Changes to the epigenome plausibly explain many of the deficits observed following PAE, including altered gene expression patterns, cognitive and behavioral impairments, and increased risk of mental dysfunction later in life; however, the longevity of epigenetic marks following PAE and their causal relation to behavioral outcome has not been fully explored. The following three sections discuss evidence from prenatal, postnatal, and in vitro FASD models of alcohol’s ability to change DNA methylation, histone acetylation and trimethylation, and miRNAs, and where known, their relation to behavioral outcomes.
