Epigenetics: how our ancestors' experiences help shape our emotions and behaviors
Can our parents and grandparents’ experiences shape our emotions and behaviors? What is epigenetics? Why do some people’s responses to an event seem out of proportion?
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References and suggested reading/listening:
Peer Reviewed Scholarly Publications
Appleton, A. A., Kiley, K., Holdsworth, E. A., & Schell, L. M. (2019). Social Support During Pregnancy Modifies the Association Between Maternal Adverse Childhood Experiences and Infant Birth Size. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 23(3), 408–415. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-018-02706-z
Braga, L. L., Mello, M. F., & Fiks, J. P. (2012). Transgenerational transmission of trauma and resilience: a qualitative study with Brazilian offspring of Holocaust survivors. BMC Psychiatry, 12. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-12-134
Bygren, L. O., Tinghög, P., Carstensen, J., Edvinsson, S., Kaati, G., Pembrey, M. E., & Sjöström, M. (2014). Change in paternal grandmotherśearly food supply influenced cardiovascular mortality of the female grandchildren. BMC Genetics, 15, 2–7. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2156-15-12
Cao-Lei, L., Yogendran, S., Dufoix, R., Elgbeili, G., Laplante, D. P., & King, S. (2021). Prenatal Maternal Stress From a Natural Disaster and Hippocampal Volumes: Gene-by-Environment Interactions in Young Adolescents From Project Ice Storm. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2021.706660
Essex, M. J., Boyce, W. T., Hertzman, C., Lam, L. L., & Armstrong, J. M. (2014). Epigenetic Vestiges of Early Developmental Adversity: Childhood Stress Exposure and DNA Methylation in Adolescence Marilyn. 84(1), 58–75. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2011.01641.x.Epigenetic
Goossens, L., van Roekel, E., Verhagen, M., Cacioppo, J. T., Cacioppo, S., Maes, M., & Boomsma, D. I. (2015). The Genetics of Loneliness: Linking Evolutionary Theory to Genome-Wide Genetics, Epigenetics, and Social Science. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 10(2), 213–226. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691614564878
King, S. E., Nilsson, E., Beck, D., & Skinner, M. K. (2019). Adipocyte epigenetic alterations and potential therapeutic targets in transgenerationally inherited lean and obese phenotypes following ancestral exposures. Adipocyte, 8(1), 362–378. https://doi.org/10.1080/21623945.2019.1693747
Lafortune, S., Laplante, D. P., Elgbeili, G., Li, X., Lebel, S., Dagenais, C., & King, S. (2021). Effect of natural disaster‐related prenatal maternal stress on child development and health: A meta‐analytic review. In International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (Vol. 18, Issue 16). MDPI AG. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18168332
Maccari, S., Darnaudery, M., Morley-Fletcher, S., Zuena, A. R., Cinque, C., & Van Reeth, O. (2003). Prenatal stress and long-term consequences: implications of glucocorticoid hormones. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 27(1–2), 119–127. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0149-7634(03)00014-9
Mairesse, J., Viltart, O., Salomé, N., Giuliani, A., Catalani, A., Casolini, P., Morley-Fletcher, S., Nicoletti, F., & Maccari, S. (2007). Prenatal stress alters the negative correlation between neuronal activation in limbic regions and behavioral responses in rats exposed to high and low anxiogenic environments. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 32(7), 765–776. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2007.03.013
Mulder, E. J. H., Robles de Medina, P. G., Huizink, A. C., Van den Bergh, B. R. H., Buitelaar, J. K., & Visser, G. H. A. (2002). Prenatal maternal stress: effects on pregnancy and the (unborn) child. Early Human Development, 70, 3–14. https://doi.org./10.1016/S0378-3782(02)00075-0
Pembrey, M., Saffery, R., & Bygren, L. O. lov. (2014). Human transgenerational responses to early-life experience: potential impact on development, health and biomedical research. Journal of Medical Genetics, 51(9), 563–572. https://doi.org/10.1136/jmedgenet-2014-102577
Roth, M., Neuner, F., & Elbert, T. (2014). Transgenerational consequences of PTSD : risk factors for the mental health of children whose mothers have been exposed to the Rwandan genocide. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 8(1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1186/1752-4458-8-12
Schell, L. M. (1991). Effects of pollutants on human prenatal and postnatal growth: Noise, lead, polychlorobiphenyl compounds, and toxic wastes. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 34(S13), 157–188. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajpa.1330340609
Skinner, M. K., Anway, M. D., Savenkova, M. I., Gore, A. C., & Crews, D. (2008). Transgenerational epigenetic programming of the brain transcriptome and anxiety behavior. PLoS ONE, 3(11). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0003745
Weaver, I. C. G., Cervoni, N., Champagne, F. A., D’Alessio, A. C., Sharma, S., Seckl, J. R., Dymov, S., Szyf, M., & Meaney, M. J. (2004). Epigenetic programming by maternal behavior. Nature Neuroscience, 7(8), 847–854. https://doi.org/10.1038/nn1276
Yehuda, R., & Lehrner, A. (2018). Intergenerational transmission of trauma effects: putative role of epigenetic mechanisms. World Psychiatry, 17(3), 243–257. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20568
News and Editorial Articles
Epigenetics: The Woes of Your Ancestors May Remain for Generations to Come, Li Miao Lovett, June 30, 2016, KQED https://www.kqed.org/futureofyou/189972/epigenetics-the-woes-of-your-ancestors-may-remain-for-generations-to-come
Genetic impact of African slave trade revealed in DNA study, BBC News, July 24, 2020 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-53527405
Study Shows How Effects of Starvation Can Be Passed to Future Generations, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, July 17, 2014 https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/news/study-shows-how-effects-starvation-can-be-passed-future-generations
Podcasts and interviews
The Lasting Effects of Food Insecurity in Early Childhood a conversation with Dr. Jeremy Coplan
Epigenetics - our bodies' way to change the destiny written in our DNA | Moshe Szyf | TEDxBratislava
Media credit (photo/video/audio/animation) Sincere thanks to the following artists
Thumbnail Image - Pregnant mom with ultrasound overlay - Rudy and Peter Skitterians, Pixabay
Incredulous man- stockbusters, Storyblocks
Neurocircuitry closeup – RichardjJones, Storyblocks
DNA strand – iLexx, Storyblocks
Dad feeding baby – Prostock-studio, Storyblocks
Four generations – brfcs, Pixabay (Stock photo)
News Article- Dutch Hunger Winter – Nationaal Aarchief, Netherlands, KQED https://www.kqed.org/futureofyou/189972/epigenetics-the-woes-of-your-ancestors-may-remain-for-generations-to-come
News Article - Le Statue de la Liberation de l’Esclavage – Reuters, BBC News https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-53527405
News Article - Changes in RNA - Columbia University Medical Center https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/news/study-shows-how-effects-starvation-can-be-passed-future-generations
Pregnant mom with ultrasound overlay - Rudy and Peter Skitterians, Pixabay
Pregnant mom on couch – Dexswaggerboy, Unsplash
Neurons firing – istock.com/nmlfd
Eviction notice – kk5hy, Storyblocks
Empty kitchen cupboard - Paul Volkmer, Unsplash
Chicken soup can - Ben Lolli, Unsplash
Couple fighting – Dualstock, Storyblocks (Stock photo. Posed by model)
Worried pregnant mom - Prostock-studio, Storyblocks
Pregnant mom belly closeup – Alexander Krivitvitskiy, Unsplash
Bloodstream closeup – Unnamed author, Storyblocks
Blood vessels in body – icetray, Storyblocks
Running Muscular man – istock.com/janulla
Vintage car dashboard - Unnamed author, Storyblocks
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Disclaimer: The contents of this video are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to be medical or psychiatric advice, diagnosis, or treatment, nor to replace medical or psychiatric care. The information presented herein represents the perspective of the author. The concepts presented are accurate and conform to the available scientific evidence to the best of the author's knowledge as of the time of posting. Always seek the advice of qualified mental health providers with any questions regarding any emotional or psychological condition. Never disregard professional mental health advice or delay seeking it because of information contained in Body and Behavior Institute videos. Body and Behavior Institute is an initiative of Limbic Legacy.