Betydningen av stress tidlig i livet for epigenetisk variasjon. Hva vet vi, og hva betyr det?
Sammanfattning
Psychological research has focused on the interaction between genetic vulnerability and environmental factors for the understanding of individual differences. New research indicates that epigenetic variation is a biological process the body uses to regulate this nature-nurture interaction. Animal studies have shown that early life stress affects epigenetic variation. Research on human epigenetic variation is more limited. The aim of this paper was to examine the empirical evidence of exposure to early life stress on epigenetic variation in humans. Medline Ovid and Psycinfo were used in the article search. Twenty-eight original articles were included and are presented in this article. In summary, although the evidence lends support toward early life stress as a mediator for epigenetic variation, there are few studies and the methodological challenges limit the interpretation of the studies.