Attachment styles modulate neural markers of threat and imagery when engaging in self-criticism

Abstract

Attachment styles hold important downstream consequences for mental health through their contribution to the emergence of self-criticism. To date, no work has extended our understanding of the influence of attachment styles on self-criticism at a neurobiological level. Herein we investigate the relationship between self-reported attachment styles and neural markers of self-criticism using fMRI. A correlation network analysis revealed lingual gyrus activation during self-criticism, a marker of visual mental imagery, correlated with amygdala activity (threat response). It also identified that secure attachment positively correlated with lingual gyrus activation, whilst avoidant attachment was negatively correlated with lingual gyrus activation. Further, at greater levels of amygdala response, more securely attached individuals showed greater lingual gyrus activation, and more avoidantly attached individuals showed less lingual gyrus activation. Our data provide the first evidence that attachment mechanisms may modulate threat responses and mental imagery when engaging in self-criticism, which have important clinical and broader social implications.

Figure 1

A correlation network approach which visualizes the correlation matrix between neural markers of self-criticism and self-report data. Each dot corresponds to a variable and each line corresponds to a path between correlated variables. Clusters of variables highlight constructs which are interrelated. Greater width and less transparency of a path indicates the presence of a stronger correlation. Scale bar: red colour and luminance depicts a strong positive correlation, and green colour and luminance depicts a strong negative correlation. Variable positioning is created from a multidimensional scaling of the correlation absolute values. Figure inset (solid black-lined circle) depicts the relationship between neural markers of self-criticism and self-report attachment style. N = 40 for all measures except attachment styles, where N = 38, accounting for listwise deletion. Pearson correlation formula was used.

Figure 2

Correlations between the lingual gyrus and attachment styles, shown for Left. Secure and Right. Avoidant attachment. X-axis indicates score on the attachment subscale, and Y-axis indicates signal change of the lingual gyrus. Shaded area indicates standard error. Pearson correlation formula was used. N = 38, accounting for listwise deletion.

Figure 3

Moderation model of lingual gyrus activation for Left. Avoidant and Right. Secure attachment, at high and low levels of amygdala activation. More securely attached individuals showed higher lingual gyrus activation at greater levels of amygdala response. This effect is reversed for more avoidantly attached individuals, who showed less lingual gyrus activation at greater levels of amygdala response. Colour hues indicate mean, + 1 and − 1 SD of the moderator. Shaded area indicates 95% confidence interval. Figure caption denotes the shading and placement of high, mean and low levels of the moderator. Figure inset describes the mean, significant and non-significant (ns) simple slope for each model. N = 38, accounting for listwise deletion.