Hennig-Fast Kristina, Meissner Dominik, Steuwe Carolin, Dehning Sandra, Blautzik Janusch, Eilert Dirk W, Zill Peter, Müller Norbert, Meindl Thomas, Reiser Maximilian, Möller Hans-Jürgen, Falkai Peter, Driessen Martin, Buchheim Anna
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians University, 80336 Munich, Germany.
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bielefeld, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany.
Brain Sci. 2023 Jul 25;13(8):1125. doi: 10.3390/brainsci13081125.
Attachment theory offers an important framework for understanding interpersonal interaction experiences. In the present study, we examined the neural correlates of attachment patterns and oxytocin in schizophrenic patients (SZP) compared to healthy controls (HC) using fMRI. We assumed that male SZP shows a higher proportion of insecure attachment and an altered level of oxytocin compared to HC. On a neural level, we hypothesized that SZP shows increased neural activation in memory and self-related brain regions during the activation of the attachment system compared to HC.
We used an event-related design for the fMRI study based on stimuli that were derived from the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System to examine attachment representations and their neural and hormonal correlates in 20 male schizophrenic patients compared to 20 male healthy controls.
A higher proportion of insecure attachment in schizophrenic patients compared to HC could be confirmed. In line with our hypothesis, Oxytocin (OXT) levels in SZP were significantly lower than in HC. We found increasing brain activations in SZP when confronted with personal relevant sentences before attachment relevant pictures in the precuneus, TPJ, insula, and frontal areas compared to HC. Moreover, we found positive correlations between OXT and bilateral dlPFC, precuneus, and left ACC in SZP only.
Despite the small sample sizes, the patients' response might be considered as a mode of dysregulation when confronted with this kind of personalized attachment-related material. In the patient group, we found positive correlations between OXT and three brain areas (bilateral dlPFC, precuneus, left ACC) and may conclude that OXT might modulate within this neural network in SZP.
依恋理论为理解人际互动体验提供了一个重要框架。在本研究中，我们使用功能磁共振成像（fMRI），比较了精神分裂症患者（SZP）与健康对照者（HC）的依恋模式和催产素的神经相关性。我们假设，与健康对照者相比，男性精神分裂症患者表现出更高比例的不安全依恋以及催产素水平的改变。在神经层面，我们假设与健康对照者相比，精神分裂症患者在依恋系统激活期间，记忆和自我相关脑区的神经激活增加。
我们基于来自成人依恋投射图片系统的刺激，采用事件相关设计进行功能磁共振成像研究，以检查20名男性精神分裂症患者与20名男性健康对照者的依恋表征及其神经和激素相关性。
与健康对照者相比，可以确认精神分裂症患者中不安全依恋的比例更高。与我们的假设一致，精神分裂症患者的催产素（OXT）水平显著低于健康对照者。与健康对照者相比，我们发现精神分裂症患者在面对与依恋相关图片之前的个人相关句子时，楔前叶、颞顶联合区、脑岛和额叶区域的脑激活增加。此外，我们仅在精神分裂症患者中发现催产素与双侧背外侧前额叶皮质、楔前叶和左侧前扣带回之间存在正相关。
尽管样本量较小，但患者在面对这种与个性化依恋相关的材料时的反应可能被视为一种调节失调的模式。在患者组中，我们发现催产素与三个脑区（双侧背外侧前额叶皮质、楔前叶、左侧前扣带回）之间存在正相关，并可能得出结论，催产素可能在精神分裂症患者的这个神经网络中发挥调节作用。
