Epigenetic modulation of social cognition: exploring the impact of methylation in brain-derived neurotrophic factor and oxytocin receptor genes across sex.

ABSTRACT: Social cognition, which ranges from recognizing social cues to intricate inferential reasoning, is influenced by environmental factors and epigenetic mechanisms. Notably, methylation variations in stress-related genes like brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) are linked to distinct social cognitive functions and exhibit sex-specific differences. This study investigates how these methylation differences affect social cognition across sexes, focusing on both perceptual and inferential cognitive levels. Social cognitive abilities were assessed using the Korean version of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (K-RMET) and Brune's story-based Theory of Mind tasks (ToM-PST). DNA methylation levels in BDNF and OXTR were analyzed for correlations with performan

SUBMITTER: Park HY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11772775 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature