Epigenome Defines Aberrant Brain Laterality in Major Mental Illnesses
Brain-hemisphere asymmetry/laterality is a well-conserved biological feature of normal brain development. Several lines of evidence, confirmed by the meta-analysis of different studies, support the disruption of brain laterality in mental illnesses such as schizophrenia (SCZ), bipolar disorder (BD),...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Brain Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/14/3/261 |
| _version_ | 1797241808004055040 |
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| author | Hamid Mostafavi Abdolmaleky Shabnam Nohesara Sam Thiagalingam |
| author_facet | Hamid Mostafavi Abdolmaleky Shabnam Nohesara Sam Thiagalingam |
| author_sort | Hamid Mostafavi Abdolmaleky |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Brain-hemisphere asymmetry/laterality is a well-conserved biological feature of normal brain development. Several lines of evidence, confirmed by the meta-analysis of different studies, support the disruption of brain laterality in mental illnesses such as schizophrenia (SCZ), bipolar disorder (BD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and autism. Furthermore, as abnormal brain lateralization in the planum temporale (a critical structure in auditory language processing) has been reported in patients with SCZ, it has been considered a major cause for the onset of auditory verbal hallucinations. Interestingly, the peripheral counterparts of abnormal brain laterality in mental illness, particularly in SCZ, have also been shown in several structures of the human body. For instance, the fingerprints of patients with SCZ exhibit aberrant asymmetry, and while their hair whorl rotation is random, 95% of the general population exhibit a clockwise rotation. In this work, we present a comprehensive literature review of brain laterality disturbances in mental illnesses such as SCZ, BD, ADHD, and OCD, followed by a systematic review of the epigenetic factors that may be involved in the disruption of brain lateralization in mental health disorders. We will conclude with a discussion on whether existing non-pharmacological therapies such as rTMS and ECT may be used to influence the altered functional asymmetry of the right and left hemispheres of the brain, along with their epigenetic and corresponding gene-expression patterns. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T18:29:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-91ba7d5cbe714baab39210b38df8bdce |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3425 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T18:29:12Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brain Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-91ba7d5cbe714baab39210b38df8bdce2024-03-27T13:28:47ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252024-03-0114326110.3390/brainsci14030261Epigenome Defines Aberrant Brain Laterality in Major Mental IllnessesHamid Mostafavi Abdolmaleky0Shabnam Nohesara1Sam Thiagalingam2Department of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USADepartment of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USADepartment of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USABrain-hemisphere asymmetry/laterality is a well-conserved biological feature of normal brain development. Several lines of evidence, confirmed by the meta-analysis of different studies, support the disruption of brain laterality in mental illnesses such as schizophrenia (SCZ), bipolar disorder (BD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and autism. Furthermore, as abnormal brain lateralization in the planum temporale (a critical structure in auditory language processing) has been reported in patients with SCZ, it has been considered a major cause for the onset of auditory verbal hallucinations. Interestingly, the peripheral counterparts of abnormal brain laterality in mental illness, particularly in SCZ, have also been shown in several structures of the human body. For instance, the fingerprints of patients with SCZ exhibit aberrant asymmetry, and while their hair whorl rotation is random, 95% of the general population exhibit a clockwise rotation. In this work, we present a comprehensive literature review of brain laterality disturbances in mental illnesses such as SCZ, BD, ADHD, and OCD, followed by a systematic review of the epigenetic factors that may be involved in the disruption of brain lateralization in mental health disorders. We will conclude with a discussion on whether existing non-pharmacological therapies such as rTMS and ECT may be used to influence the altered functional asymmetry of the right and left hemispheres of the brain, along with their epigenetic and corresponding gene-expression patterns.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/14/3/261epigeneticbrainlateralityasymmetryschizophreniabipolar disorder |
| spellingShingle | Hamid Mostafavi Abdolmaleky Shabnam Nohesara Sam Thiagalingam Epigenome Defines Aberrant Brain Laterality in Major Mental Illnesses Brain Sciences epigenetic brain laterality asymmetry schizophrenia bipolar disorder |
| title | Epigenome Defines Aberrant Brain Laterality in Major Mental Illnesses |
| title_full | Epigenome Defines Aberrant Brain Laterality in Major Mental Illnesses |
| title_fullStr | Epigenome Defines Aberrant Brain Laterality in Major Mental Illnesses |
| title_full_unstemmed | Epigenome Defines Aberrant Brain Laterality in Major Mental Illnesses |
| title_short | Epigenome Defines Aberrant Brain Laterality in Major Mental Illnesses |
| title_sort | epigenome defines aberrant brain laterality in major mental illnesses |
| topic | epigenetic brain laterality asymmetry schizophrenia bipolar disorder |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/14/3/261 |
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