Solving the 'time puzzle' of epigenetic effects on child mental health

Introduction

TEMPO aims to solve the newly discovered epigenetic 'time puzzle' of child mental health. Recently, it has been observed that common mental health problems in children (e.g., hyperactivity, poor impulse control) are associated with epigenetic patterns at birth - a mechanism that regulates gene activity in response to genetic and environmental influences.

Discovery of Timing Effects

Curiously, however, this association is lost when measuring the same epigenetic patterns later in development. This discovery is highly unexpected and potentially ground-breaking: the existence of timing effects could lead to new insights into the origins of mental health and open much-needed opportunities for early risk detection. Yet, what factors drive epigenetic timing effects, how they manifest, and why they occur is currently a puzzle.

Methodology

To solve it, TEMPO will combine innovative, multidisciplinary approaches and the generation of exceptional new data in a unique set of longitudinal European cohorts to address the what, where, and why of epigenetic timing effects.

Work Packages

Three work packages will be implemented to:

1. Systematically characterize unknown properties of epigenetic timing effects, including their genomic scale, specificity to mental health, and persistence into adulthood, using advanced quantitative methods.
2. Locate epigenetic timing effects with greater precision by establishing whether effects are driven by epigenetic patterns in specific tissues and cell types that are found at birth but not later in life.
3. Explain timing effects by disentangling the genetic and environmental origins of epigenetic timing effects on mental health, drawing on the power of genetically sensitive, quasi-experimental designs.

Impact

As well as leading a breakthrough in this emerging field and addressing a major knowledge gap at the intersection of biological and psychological sciences, TEMPO has the potential to set in motion a paradigm shift in the way that we conceptualize, understand, and approach child mental health.