Background. Adult attachment theory is an extension of Bowlby and Ainsworth's attachment theory, designed to explain individual differences in cognitions, feelings, and behaviours that occur in the context of adolescent and adult close relationships. There are two dimensions of insecurity underlying all self-report measures of adult attachment: attachment-related anxiety and attachment-related avoidance. The brain opioid hypothesis of social attachment posits that reductions in opioid activity should increase desire for social companionship and increases in this system should reduce the need for affiliation. In human research, however, there is a great paucity of studies focusing on the brain opioid activity and the late effects of early traumatic experiences. A candidate target for these studies is the mu-opioid receptor gene (OPRM1). OPRM1 functional variant (A118G) in both humans and animal models has been associated with a blunted cortisol response to highly stressful events. Considering this, the A118G polymorphism might modulate individual differences in adult attachment styles in individuals with a history of childhood maltreatment.
Objective. Here, we aim to investigate the moderating role of OPRM1 functional variants A118G on adult attachment outcomes in early maltreated individuals.
Methodology. Individuals who experienced different types of CM or normal environment will be exposed to a screening aimed to evaluate the history of childhood maltreatment, levels of early parental care. Genetic analysis to detect OPRM1 will be performed.
Expected Results. Through this examination, we intent to investigate the role of OPRM1 as a biological vulnerability factor responsible for moderating the effects of early-life experiences on adult attachment patterns.
Studying the effects of OPRM1 on attachment style dimensions in a traumatised population will rise useful information on the Genes x Environment of adult attachment, raising the opportunity to understand the trajectories of individual¿s relational maturation with respect to their early-life experiences and genetic background.
In the context of the study of attachment in adulthood, few studies have focused on the biological factor, often seeing it under a unilateral perspective, without considering how these factors relate to early life experiences. Thanks to Genes x Environment studies, we can answer the following questions: what are the environmental factors involved in certain attachment patterns? Is there a genetic factor more connected to a given adult attachment pattern? Is there a genetic factor that moderates the effects of early life experiences on attachment in adulthood?
With this project we aim to disentangle and explore the different levels of adult attachment: the environmental level, such as early traumatic experiences and early parental care and the biological level, namely the involvement of the opioid system through the investigation of the OPRM1 snp.
Overall. this is a novel approach to explore the different factors that predispose the individual to the development of the different modes of attachment. This work will be of help to further understand the complexity of the attachment phenomenon from a wider perspective.