The Role of Epigenetics in Psychosis

Abstract

Epigenetics (genome - environment interaction) is the study of mitotically heritable, but reversible changes in gene expression without any change in DNA modifications and the chromatin structure. Transition to psychosis is a complex and longitudinal process during which epigenetic changes have been hypothesized and investigated. This process is especially important in individuals at high/ultrahigh risk for psychosis, before the development of full-blown psychosis. Psychoses is a range of complex disorders, where genetic variants explain only a portion of risk. Neuro-epigenetic mechanisms may explain the remaining share of risk, as well as the transition from susceptibility to the actual disease. There is a need for computational model of psychosis integrating genetic risk with environmental factors (epigenetic) associated with the disorder to discover its pathophysiological pathways. Epigenetic dysregulation of many genes has been widely speculated that are important factors involved in etiology, pathophysiology, and course of the psychoses, such as schizophrenia, and mood disorders with psychotic features. In addition, the role of epigenetic changes, including histone and DNA modifications and also targeting microRNAs in the treatment of psychoses is a new field of investigations.