Department of Human Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2014 May;55(5):458-9. doi: 10.1111/jcpp.12238.
In light of continuing disagreement, even at the meta-analytic level, as to whether the gene- × -environment (G×E) interaction involving 5-HTTLPR and stressful life events (SLEs) predicts depression, Bogdan and associates (this issue, Bogdan et al., 2014) sought to extend research on what has become a highly controversial general (GxE) and specific (5HTTLPR X SLEs) arena of inquiry. Thus, rather than seeking to replicate this specific GXE interaction in another sample of adolescents or adults, these investigators shifted the developmental focus-to very young children, aged 3-5 years of age. This re-direction was motivated by the kindling hypothesis which stipulates that the earliest episodes of depression might be especially sensitive to environmental adversity, with later episodes very much dependent on earlier ones and less a function of later-life environmental provocation. Thus, the investigators reasoned that the controversial G×E interaction might actually prove more evident and exert a more pronounced impact early in childhood than at older ages where they have been so extensively studied.
鉴于基因-环境（G×E）相互作用是否涉及 5-HTTLPR 和应激性生活事件（SLEs）预测抑郁症，即使在元分析水平上也存在持续的分歧，Bogdan 及其同事（本期，Bogdan 等人，2014 年）试图扩展已成为极具争议的一般（GxE）和特定（5HTTLPR X SLEs）研究领域的研究。因此，这些研究人员没有试图在另一批青少年或成年人样本中复制这种特定的 GXE 相互作用，而是将发展重点转移到非常年幼的儿童，年龄在 3-5 岁。这种重新定向的动机是点燃假说，该假说规定，抑郁症的最早发作可能对环境逆境特别敏感，而后期发作则非常依赖于早期发作，而较少受到后期生活环境刺激的影响。因此，研究人员推断，有争议的 G×E 相互作用实际上可能在儿童早期比在他们被广泛研究的老年时期更为明显，并产生更为显著的影响。
