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The epigenome and postnatal environmental influences in psychotic disorders

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Abstract

Objectives

Schizophrenia spectrum disorders and bipolar spectrum disorders are the product of both heritable and non-heritable factors, the impact of which converges at different biological levels. Recent evidence from molecular approaches has provided new insights about how environmental exposures cause persistent alterations in the regulation of gene expression, particularly by so-called epigenetic mechanisms. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of findings of epigenetic studies in psychotic disorders, summarizing findings of human and animal studies on epigenetic alterations due to postnatal environmental exposures associated with psychotic disorders.

Methods

Electronic and manual literature search of MEDLINE, EMBASE and PSYCHINFO, using a range of search terms around epigenetics, DNA methylation, histone modifications, psychoses, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and environmental risks associated with psychotic disorders as observed in human and experimental animal studies, complemented by review articles and cross-references.

Results

Despite several promising findings of differential epigenetic profiles in individuals with psychotic disorders in the studies published to date, the knowledge of the role of epigenetic processes in psychotic disorder remains very limited, and should be interpreted cautiously given various challenges in this rapidly evolving field of research.

Conclusions

Integration of epigenetic findings into biopsychosocial models of the etiology of psychotic disorders eventually may yield important insights into the biological underpinnings of the onset and course of psychotic disorders.

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Acknowledgments

JvO and BPFR have received funding from the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme under Grant Agreement No. HEALTH-F2-2009-241909 (Project EU-GEI), and BPFR has received funding from the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO; VENI Award No. 916.11.086).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands

    Ehsan Pishva, Gunter Kenis, Daniel van den Hove, Jim van Os & Bart P. F. Rutten

  2. Laboratory of Translational Neuroscience, Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany

    Daniel van den Hove & Klaus-Peter Lesch

  3. Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Marco P. M. Boks

  4. Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s Health Partners, King’s College London, London, UK

    Jim van Os

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  1. Ehsan Pishva
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  2. Gunter Kenis
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Correspondence to Bart P. F. Rutten.

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Pishva, E., Kenis, G., van den Hove, D. et al. The epigenome and postnatal environmental influences in psychotic disorders. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 49, 337–348 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-014-0831-2

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