Dataset Information

Methylation of NR3C1 is related to maternal PTSD, parenting stress and maternal medial prefrontal cortical activity in response to child separation among mothers with histories of violence exposure.

ABSTRACT: Prior research has shown that mothers with Interpersonal violence-related posttraumatic stress disorder (IPV-PTSD) report greater difficulty in parenting their toddlers. Relative to their frequent early exposure to violence and maltreatment, these mothers display dysregulation of their hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis (HPA-axis), characterized by hypocortisolism. Considering methylation of the promoter region of the glucocorticoid receptor gene NR3C1 as a marker for HPA-axis functioning, with less methylation likely being associated with less circulating cortisol, the present study tested the hypothesis that the degree of methylation of this gene would be negatively correlated with maternal IPV-PTSD severity and parenting stress, and positively correlated with medial prefrontal cortical (mPFC) activity in response to video-stimuli of stressful versus non-stressful mother-child interactions. Following a mental health assessment, 45 mothers and their children (ages 12-42 months) participated in a behavioral protocol involving free-play and laboratory stressors such as mother-child separation. Maternal DNA was extracted from saliva. Interactive behavior was rated on the CARE-Index. During subsequent fMRI scanning, mothers were shown films of free-play and separation drawn from this protocol. Maternal PTSD severity and parenting stress were negatively correlated with the mean percentage of methylation of NR3C1. Maternal mPFC activity in response to video-stimuli of mother-child separation versus play correlated positively to NR3C1 methylation, and negatively to maternal IPV-PTSD and parenting stress. Among interactive behavior variables, child cooperativeness in play was positively correlated with NR3C1 methylation. Thus, the present study is the first published report to our knowledge, suggesting convergence of behavioral, epigenetic, and neuroimaging data that form a psychobiological signature of parenting-risk in the context of early life stress and PTSD.

SUBMITTER: Schechter DS

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4447998 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Methylation of NR3C1 is related to maternal PTSD, parenting stress and maternal medial prefrontal cortical activity in response to child separation among mothers with histories of violence exposure.

Schechter Daniel S DS Moser Dominik A DA Paoloni-Giacobino Ariane A Stenz Ludwig L Gex-Fabry Marianne M Aue Tatjana T Adouan Wafae W Cordero María I MI Suardi Francesca F Manini Aurelia A Sancho Rossignol Ana A Merminod Gaëlle G Ansermet Francois F Dayer Alexandre G AG Rusconi Serpa Sandra S

Frontiers in psychology 20150529

Prior research has shown that mothers with Interpersonal violence-related posttraumatic stress disorder (IPV-PTSD) report greater difficulty in parenting their toddlers. Relative to their frequent early exposure to violence and maltreatment, these mothers display dysregulation of their hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis (HPA-axis), characterized by hypocortisolism. Considering methylation of the promoter region of the glucocorticoid receptor gene NR3C1 as a marker for HPA-axis functioning, with ...[more]

PMID: 26074844

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Project description:Early child maltreatment, such as child abuse and neglect, is well known to affect the development of social skills. However, the mechanisms by which such an adverse environment interrupts the development of social skills remain unelucidated. Identifying the period and brain regions that are susceptible to adverse environments can lead to appropriate developmental care later in life. We recently reported an excitatory/inhibitory imbalance and low activity during social behavior in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of the maternal separation (MS) animal model of early life neglect after maturation. Based on these results, in the present study, we investigated how MS disturbs factors related to excitatory and inhibitory neurons in the mPFC until the critical period of mPFC development. Additionally, we evaluated whether the effects of MS could be recovered in an enriched environment after MS exposure. Rat pups were separated from their dams on postnatal days (PDs) 2-20 (twice daily, 3 h each) and compared with the mother-reared control (MRC) group. Gene expression analysis revealed that various factors related to excitatory and inhibitory neurons were transiently disturbed in the mPFC during MS. A similar tendency was found in the sensory cortex; however, decreased parvalbumin (PV) expression persisted until PD 35 only in the mPFC. Moreover, the number of PV+ interneurons decreased in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) on PD 35 in the MS group. Additionally, perineural net formation surrounding PV+ interneurons, which is an indicator of maturity and critical period closure, was unchanged, indicating that the decreased PV+ interneurons were not simply attributable to developmental delay. This reduction of PV+ interneurons improved to the level observed in the MRC group by the enriched environment from PD 21 after the MS period. These results suggest that an early adverse environment disturbs the development of the mPFC but that these abnormalities allow room for recovery depending on the subsequent environment. Considering that PV+ interneurons in the mPFC play an important role in social skills such as empathy, an early rearing environment is likely a very important factor in the subsequent acquisition of social skills.

Dataset Information

Methylation of NR3C1 is related to maternal PTSD, parenting stress and maternal medial prefrontal cortical activity in response to child separation among mothers with histories of violence exposure.

Publications

Methylation of NR3C1 is related to maternal PTSD, parenting stress and maternal medial prefrontal cortical activity in response to child separation among mothers with histories of violence exposure.

Similar Datasets

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