Over a span of 100 days, starting from April 6, 1994, nearly 800,000 individuals of the Tutsi ethnicity were killed by Hutu extremists during their attempts to eliminate the minority group in Rwanda. Although this horrific event may have ended, the horror of the genocide continues to persist in the DNA of Tutsi victims and their descendants.
A team of scientists from the University of South Florida found chemical modifications in the genes associated with mental disorders in pregnant women and their children who were pregnant at the time of the genocide. These findings suggest that, unlike genetic mutations, these "epigenetic" chemical modifications can provide a rapid response to trauma across generations. The study also provides further evidence for the theory known as intergenerational trauma, which posits that trauma can be inherited due to genetic changes in the DNA of the affected individuals. However, the changes do not damage the genes but alter how they function.
Professor Monica Odgen, a co-author of the study, stated, "Epigenetics refers to stable but reversible chemical modifications made to DNA to help control gene function, and this can occur within a shorter timeframe than is required for changes in the fundamental DNA sequence of genes. Our study found that exposure to genocide before birth was associated with a genetic pattern suggesting reduced gene function in the offspring."
Odgen and her colleague Derek Wildman initiated their study to provide the scientific tools needed to address the mental health issues faced by survivors of the genocide. Along with Clarisse Musanabaganwa, a visiting researcher from the University of Rwanda, and their colleagues, the team studied DNA from blood samples taken from 59 individuals, including 33 mothers and 26 children.
The team aimed to provide evidence of the intergenerational transmission of trauma, as has been found among ordinary people who have suffered from abuse, poverty, and other traumatic events, according to the British Daily Mail.
