Journal article
Methylation of the oxytocin receptor gene mediates the effect of adversity on negative schemas and depression
Development and psychopathology, Vol.29(3), pp.725-736
08/2017
DOI: 10.1017/S0954579416000420
PMCID: PMC5395354
PMID: 27323309
Abstract
Building upon various lines of research, we posited that methylation of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) would mediate the effect of adult adversity on increased commitment to negative schemas and in turn the development of depression. We tested our model using structural equation modeling and longitudinal data from a sample of 100 middle-aged, African American women. The results provided strong support for the model. Analysis of the 12 CpG sites available for the promoter region of the OXTR gene identified four factors. One of these factors was related to the study variables, whereas the others were not. This factor mediated the effect of adult adversity on schemas relating to pessimism and distrust, and these schemas, in turn, mediated the impact of OXTR methylation on depression. All indirect effects were statistically significant, and they remained significant after controlling for childhood trauma, age, romantic relationship status, individual differences in cell types, and average level of genome-wide methylation. These finding suggest that epigenetic regulation of the oxytocin system may be a mechanism whereby the negative cognitions central to depression become biologically embedded.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Methylation of the oxytocin receptor gene mediates the effect of adversity on negative schemas and depression
- Creators
- Ronald L Simons - University of GeorgiaMan Kit Lei - University of GeorgiaSteven R. H Beach - University of GeorgiaCarolyn E Cutrona - Iowa State UniversityRobert A Philibert - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Development and psychopathology, Vol.29(3), pp.725-736
- DOI
- 10.1017/S0954579416000420
- PMID
- 27323309
- PMCID
- PMC5395354
- NLM abbreviation
- Dev Psychopathol
- ISSN
- 0954-5794
- eISSN
- 1469-2198
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press; New York, USA
- Number of pages
- 12
- Alternative title
- OXTR methylation, cognitive schemas, and depression; R. L. Simons et al.
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 08/2017
- Academic Unit
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering; Psychiatry; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
- Record Identifier
- 9984070717502771
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