COVER LETTER FINAL VERSION

Dr Edmund Sonuga-Barke
Editor in chief
Journal of child Psychology and Psychiatry

Dear Dr Sonuga-Barke

We are submitting the manuscript "Association between maternal care and glucocorticoid receptor gene methylation in human leucocytes". This is the one of the first evidence in humans of epigenetic mechanism related to behavior in children. It shows the interaction between psychological issues as maternal care and child abuse, with their biological and epigenetical roots, specifically with methylation of glucocorticoid receptor gene. This work, also facilitates a more scientifically based study of human behavior.

This study was developed with the parents consent and was aproved by the University of Chile Ethical Comitee. The article has not be submitted to other journal and we do not have conflict of interest

The article is authored by Raúl Ventura-Juncá MD. MSc., Luisa Herrera Phd. and Yenny Fiedler Phd. in a collaborative work of genetics and neuroscience laboratories.

Sincerely,

Raúl Ventura-Juncá, MD. MSc.

KEN ROBINSON SPEECH

If we think in our own country, I see a big challenge. What we want it to be. We could develop as copy-paste developed country or we could explore another way of being a first world country. I think some people tend to copy european way of life and other the american. What about the latinamerican way of life. Is it possible to take our own creativity and reach to another point of view. I think that in the Bicentennial of our Independence creativity is a good starting point to revisit the theme of what we want to be.

Association between maternal care and glucocorticoid receptor gene methylation in human leucocytes

A close mother-infant relaationship is crucial for a healthy infant brain development. Biological basis of attachment behavior have began to be discovered. In animal models, like rat, the maternal care through liking and grooming determines demethylation of the glucocorticoid receptor gene (GCR) in hipotalamus and consequently an improvement in social and cognitive skills in offspring. In human, postmortem studies show a methylated GCR pattern in hipotalamus in people who commited suicide. We still, however, don't know the GCR methylation pattern in children. The aim of the present study is to look for association between methylation of GCR in human leucocytes and attachment style and trauma in children. We recruited 50 children between one to five year old with their mothers, and made interview of biographical issues to mothers and video-recorded the dyads punctuating by the CARE Index Score. Also we took blood samples to GCR methylation measure. We found an association between a high GCR methylation pattern and the presence of trauma or child abuse in infancy. This result may mean that the adverse rearing experience could epigenetically alter gene expression

Association between maternal care an glucocorticoid receptor gene methylation in human leucocytes

A close mother-infant relationship is crucial for a healthy infant brain development. Biological basis of attachment have began to be discovered. In animal models, like rat, the maternal care through liking grooming determines demethylation of the glucocorticoid receptor gene (GCR) in hypotalamus and a consequence improve in cognitive and social behavior in offspring. In humans, a few postmortem studies show a similar pattern of methylation on people who commited suicide. The aim of the present study is to look for association between methylation of GCR on leucocytes and attachment style and trauma in children. We recruited 50 children between one to five years old with their mothers, and made interview of biographical issues to mothers and video-recorded the dyads puntuating with the CARE Index instrument. Also we took blood samples for GCR methylation measure. We found an association between a methylated pattern of GCR and the presence of trauma or child abuse in infancy. These results may mean that adverse rearing experience could epigenetically alter gene expression.

ABSTRACT

A closer mother-infant relationship is crucial for a healthy brain development. Biological basis of attachment behavior have began to be delucidated. In rats models, the physical contac trough liking and grooming determines demethylation of teh glucocorticoid receptor gene (GCR) in hypotalamus and a consequent beahvioral change in offspring. In human, a few postmortem studies show similiar pattern of methylation on suicided patients. The aim of the present study is to look for association between methylation of GCR on leucocytes and attachment style in children. We recruit 50 children between one to five years old with their mothers, and made interview and record videotapes. Also we took blood samples for meassure GCR methylation. Our results show an association between a methylated pattern of GCR and the presence of trauma or child abuse in infancy. These results means that adverse rearing experiences could epigenetically alter gene expression.

TASK 1

My name is Raulventura-Juncá. I'm a psychiatrist and I used to work in Catholic University until I began the Master in Genetics in this University. My interest is on how genetics and epigenetics could influence behavior, specifically how th first years of life predispose to adult psycjhopathology.
My future goals are to join psychological issues with its neurobiological and genetical basis.
In a few months I will go to London to join a workshop about Integrative Treatments at Attachment World Congress