Caspers Kristin M, Paradiso Sergio, Yucuis Rebecca, Troutman Beth, Arndt Stephan, Philibert Robert
Department of Psychiatry, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, USA.
Dev Psychol. 2009 Jan;45(1):64-76. doi: 10.1037/a0014026.
Research on antecedents of organized attachment has focused on the quality of caregiving received during childhood. In recent years, research has begun to examine the influence of genetic factors on quality of infant attachment. However, no published studies report on the association between specific genetic factors and adult attachment. This study examined the link between the 5-HTTLPR promoter polymorphism of the serotonin transporter gene and adult unresolved attachment assessed with the Adult Attachment Interview. Genetic material and information on attachment-related loss or trauma were available for 86 participants. Multivariate regression analyses showed an association between the short 5-HTTLPR allele and increased risk for unresolved attachment. Temperament traits and psychological symptoms did not affect the association between 5-HTTLPR and unresolved attachment. The authors hypothesize that the increased susceptibility to unresolved attachment among carriers of the short allele of 5-HTTLPR is consistent with the role of serotonin in modulation of frontal-amygdala circuitry. The findings challenge current thinking by demonstrating significant genetic influences on a phenomenon previously thought to be largely environmentally driven.
对有组织依恋的前因的研究主要集中在童年时期所接受的照料质量上。近年来，研究开始考察遗传因素对婴儿依恋质量的影响。然而，尚无已发表的研究报告特定遗传因素与成人依恋之间的关联。本研究通过成人依恋访谈，考察了血清素转运体基因的5-HTTLPR启动子多态性与成人未解决依恋之间的联系。86名参与者提供了遗传物质以及与依恋相关的丧失或创伤的信息。多变量回归分析显示，5-HTTLPR短等位基因与未解决依恋风险增加之间存在关联。气质特征和心理症状并未影响5-HTTLPR与未解决依恋之间的关联。作者推测，5-HTTLPR短等位基因携带者对未解决依恋的易感性增加，这与血清素在调节额叶-杏仁核神经回路中的作用是一致的。这些发现通过证明对一种先前被认为主要由环境驱动的现象存在显著的遗传影响，对当前的观点提出了挑战。
