Brain activity and infant attachment history in young men during loss and reward processing

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Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Emotional Autobiographical Recollection
11:30

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Emotional Autobiographical Recollection

Published on: August 26, 2011

Karina Quevedo1, Theodore E A Waters2, Hannah Scott1

  • 1University of Minnesota.

Development and Psychopathology
|April 13, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Early attachment quality influences brain function. Insecure attachment in infancy predicts altered neural responses to reward and loss in adulthood, impacting emotional regulation and processing.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Attachment Theory

Background:

  • Early attachment experiences are crucial for development and adaptation.
  • Neural mechanisms linking attachment quality to later functioning are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the long-term neural correlates of early attachment insecurity and disorganization.
  • To examine how early attachment predicts brain activation patterns in response to reward and loss in adulthood.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of 171 low-income males from infancy to young adulthood.
  • Attachment security and disorganization assessed at 18 months using the Strange Situation Procedure.
  • Neural activation patterns measured at age 20 using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a reward-based task.

Main Results:

  • Individuals with insecure attachment history showed hyperactivity in reward/emotion-related brain regions (basal ganglia, amygdala) and emotion regulation/self-referential processing areas (cortical midline structures).
  • Disorganized attachment was associated with heightened emotional reactivity anticipating reward and increased cognitive control during negative outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • Early attachment quality has lasting effects on brain function, particularly in reward processing and emotional regulation.
  • Attachment insecurity and disorganization are linked to distinct patterns of neural activation in response to reward and loss, highlighting the enduring impact of early experiences.

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