Danielius Serapinas, Anna Serapinienė, Rita Bandzevičienė, Rūta Pukinskaitė, Antanas Valantinas
Abstract
There are many knowledge and notes in the contemporary psychology and psychotherapy about the importance of thoughts, prevention of stress and positive thinking for the disease prophylaxis and treatment. New research in psychophysiology, neuropsychoanalysis and genetics laid a foundation for the development of new science direction, i.e. psycho-genetics. In general sense, psycho-genetics investigates the interaction between mental and genetic mechanisms, and their health effects. The manifestation or non-expression of separate genes, or DNA fragments, is no of less importance than the actual structure of DNA. The changes of genes’ function which are not related with changes of nuclear DNA nucleotides sequencing are under the focus of a branch of genetic science, i.e. epigenetics. The epigenetic effect regulates a performance of genes and is related with inherited, therefore potentially reversible, changes of genes’ manifestation but not a structure of DNA. Epigenetic factors transform an expression of genes without changing a structure of DNA, and has plasticity in response to external and internal factors. New research has shown that these factors may be not only chemicals or food, but also psychological in nature such as following: positive thinking, optimism, adequate reaction to stress.
Keyword(s): psychology; psychophysiology; epigenetics; psycho-neuroendocrinology.
DOI: 10.5200/sm-hs.2017.050
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