RT Journal
A1 Stephenson J
T1 ABuse and the brain
JF JAMA
JO JAMA
YR 2009
FD April 1
VO 301
IS 13
SP 1329
OP 1329
DO 10.1001/jama.2009.428
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.2009.428
AB 
The investigators examined brain tissue from 24 men who had committed suicide, half of whom had a history of childhood abuse, and from 12 men who had not been abused and died suddenly from other causes. Men with a history of abuse had lower levels of glucocorticoid receptors than did men who had not been abused or had not committed suicide. In addition, in those who had been abused, a snippet of “promoter” DNA that normally facilitates the production of glucocorticoid receptors had been silenced by the attachment of a methyl group.