Citation

Sullivan RM. Psychodyn. Psychiatry 2017; 45(4): 475-498.

Affiliation

Emotional Brain Institute, The Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Child Study Center, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical Center.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Guilford Press)

DOI

10.1521/pdps.2017.45.4.475

PMID

29244623

Abstract

Altricial infants (i.e., requiring parental care for survival), such as humans and rats, form an attachment to their caregiver and receive the nurturing and protections needed for survival. Learning has a strong role in attachment, as is illustrated by strong attachment formed to non-biological caregivers of either sex. Here we summarize and integrate results from animal and human infant attachment research that highlights the important role of social buffering (social presence) of the stress response by the attachment figure and its effect on infant processing of threat and fear through modulation of the amygdala. Indeed, this work suggests the caregiver switches off amygdala function in rodents, although recent human research suggests a similar process in humans and nonhuman primates. This cross-species analysis helps provide insight and unique understanding of attachment and its role in the neurobiology of infant behavior within attachment.

Language: en

Keywords

amygdala; attachment; infant; learning; locus coeruleus; mother; mother–infant dyad; norepinephrine; stress