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Abuse alters genetics, ÎÛÎÛ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ study shows
Published: 7 May 2008
Suicide victims who suffered abuse as children - neglect, sexual, physical or emotional - show genetic changes in their brains, ÎÛÎÛ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ researchers have reported. The relationship between abuse and mental health problems is far from clear but a landmark study led by Moshe Szyf of ÎÛÎÛ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ, Michael Meaney and postdoctoral research fellow Patrick McGowan, revealed that environment stresses - including what we eat, drink and experience or endure - had affected the genes in the brains of men who killed themselves. Published in the Public Library of Science journal, the findings suggest that abuse can affect biology.