Epigenetic impact of a 1-week intensive multimodal group program for adolescents with multiple adverse childhood experiences

Psychogenic Aging: A Novel Prospect to Integrate Psychobiological Hallmarks of Aging

Psychological factors are amongst the most robust predictors of healthspan and longevity, yet are rarely incorporated into scientific and medical frameworks of aging. The prospect of characterizing and integrating the psychological influences of aging is therefore an unmet step for the advancement of geroscience. Psychogenic Aging research is an emerging branch of biogerontology that aims to address this gap by investigating the impact of psychological factors on human longevity. It is an interdisciplinary field that integrates complex psychological, neurological, and molecular relationships that can be best understood with precision medicine methodologies. This perspective argues that psychogenic aging should be considered an integral component of the Hallmarks of Aging framework, opening the doors for future biopsychosocial integration in longevity research. By providing a unique perspective on frequently overlooked aspects of organismal aging, psychogenic aging offers new insights and targets for anti-aging therapeutics on individual and societal levels that can significantly benefit the scientific and medical communities.

Analysis of epigenetic clocks links yoga, sleep, education, reduced meat intake, coffee, and a SOCS2 gene variant to slower epigenetic aging

DNA methylation (DNAm) clocks hold promise for measuring biological age, useful for guiding clinical interventions and forensic identification. This study compared the commonly used DNAm clocks, using DNA methylation and SNP data generated from nearly 1000 human blood or buccal swab samples. We evaluated different preprocessing methods for age estimation, investigated the association of epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) with various lifestyle and sociodemographic factors, and undertook a series of novel genome-wide association analyses for different EAA measures to find associated genetic variants. Our results highlighted the Skin&Blood clock with ssNoob normalization as the most accurate predictor of chronological age. We provided novel evidence for an association between the practice of yoga and a reduction in the pace of aging (DunedinPACE). Increased sleep and physical activity were associated with lower mortality risk score (MRS) in our dataset. University degree, vegetable consumption, and coffee intake were associated with reduced levels of epigenetic aging, whereas smoking, higher BMI, meat consumption, and manual occupation correlated well with faster epigenetic aging, with FitAge, GrimAge, and DunedinPACE clocks showing the most robust associations. In addition, we found a novel association signal for SOCS2 rs73218878 (p = 2.87 × 10-8) and accelerated GrimAge. Our study emphasizes the importance of an optimized DNAm analysis workflow for accurate estimation of epigenetic age, which may influence downstream analyses. The results support the influence of genetic background on EAA. The associated SOCS2 is a member of the suppressor of cytokine signaling family known for its role in human longevity. The reported association between various risk factors and EAA has practical implications for the development of health programs to improve quality of life and reduce premature mortality associated with age-related diseases.

Epigenetic, psychological, and EEG changes after a 1-week retreat based on mindfulness and compassion for stress reduction in healthy adults: Study protocol of a cross-over randomized controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

The main objective of the study will be to evaluate the effects of two widely used standardized mindfulness-based programs [Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT)], on epigenetic, neurobiological, psychological, and physiological variables.

METHODS

The programs will be offered in an intensive retreat format in a general population sample of healthy volunteer adults. During a 7-day retreat, participants will receive MBSR and CCT in a crossover design where participants complete both programs in random order. After finishing their first 3-day training with one of the two programs, participants will be assigned to the second 3-day training with the second program. The effects of the MBSR and CCT programs, and their combination, will be measured by epigenetic changes (i.e., DNA methylation biomarkers), neurobiological and psychophysiological measures (i.e., EEG resting state, EKG, respiration patterns, and diurnal cortisol slopes), self-report questionnaires belonging to different psychological domains (i.e., mindfulness, compassion, well-being, distress, and general functioning), and stress tasks (i.e., an Arithmetic Stress Test and the retrieval of negative autobiographical memories). These measures will be collected from both groups on the mornings of day 1 (pre-program), day 4 (after finishing the first program and before beginning the second program), and day 7 (post-second program). We will conduct a 3-month and a 12-month follow-up using only the set of self-report measures.

DISCUSSION

This study aims to shed light on the neurobiological and psychological mechanisms linked to meditation and compassion in the general population. The protocol was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (Identifier: NCT05516355; August 23, 2022).

The body keeps the score: The neurobiological profile of traumatized adolescents

Trauma-related disorders are debilitating psychiatric conditions that affect people who have directly or indirectly witnessed adversities. Experiencing multiple types of traumas appears to be common during childhood, and even more so during adolescence. Dramatic brain/body transformations occurring during adolescence may provide a highly responsive substrate to external stimuli and lead to trauma-related vulnerability conditions, such as internalizing (anxiety, depression, anhedonia, withdrawal) and externalizing (aggression, delinquency, conduct disorders) problems. Analyzing relations among neuronal, endocrine, immune, and biochemical signatures of trauma and internalizing and externalizing behaviors, including the role of personality traits in shaping these conducts, this review highlights that the marked effects of traumatic experience on the brain/body involve changes at nearly every level of analysis, from brain structure, function and connectivity to endocrine and immune systems, from gene expression (including in the gut) to the development of personality.