1-167 - DNA Methylation as a Marker and Mechanism Underlying Effects of Early Life Stress on Problem Behavior in Childhood

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

The effects of early life stress on a wide range of behavioral and emotional problems have been well-documented. However, the mechanisms driving these effects are not fully understood. Epigenetic processes, reflecting environmental control of genetic expression, may represent key mechanisms underlying the biobehavioral encoding of early adversity. These papers consider DNA methylation, which is often associated with transcriptional gene silencing or the repression of gene activity, as an epigenetic mechanism. Unpacking processes linking early life stress with emotional and behavioral outcomes will aid in targeted prevention and intervention efforts to mitigate the development of psychopathology.

This symposium integrates findings across infancy and early childhood and present ground-breaking work suggesting that: (1) early life stress is related to DNA methylation at a range of sites across the genome (papers 1-3); (2) DNA methylation is in turn related to behavioral and emotional outcomes in early childhood (papers 2 and 3); and (3) DNA methylation may explain how children exposed to early life stress develop emotional and behavioral problems (papers 2 and 3). Consistent with the social buffering hypothesis (Hostinar, Sullivan, & Gunnar, 2014) we present work also suggesting that maternal sensitivity may buffer children from the effects of early life stress via epigenetic mechanisms (papers 1 and 3). Our discussant is an expert in the field of epigenetics and will compare our findings on humans with the animal literature. These papers provide the earliest evidence that DNA methylation is a key mechanism linking early adversity to the development of problem behavior.

Sub Unit

• Biological Processes

Chairs

• Stephanie H Parade, Brown University

• Elisabeth Conradt, Univ of Utah

Discussant

• Stephen Suomi, National Institutes of Health

Individual Presentations

• Maternal sensitivity buffers the effect of maternal depression on DNA methylation and neuroendocrine functioning - Presenting Author: Elisabeth Conradt, Univ of Utah; David Armstrong, Dartmouth University; Kathe Hawes, Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk; Edward Z Tronick, Children's Hosp/Harvard Med Schl; Carmen Marsit, Dartmouth University; Barry M Lester, Brown University

• Methylation of the Glucocorticoid Receptor Gene Promoter in Preschoolers With Adversity: Links with Internalizing Problems - Presenting Author: Stephanie H Parade, Brown University; Kathryn Ridout, Brown University; Ronald Seifer, Brown University; David Armstrong, Dartmouth University; Carmen Marsit, Dartmouth University; Melissa McWilliams, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Audrey R. Tyrka, Brown University

• Genomic Embedding of Early Life Experiences - Presenting Author: Michael S. Kobor, University of British Columbia, Vancouver