Delia
Lenzi1,2, Cristina Trentini3, Patrizia Pantano1,
Emiliano Macaluso2, Gian Luigi Lenzi1,4, Massimo
Ammaniti
1Dipartimento
di Scienze Neurologiche, Universit di
Roma "Sapienza", Roma, Italy; 2Neuroimaging Laboratory,
Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy; 3Department of Dynamic and
Clinical Psychology, Universit di
Roma "Sapienza", Roma, Italy; 4Centro per lo Studio
delle Funzioni Mentali dell’Uomo, Universit di Roma "Sapienza", Rome, Italy
Within
the Attachment theory , Securely attached people tend to have positive views
of themselves and their relationships. They feel comfortable with intimacy
and independence, balancing the two in their relationships.
Dismissive-avoidant adults tend to suppress and hide their feelings, dealing
with rejection by distancing themselves from partners. Using fMRI we show that Dismissive subjects
during the observation of stimuli activating attachment and maternal feelings
have a overall greater reaction when compared to Secure subjects, i.e.
greatly activate areas related to empathy and emotions (mirror neuron and
limbic system) and inhibit areas related to maternal behaviour (anterior
cingulated cortex).