ArticlePsychoneuroendocrinology2019
Childhood maltreatment, behavioral adjustment, and molecular markers of cellular aging in preschool-aged children: A cohort study.
Article in Psychoneuroendocrinology, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 29 papers, 2 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
29 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 48 citations in OpenAlex.
- Association between Childhood Exposure to Family Violence and Telomere Length: A Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Biological aging in childhood and adolescence following experiences of threat and deprivation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Psychological bulletin · 2020Pooled it
- Adverse Life Events Across the Life Course and the Risk of New-Onset Cardiovascular-Kidney-Metabolic Multimorbidity in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Longitudinal Evidence From CHARLS.Journal of the American Heart Association · 2025Article
- The impact of childhood maltreatment and parental styles on telomere length: the modulatory role of A118G.European journal of psychotraumatology · 2025Article
- Associations of maternal neighborhood and trauma-related stressors with mitochondrial DNA copy number and telomere length in maternal and cord blood.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Nutritional interventions to counteract the detrimental consequences of early-life stress.Molecular psychiatry · 2025Review
- Increased Rate of Unique Mitochondrial DNA Deletion Breakpoints in Young Adults With Early-Life Stress.Biological psychiatry global open science · 2025Article
- Article
- Associations among temperament characteristics and telomere length and attrition rate in early childhood.Developmental psychology · 2024Article
- Sex-Specific Association Between Childhood Adversity and Accelerated Biological Aging.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2024Article
- Examining the Biological Impacts of Parent-Child Relationship Dynamics on Preschool-Aged Children who have Experienced Adversity.Developmental psychobiology · 2024Observational
- Childhood stress, gender, and cognitive control: Midline theta power.Journal of psychiatric research · 2024Article
- The Social Environment Matters for Telomere Length and Internalizing Problems During Adolescence.Journal of youth and adolescence · 2024Article
- The interaction of socioeconomic stress and race on telomere length in children: A systematic review and meta-analysis.SSM - population health · 2023Article
- Biomarkers of aging through the life course: A Recent Literature Update.Current opinion in epidemiology and public health · 2023Article
- Psychological and biological mechanisms linking trauma with cardiovascular disease risk.Translational psychiatry · 2023Review
- Mitochondrial DNA copy number in autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2023Review
- No Mediation Effect of Telomere Length or Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number on the Association Between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Central Arterial Stiffness.Journal of the American Heart Association · 2022Article
- Dynamic behavior of cell-free mitochondrial DNA in human saliva.Psychoneuroendocrinology · 2022Article
- Relationships Between Telomere Length, Plasma Glucagon-like Peptide 1, and Insulin in Early-Life Stress-Exposed Nonhuman Primates.Biological psychiatry global open science · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveChildhood maltreatment is a major risk factor for the development of behavioral problems and poor physical and mental health. Accelerated cellular aging, through reduced telomere length and mitochondrial dysfunction, may be a mechanism underlying these associations.
methodsFamilies with (n = 133) and without (n = 123) child welfare documentation of moderate-severe maltreatment in the past six months participated in this study. Children ranged in age from 3 to 5 years, were racially and ethnically diverse, and 91% qualified for public assistance. Structured record review and interviews were used to assess a history of maltreatment and other adversities. Telomere length and mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) were measured from saliva DNA using real-time PCR. Measures were repeated at a six-month follow-up assessment. Repeated measures general linear models were used to examine the effects of maltreatment and other adversities on telomere length and mtDNAcn over time.
resultsMaltreatment and other adverse experiences were significant positive predictors of both telomere length and mtDNAcn over time. Internalizing and externalizing behavior problems were also both significantly associated with telomere length, but only internalizing symptoms were associated with mtDNAcn.
conclusionsThis is the first study to show that mtDNAcn is altered in children with stress and trauma, and the findings are consistent with recent studies of adults. Surprisingly, children who experienced moderate-severe levels of maltreatment in the prior six months had longer telomeres, possibly reflecting compensatory changes in response to recent trauma. Telomere length and mtDNAcn were also associated with behavioral problems, suggesting that these measures of cellular aging may be causally implicated in the pathophysiology of stress-related conditions.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.