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