Adult Romantic Attachment, Negative Emotionality, and Depressive Symptoms in Middle Aged Men: A Multivariate Genetic Analysis

Adult romantic attachment styles reflect ways of relating in close relationships and are associated with depression and negative emotionality. We estimated the extent to which dimensions of romantic attachment and negative emotionality share genetic or environmental risk factors in 1,237 middle-aged men in the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging (VETSA). A common genetic factor largely explained the covariance between attachment-related anxiety, attachment-related avoidance, depressive symptoms, and two measures of negative emotionality: Stress-Reaction (anxiety), and Alienation. Multivariate results supported genetic and environmental differences in attachment. Attachment-related anxiety and attachment-related avoidance were each influenced by additional genetic factors not shared with other measures; the genetic correlation between the attachment measure-specific genetic factors was 0.41, indicating some, but not complete overlap of genetic factors. Genetically informative longitudinal studies on attachment relationship dimensions can help to illuminate the role of relationship-based risk factors in healthy aging.     

Stress, social support, emotional regulation, and exacerbation of diffuse plaque psoriasis

The authors' aim was to investigate the role of stressful events, perceived social support, attachment security, and alexithymia in triggering exacerbations of diffuse plaque psoriasis. Inpatients experiencing a recent exacerbation of diffuse plaque psoriasis (N=33) were compared with inpatients with skin conditions believed to have a negligible psychosomatic component (N=73). Stressful events during the last year were assessed with Paykel's Interview for Recent Life Events. Attachment style, alexithymia, and perceived social support were assessed with the Experiences in Close Relationships questionnaire, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, respectively. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to control for age, gender, education, marital status, and alcohol consumption. In relation to comparison subjects, the patients with psoriasis had lower perceived social support and higher attachment-related avoidance. Also, they were more likely to have high alexithymic characteristics. There were no differences between the patients with psoriasis and the comparison subjects in scores on the Experiences in Close Relationships anxiety scale, the total number of stressful events, and the number of undesirable, uncontrollable, or major events. Although caution should be applied in generalizing these findings to outpatients, this study suggests that alexithymia, attachment-related avoidance, and poor social support might increase susceptibility to exacerbations of diffuse plaque psoriasis, possibly through impaired emotional regulation. Several physiological mechanisms involving the neuroendocrine and the immune system might mediate the interplay between stress, personality, and diffuse plaque psoriasis.     

5-HTTLPR and COMTval158met genotype gate amygdala reactivity and habituation

Amygdala reactivity is a heritable trait, potentiated in affective disorders and associated with both the 5-HTTLPR and the COMTval158met polymorphism.Fifty-four healthy volunteers selected a priori based on gender and 5-HTTLPR/rs25531 and COMTval158met genotypes performed a passive viewing task of angry facial expressions using fMRI. Amygdala reactivity and habituation were investigated using the a priori anatomical region of interest (ROI) approach. Furthermore, salivary cortisol and skin conductance responses were recorded.We observed an effect of 5-HTTLPR on right amygdala reactivity (s-carrier > l/l) and COMTval158met on left amygdala reactivity (met/met > val-carrier). We provide preliminary evidence that different amygdala habituation curves may partly underlie the differences between 5-HTTLPR and not COMT genotype groups. Further, exploratory analyses find no evidence for additive or interaction effects.Our results support that 5-HTTLPR s-carriers and COMT met/met carriers may be more sensitive to the detection of biologically and socially relevant information and suggest a mechanism behind this for the 5-HTTLPR.     

Insecurity, stress, and symptoms of psychopathology: contrasting results from self-reports versus interviews of adult attachment

This report was designed to clarify links among self-reports of psychiatric symptomatology, stress, and adult attachment insecurity, as operationalized using measures drawn from both the developmental and social psychological literatures. Based on a sample of 160 college students, this study demonstrated that insecurity reflected in the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) was associated with self-reports of psychiatric symptomatology principally for individuals experiencing high levels of life stress (consistent with a diathesis-stress model) whereas self-reports of attachment-related avoidance and anxiety correlated robustly with psychopathology under conditions of both relatively high and low life stress (consistent with a risk model). Results provide further evidence that social psychological and developmental approaches to the assessment of adult attachment-related variation are associated with domains of adaptation central to Bowlby's account of human development in empirically distinct ways.     

Acute stress responses in salivary alpha-amylase predict increases of plasma norepinephrine

Current biobehavioral research increasingly employs salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) as a surrogate marker for sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity. While different lines of evidence point to the validity of this assumption, the literature is inconsistent with regard to associations of sAA with well-established SNS indicators, such as plasma norepinephrine (NE) or epinephrine (E). Small samples as well as application of different stress paradigms might be responsible. This study therefore set out to examine the relation between stress-induced sAA activity with NE and E by exposing a larger and less constrained sample to an effective stress protocol. Sixty-six healthy participants (mean age 24.30 ± 4.24 yrs), including n = 40 women, n = 26 men, n = 18 oral contraceptive (OC) users, and n = 15 habitual smokers, were recruited and subjected to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Saliva and blood samples were taken at four time points throughout the experiment for later analysis of sAA activity and NE/E concentration, respectively. As expected, sAA, NE, and E showed significant increases in response to the acute stress induction (all p < 0.001). Regression analyses (controlling for age, BMI, sex, smoking and OC) revealed that stress responses in sAA significantly predicted stress responses in NE (r = 0.326; p = 0.025). Interestingly, stress responses in E predicted NE to a lesser extend (β = 0.265; p = 0.064). E responses showed no association with sAA (β = 0.265; p = 0.064). Higher sAA levels were found in habitual smokers (F = 4.27; p = 0.043) and in individuals with lower BMI (F = 2.81; p = 0.099). In conclusion, current data clearly show an association between stress responses of sAA and plasma NE. This relationship is stronger than the association of norepinephrine and epinephrine responses, thus placing the predictive power of sAA well within the expected range for different SNS markers.     

Chronic family stress moderates the association between a TOMM40 variant and triglyceride levels in two independent Caucasian samples

TOMM40 SNP rs157580 has been associated with triglyceride levels in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Chronic caregiving stress moderates the association between triglyceride levels and a nearby SNP rs439401 that is associated with triglyceride levels in GWAS. Here, we report data from two independent Caucasian samples (242 U.S. women and men; 466 Danish men) testing the hypothesis that chronic family stress also moderates the association between rs157580 and triglyceride levels. The interaction of rs157580 and family stress in predicting triglyceride levels was statistically significant in the U.S. sample (p = 0.004) and marginally significant (p = 0.075) in the Danish sample. The G allele of rs157580 was associated with increased triglyceride levels among family stressed cases in both samples compared with A/A cases, but not among controls. Chronic family stress moderates the association of rs157580 variants with triglyceride levels and should be taken into account for disease risk assessment and potential intervention.     

Low forced expiratory volume is associated with blunted cardiac reactions to acute psychological stress in a community sample of middle-aged men and women

It has been argued recently that blunted cardiovascular reactions to acute psychological stress have adverse behavioural and health corollaries that reflect dysregulation of the neural systems that support motivation. We examined the association between cardiovascular reactions to a standard stress task, the paced auditory serial arithmetic rest, and forced expiratory volume in one second, an effort, hence motivation, dependent assessment of lung function measured by spirometry. Low forced expiratory volume, expressed as a ratio to height squared was associated with blunted heart rate, but not blood pressure, stress reactivity, r = .17, p < .001. The association survived adjustment for smoking, a range of anthropometric and sociodemographic covariates, resting heart rate and stress task performance, β = .11, p = .005. As such, our results provide support for the hypothesis that blunted stress reactivity may be a peripheral marker of a dysfunction in the brain systems that support motivated behaviour.     

Context-dependent differences in grooming behavior among the NIH heterogeneous stock and the Roman high- and low-avoidance rats

Grooming occurs during/after stress and seems to accompany dearousal. Here, grooming was investigated under testing situations involving different levels of aversiveness, taking advantage of differences among three rat strains in fearfulness/anxiety. Inbred Roman High Avoidance (RHA-I) rats are less anxious/fearful than inbred Roman Low Avoidance (RLA-I). The outbred genetically heterogeneous stock of rats (NIH-HS), which resembles the RLA-I in many behavioral traits, was also studied. Adult male rats (RLA-I: n = 9, RHA-I: n = 10, NIH-HS: n = 12) were observed for 30 min in: a novel open-field, a novel hole-board and in the home-cage. They were also observed during two-way active avoidance training. Differences in grooming depended on test situation: (a) No differences were found in the home-cage. (b) While tested in a novel environment, RHA-I showed less grooming activity than the other rats. (c) After avoidance responses appeared, differences among the strains were opposite to the observed in novelty tests. Furthermore, results suggest that (i) grooming is mostly suppressed when assured aversive experience is under way; (ii) rostral grooming prevails when experience with aversive stimuli is unpredictable (novelty) or potential (avoidance training); (iii) body grooming increases for a period in novel environments. In general, our results support that grooming takes place during dearousal.     

Investigation of the dopamine D5 receptor gene (DRD5) in adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Several lines of evidence from neuroimaging, pharmacology and genetics support the involvement of the dopaminergic system in the etiology of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Previous candidate gene studies have investigated the association between a dinucleotide (CA)_n repeat polymorphism, located 18.5 kb from the start codon of the DRD5 gene, and ADHD. Association between the 148 bp allele and ADHD has been reported in some studies, however replication of the finding has not been consistent. We tested for an association between the (CA)_n repeat and adult ADHD in a sample comprised of 119 families with adult ADHD probands and 88 unrelated adult ADHD cases with a corresponding number of controls matched for age, ethnicity and sex. In the family sample we found a non-significant trend for association between the 148 bp allele and ADHD (Z = 1.91, p = 0.055). An excess of non-transmissions was detected for the 150 and 152 bp alleles (Z = −2.26, p = 0.023; Z = −2.20, p = 0.028). Quantitative analysis performed using the Brown Attention Deficit Disorder Scale (BADDS) showed association between the 150 bp allele and lower total score (p = 0.011), and lower effort (p = 0.008), activation (p = 0.008) and attention (p = 0.01) cluster scores. We did not replicate association findings in the case–control group, likely due to the lack of statistical power of this sample. Our findings add to the literature suggesting DRD5 (CA)_n repeat has a modest effect in modulating susceptibility to adult ADHD but further studies are required.     

Physical activity counseling intervention at a federally qualified health center: Improves autonomy-supportiveness,but not patients’ perceived competence

Objective

To assess the effect of a pilot intervention to promote clinician–patient communication about physical activity on patient ratings of their perceived competence for physical activity and their clinicians’ autonomy-supportiveness.

Methods

Family medicine clinicians (n = 13) at two urban community health centers were randomized to early or delayed (8 months later) communication training groups. The goal of the training was to teach the 5As (Ask, Advise, Agree, Assist, Arrange) for physical activity counseling. Outcome measures were changes in patient perceptions of autonomy support (modified Health Care Climate Questionnaire, mHCCQ) and perceived competence (Perceived Competence Scale for physical activity, PCS) completed via surveys at baseline, post-intervention and six-month follow-up.

Results

Patients (n = 326) were mostly female (70%) and low income. Using a generalized estimating equations model (GEE) with patients nested within clinician, patient perceived autonomy support increased at post-intervention compared to baseline (mean HCCQ scores 3.68–4.06, p = 0.03). There was no significant change in patient perceived competence for physical activity.

Conclusions

A clinician-directed intervention increased patient perceptions of clinician autonomy support but not patient perceived competence for physical activity.

Practice implications

Clinicians working with underserved populations can be taught to improve their autonomy supportiveness, according to patient assessments of their clinicians.     

Preliminary evidence of association between EFHC2, a gene implicated in fear recognition,and harm avoidance

Genetic variation at the EF-hand domain containing 2 gene (EFHC2) locus has been associated with fear recognition in Turner syndrome. The aim of this study was to examine whether EFHC2 variants are associated with non-syndromic anxiety-related traits [harm avoidance (HA) and behavioral inhibition (BI)] and with panic disorder (PD). Our sample comprised 127 PD patients and 132 controls without psychiatric disorder. We genotyped nine SNPs within the EFHC2 locus and used PLINK to perform association analyses. An intronic SNP (rs1562875) was associated with HA (permuted p = 0.031) accounting alone for over 3% of variance in this trait. This same SNP was nominally, but not empirically, associated with BI (r² = 0.022; nominal p = 0.022) and PD (OR = 2.64; nominal p = 0.009). The same association was found in a subsample of only females. In sum, we observed evidence of association between a variant in EFHC2, a gene previously associated with the processing of fear and social threat, and HA. Larger studies are warranted to confirm this association.     

High perceived stress in relation to life events is associated with blunted cardiac reactivity

The current study examined whether the perception of life stress related to cardiovascular reactivity. Participants (n = 100) completed the Perceived Stress Scale, the Undergraduate Stress Questionnaire, and undertook a standard mental arithmetic stress task. Blood pressure and pulse rate were measured at baseline, during, and following stress task exposure. Reactivity was the difference between stress and baseline cardiovascular activity. A perceived stress difference score (PSDS) was calculated by subtracting the Undergraduate Stress Questionnaire scores from the Perceived Stress Scale scores. Two groups were created: high PSDS (n = 15; PSDS at least 1 SD above the mean) and low PSDS (n = 15; PSDS at least 1 SD below the mean). There was a significant difference between groups in pulse rate reactivity, F(1,28) = 8.73, p = .006, η² = .24. High PSDS scores were associated with significantly lower pulse rate reactions to stress. Those who perceived their lives as more stressful than their actual stress exposures justified would appear to be characterised by blunted cardiac reactivity.     

Autonomic and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal stress resilience: Impact of cardiac vagal tone

Resilience refers to the ability to cope with stressful events. Variation in the activity of the stress-responsive sympatho-adrenal-medullary and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axes is particularly important for adaptive stress responses and thus may give rise to individual differences in resilience. Here, we investigated whether cardiac vagal tone and adult attachment style are related to psychophysiological stress resilience by exposing a sample of healthy young men and women (n = 68) to a laboratory stress test while monitoring autonomic (heart rate, salivary alpha-amylase), hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (salivary cortisol), and psychological stress levels. Our results demonstrate that adult attachment style did not influence autonomic, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal, or psychological stress responses. In contrast, higher resting cardiac vagal tone was associated with stress-induced increases in cortisol. This suggests a role for sympathetic influences on heart rate regulation in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal stress responses, and extends previous observations of a link between vagal tone and stress resilience.     

The diurnal course of salivary alpha-amylase in nurses: An investigation of potential confounders and associations with stress

In psychoneuroendocrinology research, salivary measures have become increasingly important. While several studies focus on determinants of salivary cortisol such as age, gender, and gynaecological variables, less research has focused on confounding variables of salivary alpha-amylase (sAA). In a large sample of nurses (N = 215) we analyzed the impact of age, gender, intake of oral contraceptives, smoking, coffee consumption as well as psychological parameters, such as work stress and burnout, on basal diurnal sAA release. Saliva was collected at 07:00 h, 11:30 h, 17:30 h, and 20:00 h on a working day during early shift. Only gender could be identified to have an impact on sAA, with females having a more pronounced sAA increase over the course of the day. Whereas depression, anxiety, work stress and burnout were not associated with sAA, a small negative correlation between social difficulties, measured with the Chronic Stress Screening Scale, and sAA could be identified.     

Evidence of association between Val66Met polymorphism at BDNF gene and anxiety disorders in a community sample of children and adolescents

Different lines of evidence support BDNF as a candidate gene in mood and anxiety modulation. More recently, the Met allele of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism has been implicated in anxiety in animal models and anxiety-traits in humans. The aim of this study is to evaluate the a priori hypothesis that the association between anxiety disorders and Val66Met polymorphism at the BDNF gene would be replicated in a community sample of children and adolescents. 240 subjects from a total sample of 2457 children and adolescents aged 10-17 years from the public schools in the catchment area of the primary care unit of a university hospital participated in this case-control study and were assessed for psychopathology using the K-SADS-PL. A sample of saliva was collected for DNA analysis of Val66Met polymorphism. BDNF was the single gene evaluated in this sample. We found a significant association between carrying one copy of the Met allele and higher chance of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. The association remained positive even after the adjustment for potential confounders (228 subjects; OR = 3.53 (CI95% 1.77-7.06; p < 0.001)). Our results support the a priori hypothesis of an association between anxiety and the polymorphism Val66Met. To our knowledge, this is the first study documenting a potential role of this polymorphism in a community sample of anxious children and adolescents.     

Can overeating induce conditioned taste avoidance in previously food restricted rats?

While feeding is rewarding, the feeling of satiation has been theorized to have a mixed affect. Using a food restriction model of overeating we examined whether bingeing was capable of supporting conditioned taste avoidance (CTA). Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were maintained on either an ad lib (n = 8) or restricted (50% of regular consumption; n = 24) food access for 20 days. On Days 9, 14, and 19 all rats were given access to a novel saccharin solution in place of water, and two groups of food restricted rats were given access to either 100% of regular food consumption or ad lib food. Ad lib access in the restricted rats induced significant overeating on all three exposures. After all rats were returned to ad lib feeding, a 24 h two-bottle saccharin/water choice test displayed significantly reduced saccharin consumption in the overeating rats, compared to those in the other 3 groups. To determine whether this avoidance was due to a learned association, a second experiment used a latent inhibition paradigm, familiarizing half the rats with the saccharin for 8 days prior to pairing it with overeating. Using the design of Experiment 1, with only the continuously ad lib and the restricted to ad lib feeding groups, it was found that the overeating-induced saccharin avoidance was attenuated by the pre-exposure. These results suggest that self-induced overeating is capable of supporting a learned avoidance of a novel solution suggestive of a conditioned satiety or taste avoidance.     

Mastery and perceived autonomy support are correlates of Dutch diabetes patients’ self-management and quality of life

Objective

The aim of this study was to assess the associations between type 2 diabetes patients’ mastery and perceived autonomy support and their self-management skills and health-related quality of life (HRQOL).

Methods

A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among 3352 patients with type 2 diabetes. Key variables were assessed with validated questionnaires.

Results

Patients’ mastery and perceived autonomy support correlated positively with their self-management skills (r = 0.34, p < 0.001; r = 0.37, p < 0.001) and HRQOL (r = 0.37, p < 0.001; r = 0.15, p < 0.001). In the linear regression analysis, mastery and perceived autonomy support were positive correlates of self-management (β = 0.23; p < 0.001; β = 0.25; p < 0.001). Patients with more physical or psychological complications had significantly lower scores on mastery, perceived autonomy support, self-management and HRQOL.

Conclusion

Our results indicate the importance of mastery in relation to diabetes patients’ perceived autonomy support, self-management skills and HRQOL.

Practice implications

Since a greater sense of mastery is likely to increase patients’ autonomous motivation to cope with their disease, interventions can aim to influence patients’ motivational regulation. In addition, we confirmed the need for autonomy support to improve patients’ self-management skills. Professionals can be trained to be autonomy-supportive, which relates to person-centered approaches such as motivational interviewing (MI).     

Alcohol dependence, disinhibited behavior and variation in the prodynorphin gene

The results of the current analyses present preliminary evidence of an association between putatively functional variation in the prodynorphin (PDYN) gene and a dimensional measure of disinhibited behavior. A 68 bp sequence in the core promoter region of the PDYN gene was genotyped in a community sample of 1021 adults aged 30-54. Participants were interviewed for lifetime history of DSM-IV alcohol dependence and completed two self-report measures of sensation seeking and impulsiveness. Fifteen percent (n = 151) of the sample met DSM-IV criteria for alcohol dependence and while results did not support an association between the PDYN polymorphism and the diagnosis of alcohol dependence, we did observe an association between the “low” expressing L allele of the PDYN gene and a preference for engaging in disinhibited behavior. Additionally, people who had both a history of alcohol dependence and higher scores on this Disinhibited Behavior scale were most likely to carry an L allele. These results indicate that variation in the PDYN gene is associated with a dimensional trait or intermediate phenotype that reflects a preference for heavy drinking and engaging in related risky behaviors (e.g., drug use, sexual activity).     

Individual differences in adult attachment are systematically related to dream narratives

Self-reported individual differences in attachment insecurities (anxiety and avoidance) are sometimes assumed to tap only conscious mental processes, although many studies have found correlations between such measures and responses to the Thematic Apperception Test, the Rorschach Inkblot Test, and diverse laboratory measures of unconscious mental processes. Dreams offer another route into the unconscious, as Freud famously claimed: a route found useful in psychotherapy. In this study, approximately 1000 dreams reported by 68 young adults who kept dream diaries for a month were analyzed using the Core Conflictual Relationships Theme method, and the themes were examined in relation to (a) scores on the Experiences in Close Relationships measure of attachment anxiety and avoidance and (b) stress experienced the day before each dream. In line with attachment theory and previous research, attachment-related avoidance predicted avoidant wishes and negative representations of other people in dreams. Attachment anxiety predicted wishes for interpersonal closeness, especially in dreams following stressful days, and negative representations of self and both positive and negative representations of others, with negative representations being more common in dreams following stressful days.     

Psychological factors and subclinical atherosclerosis in postmenopausal Chinese women in Hong Kong

Background

Substantial evidence shows that psychological factors are associated with cardiovascular diseases. However, data on the association between psychological factors and subclinical atherosclerosis is lacking in postmenopausal Chinese women.

Objectives

To examine the associations of perceived stress and trait anxiety with subclinical atherosclerosis in postmenopausal Chinese women in Hong Kong. Their relationships with biological and behavioral risk factors were also examined.

Methods

Between 2002 and 2004, we recruited 518 postmenopausal women aged 50–64 years. Perceived stress and trait anxiety were evaluated by the perceived stress scale and the state-trait anxiety inventory, respectively. Subclinical atherosclerosis was determined by measuring carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and plaque using B-mode ultrasonography.

Results

Perceived stress and trait anxiety showed no significant association with IMT or plaque. Multivariate analyses showed high perceived stress scores were associated with an increased risk of elevated total cholesterol (OR = 2.10; 95% CI = 1.17–3.77) and elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (OR = 2.39; 95% CI = 1.36–4.21). High trait anxiety scores were associated with a 2.7-fold risk of elevated LDL-C (OR = 2.74; 95% CI = 1.56–4.80). Women with high perceived stress or trait anxiety scores were more likely to be physically inactive.

Conclusions

Perceived stress and trait anxiety were associated with atherogenic lipid levels, but not subclinical atherosclerosis. Maintaining high physical activity may help alleviate psychological stress and anxiety.