Childhood Adversities and the ATTACH^TM Program's Influence on Immune Cell Gene Expression

Area of Science:

• Psychoneuroimmunology
• Developmental Psychology
• Genetics

Background:

• Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can have long-term health consequences.
• Inflammatory gene expression is a potential biomarker for stress-related health outcomes.
• Intergenerational transmission of stress impacts is a growing area of research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between maternal ACEs and inflammatory gene expression in mother-child dyads.
• To determine if the ATTACH™ parenting intervention moderates the relationship between maternal ACEs and inflammatory gene expression.

Main Methods:

• Twenty mother-child dyads were randomized into an ATTACH™ intervention or wait-list control group.
• Maternal ACEs were assessed, and inflammatory gene expression (CTRA score) was measured via blood samples.
• Mixed-effect linear models analyzed associations between CTRA scores, maternal ACEs, and intervention effects.

Main Results:

• Higher maternal ACEs correlated with increased child CTRA scores, indicating heightened pro-inflammatory gene expression.
• The ATTACH™ intervention significantly moderated the association between maternal ACEs and child CTRA scores.
• No significant interaction was found for maternal CTRA scores.

Conclusions:

• Maternal ACEs may have an intergenerational impact on child inflammatory activity.
• The ATTACH™ parenting intervention shows potential in mitigating the inflammatory effects of maternal ACEs on children.
• This highlights the importance of early intervention for families affected by adversity.