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Updated: Oct 3, 2025
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Optimized Analysis of DNA Methylation and Gene Expression from Small, Anatomically-defined Areas of the Brain
Published on: July 12, 2012
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Neuroepigenetic impact on mentalizing in childhood
Amalia M Skyberg1, Stefen Beeler-Duden1, Alison M Goldstein1
1University of Virginia, Department of Psychology, 102 Gilmer Hall, P.O. Box 400400, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA.
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
|February 14, 2022
Summary
Epigenetic factors, like DNA methylation of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTRm), influence social brain development. Higher OXTRm levels correlate with enhanced neural responses in key social perception regions in children.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Epigenetics
Background:
- Mentalizing, crucial for social cognition, develops through childhood and adolescence.
- Individual differences in mentalizing are influenced by cognitive, social, and biological factors.
- DNA methylation of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTRm) affects gene expression and brain activity in adults.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the role of OXTRm in individual differences in brain function during social perception in middle childhood.
- Examine the relationship between OXTRm, neural responses to animate motion, and social skills.
Main Methods:
- Developmental neuroimaging epigenetic approach.
- Analysis of DNA methylation of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTRm).
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during perception of animate motion.
Main Results:
- Higher OXTRm levels were associated with increased neural responses in the left temporo-parietal junction (LTPJ) and inferior frontal gyrus.
- Neural activity in the LTPJ positively correlated with social skills.
- Evidence of epigenetic influence on children's social brain development.
Conclusions:
- Epigenetic modifications, specifically OXTRm, contribute to individual variability in neural social perception during childhood.
- Social perception development is influenced by both social experiences and the endogenous oxytocin system.
- Findings highlight the multifaceted nature of social cognitive development in children.
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