TY - JOUR T1 - Effects of an attachment-based intervention on daily cortisol moderated by dopamine receptor D4: a randomized control trial on 1- to 3-year-olds screened for externalizing behavior. JF - Dev Psychopathol Y1 - 2008 A1 - Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J A1 - Van IJzendoorn, Marinus H A1 - Mesman, Judi A1 - Alink, Lenneke R A A1 - Juffer, Femmie KW - Alleles KW - Arousal KW - Behavior Therapy KW - Child Behavior Disorders KW - Child, Preschool KW - Education KW - Exons KW - Genetic Predisposition to Disease KW - Humans KW - Hydrocortisone KW - Infant KW - Internal-External Control KW - Minisatellite Repeats KW - Mother-Child Relations KW - Object Attachment KW - Polymorphism, Genetic KW - Receptors, Dopamine D4 KW - Temperament KW - Video Recording AB -

The effect of the Video-Feedback Intervention to Promote Positive Parenting and Sensitive Discipline (VIPP-SD) on daily cortisol production was tested in a randomized controlled trial with 130 families with 1- to 3-year-old children screened for their relatively high levels of externalizing behavior. Six 1.5-hr intervention sessions focusing on maternal sensitivity and discipline were conducted with individual families at their homes. Children in the intervention group showed lower cortisol levels, with a moderating role of the dopamine receptor D4 (DRD4) VNTR exon III polymorphism. The VIPP-SD program proved to be effective in decreasing daily cortisol production in children with the DRD4 7-repeat allele, but not in children without the DRD4 7-repeat allele. Our findings indicate that children are differentially susceptible to intervention effects dependent on the presence of the 7-repeat DRD4 allele.

VL - 20 IS - 3 ER -