of Human-Animal Interactions: A One Health-One Welfare Systemic Approach to Studying HAI. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:656833. [PMID: 35968006 PMCID: PMC9372562 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.656833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The Integrative Model of Human-Animal Interactions (IMHAI) described herewith provides a conceptual framework for the study of interspecies interactions and aims to model the primary emotional processes involved in human-animal interactions. This model was developed from theoretical inputs from three fundamental disciplines for understanding interspecies interactions: neuroscience, psychology and ethology, with the objective of providing a transdisciplinary approach on which field professionals and researchers can build and collaborate. Seminal works in affective neuroscience offer a common basis between humans and animals and, as such, can be applied to the study of interspecies interactions from a One Health-One Welfare perspective. On the one hand, Jaak Panksepp's research revealed that primary/basic emotions originate in the deep subcortical regions of the brain and are shared by all mammals, including humans. On the other hand, several works in the field of neuroscience show that the basic physiological state is largely determined by the perception of safety. Thus, emotional expression reflects the state of an individual's permanent adaptation to ever-changing environmental demands. Based on this evidence and over 5 years of action research using grounded theory, alternating between research and practice, the IMHAI proposes a systemic approach to the study of primary-process emotional affects during interspecies social interactions, through the processes of emotional transfer, embodied communication and interactive emotional regulation. IMHAI aims to generate new hypotheses and predictions on affective behavior and interspecies communication. Application of such a model should promote risk prevention and the establishment of positive links between humans and animals thereby contributing to their respective wellbeing.
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35
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Labek K, Dommes L, Bosch JE, Schurz M, Viviani R, Buchheim A. A Short Functional Neuroimaging Assay Using Attachment Scenes to Recruit Neural Correlates of Social Cognition—A Replication Study. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12070855. [PMID: 35884660 PMCID: PMC9313198 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12070855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Attachment theory provides a conceptual framework to understand the impact of early child–caregiver experiences, such as loss or separation, on adult functioning and psychopathology. In the current study, scenes from the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System (AAP), a validated, commonly used standardized diagnostic instrument to assess adult attachment representations, were used to develop a short fMRI assay eliciting the neural correlates of encoding of potentially hurtful and threatening social situations such as social losses, rejections or loneliness. Data from healthy participants (N = 19) showed activations in brain areas associated with social cognition and semantic knowledge during exposure to attachment-related scenes compared to control scenes. Extensive activation of the temporal poles was observed, suggesting the use of semantic knowledge for generating social concepts and scripts. This knowledge may underlie our ability to explain and predict social interactions, a specific aspect of theory of mind or mentalization. In this replication study, we verified the effectiveness of a modified fMRI assay to assess the external validity of a previously used imaging paradigm to investigate the processing of emotionally negatively valenced and painful social interactions. Our data confirm the recruitment of brain areas associated with social cognition with our very short neuroimaging assay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Labek
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (M.S.); (R.V.); (A.B.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Lisa Dommes
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy III, Ulm University Medical Center, 89075 Ulm, Germany; (L.D.); (J.E.B.)
| | - Julia Eva Bosch
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy III, Ulm University Medical Center, 89075 Ulm, Germany; (L.D.); (J.E.B.)
| | - Matthias Schurz
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (M.S.); (R.V.); (A.B.)
| | - Roberto Viviani
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (M.S.); (R.V.); (A.B.)
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy III, Ulm University Medical Center, 89075 Ulm, Germany; (L.D.); (J.E.B.)
| | - Anna Buchheim
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (M.S.); (R.V.); (A.B.)
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36
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Emotional maltreatment and neglect impact neural activation upon exclusion in early and mid-adolescence: An event-related fMRI study. Dev Psychopathol 2022; 34:573-585. [PMID: 35105412 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579421001681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Child maltreatment gives rise to atypical patterns of social functioning with peers which might be particularly pronounced in early adolescence when peer influence typically peaks. Yet, few neuroimaging studies in adolescents use peer interaction paradigms to parse neural correlates of distinct maltreatment exposures. This fMRI study examines effects of abuse, neglect, and emotional maltreatment (EM) among 98 youth (n = 58 maltreated; n = 40 matched controls) using an event-related Cyberball paradigm affording assessment of both social exclusion and inclusion across early and mid-adolescence (≤13.5 years, n = 50; >13.5 years, n = 48). Younger adolescents showed increased activation to social exclusion versus inclusion in regions implicated in mentalizing (e.g., superior temporal gyrus). Individual exposure-specific analyses suggested that neglect and EM coincided with less reduction of activation to social exclusion relative to inclusion in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex/pre-supplementary motor area (dACC/pre-SMA) among younger versus older adolescents. Integrative follow-up analyses showed that EM accounted for this dACC/pre-SMA activation pattern over and above other exposures. Moreover, age-independent results within respective exposure groups revealed that greater magnitude of neglect predicted blunted exclusion-related activity in the parahippocampal gyrus, while EM predicted increased activation to social exclusion in the precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex.
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37
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Fitter MH, Stern JA, Straske MD, Allard T, Cassidy J, Riggins T. Mothers’ Attachment Representations and Children’s Brain Structure. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:740195. [PMID: 35370579 PMCID: PMC8967255 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.740195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Ample research demonstrates that parents’ experience-based mental representations of attachment—cognitive models of close relationships—relate to their children’s social-emotional development. However, no research to date has examined how parents’ attachment representations relate to another crucial domain of children’s development: brain development. The present study is the first to integrate the separate literatures on attachment and developmental social cognitive neuroscience to examine the link between mothers’ attachment representations and 3- to 8-year-old children’s brain structure. We hypothesized that mothers’ attachment representations would relate to individual differences in children’s brain structures involved in stress regulation—specifically, amygdala and hippocampal volumes—in part via mothers’ responses to children’s distress. We assessed 52 mothers’ attachment representations (secure base script knowledge on the Attachment Script Assessment and self-reported attachment avoidance and anxiety on the Experiences in Close Relationships scale) and children’s brain structure. Mothers’ secure base script knowledge was significantly related to children’s smaller left amygdala volume but was unrelated to hippocampal volume; we found no indirect links via maternal responses to children’s distress. Exploratory analyses showed associations between mothers’ attachment representations and white matter and thalamus volumes. Together, these preliminary results suggest that mothers’ attachment representations may be linked to the development of children’s neural circuitry related to stress regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan H. Fitter
- Maryland Child and Family Development Lab, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
- *Correspondence: Megan H. Fitter,
| | - Jessica A. Stern
- BabyLab, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Martha D. Straske
- Maryland Child and Family Development Lab, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Tamara Allard
- Neurocognitive Development Lab, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Jude Cassidy
- Maryland Child and Family Development Lab, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Tracy Riggins
- Neurocognitive Development Lab, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
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Bizzi F, Locati F, Parolin L, Goetz Yael S, Brusadelli E. Advancement in the child attachment interview and the child and adolescent reflective functioning scale using a PDM-2 framework: case reports. RESEARCH IN PSYCHOTHERAPY: PSYCHOPATHOLOGY, PROCESS AND OUTCOME 2022; 25. [PMID: 35373961 PMCID: PMC9153759 DOI: 10.4081/ripppo.2022.586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The Child Attachment Interview (CAI) is a well-established semi-structured interview, widely used to identify attachment representations in middle childhood and adolescence. The application of the Child and Adolescent Reflective Functioning Scale (CRFS) to CAI narratives allows for an assessment of child mentalization, considered a strong predictor of attachment security. The 2nd edition of the Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual (PDM-2) includes CAI and CRFS as valid and reliable assessment measures in order to assess the dominion of the Mental Functioning axis. The aim of the present paper is to investigate the informative power of CAI and CRFS for the overall understanding of mental functioning and personality in a PDM-2 framework. The present report includes the discussion of two clinical cases of school-aged children in applying the Psychodiagnostic Chart-Second Edition (PDC-2) to the CAI transcript. The first case concerns a young male, aged 10, suffering from Oppositional-Provocative Disorder (externalizing disorder), while the second case concerns a young female, aged 15, suffering from Somatic Symptoms Disorder (internalizing disorder). PDC-2 for children and adolescents was used. Data from the scoring of CAI and CRFS were combined with a systematic evaluation of the qualitative contents emerging from CAI transcripts. A detailed analysis suggests that both the CAI and CRFS are useful attachment-oriented measures, able to explore child’s mental states, and together with the application of PDC-2 they provide an essential contribution in the understanding of developmental psychopathology. Implications of this innovative approach for clinical assessment, treatment design, and interventions are further discussed.
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Gustison ML, Phelps SM. Individual differences in social attachment: A multi-disciplinary perspective. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2022; 21:e12792. [PMID: 35170839 PMCID: PMC8916993 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Revised: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Social behavior varies across both individuals and species. Research to explain this variation falls under the purview of multiple disciplines, each with its own theoretical and empirical traditions. Integration of these disciplinary traditions is key to developing a holistic perspective. Here, we review research on the biology of social attachment, a phenomena in which individuals develop strong affective connections to one another. We provide a historical overview of research on social attachment from psychological, ethological and neurobiological perspectives. As a case study, we describe work on pair-bonding in prairie voles, a socially monogamous rodent. This specific topic takes advantage of many biological perspectives and techniques to explain social bonds. Lastly, we conclude with an overview of multi-dimensional conceptual frameworks that can be used to explain social phenomena, and we propose a new framework for research on individual variation in attachment behavior. These conceptual frameworks originate from philosophy, physics, ethology, cognitive science and neuroscience. The application and synthesis of such frameworks offers a rich opportunity to advance understanding of social behavior and its mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan L. Gustison
- Department of Integrative BiologyThe University of Texas at AustinAustinTexasUSA
| | - Steven M. Phelps
- Department of Integrative BiologyThe University of Texas at AustinAustinTexasUSA
- Institute for NeuroscienceThe University of Texas at AustinAustinTexasUSA
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Li X, Jorgensen NA, McElwain NL, Telzer EH. Toddler-Mother Attachment Moderates Adolescents' Behavioral and Neural Evaluation of Trustworthiness. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2022; 17:828-836. [PMID: 35104885 PMCID: PMC9433849 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsac009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
This longitudinal study examined the prospective association between toddler–mother attachment to adolescents’ (n = 52; 34 boys; Mage = 13.22 years; 90% White) behavioral and neural responses during the evaluation of trustworthiness from unfamiliar, emotionally neutral faces. At 33 months, toddler–mother attachment status (secure vs insecure classification) was assessed using a modified Strange Situation procedure. Results revealed that attachment moderated the processing of trustworthiness facial cues. As faces became less trustworthy, adolescents with a secure (vs insecure) attachment history rated the faces as correspondingly less trustworthy and showed increasing (vs overall blunted) activation in brain regions involved in trustworthiness perception (i.e. bilateral amygdala, bilateral fusiform, right anterior insula and right posterior superior temporal sulcus). Findings suggest that a secure compared with insecure child–mother attachment in toddlerhood may be associated with greater capacity for, or openness to, processing potentially negative social information at both the behavioral and neural levels during adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomei Li
- Correspondence should be addressed to Xiaomei Li, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2027 Christopher Hall, MC-018, 904 West Nevada Street, Urbana, IL 61801, USA. E-mail:
| | - Nathan A Jorgensen
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3270, USA
| | - Nancy L McElwain
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Eva H Telzer
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3270, USA
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Smits ML, Luyten P, Feenstra DJ, Bales DL, Kamphuis JH, Dekker JJM, Verheul R, Busschbach JJV. Trauma and Outcomes of Mentalization-Based Therapy for Individuals With Borderline Personality Disorder. Am J Psychother 2022; 75:12-20. [PMID: 35099263 DOI: 10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.20210027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Recent meta-analyses suggest that many patients with borderline personality disorder have a history of complex trauma. Although trauma is central in mentalization-based approaches to the understanding of borderline personality disorder, surprisingly little is known about the effects of trauma on outcomes of mentalization-based treatment (MBT). This article investigates the prevalence and impact of childhood trauma among patients with borderline personality disorder participating in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing day hospital MBT (MBT-DH) and intensive outpatient MBT (MBT-IOP). METHODS All 114 patients from the original multicenter RCT in the Netherlands were included in this study. Childhood trauma was assessed at baseline (with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire), and its impact on symptom severity, interpersonal functioning, and borderline pathology was investigated through multilevel modeling for 36 months after the start of treatment. RESULTS Childhood trauma was common among patients with borderline personality disorder referred to MBT, with more than 85% meeting cutoff criteria for substantial childhood trauma. Childhood trauma had little impact on outcomes of either MBT-DH or MBT-IOP in terms of improved borderline personality disorder features or interpersonal functioning. However, patients with substantial childhood trauma seemed to improve more rapidly with MBT-DH, as compared with MBT-IOP, in terms of symptom severity. In addition, patients with a history of emotional neglect showed more rapid changes in symptoms of borderline personality disorder with MBT-DH compared with MBT-IOP. CONCLUSIONS Findings are discussed in the context of a social communicative approach to borderline personality disorder, with a focus on the need to address trauma in MBT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maaike L Smits
- De Viersprong, Viersprong Institute for Studies on Personality Disorders, Halsteren, the Netherlands (Smits, Luyten, Feenstra, Bales); Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, and Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London (Luyten); Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (Kamphuis); Department of Research, Arkin Mental Health Care, and Department of Clinical Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam (Dekker); Lentis, Groningen, the Netherlands (Verheul); Department of Psychiatry, Section of Medical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (Busschbach)
| | - Patrick Luyten
- De Viersprong, Viersprong Institute for Studies on Personality Disorders, Halsteren, the Netherlands (Smits, Luyten, Feenstra, Bales); Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, and Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London (Luyten); Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (Kamphuis); Department of Research, Arkin Mental Health Care, and Department of Clinical Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam (Dekker); Lentis, Groningen, the Netherlands (Verheul); Department of Psychiatry, Section of Medical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (Busschbach)
| | - Dine J Feenstra
- De Viersprong, Viersprong Institute for Studies on Personality Disorders, Halsteren, the Netherlands (Smits, Luyten, Feenstra, Bales); Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, and Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London (Luyten); Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (Kamphuis); Department of Research, Arkin Mental Health Care, and Department of Clinical Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam (Dekker); Lentis, Groningen, the Netherlands (Verheul); Department of Psychiatry, Section of Medical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (Busschbach)
| | - Dawn L Bales
- De Viersprong, Viersprong Institute for Studies on Personality Disorders, Halsteren, the Netherlands (Smits, Luyten, Feenstra, Bales); Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, and Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London (Luyten); Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (Kamphuis); Department of Research, Arkin Mental Health Care, and Department of Clinical Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam (Dekker); Lentis, Groningen, the Netherlands (Verheul); Department of Psychiatry, Section of Medical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (Busschbach)
| | - Jan Henk Kamphuis
- De Viersprong, Viersprong Institute for Studies on Personality Disorders, Halsteren, the Netherlands (Smits, Luyten, Feenstra, Bales); Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, and Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London (Luyten); Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (Kamphuis); Department of Research, Arkin Mental Health Care, and Department of Clinical Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam (Dekker); Lentis, Groningen, the Netherlands (Verheul); Department of Psychiatry, Section of Medical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (Busschbach)
| | - Jack J M Dekker
- De Viersprong, Viersprong Institute for Studies on Personality Disorders, Halsteren, the Netherlands (Smits, Luyten, Feenstra, Bales); Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, and Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London (Luyten); Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (Kamphuis); Department of Research, Arkin Mental Health Care, and Department of Clinical Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam (Dekker); Lentis, Groningen, the Netherlands (Verheul); Department of Psychiatry, Section of Medical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (Busschbach)
| | - Roel Verheul
- De Viersprong, Viersprong Institute for Studies on Personality Disorders, Halsteren, the Netherlands (Smits, Luyten, Feenstra, Bales); Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, and Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London (Luyten); Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (Kamphuis); Department of Research, Arkin Mental Health Care, and Department of Clinical Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam (Dekker); Lentis, Groningen, the Netherlands (Verheul); Department of Psychiatry, Section of Medical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (Busschbach)
| | - Jan J V Busschbach
- De Viersprong, Viersprong Institute for Studies on Personality Disorders, Halsteren, the Netherlands (Smits, Luyten, Feenstra, Bales); Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, and Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London (Luyten); Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam (Kamphuis); Department of Research, Arkin Mental Health Care, and Department of Clinical Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam (Dekker); Lentis, Groningen, the Netherlands (Verheul); Department of Psychiatry, Section of Medical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (Busschbach)
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Jewell T, Herle M, Serpell L, Eivors A, Simic M, Fonagy P, Eisler I. Attachment and mentalization as predictors of outcome in family therapy for adolescent anorexia nervosa. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2021:10.1007/s00787-021-01930-3. [PMID: 34967934 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-021-01930-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Anorexia nervosa-focussed family therapy (FT-AN) is the first-line treatment for adolescent anorexia nervosa (AN), but the predictors of poor treatment response are not well understood. The main aim of this study was to investigate the role of attachment and mentalization in predicting treatment outcome. The secondary aims of the study were to investigate therapeutic alliance at 1 month as a predictor of outcome, and to test the associations between alliance and baseline attachment and mentalization. 192 adolescents with AN and their parents were recruited as they began family therapy in out-patient specialist eating disorder services. Self-report measures of attachment, mentalization, and emotion regulation were completed at the start of treatment by adolescent patients and one of their parents. Self-reported alliance scores were collected at one month. Higher scores on the Certainty Scale of the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire, completed by parents, which indicate over-certainty about mental states, were the strongest predictor of poor outcome (Odds Ratio: 0.42, CI: 0.20-0.87). Similarly, for adolescents, higher Lack of Clarity scores on the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, representing being unclear about one's feelings, were predictive of positive treatment outcome (OR: 1.10, CI: 1.00-1.21). Higher alliance scores at 1 month predicted positive outcome, and were associated with attachment security and mentalization. These novel findings suggest that, particularly in parents, a tendency towards excessive certainty about mental states in others may predict poor outcome in FT-AN. Further research is warranted to replicate the finding and characterise families at risk of poor outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Jewell
- Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Palliative Care, King's College London, London, UK.
- Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
| | - Moritz Herle
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Lucy Serpell
- North East London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Alison Eivors
- Leicestershire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Leicester, UK
| | - Mima Simic
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Peter Fonagy
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
- Anna Freud Centre, London, UK
| | - Ivan Eisler
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
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43
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Mancinelli E, Li JB, Lis A, Salcuni S. Adolescents' Attachment to Parents and Reactive-Proactive Aggression: The Mediating Role of Alexithymia. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182413363. [PMID: 34948969 PMCID: PMC8704311 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182413363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Aggressive behaviors can serve different functions, which might be understood by distinguishing between reactive (RA) and proactive (PA) aggression. Few studies were conducted on adolescents’ family precursors and emotional processes associated with RA or PA. Accordingly, the current study compared RA and PA by evaluating their association with adolescents’ attachment to parents and alexithymia. N = 453 Italian adolescents aged 15–19 years (Mage = 16.48; SD = 0.69; 33.6% males) participated in the study filling in self-report measures. Results showed that PA and RA are significantly associated and that PA was higher among males. Moreover, four mediational models were performed to assess the influence of adolescents’ attachment to mothers vs. fathers on RA or PA, considering the mediating role of alexithymia. Gender was included as a covariate. Mediational models’ results showed a direct and indirect effect, through lower alexithymia, of adolescents’ attachment to mothers and fathers on RA. Differently, only attachment to mothers showed a direct effect on PA, while attachment to fathers only an indirect effect, mediated by lower alexithymia, on PA was shown. Findings support the greater relevance of emotional processes for RA while highlighting the differential contribution of adolescents’ attachment to mothers vs. fathers upon PA. Implications are discussed, and suggestions for future research are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Mancinelli
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy; (A.L.); (S.S.)
- Digital Health Lab, Centre for Digital Health and Wellbeing, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, 38123 Trento, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-334-2799698
| | - Jian-Bin Li
- Department of Early Childhood Education, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China;
| | - Adriana Lis
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy; (A.L.); (S.S.)
| | - Silvia Salcuni
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy; (A.L.); (S.S.)
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44
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Long M, Puhlmann L, Vrtička P. Hypothalamus volume in men: Investigating associations with paternal status, self-reported caregiving beliefs, and adult attachment style. Soc Neurosci 2021; 16:639-652. [PMID: 34704890 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2021.1997799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Most studies on mammalian caregiving and attachment focused on the mother-child relationship, particularly in humans. Yet, changing societal roles of male caregivers have highlighted the necessity for research with fathers.We examined the volume of the hypothalamus, an important subcortical brain area for caregiving and attachment, in N = 50 fathering (child age 5-6 years) and N = 45 non-fathering men using a novel technique to identify the hypothalamus in 3T MRI. We furthermore employed three self-report measures to assess interindividual differences in adult attachment style across all men and caregiving beliefs in fathers.While we did not observe any significant difference in hypothalamus volume between fathers and non-fathers or associations between hypothalamus volume and self-reported adult attachment style across all men, self-reported caregiving beliefs were positively related to total hypothalamus volume in fathers. A follow-up analysis showed that fathers' self-reported belief that a father's role is important to child development was specifically related to tuberal hypothalamus volume, while self-reported enjoyment of spending time with the child was not associated with sub-regional hypothalamus volume.Together, these findings suggest that interindividual variability in self-reported caregiving beliefs in fathers is related to brain structure, warranting further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Long
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Canada.,Research Group "Social Stress and Family Health", Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - L Puhlmann
- Research Group "Social Stress and Family Health", Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany
| | - P Vrtička
- Research Group "Social Stress and Family Health", Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,Centre for Brain Science, Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Colchester, UK
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45
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Wu Y, Veerareddy A, Lee MR, Bellucci G, Camilleri JA, Eickhoff SB, Krueger F. Understanding identification-based trust in the light of affiliative bonding: Meta-analytic neuroimaging evidence. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 131:627-641. [PMID: 34606821 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.09.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Trust is vital for establishing social relationships and is a crucial precursor for affiliative bonds. Investigations explored the neuropsychological bases of trust separately (e.g., measured by the trust game) and affiliative bonding (e.g., measured by parental care, pair-bonding, or friendship). However, direct empirical support for the shared neural mechanisms between trust and affiliative bonding is missing. Here, we conducted a coordinate-based meta-analysis on functional magnetic resonance imaging studies on interpersonal trust and affiliative bonding using the activation likelihood estimation method. Our results demonstrated that decisions to trust strangers in repeated interactions (i.e., identification-based trust) engaged the ventral striatum (vSTR, part of the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway), likely signaling the reward anticipation. Further, both feedbacks in repeated interactions and affiliative bonding engaged the dorsal striatum (dSTR, part of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathway), likely encoding learning dynamics. Our findings suggest that identification-based trust can be understood in the light of affiliative bonding, involving the mesocorticolimbic "reward" pathway (vSTR) and nigrostriatal "habit formation" pathway (dSTR) in building and sustaining social relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Wu
- Department of Psychology, College of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | | | - Mary R Lee
- US Department of Veteran Affairs, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Gabriele Bellucci
- Department of Computational Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Julia A Camilleri
- Institute for Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7), Research Center Jülich, Germany; Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Institute for Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7), Research Center Jülich, Germany; Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Frank Krueger
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany.
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46
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Kajimura S, Ito A, Izuma K. Brain Knows Who Is on the Same Wavelength: Resting-State Connectivity Can Predict Compatibility of a Female-Male Relationship. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:5077-5089. [PMID: 34145453 PMCID: PMC8491675 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Prediction of the initial compatibility of heterosexual individuals based on self-reported traits and preferences has not been successful, even with significantly developed information technology. To overcome the limitations of self-reported measures and predict compatibility, we used functional connectivity profiles from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data that carry rich individual-specific information sufficient to predict psychological constructs and activation patterns during social cognitive tasks. Several days after collecting data from resting-state fMRIs, participants undertook a speed-dating experiment in which they had a 3-min speed date with every other opposite-sex participant. Our machine learning algorithm successfully predicted whether pairs in the experiment were compatible or not using (dis)similarity of functional connectivity profiles obtained before the experiment. The similarity and dissimilarity of functional connectivity between individuals and these multivariate relationships contributed to the prediction, hence suggesting the importance of complementarity (observed as dissimilarity) as well as the similarity between an individual and a potential partner during the initial attraction phase. The result indicates that the salience network, limbic areas, and cerebellum are especially important for the feeling of compatibility. This research emphasizes the utility of neural information to predict complex phenomena in a social environment that behavioral measures alone cannot predict.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shogo Kajimura
- Faculty of Information and Human Sciences, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan
| | - Ayahito Ito
- Research Institute for Future Design, Kochi University of Technology, Kochi 780-8515, Japan
- Department of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido 060-0812, Japan
| | - Keise Izuma
- Research Institute for Future Design, Kochi University of Technology, Kochi 780-8515, Japan
- Department of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
- School of Economics & Management, Kochi University of Technology, Kochi 780-8515, Japan
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Boldrini T, Mancinelli E, Erbuto D, Lingiardi V, Muzi L, Pompili M, Ducci G, Salcuni S, Tanzilli A, Venturini P, Giovanardi G. Affective temperaments and depressive symptoms: The mediating role of attachment. J Affect Disord 2021; 293:476-483. [PMID: 34256209 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.06.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies showed that affective temperaments and attachment are associated with depressive symptoms, and that they bi-directionally influence each-other. The aim of this study is to explore mechanisms underlying the relationship between the affective temperaments (i.e., depressive, cyclothymic, irritable, hyperthymic and anxious), interview-based attachment, and depressive symptoms. METHODS A sample of 61 adolescents and young adults outpatients were asked to complete the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, and San Diego Autoquestionnaire (TEMPS-A) and the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D). Attachment was assessed through the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) and employing a dimensional approach to obtain continuous measures. Mediation models were performed with the affective temperaments as predictor, depressive symptoms as the criterion variable, and attachment dimensions as mediators. RESULTS Findings showed significant direct effects between all the affective temperaments and depressive symptoms. Only the cyclothymic (β = 0.22; SE = 0.1; 95% IC = 0.05, 0.42) and irritable (β = 0.21; SE = 0.09; 95% IC = 0.04, 0.4) temperaments showed an indirect effect on depressive symptoms through secure-insecure attachment. Dismissing attachment did not predict either the affective temperaments nor depressive symptoms. Preoccupied attachment significantly predicts depressive symptoms and, when controlling for it, the hyperthymic temperament no longer directly associates with depressive symptoms. LIMITATIONS The cross-sectional study design limit conclusion about causation and directionality. CONCLUSIONS Secure attachment could be a protective factor for depressive symptoms for individuals with a cyclothymic or irritable temperament. Differently, the hyperthymic temperament loses its protective role toward depressive symptoms when accounting for preoccupied attachment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommaso Boldrini
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
| | - Elisa Mancinelli
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Denise Erbuto
- Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Suicide Prevention Center, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Vittorio Lingiardi
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Muzi
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Maurizio Pompili
- Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Suicide Prevention Center, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Ducci
- Mental Health Department, ASL Roma 1, S.Spirito Hospital, Rome, Italy.
| | - Silvia Salcuni
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Annalisa Tanzilli
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Paola Venturini
- European Network of Psychodynamic Psychiatry, Rome, Italy; Department of Psychiatry, ASL Roma 1, Rome, Italy
| | - Guido Giovanardi
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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48
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Neural bases of social feedback processing and self-other distinction in late childhood: The role of attachment and age. COGNITIVE AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2021; 20:503-520. [PMID: 32141028 PMCID: PMC7266808 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-020-00781-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Attachment plays a key role in how children process information about the self and others. Here, we examined the neural bases of interindividual differences in attachment in late childhood and tested whether social cognition-related neural activity varies as function of age. In a small sample of 8-year-old to 12-year-old children (n = 21/19), we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to measure neural responses during social feedback processing and self–other distinction. Attachment was assessed using child self-report. The social feedback processing task presented smiling and angry faces either confirming or disconfirming written information about participant performance on a perceptual game. In addition to observing main effects of facial emotion and performance, an increase in age was related to a shift from negative (i.e., angry faces/bad performance) to positive (i.e., smiling faces/good performance) information processing in the left amygdala/hippocampus, bilateral fusiform face area, bilateral anterior temporal pole (ATP), and left anterior insula. There were no effects of attachment on social feedback processing. The self–other distinction task presented digital morphs between children’s own faces and faces of their mother or stranger females. We observed differential activation in face processing and mentalizing regions in response to self and mother faces versus morphed faces. Furthermore, left ATP activity was associated with attachment anxiety such that greater attachment anxiety was related to a shift from heightened processing of self and mother faces to morphed faces. There were no effects of age on self–other distinction. We discuss our preliminary findings in the context of attachment theory and previous work on social evaluation and self–other processing.
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49
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Mancinelli E, Liberska HD, Li JB, Espada JP, Delvecchio E, Mazzeschi C, Lis A, Salcuni S. A Cross-Cultural Study on Attachment and Adjustment Difficulties in Adolescence: The Mediating Role of Self-Control in Italy, Spain, China, and Poland. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:8827. [PMID: 34444575 PMCID: PMC8391841 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18168827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
From a socio-ecological perspective, individuals are influenced by the interplay of individual, relational, and societal factors operating as a broader system. Thereby, to support youth adjustment during the critical adolescence period, the interplay between these factors should be investigated. This study aimed to investigate cross-cultural differences in adolescents' maternal and paternal attachment, adolescents' adjustment difficulties and self-control, and in their association. N = 1000 adolescents (mean (M) age = 16.94, SD = 0.48; 45.90% males) from China, Italy, Spain, and Poland participated by completing self-report measures. Results showed cross-country similarities and differences among the considered variables and their associative pattern. Moreover, conditional process analysis evaluating the association between maternal vs. paternal attachment and adjustment difficulties, mediated by self-control, and moderated by country, was performed. Maternal attachment directly, and indirectly through greater self-control, influenced adjustment difficulties in all four countries. This association was stronger among Spaniards. Paternal attachment influenced directly, and indirectly through self-control, on adolescents' adjustment difficulties only in Italy, Spain, and Poland, and was stronger among Polish adolescents. For Chinese adolescents, paternal attachment solely associated with adjustment difficulties when mediated by self-control. Thus, results highlighted both similarities and differences across countries in the interplay between maternal vs. paternal attachment and self-control on adolescents' adjustment difficulties. Implications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Mancinelli
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy; (A.L.); (S.S.)
| | - Hanna D. Liberska
- Department of Social Psychology and Research on Youth, Kazimierz Wielki University, 85064 Bydgoszcz, Poland;
| | - Jian-Bin Li
- Department of Early Childhood Education, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China;
| | - José P. Espada
- Department of Health Psychology, Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03202 Elche, Spain;
| | - Elisa Delvecchio
- Department of Philosophy, Social Sciences and Education, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy; (E.D.); (C.M.)
| | - Claudia Mazzeschi
- Department of Philosophy, Social Sciences and Education, University of Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy; (E.D.); (C.M.)
| | - Adriana Lis
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy; (A.L.); (S.S.)
| | - Silvia Salcuni
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy; (A.L.); (S.S.)
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White TL, Gonsalves MA. Dignity neuroscience: universal rights are rooted in human brain science. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2021; 1505:40-54. [PMID: 34350987 PMCID: PMC9291326 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Universal human rights are defined by international agreements, law, foreign policy, and the concept of inherent human dignity. However, rights defined on this basis can be readily subverted by overt and covert disagreements and can be treated as distant geopolitical events rather than bearing on individuals’ everyday lives. A robust case for universal human rights is urgently needed and must meet several disparate requirements: (1) a framework that resolves tautological definitions reached solely by mutual, revocable agreement; (2) a rationale that transcends differences in beliefs, creed, and culture; and (3) a personalization that empowers both individuals and governments to further human rights protections. We propose that human rights in existing agreements comprise five elemental types: (1) agency, autonomy, and self‐determination; (2) freedom from want; (3) freedom from fear; (4) uniqueness; and (5) unconditionality, including protections for vulnerable populations. We further propose these rights and protections are rooted in fundamental properties of the human brain. We provide a robust, empirical foundation for universal rights based on emerging work in human brain science that we term dignity neuroscience. Dignity neuroscience provides an empirical foundation to support and foster human dignity, universal rights, and their active furtherance by individuals, nations, and international law.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara L White
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.,Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.,Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.,University of Cambridge, England, Cambridge, UK
| | - Meghan A Gonsalves
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
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