Epigenetic Modulation Mechanisms in Psychiatric Disorders: Gene and Trigger and Erase and Re-write Hypothesis

Epigenetic modifications are investigated routinely and are one of the most rapidly growing components of molecular biology. Epigenetics has also been implicated in brain and behavior. Psychiatric disorders with complex etiologies have recently been attributed to specific epigenetic alterations in gene expression patterns leading up to behavioral maladaptations. This field has also provided a new angle to the age-old nature-nurture debate by providing a new perspective as to the role of surroundings in behavioral adaptation of an organism. Understanding the epigenetic basis in maladaptive conditions and then correlating it to development of plasticity would provide valuable insight into understanding environment-mediated effects on organisms and its evolution.