Biological basis of attachment

• The maternal brain

  • Dopamine = Reinforcement stimulusreward learning, decisionmaking based on future predicted reward
  • Oxytocin = Formation of social and spatial memories, affiliative behavior and emotion regulation
• The neural basis of attachment

  
• The neural basis of attachment

  
• The neural basis of attachment

  
• The neural basis of attachment

  A = Type B mothers show greater peripheral oxytocin response during infant interaction

  B = Type B mothers show greater activation of the hypothalamus/pituitary region in response O>U (all affect groups combined)

  C = Peripheral oxytocin response correlates with activation of hypothalamus/pituitary region in response to ‘own neutral’ faces

  
• Neuroscience of attachment