Preschool Children Without 7-repeat DRD4 Gene More Likely to Develop Disorganized Attachment Style
Vol. 10 No. 1 (2015), Research Articles
Vol. 10 No. 1 (2015)

Preschool Children Without 7-repeat DRD4 Gene More Likely to Develop Disorganized Attachment Style

Research Articles
https://doi.org/10.26443/msurj.v10i1.120
Published 2015-03-31
Justin Graffi
McGill University, Montreal; Centre for Child Development and Mental Health, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal
Ellen Moss
University de Quebec à Montréal, Montreal
Alexis Jolicoeur-Martineau
McGill University, Montreal
Gal Moss
Hebrew University, Jerusalem
Vanessa Lecompte
University de Quebec à Montréal, Montreal
Katherine Pascuzzo
McGill University, Montreal
Vanessa Babineau
McGill University, Montreal
Cathryn Gordon-Green
McGill University, Montreal
Viara Mileva-Seitz
Leidon University, Netherlands
Klaus Minde
McGill University, Montreal
Roberto Sassi
St-Joseph’s Healthcare, Hamilton
Normand Carrey
Dalhousie University, Halifax
James Kennedy
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto
Helene Gaudreau
Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health and, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal
Robert Levitan
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto
Michael Meaney
McGill University, Montreal; Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health and, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal
Ashley Wazana
McGill University, Montreal; Centre for Child Development and Mental Health, Jewish General Hospital
The Raman spectra of CdS (courtesy of Riddle et al., pg. 11)
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Keywords

Disorganized attachment
DRD4
Low birthweight
Endophenotype

How to Cite

Graffi, J., Moss, E., Jolicoeur-Martineau, A., Moss, G., Lecompte, V., Pascuzzo, K., Babineau, V., Gordon-Green, C., Mileva-Seitz, V., Minde, K., Sassi, R. ., Carrey, N., Kennedy, J., Gaudreau, H., Levitan, R. ., Meaney, M., & Wazana, A. (2015). Preschool Children Without 7-repeat DRD4 Gene More Likely to Develop Disorganized Attachment Style. McGill Science Undergraduate Research Journal, 10(1), 31–36. https://doi.org/10.26443/msurj.v10i1.120
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Abstract

Background: A disorganized attachment style is characterized by fearful and disoriented behaviours when a child is separated from their caregiver. Its presence is an early predictor of the later development of psychopathology, including depression. This study seeks to determine the effects of one environmental factor - the incidence of low birth weight - and one genetic factor - the presence of the long (7-repeat) polymorphism of the dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4) gene - on the development of disorganized attachment between the child and the mother.

Methods: We sampled 251 mother-child dyads from the Maternal Adversity, Vulnerability and Neurodevelopment (MAVAN) project. We measured birth weight and DRD4 genotype, and assessed attachment style using modified separation-reunion procedure.

Results: Birth weight did not have a significant effect on disorganized attachment (b=-0.001, t(230)=0.006, p=0.910). Presence of DRD4 7-repeat polymorphism had a significant negative effect on presence of disorganized attachment style (b=-1.196, t(230)=0.411, p=0.004).

Conclusion: Children without the DRD4 7-repeat allele were more likely to display a disorganized attachment style compared to children with the DRD4 7-repeat allele. This indicates that the 7-repeat allele of the DRD4 gene may serve as a protective factor against disorganized attachment.

https://doi.org/10.26443/msurj.v10i1.120
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