Traumatic Stress and Human DNA Methylation: A Critical Review

Abstract

Animal studies have identified persistent and functional effects of traumatic stress on the epigenome. This review discusses the clinical evidence for trauma-induced changes in DNA methylation across the life span in humans. Studies are reviewed based on reports of trauma exposure during the prenatal period (13 studies), early life (20 studies), and adulthood (ten studies). Even though it is apparent that traumatic stress influences the human epigenome, there are significant drawbacks in the existing human literature. These include a lack of longitudinal studies, methodological heterogeneity, selection of tissue type, and the influence of developmental stage and trauma type on methylation outcomes. These issues are discussed in order to present a way in which future studies can gain more insight into the functional relevance of trauma-related DNA methylation changes. Epigenetic studies investigating the detrimental effects of traumatic stress have great potential for an improved detection and treatment of trauma-related psychiatric disorders.

Keywords::

• childhood abuse
• DNA methylation
• early life adversity
• epigenetics
• humans
• traumatic stress

Financial & competing interests disclosure

M Boks, C Vinkers and M Kas gratefully acknowledge funding from the Neuroscience and Cognition initiative from the University Utrecht (www.ncutrecht.nl/). C Vinkers is supported by a VENI grant (451.13.001) from The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) and a Netherlands Brain Foundation Fellowship (F2013(1)-216). BPF Rutten (grant number 916.11.086) is also recipient of a VENI Award from Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

M Boks, C Vinkers and M Kas gratefully acknowledge funding from the Neuroscience and Cognition initiative from the University Utrecht (www.ncutrecht.nl/). C Vinkers is supported by a VENI grant (451.13.001) from The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) and a Netherlands Brain Foundation Fellowship (F2013(1)-216). BPF Rutten (grant number 916.11.086) is also recipient of a VENI Award from Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.