A systematic review of neuroimaging epigenetic research: calling for an increased focus on development.

ABSTRACT: Epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation (DNAm), have gained increasing attention as potential biomarkers and mechanisms underlying risk for neurodevelopmental, psychiatric and other brain-based disorders. Yet, surprisingly little is known about the extent to which DNAm is linked to individual differences in the brain itself, and how these associations may unfold across development - a time of life when many of these disorders emerge. Here, we systematically review evidence from the nascent field of Neuroimaging Epigenetics, combining structural or functional neuroimaging measures with DNAm, and the extent to which the developmental period (birth to adolescence) is represented in these studies. We identified 111 articles published between 2011-2021, out of which only a minority (21%)

SUBMITTER: Walton E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10615743 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature