Internalizing symptoms associate with the pace of epigenetic aging in childhood.
| Title | Internalizing symptoms associate with the pace of epigenetic aging in childhood. |
| Publication Type | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication | 2021 |
| Authors | Tollenaar MS, Beijers R, Garg E, Nguyen TTThao, Lin DTS, MacIsaac JL, Shalev I, Kobor MS, Meaney MJ, O'Donnell K, de Weerth C |
| Journal | Biol Psychol |
| Volume | 159 |
| Pagination | 108021 |
| Date Published | 2021 02 |
| ISSN | 1873-6246 |
| Keywords | Aging, Child, Child, Preschool, DNA Methylation, Epigenesis, Genetic, Epigenomics, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies |
| Abstract | Childhood psychiatric symptoms may be associated with advanced biological aging. This study examined whether epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) associates with internalizing and externalizing symptoms that were prospectively collected across childhood in a longitudinal cohort study. At age 6 buccal epithelial cells from 148 children (69 girls) were collected to survey genome-wide DNA methylation. EAA was estimated using the Horvath clock. Internalizing symptoms at ages 2.5 and 4 years significantly predicted higher EAA at age 6, which in turn was significantly associated with internalizing symptoms at ages 6-10 years. Similar trends for externalizing symptoms did not reach statistical significance. These findings indicate advanced biological aging in relation to child mental health and may help better identify those at risk for lasting impairments associated with internalizing disorders. |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108021 |
| Alternate Journal | Biol Psychol |
| PubMed ID | 33460784 |