It is well-known that the stress of trauma can result in physical changes, such as altered cortisol levels and changes in brain function. PTSD is a complex disorder that exhibits a range of symptoms including anxiety, depression, hypervigilance, and avoidance behaviors. Whole cultures are carried forward that way, so it makes sense that family legacies might be transmitted that way as well.” There is likely an epigenetic component to this as well as transmission through the internalizations that get passed down through the generations. “The depth at which we take in the preceding generations astonishes me. These changes can alter the expression of certain genes, resulting in physiological and emotional changes in offspring, leading to a cycle of intergenerational trauma. However, recent studies have shown that the effects of PTSD can extend beyond the individual experiencing it, impacting future generations through epigenetic changes. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition that can affect individuals who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event. These changes persisted into the third generation and are the best case for epigenetic inheritance in mammals to date. For example, the use of a fungicide called Vinclozolin on pregnant rats caused lifelong epigenetic changes in the pups, resulting in low sperm counts, poor fertility, and a number of disease states in male offspring. Although some researchers are skeptical of the possibility of epigenetic inheritance in mammals, there is some evidence to suggest it is happening. There is evidence of epigenetic inheritance occurring in plants, fungi, and invertebrates. Another example is gestational diabetes, which increases the likelihood of the daughter developing gestational diabetes herself, as high glucose levels trigger epigenetic changes in her DNA.
Female pups that receive high-quality care become high nurturing mothers while those that receive low-quality care become low nurturing mothers, transmitting epigenetic information onto the pups' DNA without passing through egg or sperm. For instance, nurturing behavior in rats can affect the epigenetic differences of the pups, which can affect their response to stress later in life. Nevertheless, for a small number of genes, epigenetic tags are retained during this process and are passed down from one generation to the next.Įpigenetic tags can be passed on from parent to offspring through a process that completely bypasses the egg or sperm, which avoids the epigenetic purging that happens during early development. Reprogramming erases the epigenome to create a genetic blank slate, allowing the cells to differentiate into every type of cell in the body. The process of reprogramming is crucial in the development of complex organisms from specialized reproductive cells such as eggs and sperm. This unconventional finding challenges the notion that inheritance happens only through the DNA code passed on from parent to offspring, as it suggests that a parent's experiences, in the form of epigenetic tags, can also be passed down to future generations. However, this is not entirely true as some epigenetic tags remain as genetic information is passed from one generation to the next, which is referred to as epigenetic inheritance. In the past, it was believed that an embryo's epigenome was entirely erased and rebuilt from scratch. Rachel Yehuda's groundbreaking study on the impact of severe parental trauma on DNA methylation in Holocaust survivors and their descendants. We will also examine the connection between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and epigenetics. Specifically, we will explore how epigenetic markers can be retained and transmitted across generations, even during the reprogramming process. In this blog, we will delve into the concept of intergenerational trauma and its effects on gene expression. This can increase the risk of mental health issues and autoimmune diseases in offspring. Recent research has revealed that trauma can trigger epigenetic modifications, which can be inherited and change gene expression. Intergenerational trauma refers to the phenomenon where the experiences of past generations can influence the behavior, emotions, and well-being of future generations. “Just like a single cell, the character of our lives is determined not by our genes but by our responses to the environmental signals that propel life.” The Ghosts of Our Ancestors: How Intergenerational Trauma Shapes Our Genes