To speak may draw on epigenetic writing and reading: Unravelling the complexity of speech and language outcomes across chromatin-related neurodevelopmental disorders

Miya St John; Tanya Tripathi; Angela T Morgan; David J Amor

doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105293

To speak may draw on epigenetic writing and reading: Unravelling the complexity of speech and language outcomes across chromatin-related neurodevelopmental disorders

Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2023 Sep:152:105293. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105293. Epub 2023 Jun 22.

Authors

Miya St John¹, Tanya Tripathi², Angela T Morgan³, David J Amor⁴

Affiliations

¹ Speech and Language, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia; Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Electronic address: miya.stjohn@mcri.edu.au.
² Neurodisability and Rehabilitation, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia. Electronic address: tanya.tripathi@mcri.edu.au.
³ Speech and Language, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia; Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Speech Genomics Clinic, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia. Electronic address: angela.morgan@mcri.edu.au.
⁴ Neurodisability and Rehabilitation, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia; Speech Genomics Clinic, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia. Electronic address: david.amor@mcri.edu.au.

PMID: 37353048
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105293

Abstract

Speech and language development are complex neurodevelopmental processes that are incompletely understood, yet current evidence suggests that speech and language disorders are prominent in those with disorders of chromatin regulation. This review aimed to unravel what is known about speech and language outcomes for individuals with chromatin-related neurodevelopmental disorders. A systematic literature search following PRISMA guidelines was conducted on 70 chromatin genes, to identify reports of speech/language outcomes across studies, including clinical reports, formal subjective measures, and standardised/objective measures. 3932 studies were identified and screened and 112 were systematically reviewed. Communication impairment was core across chromatin disorders, and specifically, chromatin writers and readers appear to play an important role in motor speech development. Identification of these relationships is important because chromatin disorders show promise as therapeutic targets due to the capacity for epigenetic modification. Further research is required using standardised and formal assessments to understand the nuanced speech/language profiles associated with variants in each gene, and the influence of chromatin dysregulation on the neurobiology of speech and language development.

Keywords: Chromatin; Communication; Epigenetic; Language; Neurodevelopment; Speech.

Publication types

Review
Systematic Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Chromatin / genetics
Communication Disorders*
Humans
Reading
Speech*
Writing

Substances

Chromatin