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Polygenic differential susceptibility to prenatal adversity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 August 2018

Jay Belsky ,
Irina Pokhvisneva ,
Anu Sathyan Sathyapalan Rema ,
Birit F.P. Broekman ,
Michael Pluess ,
Kieran J. O'Donnell ,
Michael J. Meaney  and
Patrícia P. Silveira
Jay Belsky
Affiliation:
Department of Human Ecology, Program in Human Development, University of California, Davis
Irina Pokhvisneva
Affiliation:
Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Douglas Mental Health University Institute
Anu Sathyan Sathyapalan Rema
Affiliation:
Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Birit F.P. Broekman
Affiliation:
Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Michael Pluess
Affiliation:
Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London
Kieran J. O'Donnell
Affiliation:
Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Douglas Mental Health University Institute Sackler Program for Epigenetics & Psychobiology at McGill University Department of Psychiatry, McGill University
Michael J. Meaney
Affiliation:
Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Douglas Mental Health University Institute Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Sackler Program for Epigenetics & Psychobiology at McGill University Department of Psychiatry, McGill University
Patrícia P. Silveira*
Affiliation:
Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Douglas Mental Health University Institute Sackler Program for Epigenetics & Psychobiology at McGill University Department of Psychiatry, McGill University
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Patricia Pelufo Silveira, MD, PhD Department of Psychiatry, McGill University Douglas Mental Health University Institute, 6875 Boulevard LaSalle, Montreal, Quebec, H4H 1R3, Canada; E-mail: patricia.silveira@mcgill.ca
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Abstract

A recent article in this journal reported a number of gene × environment interactions involving a serotonin transporter–gene network polygenic score and a composite index of prenatal adversity predicting several problem behavior outcomes at 48 months (e.g., anxious/depressed, pervasive developmental problems) and at 60 months (e.g., withdrawal, internalizing problems), yet did not illuminate the nature or form these genetic × environment interactions took. Here we report results of six additional analyses to evaluate whether these interactions reflected diathesis–stress or differential–susceptibility related processes. Analyses of the regions of significance and proportion of interaction index are consistent with the diathesis–stress model, seemingly because of the truncated nature of the adversity score (which did not extend to supportive/positive prenatal experiences/exposures); in contrast, the proportion (of cases) affected index favors the differential–susceptibility model. These results suggest the need for future studies to extend measurement of the prenatal environment to highly supportive experiences and exposures.

Type
Regular Articles
Information
Development and Psychopathology , Volume 31 , Issue 2 , May 2019 , pp. 439 - 441
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

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Footnotes

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

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