Uncovering Sensitive Periods in Development
There is growing evidence that the impact of our life experiences may depend on when those exposures occur in the lifespan. Sensitive periods are developmental stages when the brain is highly malleable or “plastic” and therefore when life experience can have lasting impacts on risk for brain disease. Depending on whether the exposure is harmful or salutary for brain health, these sensitive periods may be high-risk periods – meaning windows of vulnerability – or high-reward periods – meaning windows of opportunity.
Using large-scale epidemiological samples, we have been working to identify when these sensitive periods occur and how they shape risk and protection to depression. We have studied multiple different domains—spanning social-emotional skills (e.g., emotion recognition, social cognition), biological processes (e.g., epigenetic changes), and mental health markers (e.g., symptoms of depression or suicidality).
After determining when these sensitive periods occur, our ultimate goal is to design interventions that not only promote brain health across the lifespan, but are also uniquely timed to minimize the consequences of stress exposure and prevent depression years before it onsets.
Selected Publications on Sensitive Periods
Zhu, Y., Wang, M.-J., Crawford, K.M., Ramirez, J.C.T., Lussier, A.A., Davis, K.A., de Leeuw, C., Takesian, A.E., Major Depressive Disorder Working Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, Hensch, T.K., Smoller, J.W., & Dunn, E.C. (2022). Sensitive period-regulating genetic pathways and exposure to adversity shape risk for depression. Neuropsychopharmacology, 47, 497-506.
Roffman, J.L., & Dunn, E.C. (2022). Neuropsychopharmacology reviews 2022 hot topics: the prenatal environment and risk for mental illness in young people. Neuropsychopharmacology, 47(1), 409-410. PMCID: PMC8372228. PMID: 34408278.
Dunn, E.C., Nishimi, K., Neumann , A., Renaud, A., Cecil, C. A.M., Susser, E.S., & Tiemeier, H. (2020). Time-dependent effects of exposure to physical and sexual violence on psychopathology symptoms in late childhood: In search of sensitive periods in development. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 59(2), 283-295. PCMID: PMC7448802. PMID: 31078631.
Dunn, E.C., Soare, T.W., Zhu, Y., Simpkin, A.J., Suderman, M.J., Klengel, T., Smith, A.D.A.C, Ressler, K., & Relton, C.L. (2019). Sensitive periods for the effect of childhood adversity on DNA methylation: Results from a prospective, longitudinal study. Biological Psychiatry, 15; 85(10): 838-849. PMCID: PMC6552666. PMID: 30905381.
Dunn, E.C., Soare, T.W., Raffeld, M.R., Busso, D.S., Crawford, Davis, K.A., K.M., Fisher, V.A., Slopen, N., Smith, A.D.A.C., Tiemeier, H., & Susser, E.S. (2018). What life course theoretical models best explain the relationship between exposure to childhood adversity and psychopathology symptoms: recency, accumulation, or sensitive periods? Psychological Medicine, 48(15), 2562-2572. PMCID: PMC6109629. PMID: 29478418.
Dunn, E.C., Nishimi, K., Gomez, S.H., Lott, A.P., & Bradley, B. (2018). Developmental timing of trauma exposure and emotion dysregulation in adulthood: Are there sensitive periods when trauma is most harmful? Journal of Affective Disorders, 227, 869-877. PMCID: PMC5805641. PMID: 29254068.
Dunn, E.C., Wang, Y., Tse, J., McLaughlin, K.A., Fitzmaurice, G., Gilman, S.E., & Susser, E.S. (2017). Sensitive periods for the effect of childhood interpersonal violence on psychiatric disorder onset among adolescents. British Journal of Psychiatry, 211(6), 365-372. PMCID: PMC5709674. PMID: 29097401.
Dunn, E.C., Nishimi, K., Powers, A.P., & Bradley, B. (2017). Is developmental timing of trauma exposure associated with depressive and post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in adulthood? Journal of Psychiatric Research, 84, 119-127. PMCID: PMC5479490. PMID: 27728852.
Dunn, E.C., Busso, D.S., Raffeld, M.R., Smoller, J.W., Nelson, C.A., Doyle, A.E., & Luk, G. (2016) Does developmental timing of exposure to child maltreatment predict memory performance in adulthood? Results from a large, population-based sample. Child Abuse and Neglect, 51, 181-191. PMCID: PMC4713298. PMID: 26585216.
Dunn, E.C., McLaughlin, K.A., Slopen, N., Rosand, J., & Smoller, J.W. (2013). Developmental timing of child maltreatment and symptoms of depression and suicidal ideation in young adulthood: Results from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Depression and Anxiety, 30, 955-964. PMCID: PMC3873604. PMID: 23592532.