Cited by 61Stress Responses and CortisolEpigenetics and DNA MethylationChild Abuse and Trauma

Early life trauma, depression and the glucocorticoid receptor gene—An epigenetic perspective

Open access
Smart, C., Strathdee, G., Watson, S., Murgatroyd, C., McAllister-Williams, R. H.·2015·Psychological Medicine

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Hopes to identify genetic susceptibility loci accounting for the heritability seen in unipolar depression have not been fully realized. Family history remains the 'gold standard' for both risk stratification and prognosis in complex phenotypes such as depression. Meanwhile, the physiological mechanisms underlying life-event triggers for depression remain opaque. Epigenetics, comprising heritable changes in gene expression other than alterations of the nucleotide sequence, may offer a way to deepen our understanding of the aetiology and pathophysiology of unipolar depression and optimize treatments. A heuristic target for exploring the relevance of epigenetic changes in unipolar depression is the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene (NR3C1) has been found to be susceptible to epigenetic modification, specifically DNA methylation, in the context of environmental stress such as early life trauma, which is an established risk for depression later in life. METHOD: In this paper we discuss the progress that has been made by studies that have investigated the relationship between depression, early trauma, the HPA axis and the NR3C1 gene. Difficulties with the design of these studies are also explored. RESULTS: Future efforts will need to comprehensively address epigenetic natural histories at the population, tissue, cell and gene levels. The complex interactions between the epigenome, genome and environment, as well as ongoing nosological difficulties, also pose significant challenges. CONCLUSIONS: The work that has been done so far is nevertheless encouraging and suggests potential mechanistic and biomarker roles for differential DNA methylation patterns in NR3C1 as well as novel therapeutic targets.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1017/s0033291715001555

Cites

182 of 182 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Recomputing p-values needs the paper’s full text.

Claims the paper makes

We couldn’t retrieve this paper’s full text, so its claims and self-check weren’t run. The registry and citation checks still apply.

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Smart, C., Strathdee, G., Watson, S., Murgatroyd, C., & McAllister-Williams, R. H.
Affiliations
  • Newcastle University (GB)
  • Cumbria Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
  • Manchester Metropolitan University (GB)
Corresponding author
Smart, C.
Venue
Psychological Medicine
Published
2015-09-21
Volume
45
Issue
16
Pages
3393-3410
ISSN
  • 0033-2917 (ISSN-L)
  • 1469-8978
OpenAlex
W2199273595
Cited by
61
References
182
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 2
FWCI
0.56
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Psychological Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • e-space (Manchester Metropolitan University) (acceptedVersion)
  • Newcastle University ePrints (Newcastle Univesity)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Epigenetics and DNA Methylation
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
Keywords
early trauma, depression, glucocorticoid receptor gene, NR3C1, DNA methylation, epigenetics, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, genetic susceptibility, environmental stress, biomarkers, gene-environment interaction
MeSH terms
Adult Survivors of Child Adverse Events, Depression, Disease Susceptibility, Humans, Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System, Pituitary-Adrenal System, Receptors, Glucocorticoid, DNA Methylation, Epigenesis, Genetic

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review