ABSTRACT

The existing literature suggests that individual differences in attachment may be associated with differential trajectories of structural brain development. In addition to maturation during infancy and childhood, developmental trajectories are characteristic of adolescence, a period marked by increasingly complex interpersonal relationships and significant neurostructural and functional plasticity. It remains to be examined whether attachment prospectively relates to neurostructural developmental trajectories during adolescence. In this longitudinal study, we investigated whether self-reported attachment dimensions of anxiety (AX) and avoidance (AV) could predict elements of cortical thickness (CT) and subcortical volume (SV) trajectories in 95 typically developing adolescents (12–19 years old at study baseline). Self-reported scores of AX and AV were obtained at study baseline, and neurostructural development was assessed at baseline and three timepoints over the four following years. Self-reported AX and AV were associated with steeper CT decreases in prefrontal cortical and cortical midline structures as well as anterior temporal cortex, particularly in participants younger at study baseline. Regarding SV, preliminary differential associations were observed between developmental trajectories and attachment dimensions. Our study suggests that interindividual differences in attachment contribute to shaping neurodevelopmental trajectories for several cortical and subcortical structures during adolescence and young adulthood.

摘要

现有文献表明，依恋的个体差异可能与大脑结构发育的不同轨迹有关。除了婴儿期和儿童期的成熟之外，发育轨迹也是青春期的特征，青春期的特点是人际关系日益复杂，神经结构和功能可塑性显着。依恋是否与青春期的神经结构发育轨迹前瞻性相关，仍有待研究。在这项纵向研究中，我们调查了自我报告的焦虑 (AX) 和回避 (AV) 依恋维度是否可以预测 95 名正常发育的青少年（12-19 岁）的皮质厚度 (CT) 和皮质下体积 (SV) 轨迹的要素在研究基线）。在研究基线时获得自我报告的 AX 和 AV 分数，并在接下来的四年中在基线和三个时间点评估神经结构发育。自我报告的 AX 和 AV 与前额叶皮质和皮质中线结构以及前颞叶皮质的更陡峭的 CT 下降有关，特别是在研究基线时较年轻的参与者中。关于 SV，在发展轨迹和依恋维度之间观察到了初步的差异关联。我们的研究表明，依恋的个体差异有助于塑造青春期和成年早期几个皮质和皮质下结构的神经发育轨迹。在接下来的四年中，在基线和三个时间点评估神经结构发育。自我报告的 AX 和 AV 与前额叶皮质和皮质中线结构以及前颞叶皮质的更陡峭的 CT 下降有关，特别是在研究基线时较年轻的参与者中。关于 SV，在发展轨迹和依恋维度之间观察到了初步的差异关联。我们的研究表明，依恋的个体差异有助于塑造青春期和成年早期几个皮质和皮质下结构的神经发育轨迹。在接下来的四年中，在基线和三个时间点评估神经结构发育。自我报告的 AX 和 AV 与前额叶皮质和皮质中线结构以及前颞叶皮质的更陡峭的 CT 下降有关，特别是在研究基线时较年轻的参与者中。关于 SV，在发展轨迹和依恋维度之间观察到了初步的差异关联。我们的研究表明，依恋的个体差异有助于塑造青春期和成年早期几个皮质和皮质下结构的神经发育轨迹。特别是在研究基线时较年轻的参与者中。关于 SV，在发展轨迹和依恋维度之间观察到了初步的差异关联。我们的研究表明，依恋的个体差异有助于塑造青春期和成年早期几个皮质和皮质下结构的神经发育轨迹。特别是在研究基线时较年轻的参与者中。关于 SV，在发展轨迹和依恋维度之间观察到了初步的差异关联。我们的研究表明，依恋的个体差异有助于塑造青春期和成年早期几个皮质和皮质下结构的神经发育轨迹。