We have conducted clinical studies on the influence of intrauterine loads. In the longitudinal study FRANCES (Franconian Cognition and Emotion Studies funded by the Staedtler Foundation) with 250 families, we showed the long-term consequences of prenatal risks (alcohol consumption, depression and stress during pregnancy) for child adaptation at the age of 6 to 9 years. Neurobiological markers were also found relevant (e.g. alcohol metabolites in the meconium of the newborn as a marker of alcohol exposure during pregnancy, concentration of cortisol (also called the "stress hormone") in saliva and hair as well as epigenetic data from oral mucosal cells and inflammatory markers in the blood (as markers of the influence of the environment on gene activity)). We were able to demonstrate associations between prenatal maternal depression and the children's cortisol secretion and the associated methylation changes (i.e. changes in gene activity), especially in the genes of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis (HPA axis; also known as the "stress axis"). Our results also showed that prenatal alcohol exposure can influence children's cognitive abilities and behavior through methylation changes in certain genes relevant to neuronal development.

Project-related publication

Grimm, J., Stemmler, M., Golub, Y., Schwenke, E., Goecke, T. W., Fasching, P. A., Beckmann, M. W., Kratz, O., Moll, G. H., Kornhuber, J., & Eichler, A. (2021). The association between prenatal alcohol consumption and preschool child stress system disturbance. Developmental psychobiology, 63(4), 687–697. https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.22038 

Frisch, N., Eichler, A., Plank, A. C., Golub, Y., Moll, G. H., & Kratz, O. (2020). Exploring Reference Values for Hair Cortisol: Hair Weight versus Hair Protein. Therapeutic drug monitoring, 10.1097/FTD.0000000000000782. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1097/FTD.0000000000000782

Golub, Y., Kuitunen-Paul, S., Panaseth, K., Stonawski, V., Frey, S., Steigleder, R., Grimm, J., Goecke, T. W., Fasching, P. A., Beckmann, M. W., Kornhuber, J., Kratz, O., Heinrich, H., Moll, G. H., & Eichler, A. (2019). Salivary and hair cortisol as biomarkers of emotional and behavioral symptoms in 6-9 year old children. Physiology & behavior, 209, 112584. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.112584

Stonawski, V., Frey, S., Golub, Y., Rohleder, N., Kriebel, J., Goecke, T. W., Fasching, P. A., Beckmann, M. W., Kornhuber, J., Kratz, O., Moll, G. H., Heinrich, H., & Eichler, A. (2019). Associations of prenatal depressive symptoms with DNA methylation of HPA axis-related genes and diurnal cortisol profiles in primary school-aged children. Development and psychopathology, 31(2), 419–431. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579418000056

Frey, S., Eichler, A., Stonawski, V., Kriebel, J., Wahl, S., Gallati, S., Goecke, T. W., Fasching, P. A., Beckmann, M. W., Kratz, O., Moll, G. H., Heinrich, H., Kornhuber, J., & Golub, Y. (2018). Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Is Associated With Adverse Cognitive Effects and Distinct Whole-Genome DNA Methylation Patterns in Primary School Children. Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience, 12, 125. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00125

Stonawski, V., Frey, S., Golub, Y., Moll, G. H., Heinrich, H., & Eichler, A. (2018). Affektive Belastungen der Mutter in der Schwangerschaft und assoziierte epigenetische Veränderungen beim Kind: Eine Übersicht [Epigenetic modifications in children associated with maternal emotional stress during pregnancy]. Zeitschrift fur Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie und Psychotherapie, 46(2), 155–167. https://doi.org/10.1024/1422-4917/a000515

With the help of salivary cortisol and hair cortisol samples (Frisch et al., 2020; Golub et al., 2019) and the Trier Social Stress Test, we investigated the function of the stress system in children with anxiety disorders as well as salivary cortisol in the daily profile as a marker of emotional symptoms in 6- to 9-year-old children. In a study with children suffering from social anxiety, selective mutism (emotional disorder with impairment of language communication) and other anxiety disorders, we were able to examine the neuropeptides Y (NPY) (= a messenger substance released by nerve cells) and dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) (= an enzyme that breaks down neuropeptides and is associated with various mental disorders) in the blood level. For example, we found lower levels of DPP4 in 51 children between the ages of 5 and 8 with selective mutism which was associated with more severe anxiety symptoms and behavioral inhibition.

Project-related publications

Frisch, N., Eichler, A., Plank, A. C., Golub, Y., Moll, G. H., & Kratz, O. (2020). Exploring Reference Values for Hair Cortisol: Hair Weight Versus Hair Protein. Ther Drug Monit, 42(6), 902-908. https://doi.org/10.1097/ftd.0000000000000779

Funke, R., Eichler, A., Distler, J., Golub, Y., Kratz, O., & Moll, G. H. (2017). Stress system dysregulation in pediatric generalized anxiety disorder associated with comorbid depression. Stress Health, 33(5), 518-529. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.2736

Golub, Y., Stonawski, V., Plank, A. C., Eichler, A., Kratz, O., Waltes, R., von Hoersten, S., Roessner, V., & Freitag, C. M. (2021). Anxiety Is Associated With DPPIV Alterations in Children With Selective Mutism and Social Anxiety Disorder: A Pilot Study. Frontiers in psychiatry, 12, 644553. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.644553