Data Sheet 1_Attachment style and its impact on connection to God in individuals with brain injury: behavioral and lesion-based findings.pdf

Attachment style shapes one's connections with important figures in their life. One such unique relationship is the connection to God (CTG), which may be shaped by attachment style. Stronger CTG has been associated with secure attachment, yet the neural mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear. While previous research has implicated the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in CTG, findings have been mixed and may depend on attachment style—an idea that has yet to be directly tested. This study aimed to (1) examine whether individuals with a secure attachment style report higher levels of CTG compared to those with a non-secure attachment style, and (2) identify the brain regions associated with CTG in individuals with secure vs. non-secure attachment. We assessed attachment style and CTG in a sample of male combat veterans (N = 150), the majority of whom had focal traumatic brain injuries (pTBI; N = 119). Brain imaging (CT scans) was also obtained. Behaviorally, after controlling for age, years of education, and brain volume loss, individuals with a secure attachment style reported stronger CTG. Voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping revealed that damage to the right orbitofrontal cortex was associated with stronger CTG in individuals with secure—but not insecure—attachment. These findings suggest that attachment style shapes CTG at both behavioral and neural levels. Moreover, they highlight the potential role of attachment style in TBI recovery, offering insights that could inform spiritually integrated therapeutic interventions and support strategies.

依恋风格（attachment style）会塑造个体与生命中重要他人的联结模式。其中一类独特的联结便是与上帝的联结（connection to God，简称CTG），这类联结可能会受到依恋风格的影响。更强的CTG与安全型依恋相关联，但二者关联背后的神经机制仍未明确。尽管既往研究已将前额叶皮层（prefrontal cortex，PFC）与CTG相关联，但相关研究结果并不一致，且可能依赖于个体的依恋风格——这一假说尚未得到直接验证。本研究旨在达成两个目标：其一，探究安全型依恋个体的CTG水平是否显著高于非安全型依恋个体；其二，明确在安全型与非安全型依恋群体中，与CTG相关的脑区。本研究对150名男性参战退伍老兵进行了依恋风格与CTG水平的评估，其中多数受试者患有局灶性创伤性脑损伤（focal traumatic brain injuries，pTBI；N=119），同时收集了其脑部影像学（CT扫描，CT scans）数据。行为学层面，在控制年龄、受教育年限与脑体积丢失量等混杂因素后，安全型依恋个体报告的CTG水平更强。基于体素的病变症状映射分析显示，在安全型依恋个体中，右侧眶额皮层损伤与更强的CTG水平相关，但在非安全型依恋个体中未发现此类关联。上述研究结果表明，依恋风格会从行为与神经两个层面塑造个体的CTG联结。此外，本研究还凸显了依恋风格在创伤性脑损伤（traumatic brain injury，TBI）康复中的潜在作用，可为整合灵性维度的治疗干预与支持策略提供理论借鉴。