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The interaction between oxytocin receptor gene methylation and maternal behavior on children's early theory of mind abilities

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 April 2019

Anna L. MacKinnon Open the ORCID record for Anna L. MacKinnon [Opens in a new window] ,
Nancy Feeley ,
Ian Gold ,
Barbara Hayton ,
Leonora King ,
Corina Nagy ,
Stephanie Robins ,
Gustavo Turecki  and
Phyllis Zelkowitz
Anna L. MacKinnon
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Department of Psychiatry, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Nancy Feeley
Affiliation:
Centre for Nursing Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Ian Gold
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Barbara Hayton
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Leonora King
Affiliation:
Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Corina Nagy
Affiliation:
Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Stephanie Robins
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Gustavo Turecki*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Phyllis Zelkowitz*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
*
Author for correspondence: Gustavo Turecki, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Frank B Common Pavilion, Room F-3125, 6875 Boulevard LaSalle, Montreal, Quebec, H4H 1R3, Canada; E-mail: gustavo.turecki@mcgill.ca; or Phyllis Zelkowitz, Department of Psychiatry, Jewish General Hospital, 4333 Chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1E4, Canada; E-mail: phyllis.zelkowitz@mcgill.ca.
Author for correspondence: Gustavo Turecki, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Frank B Common Pavilion, Room F-3125, 6875 Boulevard LaSalle, Montreal, Quebec, H4H 1R3, Canada; E-mail: gustavo.turecki@mcgill.ca; or Phyllis Zelkowitz, Department of Psychiatry, Jewish General Hospital, 4333 Chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1E4, Canada; E-mail: phyllis.zelkowitz@mcgill.ca.
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Abstract

Theory of mind, the ability to represent the mental states of others, is an important social cognitive process, which contributes to the development of social competence. Recent research suggests that interactions between gene and environmental factors, such as oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) polymorphisms and maternal parenting behavior, may underlie individual differences in children's theory of mind. However, the potential influence of DNA methylation of OXTR remains unclear. The current study investigated the roles of OXTR methylation, maternal behavior, and their statistical interaction on toddlers’ early emerging theory of mind abilities. Participants included a community sample of 189 dyads of mothers and their 2- to 3-year-old children, whose salivary DNA was analyzed. Results indicated that more maternal structuring behavior was associated with better performance, on a battery of three theory of mind tasks, while higher OXTR methylation within exon 3 was associated with poorer performance. A significant interaction also emerged, such that OXTR methylation was related to theory of mind among children whose mothers displayed less structuring, when controlling for children's age, sex, ethnicity, number of child-aged siblings, verbal ability, and maternal education. Maternal structuring behavior may buffer the potential negative impact of hypermethylation on OXTR gene expression and function.

Keywords

maternal behaviormethylationOXTR geneoxytocintheory of mind
Type
Regular Articles
Information
Development and Psychopathology , Volume 32 , Issue 2 , May 2020 , pp. 511 - 519
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019

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