Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 14, 2026
12:34
DNA Methylation: Bisulphite Modification and Analysis
Published on: October 21, 2011
106.5K
Traumatic stress and accelerated DNA methylation age: A meta-analysis
Erika J Wolf1, Hannah Maniates2, Nicole Nugent3
1National Center for PTSD at VA Boston Healthcare System, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, United States.
Psychoneuroendocrinology
|February 18, 2018
Summary
Childhood trauma and PTSD severity are linked to accelerated epigenetic aging. Immune cells may play a role, warranting further research into traumatic stress and its health impacts.
Area of Science:
- Epigenetics
- Psychiatry
- Aging Research
Background:
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) association with accelerated aging (cellular age exceeding chronological age) remains unclear.
- DNA methylation-based estimates are used to assess cellular age.
- Previous studies show mixed results regarding PTSD and accelerated aging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between trauma exposure, PTSD, and accelerated DNA methylation age.
- To examine demographic and cellular variables related to accelerated DNA methylation age.
- To explore demographic moderation of trauma and PTSD associations with accelerated DNA methylation age.
Main Methods:
- Meta-analysis of data from 9 cohorts (N=2186) from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium PTSD Epigenetics Workgroup.
- Examined associations between trauma exposure, PTSD diagnosis, symptom severity, and accelerated DNA methylation age.
- Analyzed demographic and cellular variables (e.g., sex, immune cell proportions) and their association with accelerated DNA methylation age.
Main Results:
- Childhood trauma exposure and lifetime PTSD severity showed small, significant associations with accelerated DNA methylation age (p=0.028, p=0.016).
- Sex, CD4T cell, and natural killer cell proportions were significantly associated with accelerated DNA methylation age (all p < 0.02).
- PTSD diagnosis and lifetime trauma exposure were not associated with advanced DNA methylation age; no demographic moderation was found.
Conclusions:
- Traumatic stress is linked to advanced epigenetic age, suggesting a role for immune system cells.
- Further research is needed to understand the biological mechanisms connecting traumatic stress to accelerated DNA methylation age.
- Understanding the neurobiological and health consequences of PTSD is crucial.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
595
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition that arises following exposure to traumatic events such as natural disasters, forced displacement, or severe accidents. It significantly impairs individuals' ability to cope with daily activities and disrupts their emotional and psychological equilibrium.
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events,...
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events,...
595
01:10Relative Motion Analysis - Acceleration
925
A slider-crank mechanism converts rotational motion from the crank into linear motion of the slider or vice versa. This mechanism consists of three main parts: the crank, the connecting rod, and the slider. The movement of the slider-crank is an example of general plane motion as the fluctuating angle between the crank and the connecting rod. Consider a segment AB where point A is at the end of the slider and point B is on the diametrically opposite end to point A, on a crack. The variance in...
925
01:22Relative Motion Analysis using Rotating Axes - Acceleration
869
Consider a component AB undergoing a linear motion. Along with a linear motion, point B also rotates around point A. To comprehend this complex movement, position vectors for both points A and B are established using a stationary reference frame. The absolute velocity of point B is determined by adding the absolute velocity of point A, the relative velocity of point B in the rotating frame, and the effects caused by the angular velocity within the rotating frame.
Time differentiation is...
Time differentiation is...
869
01:17Accelerators
294
Accelerators in concrete serve as admixtures to speed up the hardening process, enabling the concrete to achieve early strength faster. Although accelerators do not necessarily impact the time it takes concrete to set, they reduce this time in practice. A common accelerator is calcium chloride, which is particularly useful for hastening early strength development in cold weather or for rapid repair jobs that require quick heat generation after mixing.
The effectiveness of calcium chloride can...
The effectiveness of calcium chloride can...
294
01:09Directing Effect of Substituents: meta-Directing Groups
6.1K
Substituents on the benzene ring that direct an incoming electrophile to undergo substitution at the meta position are called meta directors. All meta directors either have a positive charge on the atom directly bonded to the ring or a partial positive charge. These groups function by withdrawing electrons from the ring through inductive and resonance effects. Consider the carbocation intermediates formed upon the addition of an electrophile on nitrobenzene at the...
6.1K
01:15Design of Transmission Shafts - Stress Analysis
753
Designing a transmission shaft requires a thorough understanding of the stresses induced by bending moments and torques, especially in systems where power is transferred through gears. These forces create force-couple systems at the centers of the shaft's cross-sections, leading to both transverse and torsional loading. Although shearing stresses from transverse loads are typically smaller than those from torques and are often overlooked, the significant normal stresses from these loads...
753