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Parental brain and socioeconomic epigenetic effects in human development

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 October 2012

James E. Swain ,
Suzanne C. Perkins ,
Carolyn J. Dayton ,
Eric D. Finegood  and
S. Shaun Ho
James E. Swain
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. jamesswa@med.umich.eduhttp://www2.med.umich.edu/psychiatry/psy/fac_query4.cfm?link_name=jamesswasperkinz@med.umich.educarolynjdayton@gmail.comefinegoo@med.umich.eduhosh@med.umich.edu
Suzanne C. Perkins
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. jamesswa@med.umich.eduhttp://www2.med.umich.edu/psychiatry/psy/fac_query4.cfm?link_name=jamesswasperkinz@med.umich.educarolynjdayton@gmail.comefinegoo@med.umich.eduhosh@med.umich.edu
Carolyn J. Dayton
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. jamesswa@med.umich.eduhttp://www2.med.umich.edu/psychiatry/psy/fac_query4.cfm?link_name=jamesswasperkinz@med.umich.educarolynjdayton@gmail.comefinegoo@med.umich.eduhosh@med.umich.edu
Eric D. Finegood
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. jamesswa@med.umich.eduhttp://www2.med.umich.edu/psychiatry/psy/fac_query4.cfm?link_name=jamesswasperkinz@med.umich.educarolynjdayton@gmail.comefinegoo@med.umich.eduhosh@med.umich.edu
S. Shaun Ho
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. jamesswa@med.umich.eduhttp://www2.med.umich.edu/psychiatry/psy/fac_query4.cfm?link_name=jamesswasperkinz@med.umich.educarolynjdayton@gmail.comefinegoo@med.umich.eduhosh@med.umich.edu
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Abstract

Critically significant parental effects in behavioral genetics may be partly understood as a consequence of maternal brain structure and function of caregiving systems recently studied in humans as well as rodents. Key parental brain areas regulate emotions, motivation/reward, and decision making, as well as more complex social-cognitive circuits. Additional key environmental factors must include socioeconomic status and paternal brain physiology. These have implications for developmental and evolutionary biology as well as public policy.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 35 , Issue 5 , October 2012 , pp. 378 - 379
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012 

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