EPIGENETICS AND PINEAL GLAND: EFFECTS OF EPIGENETICS ON MENTAL HEALTH

• DOI: 10.22533/at.ed.813342328042

• Palavras-chave: ---

• Keywords: Melatonin. Serotonin. Circadian rhythms. Well-being. Depression.

• Abstract:

  Advances in epigenetic studies on how environmental stimuli interact in the specific activation of genes reveal a new importance in the study of the pineal gland, shifting the focus from the circadian cycle and positioning itself in the actions of melatonin on mental health, through the interaction between epigenetics and the pineal gland. In this work, we present the most recent promising studies on the subject, in order to unravel the interaction of epigenetics with the pineal gland. An integrative review was carried out through a bibliographic survey of articles and books. It was identified that most of the articles and books separately address epigenetics, the pineal gland, and mental health, associating two of these terms in some cases. The interaction of epigenetics in the pineal gland acting on mental health needs to be analyzed in depth based on the studies undertaken since it is already known that melatonin plays a fundamental role in treatments for depression and other health conditions.