Epigenetics in Personality Disorders: Today's Insights
Objective: Epigenetic mechanisms have been described in several mental disorders, such as mood disorders, anxiety disorders and schizophrenia. However, less is known about the influence of epigenetic mechanisms with regard to personality disorders (PD). Therefore, we conducted a literature review on...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2018-11-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00579/full |
| _version_ | 1818054733794902016 |
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| author | Dorothee Maria Gescher Kai G. Kahl Thomas Hillemacher Helge Frieling Jens Kuhn Thomas Frodl Thomas Frodl |
| author_facet | Dorothee Maria Gescher Kai G. Kahl Thomas Hillemacher Helge Frieling Jens Kuhn Thomas Frodl Thomas Frodl |
| author_sort | Dorothee Maria Gescher |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective: Epigenetic mechanisms have been described in several mental disorders, such as mood disorders, anxiety disorders and schizophrenia. However, less is known about the influence of epigenetic mechanisms with regard to personality disorders (PD). Therefore, we conducted a literature review on existing original data with regards to epigenetic peculiarities in connection with personality disorders.Methods: Systematic literature review using PRISMA guidelines. Search was performed via NCBI PubMed by keywords and their combinations. Used search terms included “epigenetic,” “methylation,” “acetylation” plus designations of specified personality traits and disorders according to DSM-IV.Results: Search yielded in total 345 publications, 257 thereof with psychiatric topic, 72 on personality disorder or traits, 43 of which were in humans and epigenetic, 23 thereof were original studies. Lastly, 23 original publications fulfilled the intended search criteria and were included. Those are 13 studies on gene methylation pattern with aggressive, antisocial and impulsive traits, 9 with borderline personality disorder (BPD), and 2 with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). The results of these studies showed significant associations of PD with methylation aberrances in system-wide genes and suggest evidence for epigenetic processes in the development of personality traits and personality disorders. Environmental factors, of which childhood trauma showed a high impact, interfered with many neurofunctional genes. Methylation alterations in ASPD and BPD repeatedly affected HTR2A, HTR3A, NR3C1, and MAOA genes.Summary: Epigenetic studies in PD seem to be a useful approach to elucidate the interaction of co-working risk factors in the pathogenesis of personality traits and disorders. However, the complexity of pathogenesis leads to divergent results and impedes an explicit interpretation. Differing methylation patterns within the selected PD could indicate subgroups which would benefit from patient-oriented therapeutic adjustments. They might play a major role in the future design and observation of early therapeutic intervention and thus could help to prevent severe dysfunctional conduct or full-blown personality disorder in risk subjects. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T12:01:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7950d504712f44eaa37c6be01b9d3318 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T12:01:45Z |
| publishDate | 2018-11-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-7950d504712f44eaa37c6be01b9d33182022-12-22T01:49:36ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402018-11-01910.3389/fpsyt.2018.00579412445Epigenetics in Personality Disorders: Today's InsightsDorothee Maria Gescher0Kai G. Kahl1Thomas Hillemacher2Helge Frieling3Jens Kuhn4Thomas Frodl5Thomas Frodl6Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hanover Medical School, Hanover, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry, Paracelsus Medical University, Nuremberg, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hanover Medical School, Hanover, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Cologne, GermanyDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, GermanyGerman Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Magdeburg, GermanyObjective: Epigenetic mechanisms have been described in several mental disorders, such as mood disorders, anxiety disorders and schizophrenia. However, less is known about the influence of epigenetic mechanisms with regard to personality disorders (PD). Therefore, we conducted a literature review on existing original data with regards to epigenetic peculiarities in connection with personality disorders.Methods: Systematic literature review using PRISMA guidelines. Search was performed via NCBI PubMed by keywords and their combinations. Used search terms included “epigenetic,” “methylation,” “acetylation” plus designations of specified personality traits and disorders according to DSM-IV.Results: Search yielded in total 345 publications, 257 thereof with psychiatric topic, 72 on personality disorder or traits, 43 of which were in humans and epigenetic, 23 thereof were original studies. Lastly, 23 original publications fulfilled the intended search criteria and were included. Those are 13 studies on gene methylation pattern with aggressive, antisocial and impulsive traits, 9 with borderline personality disorder (BPD), and 2 with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). The results of these studies showed significant associations of PD with methylation aberrances in system-wide genes and suggest evidence for epigenetic processes in the development of personality traits and personality disorders. Environmental factors, of which childhood trauma showed a high impact, interfered with many neurofunctional genes. Methylation alterations in ASPD and BPD repeatedly affected HTR2A, HTR3A, NR3C1, and MAOA genes.Summary: Epigenetic studies in PD seem to be a useful approach to elucidate the interaction of co-working risk factors in the pathogenesis of personality traits and disorders. However, the complexity of pathogenesis leads to divergent results and impedes an explicit interpretation. Differing methylation patterns within the selected PD could indicate subgroups which would benefit from patient-oriented therapeutic adjustments. They might play a major role in the future design and observation of early therapeutic intervention and thus could help to prevent severe dysfunctional conduct or full-blown personality disorder in risk subjects.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00579/fullepigenetic aberrationspersonality disorderpersonality traitearly childhood adversityaggressionantisocial |
| spellingShingle | Dorothee Maria Gescher Kai G. Kahl Thomas Hillemacher Helge Frieling Jens Kuhn Thomas Frodl Thomas Frodl Epigenetics in Personality Disorders: Today's Insights Frontiers in Psychiatry epigenetic aberrations personality disorder personality trait early childhood adversity aggression antisocial |
| title | Epigenetics in Personality Disorders: Today's Insights |
| title_full | Epigenetics in Personality Disorders: Today's Insights |
| title_fullStr | Epigenetics in Personality Disorders: Today's Insights |
| title_full_unstemmed | Epigenetics in Personality Disorders: Today's Insights |
| title_short | Epigenetics in Personality Disorders: Today's Insights |
| title_sort | epigenetics in personality disorders today s insights |
| topic | epigenetic aberrations personality disorder personality trait early childhood adversity aggression antisocial |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00579/full |
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