Transgenerational Epigenetics of Traumatic Stress.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review synthesizing animal and human literature without systematic review methodology.
PubMed 30072057 · doi:10.1016/bs.pmbts.2018.03.003
What was done
This book chapter reviews animal and human literature regarding the inter- and transgenerational inheritance of traumatic stress effects in mammals. It examines germline-mediated epigenetic transmission, known molecular modifications, developmental mechanisms, potential experimental interventions to prevent transmission, and evolutionary implications based on existing literature.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical data or effect sizes. It states that traumatic stress modifies behavior, cognition, and metabolism in mammals, and that these phenotypic effects can be transmitted to subsequent generations without direct exposure to the stressor via germline epigenetic mechanisms.
Why it matters
This review outlines the conceptual and biological frameworks for understanding how environmental trauma can induce heritable physiological and behavioral traits across generations without changing the underlying DNA sequence.
Limits
As a narrative review, it lacks a systematic search protocol, quantitative pooling, and formal quality appraisal of included studies. The abstract provides no sample sizes or effect magnitudes, and human transgenerational research remains largely observational and prone to confounding by social transmission.
Cited by
- supports Epigenetic transmission of stress and learning markers can span multiple generations in rodents and humans.