Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40563527›Full record

ArticleBiomolecules2025

Early-Life Adversity and Epigenetic Aging: Findings from a 17-Year Longitudinal Study.

Emily Barr, Maude Comtois-Cabana, Andressa Coope, Sylvana M Coté, Michael S Kobor, Chaini Konwar, Sonia Lupien, Marie-Claude Geoffroy, Michel Boivin, Nadine Provençal and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Biomolecules, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Emily BarrFaculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-8582-1590
Maude Comtois-CabanaFaculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-4750-0155
Andressa CoopeFaculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.
Sylvana M CotéDepartment of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H3N 1X9, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-7944-0647
Michael S KoborBC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada.
Chaini KonwarBC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada.
Sonia LupienDepartment of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada.
Marie-Claude GeoffroyDepartment of Educational & Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1X1, Canada.
Michel BoivinSchool of Psychology, Laval University, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-8621-9844
Nadine ProvençalFaculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-2079-8393
Nicole L A CatherineFaculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-1190-4326
Jessica K DennisBC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada.
Isabelle Ouellet-MorinSchool of Criminology, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada.

Funding

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council MOP-133501
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Youth exposed to early-life adversity (ELA) are at greater risk for poorer physical and mental health outcomes in adolescence and adulthood. Although the biological mechanisms underlying these associations remain elusive, DNA methylation (DNAm) has emerged as a potential pathway. DNAm-based measures of epigenetic age have been associated with ELA, indicating accelerated aging. According to the stress sensitization hypothesis, prenatal adversity may further heighten sensitivity to subsequent stressors in childhood and adolescence. This study examined the associations between ELA and six epigenetic aging measures, considering both the timing of adversity and the participant's sex. Data were drawn from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, with two cumulative indices of ELA derived from prospectively collected data: the Perinatal Adversity and the Child and Adolescent Adversity indices. Higher Perinatal Adversity scores were associated with accelerated DunedinPACE scores. No significant associations were found between ELA and the other epigenetic clocks, nor did we find support for the stress sensitization hypothesis-though a sex-specific trend emerged among girls. The findings suggest that DunedinPACE may be more sensitive to variations in ELA than other clocks. Future research should systematically investigate sex-dimorphic associations between ELA and epigenetic aging, with particular attention to the impact of perinatal adversity.

Indexed as

Adverse Childhood ExperiencesAgingEpigenesis, GeneticAdolescentChildDNA MethylationFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMalePregnancyPrenatal Exposure Delayed EffectsStress, PsychologicalagingDNA methylationearly-life adversityepigenetic agingstress sensitization

Identifiers

PMID40563527
PMCPMC12191424

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Registered trials

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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.