# Longitudinal examination of DNA methylation in maltreated children

> **NIH NIH R01** · EMMA PENDLETON BRADLEY HOSPITAL · 2021 · $533,610

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Childhood maltreatment is a major risk factor for the development of psychiatric disorders as well as chronic
and severe physical health problems across the lifespan. Emerging evidence suggests that epigenetic
processes represent key mechanisms underlying the biobehavioral encoding of early adversity, and childhood
maltreatment is associated with epigenetic changes in the genes that regulate the child stress response
including neuroendocrine and immune system functioning. DNA methylation is a critical epigenetic process that
regulates cell differentiation very early in fetal development and is responsive to environmental influences,
including childhood maltreatment. Yet a basic understanding of how methylation longitudinally changes over
time has yet to be achieved, with little knowledge of how childhood maltreatment affects these developmental
trajectories. Likewise, although recent work suggests that methylation of stress sensitive genes contributes to
child health outcomes, it is unknown how methylation longitudinally contributes to child health and behavior
over time. The goals of the proposed research are: 1) to examine stability and change in methylation of
glucocorticoid- and inflammatory-signaling genes from early to middle childhood; 2) to determine if childhood
maltreatment is associated with stability and change in methylation over time; and 3) to investigate if
methylation of glucocorticoid- and inflammatory-signaling genes is a mechanism linking childhood
maltreatment to psychiatric outcomes, health outcomes, and pre-clinical indicators of malfunctioning in
metabolic, inflammatory, and endocrine systems. Two hundred well-characterized, very high-risk, maltreated
and non-maltreated children will participate. Assessments of early adversity, including childhood maltreatment,
and child biopsychosocial health will be captured in early childhood (3 to 5 years) and middle childhood (9 to
11 years). Saliva DNA will be collected from children at each assessment to assess methylation of
glucocorticoid- and inflammatory-signaling genes. Data analysis will focus on modeling longitudinal stability
and change in methylation over time, as well as examining maltreatment as a predictor of stability and change
in methylation. Methylation will also be examined as a mediator of the influence of maltreatment on child health
outcomes. Understanding the longitudinal course of methylation across childhood will inform the basic science
of epigenetic processes, as well as refinement of interventions to enhance resilience among children with early
adversity.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10232335
- **Project number:** 5R01HD095837-04
- **Recipient organization:** EMMA PENDLETON BRADLEY HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Stephanie Hart Parade
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $533,610
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-01 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10232335

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10232335, Longitudinal examination of DNA methylation in maltreated children (5R01HD095837-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10232335. Licensed CC0.

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