In recent years, the field of neuroscience has uncovered fascinating insights into how our early environments shape who we become. One of the most groundbreaking areas of this research focuses on the role of epigenetics—changes in gene expression that do not involve alterations to the DNA sequence itself—in brain development.

A particularly compelling model for understanding these processes comes from studies on maternal care in rodents, which offer profound implications for human development.

In today’s blog, I share some of the research on how the caregiving environment influences brain changes through epigenetic mechanisms and why these findings are critical for understanding the developmental trajectories of human babies.

Epigenetics is the study of how environmental factors can lead to changes in gene activity without altering the underlying DNA sequence. These changes are often facilitated through mechanisms such as DNA methylation and histone modification, which consequently regulate how genes are expressed. Importantly, these epigenetic modifications can have long-lasting effects, setting the stage for behavioral and physiological responses throughout life.

Pioneering studies by Dr. Michael Meaney and colleagues at McGill University (1) provided a detailed exploration of how maternal care can lead to lasting changes in brain function through epigenetic modifications. The researchers used rodent models to investigate how variations in maternal behavior, specifically the level of licking and grooming (LG) provided by the mother,........

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