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Parental brain and socioeconomic epigenetic effects in human development

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 October 2012

James E. Swain ,
Suzanne C. Perkins ,
Carolyn J. Dayton ,
Eric D. Finegood  and
S. Shaun Ho
James E. Swain
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. jamesswa@med.umich.edu http://www2.med.umich.edu/psychiatry/psy/fac_query4.cfm?link_name=jamesswa sperkinz@med.umich.edu carolynjdayton@gmail.com efinegoo@med.umich.edu hosh@med.umich.edu
Suzanne C. Perkins
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. jamesswa@med.umich.edu http://www2.med.umich.edu/psychiatry/psy/fac_query4.cfm?link_name=jamesswa sperkinz@med.umich.edu carolynjdayton@gmail.com efinegoo@med.umich.edu hosh@med.umich.edu
Carolyn J. Dayton
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. jamesswa@med.umich.edu http://www2.med.umich.edu/psychiatry/psy/fac_query4.cfm?link_name=jamesswa sperkinz@med.umich.edu carolynjdayton@gmail.com efinegoo@med.umich.edu hosh@med.umich.edu
Eric D. Finegood
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. jamesswa@med.umich.edu http://www2.med.umich.edu/psychiatry/psy/fac_query4.cfm?link_name=jamesswa sperkinz@med.umich.edu carolynjdayton@gmail.com efinegoo@med.umich.edu hosh@med.umich.edu
S. Shaun Ho
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. jamesswa@med.umich.edu http://www2.med.umich.edu/psychiatry/psy/fac_query4.cfm?link_name=jamesswa sperkinz@med.umich.edu carolynjdayton@gmail.com efinegoo@med.umich.edu hosh@med.umich.edu
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Abstract

Critically significant parental effects in behavioral genetics may be partly understood as a consequence of maternal brain structure and function of caregiving systems recently studied in humans as well as rodents. Key parental brain areas regulate emotions, motivation/reward, and decision making, as well as more complex social-cognitive circuits. Additional key environmental factors must include socioeconomic status and paternal brain physiology. These have implications for developmental and evolutionary biology as well as public policy.

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Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 35 , Issue 5 , October 2012 , pp. 378 - 379
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012 

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