Childhood Maltreatment and Longitudinal Epigenetic Aging: NIMHD Social Epigenomics Program

Area of Science:

• Epigenetics and Developmental Psychology
• Molecular Epidemiology
• Childhood Trauma Research

Background:

• Childhood maltreatment, encompassing physical and emotional abuse and neglect, may leave lasting epigenetic marks associated with accelerated aging.
• Understanding the long-term impact of early life adversity on biological aging is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the longitudinal association between early and mid-childhood maltreatment exposures and epigenetic markers of accelerated aging in later childhood and adolescence.
• To determine if the type and timing of maltreatment influence epigenetic aging profiles.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a US birth cohort.
• Assessed DNA methylation (DNAm) data at ages 9 and 15 years, alongside phenotypic data from birth to age 15.
• Measured epigenetic accelerated aging (DNAmAA) using machine learning surrogates (GrimAge, PhenoAge, DunedinPACE, Horvath, PedBE) and analyzed exposures like physical assault and emotional aggression at ages 3 and 5 years.

Main Results:

• Physical assault at age 3 was linked to increased PhenoAge DNAmAA; emotional aggression was linked to decreased PhenoAge DNAmAA.
• Emotional neglect at age 5 was associated with increased PhenoAge DNAmAA.
• Cumulative maltreatment showed similar associations, with effects at age 15 mediated by age 9 DNAmAA. PhenoAge associations remained significant after adjustments.

Conclusions:

• Epigenetic accelerated aging patterns are sensitive to the specific type and timing of childhood maltreatment.
• Findings suggest a biological embedding of stress related to maltreatment, detectable through epigenetic modifications.
• Early life adversity has demonstrable, long-term impacts on biological aging processes.