November 11, 2010
Researchers at McGill University, led by Tie-Yuan Zhang, PhD studied the impact of early maternal affection on the GAD1 gene, which affects production of a chemical known as GABA vital to brain communication. Earlier research has shown that GABA helps to regulate emotion and that people with schizophrenia may have GABA deficits.
Studying the maternal behavior of rats specifically bred to be either extremely caring or rarely affectionate, the McGill researchers found that affectionate maternal care in very early life can lead to increased GABA production, while maternal neglect leads to obstruction in the regions of DNA that control the GAD1 gene.
This research indicates that early life environment, specifically the type of maternal care in babyhood, through epigenetics, can influence brain function, including influencing predisposition to mental illness.