TY - JOUR
T1 - The Vindication of Lamarck? Epigenetics at the Intersection of Law and Mental Health
AU - Delisi, Matt
AU - Vaughn, Michael G.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Copyright:
Copyright 2015 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2015/10/1
Y1 - 2015/10/1
N2 - Research on epigenetic mechanisms is gaining traction, yet is poorly understood by criminologists and behavioral scientists. The current objective is to review relevant studies of interest to behavioral scientists who study crime, and to translate admittedly challenging scientific information into text that is digestible to the average criminologist. Using systematic search procedures the authors identified and reviewed 41 studies of epigenetic mechanisms in psychiatric and behavioral phenotypes among humans. Findings revealed significant epigenetic effects in an assortment of genes that are implicated in the etiology of depression, suicidality, callous-unemotional traits, and chronic and intergenerational aggressive behavior. Several polymorphisms that mediate the HPA axis, neurotransmission, immune response, brain development, serotonin synthesis, and other processes were found. Although prescriptive knowledge based on epigenetic findings to date is premature, epigenetics is a new and exciting scientific frontier not too different in spirit from Lamarck's observations centuries ago.
AB - Research on epigenetic mechanisms is gaining traction, yet is poorly understood by criminologists and behavioral scientists. The current objective is to review relevant studies of interest to behavioral scientists who study crime, and to translate admittedly challenging scientific information into text that is digestible to the average criminologist. Using systematic search procedures the authors identified and reviewed 41 studies of epigenetic mechanisms in psychiatric and behavioral phenotypes among humans. Findings revealed significant epigenetic effects in an assortment of genes that are implicated in the etiology of depression, suicidality, callous-unemotional traits, and chronic and intergenerational aggressive behavior. Several polymorphisms that mediate the HPA axis, neurotransmission, immune response, brain development, serotonin synthesis, and other processes were found. Although prescriptive knowledge based on epigenetic findings to date is premature, epigenetics is a new and exciting scientific frontier not too different in spirit from Lamarck's observations centuries ago.
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U2 - 10.1002/bsl.2206
DO - 10.1002/bsl.2206
M3 - Article
C2 - 26387846
AN - SCOPUS:84943159610
VL - 33
SP - 607
EP - 628
JO - Behavioral Sciences and the Law
JF - Behavioral Sciences and the Law
SN - 0735-3936
IS - 5
ER -