Abstract
The association between early childhood adversity and later risk of mental disorders is well established. The mechanisms by which signals from the early environment are transmitted to the neonate and shape mental health are beginning to be understood. Chemically stable, epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation, have emerged as putative mechanisms for the enduring effects of the early social environment on neural development and function. In this chapter, we review data from both preclinical models and clinical studies of early adversity and epigenetic mechanisms. Specifically, we examine the mechanism of DNA methylation, which may mediate the lasting effects of early adversity on later mental health.
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Bouvette-Turcot, AA., Meaney, M.J., O’Donnell, K.J. (2018). Epigenetics and Early Life Adversity: Current Evidence and Considerations for Epigenetic Studies in the Context of Child Maltreatment. In: Noll, J., Shalev, I. (eds) The Biology of Early Life Stress. Child Maltreatment Solutions Network. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72589-5_7
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