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Childhood trauma is associated with risk for both bipolar disorder (BD) and specific illness characteristics, including early onset, rapid cycling, psychotic symptoms, and suicide attempts. These researchers examined methylation (gene silencing) of the glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1) promoter in 99 BD patients carefully assessed for number and severity of childhood traumas. NR3C1 methylation has been shown to cause dysregulation of cortisol stress responses and, in animal studies, to be increased by early stress.
Patients with BD type 2 disorder or with comorbid substance use disorder reported more types of childhood maltreatment (e.g., physical abuse). After adjustment for age and sex, having more types of these traumas was associated …