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PubMed1998

Role of integrins in the attachment of metastatic follicular thyroid carcinoma cell lines to bone.

One of the principle targets for metastasis of follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) is the skeleton. Because no data are available on the role of the integrin adhesion molecule family in the attachment of FTC to bone, we studied the attachment characteristics of three FTC cell lines to bone and the role of integrins. Three cell lines were used from the same patient, one (FTC-133) from the primary tumor and two (FTC-236 and FTC-238) from metastases. Attachment of FTC cell lines to bone was assessed on conditioned medium of an osteoblastic cell line, coated onto plastic, as an in vitro model of bone matrix. The synthetic RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp) peptide GRGDS impaired attachment of the FTC cell lines to bone matrix, demonstrating the role of integrins in the attachment of FTC to bone. Attachment of FTC-133 to bone matrix was blocked completely by GRGDS, whereas attachment of FTC-236 and FTC-238 could not be impaired completely. Semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of cDNA from the cell lines indicated stronger expression of alpha5 integrin mRNA in FTC-133 than in the other cell lines. In line with this, attachment of FTC-133 to bone matrix could be inhibited almost completely by anti alpha5 and beta1 integrin antibodies, indicating the importance of the fibronectin receptor in the attachment of FTC-133 to bone. Binding of FTC-236 and FTC-238 to bone matrix could not be inhibited completely by anti-integrin antibodies, suggesting an additional role of nonintegrin adhesion molecules in the attachment of FTC-236 and FTC-238 to bone. The synthetic bone sialoprotein cyclic peptide, CNB, revealed antiadhesive effects in the binding of FTC to bone. In conclusion, integrins play an important role in the attachment of metastatic FTC to bone. Differences in the functional involvement of integrins in the attachment to bone are observed between the three cell lines studied. From the present results, antiadhesive interventions with synthetic RGD peptides in FTC may be designed.

Adenocarcinoma, Follicular↗

PubMed1995

Determining the duration of Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) attachment to tick-bite victims.

The duration of tick attachment is one factor associated with risk for human infection caused by several tick-borne pathogens. We measured tick engorgement indices at known time intervals after tick attachment and used these indices to determine the length of time that ticks were attached to tick-bite victims in selected Rhode Island and Pennsylvania communities where the agents of Lyme disease and human babesiosis occur. The total body length and width as well as the length and width of the scutum were measured on nymphal and adult female Ixodes scapularis Say removed from laboratory animals at 0, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, and 72 h after their attachment. Three engorgement indices were calculated at each time interval. In addition, engorgement indices measurements were recorded for 504 ticks submitted to a commercial laboratory for pathogen detection testing between 1990 and 1992. No detectable change was observed in the average engorgement indices for either nymphal or adult ticks between 0 and 24 h of attachment using any of the engorgement indices. After 24 h of tick attachment, all engorgement indices continuously increased: average indices for nymphs attached 36, 48, and 60 h were significantly different from those attached < or = 24 h and from each other. Similarly, average engorgement indices for adult ticks attached < or = 36 h were significantly different from those attached for 48 h or more. More than 60% of tick-bite victims removed adult ticks by 36 h of attachment, but only 10% found and removed the smaller nymphal ticks within the first 24 h of tick feeding. The duration of tick attachment may serve as a useful predictor of risk for acquiring various infections, such as Lyme disease and babesiosis, transmitted by I. scapularis. Regression equations developed herein correlate tick engorgement indices with duration of feeding. A table containing specific engorgement index prediction intervals calculated for both nymphs and adults will allow the practitioner or clinical laboratory to use easily measured tick engorgement indices to predict transmission risk by determining the duration of feeding by individual ticks.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Phenotypic variation of Pseudomonas putida and P. tolaasii affects attachment to Agaricus bisporus mycelium.

The effect of phenotypic variation on attachment of Pseudomonas tolaasii and P. putida to Agaricus bisporus mycelium was investigated. Quantitative studies demonstrated the ability of each isolate to attach rapidly and firmly to A. bisporus mycelium and significant differences in attachment of wild-type and phenotypic variant strains were observed. This was most pronounced in P. tolaasii, where the percentage attachment of the wild-type form was always greater than that of the phenotypic variant. The medium upon which the bacteria were cultured, prior to conducting an attachment assay, had a significant effect on their ability to attach. Attachment of the wild-type form of P. putida was enhanced when the assay was performed in the presence of CaCl2, suggesting the involvement of electrostatic forces. No correlation was observed between bacterial hydrophobicity and ability to attach to A. bisporus mycelium. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed the results obtained from the quantitative studies and provided further evidence for marked differences in the ability of the pseudomonads to attach to mycelium. Fibrillar structures and amorphous material were frequently associated with attached cells and appeared to anchor bacteria to each other and to the hyphal surface. A time-course study of attachment using transmission electron microscopy revealed the presence of uneven fibrillar material on the surface of cells. This material stained positive for polysaccharide and may be involved in ensuring rapid, firm attachment of the cells.

Agaricus↗

PubMed2006

Psychological correlates of prenatal attachment in women who conceived after in vitro fertilization and women who conceived naturally.

BACKGROUND: Investigators have pointed out that long-awaited pregnancies, such as those after in vitro fertilization (IVF), are emotionally vulnerable. In addition, higher pregnancy-related distress has been found among women pregnant after in vitro fertilization compared with women with "naturally" achieved pregnancy. The aim of this study was to compare prenatal attachment among IVF mothers and control mothers (women who conceived naturally), and to study relationships between prenatal attachment and psychosocial variables. METHODS: Fifty-six IVF women from IVF clinics and 41 control women from antenatal clinics in Stockholm were assessed in gestational weeks 26 and 36. They completed self-rating scales measuring prenatal attachment, personality, marital relationship, anxiety, and depression. RESULTS: Prenatal attachment increased as the pregnancy progressed in both groups. Prenatal attachment rated in gestational week 26 was significantly associated with that in gestational week 36. Multiple regression analyses showed that, in gestational week 26, prenatal attachment was explained by satisfaction with the partner relationship, whereas in gestational week 36 the factors contributing to high prenatal attachment were low scores of the personality trait detachment, low ambivalence, and younger age. Method of conception was unrelated to prenatal attachment at either assessment time point. CONCLUSIONS: In vitro fertilization mothers are attached to their unborn children to the same extent as other mothers. Prenatal attachment increases during pregnancy. At the same time, however, individual scores on prenatal attachment seem to be relatively stable. Significant contributors to prenatal attachment are marital satisfaction, age, ambivalence, and detachment.

Adult↗

PubMed1984

Specific phases of root hair attachment in the Rhizobium trifolii-clover symbiosis.

The time course and orientation of attachment of Rhizobium trifolii 0403 to white clover root hairs was examined in slide cultures by light and electron microscopy. Inocula were grown for 5 days on defined BIII agar medium and represented the large subpopulation of fully encapsulated single cells which uniformly bind the clover lectin trifoliin A. When 10(7) cells or more were added per seedling, bacteria attached within minutes, forming randomly oriented clumps at the root hair tips. Several hours later, single cells attached polarly to the sides of the root hair. This sequence of attachment to clover root hairs was selective for R. trifolii at inoculum sizes of 10(7) to 4 X 10(8) per seedling, specifically inhibited if 2-deoxy-D-glucose, a hapten for trifoliin A, was present in the inoculum, and not observed when 4 X 10(8) cells were added to alfalfa seedling roots or to large clover root cell wall fragments which lacked trifoliin A but still had trifoliin A receptors. Once attached, R. trifolii 0403 became progressively less detachable with 2-deoxy-D-glucose. At smaller inoculum sizes (10(5) to 10(6) cells per seedling), there was no immediate clumping of R. trifolii at clover root hair tips, although polar binding of bacteria along the root hair surface was observed after 4 h. The interface between polarly attached bacteria and the root hair cell wall was shown to contain trifoliin A by immunofluorescence microscopy. Also, this interface was shown by transmission electron microscopy to contain electron-dense granules of host origin. Scanning electron microscopy revealed an accumulation of extracellular microfibrils associated with the lateral and polar surfaces of the attached bacteria, detectable after 12 h of incubation with seedling roots. At this same time, there was a significant reduction in the effectiveness of 2-deoxy-D-glucose in dislodging bacteria already attached to root hairs and an increase in firm attachment of bacteria to the root hair surface, which withstood the hydrodynamic shear forces of high-speed vortexing. These results are interpreted as a sequence of phases in attachment, beginning with specific reversible interactions between bacterial and plant surfaces (phase I attachment), followed by production of extracellular microfibrils which firmly anchor the bacterium to the root hair (phase 2 adhesion). Thus, attachment of R. trifolii to clover root hairs is a specific process requiring more than just the inherent adhesiveness of the bacteria to the plant cell wall.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Microscopy, Phase-Contrast↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Factors affecting the region of most isometric femoral attachments. Part II: The anterior cruciate ligament.

During flexion of the intact knee, we measured the changes in distance between possible tibial and femoral attachments of an intraarticular ACL substitute. The change in distance during motion was described by the difference between the longest and shortest distances measured. Using knees from eight cadaver donors, we studied the effects of varying tibial and femoral attachment locations, applying anterior and posterior forces, and altering the range of flexion. We found that altering the femoral attachment had a much larger effect than had altering the tibial attachment. No femoral attachments were completely isometric. Femoral attachments that produced the smallest change in tibiofemoral distance, 2 mm and less, formed a band whose greatest width ranged from 3 to 5 mm. The axis of the 2 mm region was nearly proximal-distal in orientation and located near the center of the ACL's femoral insertion. Attachments located anterior to the axis moved away from the tibial attachment with flexion, whereas attachments located posterior to the axis moved toward the tibia. The AP position of the tibial attachment affected the orientation of the 2 mm region. Moving the tibial attachment posteriorly caused the proximal part of the region to move anterior, with little change in the location of the distal part of the region. Changing the applied joint force from anterior to posterior was similar to moving the tibial attachment posteriorly, but the effect was less pronounced. Increasing the range of flexion from 90 degrees to 120 degrees caused the 2 mm region to become narrower and changed its orientation.

Adult↗

PubMed1986

Mycoplasma pneumoniae attachment to glutaraldehyde-treated human WiDr cell cultures.

Attachment of Mycoplasma pneumoniae to host cells initiates disease, and the attachment components may represent important protective immunogens for preventing disease. We have studied the mechanisms of attachment using in vitro cell culture systems and selected pathogenic and nonpathogenic strains of M. pneumoniae. Attachment of the pathogenic strains M129 and PI-1428 was several fold greater than attachment of the nonpathogenic strain, and attachment of strains M129 and PI-1428 was reduced by 21 to 63% when human WiDr cell monolayers were exposed to neuraminidase, supporting the concept that M. pneumoniae attaches to mammalian cells by a neuraminidase-sensitive glycoconjugate. While attachment of the two pathogenic strains was markedly reduced by treating the WiDr cells with glutaraldehyde, glutaraldehyde treatment produced minimal effects on the attachment of the nonpathogenic strain B176. Glutaraldehyde treatment also altered the temperature dependence of attachment by the pathogenic strains. Because glutaraldehyde-treated WiDr cell monolayers showed little difference in attachment between pathogenic and nonpathogenic strains, glutaraldehyde-treated cells are not appropriate cell substrates for studying M. pneumoniae attachment mechanisms or identifying immunogens for vaccine development.

Aldehydes↗

PubMed1998

Influence of environmental stress on the kinetics and strength of attachment of Listeria monocytogenes Scott A to Buna-N rubber and stainless steel.

Attachment and detachment of Listeria monocytogenes Scott A to Buna-N rubber and stainless steel under varying conditions of temperature and pH were investigated using model systems. Numbers of attached cells increased with increasing attachment temperature (10 to 45 degrees C) and time (up to 120 min) for both test surfaces. Compared to Buna-N rubber, the rate of attachment to stainless steel was markedly more rapid for all temperature and pH conditions studied and could not be calculated. Rate of attachment to Buna-N rubber was found to be significantly lower when cells were attached at 10 degrees C. Growth temperature did not significantly affect rates of adhesion to Buna-N rubber. Altering the medium pH during attachment between 4 and 9 demonstrated that rates of adhesion were slower under alkaline conditions. Growth pH was also found to significantly affect rates of attachment to Buna-N rubber. Detachment of cells adhered to Buna-N rubber was significantly affected by growth temperature but not growth pH. Significant differences in detachment were also found between Buna-N rubber and stainless steel, inferring stronger attachment to Buna-N rubber. Cell surface hydrophobicity was found to be affected by both growth temperature and growth pH. However, changes in hydrophobicity could not be correlated to differences in rates of attachment. Addition of 0.01% trypsin to the attachment medium during cell exposure to either test surface resulted in a 99.9% reduction in the adhered cell population when compared to controls. This would suggest that proteins play a role in the initial attachment process of L. monocytogenes.

Bacterial Adhesion↗

PubMed1999

Quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) analysis of surfactants influencing attachment of a Mycobacterium sp. to cellulose acetate and aromatic polyamide reverse osmosis membranes.

A series of 23 neutral, anionic, and zwitterionic surfactants were tested at a concentration of 0.1% wt/vol for their influence on attachment of a Mycobacterium sp. to cellulose acetate (CA) and polyamide (PA) reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. Four cell attachment bioassays were used: (1) semiconcurrent addition of surfactant and bacteria to RO coupons (standard assay); (2) surfactant pretreatment of RO membranes (membrane pretreatment assay); (3) surfactant treatment of adsorbed cells (detachment assay); and (4) surfactant pretreatment of mycobacteria (cell pretreatment assay). Seventeen surfactants inhibited attachment to PA membranes, whereas 15 inhibited attachment to CA in standard assays and, in 13 cases, the same surfactant inhibited attachment to both PA and CA. Despite greater cell attachment to PA than CA, surfactants were typically more effective in the former membrane system. More surfactants were effective in impairing cell attachment than in promoting detachment and a number enhanced attachment in membrane pretreatment assays, suggesting surface modification of RO membranes. Cell pretreatment inhibited attachment to CA membranes, suggesting the bacterial surface was also a target for detergent activity. Multivariate regression and cluster analyses indicated that critical micellar concentration (CMC) was positively correlated with Mycobacterium attachment in CA and PA standard assays. Surfactant dipole moment and octanol/water partitioning (LogP) also contributed to detergent activity in the PA system, whereas dipole moment, molecular topology (i.e., connectivity indices), and charge properties influenced activity in the CA system. Influential variables in membrane pretreatment assays included the LogP, topology indices, and charge properties, whereas CMC played a diminished role. Surfactant dipole moment was most influential in CA membrane detachment assays. Increasing system ionic strength by LiBr addition strengthened inhibition of cell attachment to CA membranes by dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid (DBSA) and promoted DBSA adsorption to CA surfaces as indicated by attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry. Results indicate that inhibition of bacterial attachment to RO membranes may be maximized by manipulating surfactant molecular structure to optimize surface adsorption behavior.

Bacterial Adhesion↗

PubMed1991

Cellular attachment to thrombospondin. Cooperative interactions between receptor systems.

Tumor cell attachment to thrombospondin (TSP) in the extracellular matrix may be of critical importance in the processes of invasion and hematogenous dissemination. To determine the specific receptor systems that mediate the interaction of tumor cells with insoluble TSP, the attachment of HT1080 fibrosarcoma and C32 and G361 melanoma cells to TSP-coated discs was studied in the presence of heparin, Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser, or antibodies to glycoprotein (GP) IV (CD36, GPIIIb), a TSP receptor. HT1080 and C32 cell attachment to TSP was inhibited by the combination of heparin and a monoclonal (or polyclonal) antibody to GPIV but not by either alone. Heparin alone inhibited cell spreading. Neither control monoclonal antibodies nor the cell attachment peptide Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser inhibited tumor cell attachment to TSP, alone or in the presence of heparin. HT1080 cells attached equally as well to a 140-kDa proteolytic TSP fragment lacking the heparin-binding domain as to intact TSP. A monoclonal antibody to GPIV alone inhibited tumor cell attachment to the heparin-domainless 140-kDa TSP fragment. No attachment to the heparin-binding fragment was observed, but the addition of the heparin fragment to 140-kDa heparin-domainless TSP restored the heparin sensitivity of binding. G361 cells that lack GPIV attached well to TSP but were not inhibited by heparin or anti-GPIV alone or in combination. The combination of heparin and Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser inhibited G361 attachment to TSP. These studies suggest that tumor cells may utilize separate receptor systems in a cooperative manner to adhere to TSP. HT1080 fibrosarcoma and C32 melanoma cells utilize GPIV in concert with a heparin-modulated binding systems to attach and spread on TSP. G361 cells, which lack GPIV expression, attach and spread on TSP using an integrin system as well as a heparin-modulated system.

Antigens, Differentiation↗

PubMed2002

Stability of attachment representations during adolescence: the influence of ego-identity status.

The purpose of this study was to examine two core assumptions of attachment theory. First, internal working models of attachment should increase in stability during the course of development. Second, attachment is related to the adaptive solution of stage-salient issues, in adolescence, specifically to identity formation. Adolescence as a developmental period of change and reorganization might lead to changes in attachment representations by re-evaluating one's life experiences in the course of general identity development. In a longitudinal study, the stability of attachment representations (assessed by the Adult Attachment Interview) between ages 16 and 18 was examined. In addition, the concurrent and longitudinal associations of identity status at age 16 with attachment representations at ages 16 and 18 were tested. Results showed high stability of attachment representation during that age period. Secure attachment representation was positively associated with the identity status achievement, whereas a dismissing status was positively associated with identity diffusion. Longitudinally, identity diffusion at age 16 predicted attachment representation at age 18 even after controlling for earlier attachment representation.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Why does attachment style change?

Adult attachment research has proceeded on the assumption that attachment style is relatively stable and affects future functioning. However, researchers have become interested in attachment instability and predictors of attachment style change. In this article, 2 conceptualizations of attachment style change were examined: Attachment style change is a reaction to current circumstances, and attachment style change is an individual difference in susceptibility to change that is associated with stable vulnerability factors. A total of 155 women were assessed after high school graduation, and 6 months and 2 years later. Results primarily supported the conceptualization of attachment style change as an individual difference. Specifically, some women may be prone to attachment fluctuations because of adverse earlier experiences, and women who show attachment fluctuations are similar to women with stably insecure attachments.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2001

The role of attachment in responses to victims of life crises.

Attachment effects on affect, cognitions, and behavior during an interaction with a confederate who purportedly had cancer and whose attachment orientation had been manipulated in a prior context were examined among 241 participants. Results supported theoretically derived predictions: Participant anxious attachment predicted anxiety, participant avoidant attachment predicted supportiveness, and participant avoidant attachment interacted with confederate avoidant attachment to predict rejection. Results suggest (a) the importance of attachment in predicting interpersonal responses in a nonromantic stressful context, (b) that anxious attachment is an important predictor of anxiety in a situation with implicit support demands, (c) that avoidant attachment is a potentially important predictor of the likelihood of supportive responses to victims, and (d) that attachment orientation can be successfully manipulated in experimental studies of attachment.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Relations between children's attachments to their mothers and to security blankets.

Are attachments to security objects and mothers related? Do children securely and insecurely attached to mothers use security blankets differently? Following the Strange Situation procedure (M. D. S. Ainsworth, M. C. Blehar, E. Waters, & S. Wall, 1978), 67 toddlers were left alone in a novel playroom with a stranger and their blanket. Although being blanket attached was unrelated to their security of attachment to mothers, avoidantly and securely attached children adjusted differently depending on their blanket attachments. Blanket-attached children also classified as avoidantly attached to mothers remained longer than did blanket-nonattached maternally avoidant, blanket-attached maternally secure, and blanket- blanketnonattached maternally secure children. Blanket-attached, maternally avoidant children may nonattached have relied on blankets as support to allay distress during separation. Availability of security blankets produces different adaptations to maternal separations among avoidantly and securely attached children.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2000

Internal working models of attachment during late childhood and early adolescence: an exploration of stability and change.

This article addresses the question of how the transition from late childhood to early adolescence influences the organization of attachment. The applicability of a measure for attachment representations in early adolescence, the Attachment Interview for Childhood and Adolescence (AICA), was explored. The AICA is based on the Adult Attachment Interview, which was adapted in minor ways to the early adolescent age-group. It was hypothesized that attachment shows considerable stability from late childhood to early adolescence, although some changes might become manifest especially because distancing mechanisms toward the parents may be activated in this period. Also, stability may be different for the various secure and insecure attachment classifications. Lastly, because gender differences become larger during the transition from childhood to adolescence, attachment differences between boys and girls were explored. The same 31 Italian participants (14 girls, 17 boys) completed the AICA at 10 years and at 14 years of age. The AICA attachment classification distributions did not differ from Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) distributions in comparable but older adolescent or young adult samples. The stability of attachment security was considerable: 74% (k = .48). The stability of the dismissing and secure categories was somewhat higher than the stability of the (small) preoccupied and unresolved categories. The participants tended to show more dismissing strategies across the four years, and to report more rejection from their parents. It was suggested that the activation of dismissing defense mechanisms might be necessary to keep parental figures at some distance in order to achieve a more definite personal identity. Finally, no significant gender differences in attachment emerged during the transition from late childhood to early adolescence.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Attachment of mothers and children with recurrent asthmatic bronchitis.

OBJECTIVE: This study on attachment in children with recurrent asthmatic bronchitis and their mothers addresses three issues. The first aim was to test whether children affected by recurrent asthmatic bronchitis more often display an insecure pattern of attachment in comparison with healthy children. The second aim was to verify whether the distribution of adult attachment representations in the mothers of children affected by recurrent asthmatic bronchitis is different from the one shown by the mothers of the healthy comparison group. The third aim was to investigate intergenerational transmission of attachment. METHODS: Sixty Italian children, aged between 2 and 5 years, and their mothers participated in the study. The Adult Attachment Interview and the Attachment Q-Sort were used to assess, respectively, the security of mothers' attachment representations and of mother-child attachment. RESULTS: Children affected by recurrent asthmatic bronchitis appeared to be less secure in comparison with healthy children. Their mothers showed a higher percentage of insecure attachment representations. Finally, the intergenerational transmission of attachment was not influenced by the preclinical condition of the children. CONCLUSIONS: We propose a model of genetic and social transmission of insecure attachments in families struggling with asthma.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Developmental aspects of attachment behavior in young children with pervasive developmental disorders.

OBJECTIVE: The present study applied a continuous, clinically based rating system to compare predictions about attachment behavior in autism resulting from three different theoretical views and to characterize differences in attachment behavior of young autistic children. METHOD: The attachment behaviors of 32 young children with autism or pervasive developmental disorder were examined in a modified "strange situation." Attachment behaviors were rated on a continuous scale and on the Ainsworth subscales. Attachment ratings were compared with several developmental variables, including chronological age, mental age, language level, and social level. RESULTS: The continuous rating scale distinguished signs of security from signs of insecurity, allowing for behavioral idiosyncracies in the expression of attachment behavior seen in autistic children. The study found that 50% of the children demonstrated some behaviors indicative of secure attachment, that no children were unattached, and that developmental level rather than severity of autism was the strongest predictor of attachment security. CONCLUSIONS: Autism does not preclude the development of secure attachment relationships in young children, but rather it delays the development of secure attachment and may alter the behavioral patterns that express attachment security.

Autistic Disorder↗

PubMed2004

Comparing criteria for attachment disorders: establishing reliability and validity in high-risk samples.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether published subtypes of attachment disorder can be reliably identified by trained clinicians reviewing data from high-risk populations and to investigate the relationship between disorder classification and standardized measures of attachment behavior. METHOD: Twenty or more children aged 18 to 48 months and their primary caregivers were recruited from three sites: a treatment team for maltreated young children (n = 20), a homeless shelter (n = 25), and Head Start centers (n = 24). All dyads completed a semistructured clinical assessment and laboratory and home-based attachment measures. RESULTS: All but one type of attachment disorder could be identified reliably by clinician raters (kappa range = 0.62-0.74, depending on subtype). Children from the maltreatment sample were significantly more likely to meet criteria for one or more attachment disorders than children from the other groups (p <.001). As predicted, children without an attachment disorder were more likely to be classified as securely attached than those with an attachment disorder (p =.03); however, children classified as having disorganized attachment were not more likely to receive an attachment disorder diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Attachment disorders can be reliably diagnosed in young children, though research on refining disorder criteria should precede intervention trials.

Child, Preschool↗