Childhood maltreatment and DNA methylation: a systematic review
Childhood maltreatment and DNA methylation: a systematic review
DNA methylation (DNAm), an epigenetic process that regulates gene expression, may represent a mechanism for the biological embedding of early traumatic experiences, including childhood maltreatment. Here, we conducted the first systematic review of evidence from studies in humans regarding the association between childhood maltreatment and DNAm. In total, 73 studies were included in the review (2008-2018). The majority of extant studies (i) were based on retrospective data in adults, (ii) employed a candidate gene approach (iii) focused on global maltreatment, (iv) were based on easily accessible peripheral tissues, typically blood; and (v) were cross-sectional. Two-thirds of studies (n=48) also examined individual outcomes, such as stress reactivity and psychiatric symptoms. While findings generally support an association between childhood maltreatment and altered patterns of DNAm, factors such as the dearth of longitudinal data, low comparability across studies as well as potential genetic and ‘pre-exposure’ environmental confounding currently limit the conclusions that can be drawn. Key challenges are discussed and concrete recommendations for future research are provided.
Abuse, Child maltreatment, DNA methylation, Epigenetic, Neglect
392-409
Cecil, Charlotte
04bdc6dd-3ebe-43bf-a87d-d61ae5e94324
Zhang, Yuning
d04a3a32-daa7-4441-8bdf-9bbaeb44583f
Nolte, Tobias
da8570f4-d540-4d59-94d0-fbab621eeeb8
May 2020
Cecil, Charlotte
04bdc6dd-3ebe-43bf-a87d-d61ae5e94324
Zhang, Yuning
d04a3a32-daa7-4441-8bdf-9bbaeb44583f
Nolte, Tobias
da8570f4-d540-4d59-94d0-fbab621eeeb8
Cecil, Charlotte, Zhang, Yuning and Nolte, Tobias
(2020)
Childhood maltreatment and DNA methylation: a systematic review.
Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 112, .
(doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.02.019).
Abstract
DNA methylation (DNAm), an epigenetic process that regulates gene expression, may represent a mechanism for the biological embedding of early traumatic experiences, including childhood maltreatment. Here, we conducted the first systematic review of evidence from studies in humans regarding the association between childhood maltreatment and DNAm. In total, 73 studies were included in the review (2008-2018). The majority of extant studies (i) were based on retrospective data in adults, (ii) employed a candidate gene approach (iii) focused on global maltreatment, (iv) were based on easily accessible peripheral tissues, typically blood; and (v) were cross-sectional. Two-thirds of studies (n=48) also examined individual outcomes, such as stress reactivity and psychiatric symptoms. While findings generally support an association between childhood maltreatment and altered patterns of DNAm, factors such as the dearth of longitudinal data, low comparability across studies as well as potential genetic and ‘pre-exposure’ environmental confounding currently limit the conclusions that can be drawn. Key challenges are discussed and concrete recommendations for future research are provided.
Text
1-s2.0-S0149763419307791-main
- Version of Record
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 15 February 2020
e-pub ahead of print date: 17 February 2020
Published date: May 2020
Keywords:
Abuse, Child maltreatment, DNA methylation, Epigenetic, Neglect
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 438552
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/438552
ISSN: 0149-7634
PURE UUID: 1a1d0a91-a1c8-452c-a840-07d643b37eae
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 16 Mar 2020 17:35
Last modified: 28 Apr 2022 02:29
Export record
Altmetrics
Contributors
Author:
Charlotte Cecil
Author:
Tobias Nolte
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics