The association between early regulatory problems and adult peer relationship quality is mediated by the brain's allostatic‐interoceptive system

• Published in: Journal of child psychology and psychiatry 2025-01, Vol.66 (1), p.75-84
• Main Authors: Zorjan, Saša, Wolke, Dieter, Baumann, Nicole, Sorg, Christian, Mulej Bratec, Satja
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Adults; Allostasis - physiology; allostatic interoceptive system; Bavarian Longitudinal Study; Brain; Brain - diagnostic imaging; Brain - physiology; Brain - physiopathology; Case-Control Studies; Child, Preschool; Clinical assessment; Connectome; Cortex; Crying; Default Mode Network - diagnostic imaging; Default Mode Network - physiology; Default Mode Network - physiopathology; feeding; Female; Functional connectivity; Functional magnetic resonance imaging; Humans; Infancy; Infant; insula; Interoception - physiology; Interpersonal Relations; Life course; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Nontraditional Education; Original; Peer Group; Peer Relationship; Peer relationships; Personality traits; Prospective Studies; Quality; Regulatory problems; sleeping; Social anxiety; Social Interaction; Social processes; Withdrawal (Psychology); Young Adult
• ISSN: 0021-9630; 1469-7610; 1469-7610
• DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.14033

Background Early regulatory problems (RPs), i.e., problems with crying, sleeping, and/or feeding during the first years, increase the risk for avoidant personality traits in adulthood, associated with social withdrawal and anxiety. Even more, RPs are linked with functional alterations in the adult default mode and salience networks, comprising the brain's allostatic‐interoceptive system (AIS) and playing a role in social interactions. We investigated whether RPs assessed in infancy are associated with difficulties in adult peer relationships mediated by functional alterations of the AIS. Methods As part of a large case‐controlled prospective study, 42 adults with previous RPs and 70 matched controls (mean age = 28.48, SD = 2.65, 51% male) underwent fMRI during rest. The analysis focused on the intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) of key nodes of the AIS. Peer relationship quality was assessed via a semi‐structured Life Course Interview and the YASR scale. In these same individuals, RPs were assessed at ages 5, 20 and 56 months. Results RPs in infancy were associated with lower‐quality peer relationships and enhanced functional connectivity of the AIS nodes in adulthood, with a stronger effect for multiple and persistent RPs compared with transient‐multiple or single‐persistent RPs. Importantly, iFC changes of the dorsal mid insula, a primary interoceptive cortex with frontal and temporal regions, mediated the relationship between early RPs and adult peer relationship quality. Conclusions Results indicate long‐lasting social and neural changes associated with early RPs. Our findings further implicate the AIS in both interoceptive and social processes, while indicating the need for early screening of early RPs.