Epigenética, Cuidados Maternais e Vulnerabilidade ao Estresse: Conceitos Básicos e Aplicabilidade

Maternal care is an early life experience that has been consistently related to alterations in the genetic expression through epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation or DNA histone modification. The present study aims to present a theoretical investigation about maternal care as an environmental event that may produce epigenetic alterations related to the biological bases of stress vulnerability. The research was based on empirical studies as well as literature review on non-human animals concerning epigenetics, stress and maternal care. It also presents some studies on humans that show such effects, particularly the ones that influence or are influenced by the operant behavior. Post-natal maternal care is found to cause effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity participating in the building of stress vulnerability. Its possible physiological effects on the operant conditioning point out to alternatives to intervention based on the plasticity of the epigenome formation. This knowledge enhances the proximity between Epigenetics and Behavior Analysis at a basic level through studies with non-human animals and at an applied level through a better understanding of child neurodevelopment and proper planning of effective intervention with mothers and children.