title: Insecure attachment during infancy predicts greater amygdala volumes in early adulthood.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The quality of the early environment is hypothesized to be an influence on morphological development in key neural areas related to affective responding, but direct evidence to support this possibility is limited. In a 22-year longitudinal study, we examined hippocampal and amygdala volumes in adulthood in relation to early infant attachment status, an important indicator of the quality of the early caregiving environment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants (N = 59) were derived from a prospective longitudinal study of the impact of maternal postnatal depression on child development. Infant attachment status (35 Secure; 24 Insecure) was observed at 18 months of age, and MRI assessments were completed at 22 years [corrected].
  
  
  RESULTS
  In line with hypotheses, insecure versus secure infant attachment status was associated with larger amygdala volumes in young adults, an effect that was not accounted for by maternal depression history. We did not find early infant attachment status to predict hippocampal volumes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Common variations in the quality of early environment are associated with gross alterations in amygdala morphology in the adult brain. Further research is required to establish the neural changes that underpin the volumetric differences reported here, and any functional implications.
authors.affiliation: Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Moutsiana
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Johnstone
authors.forename: Lynne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: Pasco
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fearon
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pliatsikas
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Goodyer
authors.forename: Sarah L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Halligan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000679:Amygdala / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D019052:Depression, Postpartum / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009034:Mother-Child Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D009769:Object Attachment; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Attachment; amygdala; brain development; longitudinal; maternal depression