Behavioral Epigenetics and Socioemotional Development in Infancy Open Access
Murphy, Jordan (Spring 2020)
Abstract
Background:Self-regulation emerges in infancy within a co-regulatory environment and helps to manage the stress and novelty of social experiences. Infants can, for example, look toward or away from stimuli to moderate arousal and facilitate social engagement. Maternal mood is also strongly related to infant self-regulation and may influence epigenetic processes such as DNA methylation. Additional research is needed to explore these relationships more closely.
Purpose: To examine DNA methylation of the oxytocin gene (OXT) and oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR), and salivary oxytocin in infants, and maternal oxytocin and report of depression, anxiety, and perceived stress symptoms as predictors of infant gaze self-regulation.
Methods: Forty-two mother-infant dyads were recruited from an ongoing study. DNA methylation of OXT and OXTR was measured from infant buccal cells. Maternal and infant oxytocin was collected from saliva pre- and post- mother-infant interaction in a social environment. Questionnaires ascertained maternal symptoms of depression, anxiety, or perceived stress. Infant gaze was micro-coded using a 1-second time frame for three minutes. A multilevel-time series analysis first assessed group and individual trajectories in gaze, prior to creating a level-1 model of infant gaze self-regulation using a 4-second time window of prior gaze behavior predicting current gaze behavior. Demographic, oxytocinergic, and maternal mood predictors were tested at level-2 of the multilevel model.
Results: Significant group and individual trajectories in gaze were observed. At level-1, gaze self-regulation was dynamic at 1 (OR= 16.07, CI= 12.76 -20.29), 2 (OR= 1.14, CI= 0.87-1.51), and 3 (OR= 1.33, CI= 1.03-1.71) seconds. At level-2, an interaction between OXT and OXTR predicted infant gaze self-regulation (OR= 1.16, CI= 1.02-1.32). Maternal symptoms of depression, anxiety, perceived stress, and mother and infant salivary oxytocin did not predict infant gaze self-regulation.
Conclusions: Infant prior gaze behavior and DNA methylation of the OXT and OXTR genes are potential biobehavioral markers that inform infant gaze self-regulation. Further research is needed to confirm the novel findings of this dissertation and to understand how biobehavioral markers of social engagement relate to self-regulation and socioemotional development. Translational research with pediatric clinicians will help expand knowledge within the field of behavioral epigenetics.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 – Introduction and Review of the Literature
Synopsis of the Dissertation Approach 1
Regulation Theory 5
Behavioral Epigenetics 8
Biological Domain of Socioemotional Development 12
Behavioral Domain of Socioemotional Development 21
Emotional Homeostasis 27
Expanded Approach of the Dissertation 30
References 40
Chapter 2 – Emotional Self-regulation: Visual Attention Shifting and Methylation of OXT and OXTR in Infancy
Abstract 69
Background 71
Materials and Methods 78
Results 84
Discussion 87
Limitations 93
Conclusions 94
Figure 1: Consort Diagram of Participant Eligibility and Inclusion in Data Analysis. 96
Table 1: Demographic and clinical characteristics of mothers and their infants at 6-months of age 97
Table 2: The effect of time on infant current gaze behavior modeled as a fixed and random slope 98
Figure 2: Predicted Probabilities of Infant Gaze Utilizing a Fixed and Random Slope. 99
Table 3: Level-1 model of infant gaze self-regulation 100
Table 4: Descriptive characteristics of oxytocinergic predictors 101
Table 5: Level-1 model of infant gaze self-regulation with level-2 oxytocinergic predictors 102
Figure 3: Predicted Probabilities of Infant Gaze Utilizing Oxytocinergic Predictors. 102
References 103
Chapter 3 – Emotional Self-regulation: Maternal Mood and Infant Visual Attention in a Social Environment
Abstract 114
Background 116
Materials and Methods 121
Results 126
Discussion 129
Limitations 130
Conclusions 131
Figure 1: Consort Diagram of Participant Eligibility and Inclusion in Data Analysis. 132
Table 1: Demographic and clinical characteristics of mothers and their infants at 6-months of age 133
Table 2: The effect of time on infant current gaze behavior modeled as a fixed and random slope 134
Figure 2: Predicted Probabilities of Infant Gaze Utilizing a Fixed and Random Slope. 135
Table 3: Level-1 model of infant gaze self-regulation 136
Table 4: Descriptive characteristics of maternal mood and oxytocin hormone 137
Table 5: Level-1 model of infant gaze self-regulation with level-2 EDS and oxytocin predictors 137
Table 6: Level-1 model of infant gaze self-regulation with level-2 STAI and oxytocin predictors 138
Table 7: Level-1 model of infant gaze self-regulation with level-2 PSS and oxytocin predictors 138
References 139
Chapter 4 – Translational Research for Preventative Models of Healthcare: Behavioral Epigenetics and the Pediatric Well Visit
Abstract 150
Background 152
Discussion 164
Conclusions 168
References 169
Chapter 5 – Emotional Homeostasis and the Mother-Infant Relational Environment
Emotional Homeostasis and the Mother-Infant Relational Environment 183
References 188
About this Dissertation
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