Annual Research Review: DNA methylation as a mediator in the association between risk exposure and child and adolescent psychopathology
Year: 2017
Type: review
Abstract: BACKGROUND: DNA methylation (DNAm) is a potential mechanism for propagating the effects of environmental exposures on child and adolescent mental health. In recent years, this field has experienced steady growth. METHODS: We provide a strategic review of the current child and adolescent literature to evaluate evidence for a mediating role of DNAm in the link between environmental risks and psychopathological outcomes, with a focus on internalising and externalising difficulties. RESULTS: Based on the studies presented, we conclude that there is preliminary evidence to support that (a) environmental factors, such as diet, neurotoxic exposures and stress, influence offspring DNAm, and that (b) variability in DNAm, in turn, is associated with child and adolescent psychopathology. Overall, very few studies have examined DNAm in relation to both exposures and outcomes, and almost all analyses have been correlational in nature. CONCLUSIONS: DNAm holds potential as a biomarker indexing both environmental risk exposure and vulnerability for child psychopathology. However, the extent to which it may represent a causal mediator is not clear. In future, collection of prospective risk exposure, DNAm and outcomes - as well as functional characterisation of epigenetic findings - will assist in determining the role of DNAm in the link between risk exposure and psychopathology.
DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12782
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: Wellcome Trust, University of Bristol, Medical Research Council, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Economic and Social Research Council, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Awards: G1192034430, G1605161196, How early stress gets under the skin: The role of DNA methylation in the development of youth conduct problems and comorbid symptoms, G3831911591, Accessible resource for integrated epigenomics studies (ARIES), The Avon Longitudinal Study for Parents and Children: An international resource for population genomic and lifecourse epidemiology. Core programme support 2014-2019., The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children: An international resource for population
genomics and lifecourse epidemiology. Core Programme Support 2011-2015 and Core programme support 2014-2019, G5562631338, Accessible resource for integrated epigenomics studies (ARIES), G6751436026, Epigenetic Pathways to Conduct Problem Trajectories: Early Environmental Risks, G824700880
OpenAlex ID: W2615151979