017-23 – Does Early Life Adversity Predict Reduced Social Regulation of the Neural Threat Response in Adulthood?

Introduction: Positive social relationships predict better health and well-being, although the mechanisms underlying these benefits are not fully understood. Notably, the physical presence of a social support figure reliably regulates neural responses to threats. However, individual differences in sensitivity to the threat-regulating benefits of social support have received limited attention. Attachment-specific internal working models (IWM) may explain variations in threat sensitivity, with hypervigilance to threat in adults potentially reflecting IWMs developed from inadequate care in infancy. Aim: To test if a history of unreliable or disrupted caregiving predicts reduced social regulation of the neural threat response.
Methods: A cross-sectional sample of 80 adults (18-40) will be recruited for a laboratory study. Participants will view 24 visual cues indicating either threat (25% chance of electric shock, 20 ms at 4 mA) or safety (no chance of shock). During the task, participants will hold the hand with a social support figure (block 1) or be alone (block 2). fNIRS will be used to quantify the neural threat response. Relative haemoglobin concentration changes in medial and lateral prefrontal regions will be the primary measure, comparing hand holding vs alone conditions, as social support consistently regulates threat neural activity in these areas. Participants will also complete the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (Bernstein et al., 1998), the Relationship Structures Attachment Questionnaire (Fraley et al., 2011) and the Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale (Zimet et al., 1988).
Statistical analysis: A within-subject ANOVA will test if social support reduces threat neural responses. Multiple linear regression will assess if childhood trauma predicts reduced social regulation of the neural threat response and if attachment style may partially mediate the relationship between childhood trauma and social regulation of the neural threat response.