An Exploratory Study on Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Individuals with Disorganized Attachment: Evidence for Key Regions in Amygdala and Hippocampus.

Gianluca Cruciani,Vittorio Lingiardi,Grazia Fernanda Spitoni,Maddalena Boccia,Pietro Zingaretti,Guido Giovanardi

doi:10.3390/brainsci11111539

Abstract

Studies comparing organized (O) and unresolved/disorganized (UD) attachment have consistently shown structural and functional brain abnormalities, although whether and how attachment patterns may affect resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) is still little characterized. Here, we investigated RSFC of temporal and limbic regions of interest for UD attachment. Participants’ attachment was classified via the Adult Attachment Interview, and all participants underwent clinical assessment. Functional magnetic resonance imaging data were collected from 11 UD individuals and seven matched O participants during rest. A seed-to-voxel analysis was performed, including the anterior and the posterior cingulate cortex, the bilateral insula, amygdala and hippocampus as seed regions. No group differences in the clinical scales emerged. Compared to O, the UD group showed lower RSFC between the left amygdala and the left cerebellum (lobules VIII), and lower functional coupling between the right hippocampus and the posterior portion of the right middle temporal gyrus. Moreover, UD participants showed higher RSFC between the right amygdala and the anterior cingulate cortex. Our findings suggest RSFC alterations in regions associated with encoding of salient events, emotion processing, memories retrieval and self-referential processing in UD participants, highlighting the potential role of attachment experiences in shaping brain abnormalities also in non-clinical UD individuals.

Highlights

In his attachment theory, Bowlby [1] assumed the existence of mental representations of interpersonal relationships with attachment figures and their responsiveness in social contexts
Our findings suggest resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) alterations in regions associated with encoding of salient events, emotion processing, memories retrieval and self-referential processing in UD participants, highlighting the potential role of attachment experiences in shaping brain abnormalities in non-clinical UD individuals
We explored resting-state functional connectivity in participants

Summary

Introduction

Bowlby [1] assumed the existence of mental representations of interpersonal relationships with attachment figures and their responsiveness in social contexts. Mikulincer and Shaver [13] proposed a three-phase model of attachment system in adults in which the first component involves the monitoring and appraisal of threatening events, the second deals with attachment figure availability and responsiveness, and the third examines the utility of seeking proximity to an attachment figure as a way of coping with threats to safety and well-being This latter component is thought to be responsible for individual differences in attachment patterns and in corresponding adaptive strategies of emotion regulation: individuals with a UD attachment display emotional dysregulation and dramatic behavioral reactions in response to stressful stimuli [14]. UD pattern appears to be overrepresented in psychiatric patients (43%) and predicts a vulnerability to dissociative disorders [15] and borderline personality disorder [16,17]; individuals with a UD pattern are found among non-clinical samples (18%) and, at a lower extent, they display emotional difficulties as well as impulse dyscontrol [7]

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