ArticleBiological psychiatry2016
Alterations of Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number and Telomere Length With Early Adversity and Psychopathology.
Article in Biological psychiatry, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 149 papers, 10 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
149 citing papers in PubMed, 10 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 266 citations in OpenAlex.
- Exploring the association between depression and telomere length: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Scientific reports · 2025Pooled it
- Whole blood mitochondrial copy number in clinical populations with mood disorders: A meta-analysis: Blood mitochondrial copy number and mood disorders.Psychiatry research · 2024Pooled it
- Associations of Mitochondrial Function, Stress, and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Early Life: A Systematic Review.Developmental neuroscience · 2022Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Biological aging in childhood and adolescence following experiences of threat and deprivation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Psychological bulletin · 2020Pooled it
- Adverse Childhood Experiences and Telomere Length a Look Into the Heterogeneity of Findings-A Narrative Review.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2019Pooled it
- Early life adversity and telomere length: a meta-analysis.Molecular psychiatry · 2018Pooled it
- Perceived stress and telomere length: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and methodologic considerations for advancing the field.Brain, behavior, and immunity · 2016Pooled it
- Depression and telomere length: A meta-analysis.Journal of affective disorders · 2016Pooled it
- Psychological Stress and Mitochondria: A Systematic Review.Psychosomatic medicinePooled it
- Five Days Periodic Fasting Elevates Levels of Longevity RelatedInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2021Trial
- Circulating cell-free mitochondrial DNA, but not leukocyte mitochondrial DNA copy number, is elevated in major depressive disorder.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2018Trial
- Early Adversity Imprints Multisystem Biological Aging: A Longitudinal Study of Adversity Dimensions and Aging Phenotypes Across Adolescence.Biological psychiatry global open science · 2026Article
- A NovelInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Internet Gaming Addiction in Male Adolescents: Mitochondrial DNA Variations and Leukocyte Telomere Length.Genes · 2026Article
- Lifetime adversity exposure, mood symptoms, and immune mitochondrial bioenergetics.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2026Article
- RNA in Plasma Extracellular Vesicles of Adolescent Rhesus Macaques Reveals Immune, Bioenergetic, and Microbial Imprints of Early-Life Adversity: An Exploratory Analysis.Biological psychiatry · 2026Article
- Investigating PeripheralBiomolecules · 2026Article
- Powering the mind: deciphering the shared genetic architecture between mitochondrial DNA copy number and major psychiatric disorders.Molecular psychiatry · 2026Article
- Association between telomere length and psychiatric disorders: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization study.European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience · 2026Article
89 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundTelomere shortening and alterations of mitochondrial biogenesis are involved in cellular aging. Childhood adversity is associated with telomere shortening, and several investigations have shown short telomeres in psychiatric disorders. Recent studies have examined whether mitochondria might be involved in neuropsychiatric conditions; findings are limited and no prior work has examined this in relation to stress exposure.
methodsTwo-hundred ninety healthy adults provided information on childhood parental loss and maltreatment and completed diagnostic interviews. Participants were categorized into four groups based upon the presence or absence of childhood adversity and the presence or absence of lifetime psychopathology (depressive, anxiety, and substance use disorders). Telomere length and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number were measured from leukocyte DNA by quantitative polymerase chain reaction.
resultsChildhood adversity and lifetime psychopathology were each associated with shorter telomeres (p < .01) and higher mtDNA copy numbers (p < .001). Significantly higher mtDNA copy numbers and shorter telomeres were seen in individuals with major depression, depressive disorders, and anxiety disorders, as well as those with parental loss and childhood maltreatment. A history of substance disorders was also associated with significantly higher mtDNA copy numbers.
conclusionsThis study provides the first evidence of an alteration of mitochondrial biogenesis with early life stress and with anxiety and substance use disorders. We replicate prior work on telomere length and psychopathology and show that this effect is not secondary to medication use or comorbid medical illness. Finally, we show that early life stress and psychopathology are each associated with these markers of cellular aging.
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