Table 1.
Summary of fMRI studies on attachment-caregiving systems interaction.
| Study | Task | Stimuli | Attachment Measure | Subjects | Analysis | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kim et al. (2014) | Viewing | Own and other child pictures | AAI (DMM) | 42 Mothers: 25 No trauma, 17 U, Unresoved trauma. | ROI in bilateral amygdale | No trauma or loss >U • Bil amygdala |
| Riem et al. (2012) | Listening | Crying child sound and control sound | AAI | 21 Nulliparous women: 7 F, 4 Ds, 4 E, 6 U. | ROI in bilateral amygdale | Ds e E > F (crying > control sound): • R amygdala Negative correlation: R Amygdala and Coherence of Mind |
| Strathearn et al. (2009) | Viewing | Own and other child pictures | AAI (DMM) | 30 Mothers: 15 F, 15 Ds. | Whole brain and ROI in midbrain, striatum, prefrontal cortex (PFC), hypothalamus/pituitary regions | F > Ds: • Bil frontopolar PFC • Bil orbitofrontal and medial PFC • L ventral striatum • L hypothalamus/pituitary region Ds > F: • Dorsolateral PFC • Medial PFC • R uncus/enthorinal cortex. • Bil insula • R anterior cingulate cortex Direct correlation: Hypothalamus/pituitary/ventral striatum and peripheral oxytocin responce |
| Lenzi et al. (2013) | Empathizing | Child pictures | AAI | 23 Nulliparous woman: 11 F, 12 Ds | Whole brain | Ds > F: • Bil somatomotor and premotor cortex, inferior frontal gyrus • R superior frontal gyrus • R superior temporal sulcus, temporal pole, hippocampus • L middle temporal gyrus, • L anterior cingulum • L posterior parietal cortex • Bil thalami • Bil precuneus F > Ds (deactivation in Ds): • medial orbitofrontal cortex • perigenual anterior cingulated cortex. |
| Lenzi et al. (2009) | Empathizing | Own and other child pictures | RF (AAI) | 16 Mothers: 13 F, 3 Ds | ROI | Direct correlation: Reflective Function with R anterior insula |
F,secure/autonomous with respect to attachment; Ds, dismissing attachment; E preoccupied with or by early attachments or attachment-related experiences; U, unresolved with respect to attachment trauma; DMM, coding method based on the Dynamic Maturational Model of Attachment and Adaptation; RF, reflective function; ROI, region of interest, R, right; L, left.