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Cuyvers B, Ein-Dor T, Houbrechts M, Freson K, Goossens L, Van Den Noortgate W, van Leeuwen K, Bijttebier P, Claes S, Turner J, Chubar V, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Bosmans G. Exploring the role of OXTR gene methylation in attachment development: A longitudinal study. Dev Psychobiol 2024; 66:e22496. [PMID: 38689124 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22496] [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: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
The current study explored longitudinally whether oxytocin receptor gene methylation (OXTRm) changes moderated the association between parental sensitivity changes and children's attachment changes over three waves. Six hundred six Flemish children (10-12 years, 42.8%-44.8% boys) completed attachment measures and provided salivary OXTRm data on seven CpG sites. Their parents reported their sensitive parenting. Results suggest that OXTRm changes hardly link to attachment (in)security changes after the age of 10. Some support was found for interaction effects between parental sensitivity changes and OXTRm changes on attachment changes over time. Effects suggest that for children with increased OXTRm in the promotor region and decreased methylation in the inhibitor region over time, increased parental sensitivity was associated with increased secure attachment and decreased insecure attachment over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bien Cuyvers
- Clinical Psychology, KU Leuven University, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tsachi Ein-Dor
- Social Sciences, School of Psychology, Reichman University Herzliya, Herzliya, Israel
| | | | - Kathleen Freson
- Centre for Molecular and Vascular Biology, KU Leuven University, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Luc Goossens
- School Psychology and Development in Context, KU Leuven University, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Karla van Leeuwen
- Family and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven University, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Patricia Bijttebier
- School Psychology and Development in Context, KU Leuven University, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Stephan Claes
- Research Group Psychiatry, UZ Leuven-KU Leuven University, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jonathan Turner
- Immune Endocrine Epigenetics Research Group, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Esch sur Alzette, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Viktoria Chubar
- Research Group Psychiatry, UZ Leuven-KU Leuven University, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg
- William James Center for Research, ISPA University Institute of sychological, Social and Life Sciences, Lisbon, Portugal
- Centre for Attachment Research, the New School for Social Research, New York, USA
| | - Guy Bosmans
- Clinical Psychology, KU Leuven University, Leuven, Belgium
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2
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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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3
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Labaut L, Lage-Castellanos A, Rodrigo MJ, Herrero-Roldán S, Mitchell C, Fisher J, León I. Mother adversity and co-residence time impact mother-child similarity in genome-wide and gene-specific methylation profiles. Clin Epigenetics 2024; 16:44. [PMID: 38509601 PMCID: PMC10953278 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-024-01655-5] [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: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The effects of adverse life events on physical and psychological health, with DNA methylation (DNAm) as a critical underlying mechanism, have been extensively studied. However, the epigenetic resemblance between mother and child in the context of neglectful caregiving, and whether it may be shaped by the emotional impact of maternal stressful events and the duration of co-residence (indexed by child age), remains unknown. The present study examined mother-child similarity in methylation profiles, considering the potential effect of mother adversity, mother empathy, neglect-control group, child age (an index of years of mother-child co-residence), and mother age. Using Illumina Epic arrays, we quantified DNAm in 115 mother-child saliva samples. We obtained a methylation similarity index by computing correlation coefficients between methylation profiles within dyads, for the entire epigenome, and five specific genes related to stress and empathy: NR3C1, FKPB5, OXTR, SCL6A4, and BDNF. RESULTS The methylation profiles of the mother-child familial pairs significantly correlated as compared to mother-child random pairs for the entire epigenome and NR3C1, FKBP5, OXTR and BDNF genes. Next, multiple linear regression models observed associations of mother adversity, child age, and neglect-control group on mother-child methylation similarity, only significant in mother-child familial pairs, after correcting for multiple comparisons. Higher mother adversity was associated with lower mother-child methylation similarity for the epigenome-wide analysis, for the BDNF gene, and in the neglect-control group for the OXTR gene. In turn, being an older child (longer co-residence) was associated with higher mother-child methylation similarity. CONCLUSIONS Mother adversity and co-residence time are modulating factors in the intergenerational methylation process that offer a window into development-dependent adaptations that can be affected by both hereditary and environmental factors, significantly observed only in biological dyads. A twofold implication for child well-being emerges, one is positive in that children of mothers exposed to life adversity or neglect did not necessarily inherit their methylation patterns. The other is concerning due to the influence of time spent living together, which affects similarity with the mother and potentially increases the risk of inheriting an epigenetic profile associated with future dysfunctional parenting patterns. This underscores the importance of the 'the earlier, the better' recommendation by the Child Protection System, which is not always followed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Labaut
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia, Campus de Guajara, Universidad de La Laguna, 38201, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Agustín Lage-Castellanos
- Department of NeuroInformatics, Cuban Center for Neuroscience, Havana, Cuba
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - María José Rodrigo
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia, Campus de Guajara, Universidad de La Laguna, 38201, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain
| | - Silvia Herrero-Roldán
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia, Campus de Guajara, Universidad de La Laguna, 38201, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
- Facultad de Ciencias Sociales Aplicadas y de la Comunicación, UNIE Universidad, Madrid, Spain
| | - Colter Mitchell
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Abor, MI, USA
| | - Jonah Fisher
- Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Abor, MI, USA
| | - Inmaculada León
- Instituto Universitario de Neurociencia, Campus de Guajara, Universidad de La Laguna, 38201, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain.
- Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de La Laguna, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain.
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4
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Tomoda A, Nishitani S, Takiguchi S, Fujisawa TX, Sugiyama T, Teicher MH. The neurobiological effects of childhood maltreatment on brain structure, function, and attachment. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2024:10.1007/s00406-024-01779-y. [PMID: 38466395 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-024-01779-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Childhood maltreatment is a risk factor for psychopathologies, and influences brain development at specific periods, particularly during early childhood and adolescence. This narrative review addresses phenotypic alterations in sensory systems associated with specific types of childhood maltreatment exposure, periods of vulnerability to the neurobiological effects of maltreatment, and the relationships between childhood maltreatment and brain structure, function, connectivity, and network architecture; psychopathology; and resilience. It also addresses neurobiological alterations associated with maternal communication and attachment disturbances, and uses laboratory-based measures during infancy and case-control studies to elucidate neurobiological alterations in reactive attachment disorders in children with maltreatment histories. Moreover, we review studies on the acute effects of oxytocin on reactive attachment disorder and maltreatment and methylation of oxytocin regulatory genes. Epigenetic changes may play a critical role in initiating or producing the atypical structural and functional brain alterations associated with childhood maltreatment. However, these changes could be reversed through psychological and pharmacological interventions, and by anticipating or preventing the emergence of brain alterations and subsequent psychopathological risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akemi Tomoda
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, 23-3 Matsuoka-Shimoaizuki, Eiheiji-cho, Yoshida-gun, Fukui, 910-1193, Japan.
- Division of Developmental Higher Brain Functions, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, and University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan.
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychological Medicine, University of Fukui Hospital, Fukui, Japan.
| | - Shota Nishitani
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, 23-3 Matsuoka-Shimoaizuki, Eiheiji-cho, Yoshida-gun, Fukui, 910-1193, Japan
- Division of Developmental Higher Brain Functions, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, and University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
| | - Shinichiro Takiguchi
- Division of Developmental Higher Brain Functions, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, and University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychological Medicine, University of Fukui Hospital, Fukui, Japan
| | - Takashi X Fujisawa
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, 23-3 Matsuoka-Shimoaizuki, Eiheiji-cho, Yoshida-gun, Fukui, 910-1193, Japan
- Division of Developmental Higher Brain Functions, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, and University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
| | - Toshiro Sugiyama
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, 23-3 Matsuoka-Shimoaizuki, Eiheiji-cho, Yoshida-gun, Fukui, 910-1193, Japan
- Division of Developmental Higher Brain Functions, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, and University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychological Medicine, University of Fukui Hospital, Fukui, Japan
| | - Martin H Teicher
- Developmental Biopsychiatry Research Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
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5
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Bloom SL. A Biocratic Paradigm: Exploring the Complexity of Trauma-Informed Leadership and Creating Presence™. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:bs13050355. [PMID: 37232592 DOI: 10.3390/bs13050355] [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] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
A paradigm shift is under way in the human services because of breakthrough knowledge and research in understanding the underlying etiology of physical, emotional, and social problems at the micro-level of the individual, at the meso-level of the family and institutions, and at the macro-level of the entire society. The three levels of human existence-micro, mezzo, and macro-constitute interactive, interdependent, complex adaptive living systems. The complexity of these problems requires us to use our imaginations to envision health in individuals, organizations, and societies because it does not presently exist. After thousands of years of unrelenting exposure to trauma and adversity, we have all normalized what is a traumatogenic civilization. As a result, we live in a trauma-organized society in ways we are just beginning to understand in this century. This biopsychosocial knowledge base that is drawn upon here has come to be known as "trauma-informed" knowledge because it began with a deepening understanding of the impact of trauma on survivors of combat, disasters, and genocide, but now extends far beyond those specific boundaries. To lead any organization in a time of significant change means leading a revolution in understanding human nature and the fundamental causes of human pathology that are endangering all life on this planet and then helping organizational members develop skills to positively influence the changes necessary. In the 1930s, Dr. Walter B. Cannon, a Harvard physiologist who had named the "fight-flight" response and defined homeostasis, used the word "biocracy" to describe the relationship between the physical body and the social body, emphasizing the vital importance of democracy. This paper is a beginning attempt at integrating the concept of a biocratic organization with that of the trauma-informed knowledge necessary for leadership. Hope lies in properly diagnosing the problem, remembering ancient peace-making strategies, embracing universal life-preserving values, inspiring a new vision for the future, and radically and consciously changing our present self and other-destructive behavior. The paper concludes with a brief description of a new online educational program called Creating Presence™ that is being used in organizations as a method for creating and supporting the development of biocratic, trauma-informed organizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra L Bloom
- Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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6
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Merrill SM, Gladish N, Fu MP, Moore SR, Konwar C, Giesbrecht GF, MacIssac JL, Kobor MS, Letourneau NL. Associations of peripheral blood DNA methylation and estimated monocyte proportion differences during infancy with toddler attachment style. Attach Hum Dev 2023; 25:132-161. [PMID: 34196256 DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2021.1938872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Attachment is a motivational system promoting felt security to a caregiver resulting in a persistent internal working model of interpersonal behavior. Attachment styles are developed in early social environments and predict future health and development outcomes with potential biological signatures, such as epigenetic modifications like DNA methylation (DNAm). Thus, we hypothesized infant DNAm would associate with toddler attachment styles. An epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) of blood DNAm from 3-month-old infants was regressed onto children's attachment style from the Strange Situation Procedure at 22-months at multiple DNAm Cytosine-phosphate-Guanine (CpG) sites. The 26 identified CpGs associated with proinflammatory immune phenotypes and cognitive development. In post-hoc analyses, only maternal cognitive-growth fostering, encouraging intellectual exploration, contributed. For disorganized children, DNAm-derived cell-type proportions estimated higher monocytes -cells in immune responses hypothesized to increase with early adversity. Collectively, these findings suggested the potential biological embedding of both adverse and advantageous social environments as early as 3-months-old.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Merrill
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Nicole Gladish
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Maggie P Fu
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Sarah R Moore
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Chaini Konwar
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Gerald F Giesbrecht
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.,Owerko Centre at the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Julia L MacIssac
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Michael S Kobor
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Vancouver, Canada.,Program in Child and Brain Development, CIFAR, Toronto, Canada
| | - Nicole L Letourneau
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.,Owerko Centre at the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada.,Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
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7
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Shah S, Laplante D, Atkinson L, Wazana A. From temperament and parenting to attachment: a review of the interplay of gene and environment factors in the developmental pathway to attachment. Curr Opin Psychiatry 2022; 35:401-408. [PMID: 35959551 DOI: 10.1097/yco.0000000000000817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Attachment represents an aspect of the parent-child relationship by encapsulating behaviours and stress management strategies. Although attachment is not considered a measure of psychopathology, some attachment styles place children at higher risk for psychopathologies. The origins of attachment have historically thought to be either parenting-related variables, or temperament. More recently, there has been accumulated evidence of gene × environment interactions in attachment, temperament, and parenting. This review aims to cover shared gene × environment pathways between these variables, introduce recent relevant insights from prenatal programming research, and offer a synthesized developmental cascade model of attachment. RECENT FINDINGS Carriers of gene polymorphisms related to stress neurobiology respond differently to environments than noncarriers according to two patterns: attachment research shows inconsistent diathesis-stress between gene polymorphisms and environment, and temperament, stress physiology, and prenatal programming research show clear patterns of differential susceptibility. SUMMARY By synthesizing prenatal and postnatal findings, a model of attachment emerges in which individuals more susceptible to environmental influences are carriers of specific genes, whose endophenotypic markers include stress biology and phenotypic markers include temperament. Intervention should, therefore, focus on parenting and stress regulation strategies for these individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shalaka Shah
- Jewish General Hospital, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, and McGill University
| | - David Laplante
- Jewish General Hospital, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research
| | | | - Ashley Wazana
- Jewish General Hospital, Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, and McGill University
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8
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Using complexity science to understand the role of co-sleeping (bedsharing) in mother-infant co-regulatory processes. Infant Behav Dev 2022; 67:101723. [PMID: 35594598 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2022.101723] [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: 05/02/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Human infants spend most of their time sleeping, but over the first few years of life their sleep becomes regulated to coincide more closely with adult sleep (Galland et al., 2012; Paavonen et al., 2020). Evidence shows that co-sleeping played a role in the evolution of infant sleep regulation, as it is part of an ancient behavioral complex representing the biopsychosocial microenvironment in which human infants co-evolved with their mothers through millions of years of human history (Ball, 2003; McKenna 1986, 1990). This paper is a conceptual, interdisciplinary, integration of the literature on mother-infant co-sleeping and other mother-infant co-regulatory processes from an evolutionary (biological) perspective, using complexity science. Viewing the mother-infant dyad as a "complex adaptive system" (CAS) shows how the CAS fits assumptions of regulatory processes and reveals the role of the CAS in the ontogeny of mother-infant co-regulation of physiological (thermoregulation, breathing, circadian rhythm coordination, nighttime synchrony, and heart rate variability) and socioemotional (attachment and cortisol activity) development.
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9
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Jones NA, Mize KD. Ontogeny of the social brain in utero and in infancy: risk factors and resilience in socioemotional development. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2021.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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10
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Lisá E, Greškovičová K, Krizova K. The perception of the leader as an attachment figure: can it mediate the relationship between work engagement and general/citizenship performance? BMC Psychol 2021; 9:196. [PMID: 34920765 PMCID: PMC8684086 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-021-00700-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The study aimed to explore the perception of the leader as a security provider as a potential mediator of the relationship between work engagement and perceived general and citizenship work performance. Five hundred and forty-two adults completed the Leader as a security provider scale, Utrecht work engagement scale, General work performance questionnaire, and Citizenship organizational behavior questionnaire to self-report on their organizational behaviors. The perception of the leader as a secure attachment figure partially mediated loyalty and adherence to the organization's rules in engaged employees. Perceived separation distress can increase interpersonal citizenship performance; however, it can decrease organizational compliance in engaged employees. Fear of losing the leader can potentially harm the organizational goals by favoring the personal relationships before organizational compliance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Lisá
- Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynské luhy 4, 821 05, Bratislava, Slovakia.
| | - Katarína Greškovičová
- Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynské luhy 4, 821 05, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Katarina Krizova
- Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynské luhy 4, 821 05, Bratislava, Slovakia
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11
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Gerra ML, Gerra MC, Tadonio L, Pellegrini P, Marchesi C, Mattfeld E, Gerra G, Ossola P. Early parent-child interactions and substance use disorder: An attachment perspective on a biopsychosocial entanglement. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 131:560-580. [PMID: 34606823 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.09.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
This review aims to elucidate environmental and genetic factors, as well as their epigenetic and neuroendocrine moderators, that may underlie the association between early childhood experiences and Substance Use Disorders (SUD), through the lens of parental attachment. Here we review those attachment-related studies that examined the monoaminergic systems, the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal stress response system, the oxytoninergic system, and the endogenous opioid system from a genetic, epigenetic, and neuroendocrine perspective. Overall, the selected studies point to a moderating effect of insecure attachment between genetic vulnerability and SUD, reasonably through epigenetic modifications. Preliminary evidence suggests that vulnerability to SUDs is related with hypo-methylation (e.g. hyper-expression) of high-risk polymorphisms on the monoaminergic and hypothalamic pituitary adrenal system and hyper-methylation (e.g. hypo-expressions) of protective polymorphisms on the opioid and oxytocin system. These epigenetic modifications may induce a cascade of neuroendocrine changes contributing to the subclinical and behavioural manifestations that precede the clinical onset of SUD. Protective and supportive parenting could hence represent a key therapeutic target to prevent addiction and moderate insecure attachment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maria Carla Gerra
- Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain (CNAP), SMI®, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
| | | | | | - Carlo Marchesi
- Psychiatry Unit, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy.
| | - Elizabeth Mattfeld
- Drug Prevention and Health Branch, Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Section, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Gilberto Gerra
- Department of Mental Health, AUSL of Parma, Parma, Italy.
| | - Paolo Ossola
- Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain (CNAP), SMI®, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
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12
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Craig F, Tenuta F, Rizzato V, Costabile A, Trabacca A, Montirosso R. Attachment-related dimensions in the epigenetic era: A systematic review of the human research. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 125:654-666. [PMID: 33727029 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, an increasing number of studies documented potential links between parental care and epigenetic mechanisms. The present systematic review focuses on the potential association and interrelationship between attachment-related dimensions and DNA methylation in human studies. We performed a literature review using electronic databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and EBSCOhost. Thirteen papers were included in the review. Findings support significant associations between attachment-related dimensions and epigenetic status in studies which considered different populations, age ranges, attachment measures and peripheral tissues. Although research in this area is still under investigation, available results suggest that DNA methylation associated with attachment-related dimensions might affect the development of stress regulation system and social-emotional capacities, thus contributing to the emerging phenotypic outcomes. However, identifying mediator and moderator effects in the interrelationship between these parameters was problematic owing to heterogeneous methodologies. Finally, we discuss clinical implications, unanswered questions, and future directions for human development in epigenetics research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Craig
- Scientific Institute, IRCCS E. Medea, Unit for Severe Disabilities in Developmental Age and Young Adults, Brindisi, Italy
| | - Flaviana Tenuta
- Department of Culture, Education and Society, University of Calabria, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Veronica Rizzato
- Scientific Institute, IRCCS E. Medea, Unit for Severe Disabilities in Developmental Age and Young Adults, Brindisi, Italy
| | - Angela Costabile
- Department of Culture, Education and Society, University of Calabria, Cosenza, Italy
| | - Antonio Trabacca
- Scientific Institute, IRCCS E. Medea, Unit for Severe Disabilities in Developmental Age and Young Adults, Brindisi, Italy.
| | - Rosario Montirosso
- Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, 0-3 Center for the at-Risk Infant, Bosisio Parini, Italy
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13
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Stauffer CS, Anderson BT, Ortigo KM, Woolley J. Psilocybin-Assisted Group Therapy and Attachment: Observed Reduction in Attachment Anxiety and Influences of Attachment Insecurity on the Psilocybin Experience. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2020; 4:526-532. [PMID: 33860182 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.0c00169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Attachment insecurity is determined early in life, is a risk factor for psychopathology, and can be measured on two separate continuous dimensions: attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance. Therapeutic changes toward more secure attachment correlate with reduction in psychiatric symptoms. Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy has demonstrated promise in the treatment of psychopathology, such as treatment-resistant depression and substance use disorders. We hypothesized that psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy would reduce attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance, thus increasing attachment security. We also hypothesized that baseline measures of attachment insecurity, which can reflect a diminished capacity for trust and exploration, would inform the quality of the psilocybin session. Participants were male long-term AIDS survivors with moderate-severe demoralization (n = 18). Using the Experiences in Close Relationships scale, we measured attachment insecurity at baseline as well as immediately, and 3 months, after completion of a brief group therapy course, which included a single midtreatment open-label psilocybin session conducted individually. Clinically important aspects of the psilocybin session were assessed using the revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire and the Challenging Experience Questionnaire the day following psilocybin administration. Self-reported ratings of attachment anxiety decreased significantly from baseline to 3-months post-intervention, t(16) = -2.2; p = 0.045; d rm = 0.45; 95% CI 0.01, 0.87. Attachment avoidance did not change significantly. Baseline attachment anxiety was strongly correlated with psilocybin-occasioned mystical-type experiences, r(15) = 0.53, p = 0.029, and baseline attachment avoidance was strongly correlated with psilocybin-related challenging experiences, r(16) = 0.62, p = 0.006. These findings have important implications for the general treatment of psychopathology as well as optimizing psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy as a broadly applicable treatment modality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher S Stauffer
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, United States.,San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center Mental Health, San Francisco, California 94121, United States.,Department of Psychiatry and VA Portland Health Care System, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, United States
| | - Brian T Anderson
- San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center Mental Health, San Francisco, California 94121, United States.,Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco, California 94110, United States
| | - Kile M Ortigo
- Center for Existential Exploration, Palo Alto, California 94306, United States
| | - Joshua Woolley
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, United States.,San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center Mental Health, San Francisco, California 94121, United States
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