Variation in the mu-opioid receptor gene (OPRM1) moderates the influence of maternal sensitivity on child attachment.

ABSTRACT: The endogenous opioid system is thought to play an important role in mother-infant attachment. In infant rhesus macaques, variation in the μ-opioid receptor gene (OPRM1) is related to differences in attachment behavior that emerges following repeated separation from the mother; specifically, infants carrying at least one copy of the minor G allele of the OPRM1 C77G polymorphism show heightened and more persistent separation distress, as well as a pattern of increased contact-seeking behavior directed towards the mother during reunions (at the expense of affiliation with other group members). Research in adult humans has also linked the minor G allele of the analogous OPRM1 A118G polymorphism with greater interpersonal sensitivity. Adopting an interactionist approach, we examined whether OP

SUBMITTER: Tchalova K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10997775 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature