2-081 - Epigenetics and Developmental Psychopathology

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Converging lines of research in rodents and humans indicate that the prenatal environment (e.g., maternal stress during pregnancy) and the postnatal period (e.g., the nature and quality of the parenting; early adversity) influence the adult behavioral phenotype and underlying brain neurochemistry. The overarching synthesis of this research illuminates a complex and dynamic interplay between neurobiological systems and the early environment that is inherently developmental in nature. Recently, this area of inquiry has examined how early experience fundamentally alters the genome via epigenetic modifications which alter neurobiological function. Epigenetic modulation of DNA does not change the DNA sequence, but renders it more or less likely to be expressed (i.e., the gene is turned on or turned off) (Moore et al., 2013; Szyf, 2007). This symposium will focus on the dynamic interplay of DNA methylation, the most commonly studied epigenetic process, and the environment from a developmental perspective. Responding to a recent call for a new direction of developmental psychopathology research (Nigg, 2016), papers in this symposium will present data on transactional models that incorporate perinatal and postnatal developmental programing, epigenetic mechanisms and their associated genotype-environment interactions. Further, this symposium includes data on epigenetic processes in the perinatal period (paper 1), early childhood (papers 2 & 3), and adolescence (paper 4) drawing upon at-risk and clinical populations. Presenters will share applied implications and directions for future research

Sub Unit

• Developmental Psychopathology

Chair

• Justin Parent, Alpert Medical School of Brown University

Individual Presentations

• Prenatal stress, fearfulness, and the epigenome: Sex differences in DNA methylation of the glucocorticoid receptor gene - Presenting Author: Brendan Dale Ostlund, University of Utah; Elisabeth Conradt, University of Utah; Sheila E Crowell, University of Utah; Audrey R. Tyrka, Alpert Medical School of Brown University; Carmen J Marsit, Emory University; Barry Lester, Brown University

• Modeling Change in Child Internalizing and Methylation of Glucocorticoid Receptor Gene NR3C1: The Role of Child Maltreatment - Presenting Author: Justin Parent, Alpert Medical School of Brown University; Stephanie Parade, Brown University/E. P. Bradley Hospital; Kathryn K Ridout, Alpert Medical School of Brown University; Ronald Seifer, Brown University; Carmen J Marsit, Emory University; Audrey R. Tyrka, Alpert Medical School of Brown University

• Longitudinal Change in Methylation of FKBP5 among Preschoolers with Adversity - Presenting Author: Stephanie Parade, Brown University/E. P. Bradley Hospital; Justin Parent, Alpert Medical School of Brown University; Kathryn K Ridout, Alpert Medical School of Brown University; Ronald Seifer, Brown University; Carmen J Marsit, Emory University; Audrey R. Tyrka, Alpert Medical School of Brown University

• Epigenetic regulation of cortisol, oxytocin and dopamine receptor genes and differences in behavioral and emotional problems - Presenting Author: Mark Dadds, The University of Sydney; David Hawes, University of Sydney; Catherine Moul, University of Sydney