Translational Neuroscience PhD Programme, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Salvesen Mindroom Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Centre for Reproductive Health, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Dev Cogn Neurosci. 2024 Jun;67:101387. doi: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101387. Epub 2024 Apr 25.
Infant attachment is an antecedent of later socioemotional abilities, which can be adversely affected by preterm birth. The structural integrity of amygdalae and hippocampi may subserve attachment in infancy. We aimed to investigate associations between neonatal amygdalae and hippocampi structure and their whole-brain connections and attachment behaviours at nine months of age in a sample of infants enriched for preterm birth. In 133 neonates (median gestational age 32 weeks, range 22.14-42.14), we calculated measures of amygdala and hippocampal structure (volume, fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, neurite dispersion index, orientation dispersion index) and structural connectivity, and coded attachment behaviours (distress, fretfulness, attentiveness to caregiver) from responses to the Still-Face Paradigm at nine months. After multiple comparisons correction, there were no significant associations between neonatal amygdala or hippocampal structure and structural connectivity and attachment behaviours: standardised β values - 0.23 to 0.18, adjusted p-values > 0.40. Findings indicate that the neural basis of infant attachment in term and preterm infants is not contingent on the structure or connectivity of the amygdalae and hippocampi in the neonatal period, which implies that it is more widely distributed in early life and or that network specialisation takes place in the months after hospital discharge.
婴儿依恋是后期社会情感能力的前提，而早产儿的这种能力可能会受到影响。杏仁核和海马体的结构完整性可能有助于婴儿期的依恋。我们旨在研究早产儿样本中，新生儿杏仁核和海马体结构及其与大脑整体连接与 9 个月时依恋行为之间的关联。在 133 名新生儿（中位胎龄 32 周，范围 22.14-42.14）中，我们计算了杏仁核和海马体结构（体积、各向异性分数、平均扩散系数、神经丝弥散指数、取向弥散指数）和结构连接的指标，并对 9 个月时的“静止脸”范式反应进行了依恋行为（痛苦、烦躁、对照顾者的关注）编码。在进行多次比较校正后，新生儿杏仁核或海马体结构和结构连接与依恋行为之间没有显著关联：标准化β值为-0.23 至 0.18，调整后的 p 值>0.40。研究结果表明，足月和早产儿婴儿依恋的神经基础不一定取决于新生儿期杏仁核和海马体的结构或连接，这意味着它在生命早期更为广泛分布，或者在出院后数月内发生了网络特化。
