Child Abuse Leaves Its Mark on Victim’s DNA

[☭proletarian☭]

Childhood trauma may leave a lasting imprint not just on the psyche but also in the DNA. This news comes from McGill University and the Suicide Brain Bank, a Quebec-based organization that carried out autopsies on suicide victims who had been abused as kids. Across the board, their brains showed DNA modifications that made them particularly sensitive to stress. Although gene variations are primarily inherited at conception, the findings show that environmental impacts can also introduce them later on. “The idea that abuse changes how genes function opens a new window for behavioral and drug therapy,” says study leader and neuroscientist Patrick McGowan.

#61: Child Abuse Leaves Its Mark on Victim’s DNA | Mental Health | DISCOVER Magazine

It seems epigenetics may be entering center stage

 

[cbi0090]

That's interesting and could explain why evolutionary processes appear to happen so much more quickly than what would be expected from mere chance.