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epigenetics

·April 19, 2023·5 min read

Childhood Abuse and Biological Sex Linked to Epigenetic Changes in Functional Neurological Disorder

Functional movement/conversion disorder (FMD) is characterized by epigenetic changes, and women and child abuse survivors with FMD have different epigenetic profiles linked to the condition.

This shows a young girl crying and alone in a doorway

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·January 19, 2021·4 min read

Childhood Neglect Leaves Generational Imprint

Infant children whose mothers experienced neglect when they were young showed altered brain circuitry in areas associated with anxiety and fear response.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·January 8, 2019·4 min read

Childhood Stress Affects Behavior of Offspring: Mouse Study

Researchers report on the epigenetic effect of early life stress. In a new study, researchers reveal mice who experienced stress in the first few weeks of life showed deterioration in memory, learning and maternal behaviors. Behavioral changes were seen in their later offspring, regardless of sex.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Psychology

·November 1, 2018·4 min read

Children Who Experience Violence Early in Life Develop Faster

A new study reports children who are subjected violence early in life experience faster biological aging, including earlier onset of puberty and epigenetic aging, than peers who are not abused. Additionally, children exposed to other early life adversities, such as poverty and food insecurity, show delayed signs of pubertal development.

Featured Genetics Neurology

·January 8, 2019·7 min read

Choline Helps Fight Alzheimer’s Across Generations

Researchers report when mice bred to display Alzheimer's like symptoms were given diets high in choline, their offspring showed improvements in spatial memory compared to those exposed to normal levels of choline in the womb.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·September 2, 2019·3 min read

Chronic cocaine use modifies gene expression

Chronic cocaine use alters the epigenetic profile of the FosB gene in the hippocampus. These alterations are required for cocaine-dependent gene expression and cocaine environment associations. Modification of hippocampal FosB results in a condition critical for cocaine-related learning.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·December 8, 2022·4 min read

Common Sweetener Linked to Anxiety

Aspartame, a sweetener found in diet drinks and food, has been linked to an increased risk of developing anxiety behaviors in a new mouse study. The effects of exposure to aspartame extended for up to two generations.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·October 23, 2019·4 min read

Consuming alcohol leads to epigenetic changes in brain memory centers

Study reveals how acetate, a byproduct of alcohol breakdown, travels to the brain's learning system and alters proteins that regulate DNA function.

Light from fiber optic cables are shown.

Featured Genetics

·July 23, 2013·5 min read

Controlling Genes with Light

New technology can rapidly halt or start the expression of genes by shining a light on the cells.

Featured Psychology

·June 12, 2013·4 min read

Dad’s Life Stress Exposure Can Affect Offspring Brain Development

Researchers have shown stress on preadolesecent and adult male mice induced an epigenetic mark in their sperm which reprogrammed their offspring's HPA axis, a region the the brain which governs stress response.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·October 16, 2018·4 min read

Dads’ Nicotine Use May Cause Cognitive Problems for Children and Grandchildren

Researchers report a father's exposure to nicotine may have lasting effects on the cognitive development of his offspring. The study reports nicotine exposure may cause epigenetic alterations in key genes within the father's sperm, affecting not only his direct children but also grandchildren.