Genetic approaches to understanding post-traumatic stress disorder
Year: 2013
Type: review
Abstract: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is increasingly recognized as both a disorder of enormous mental health and societal burden, but also as an anxiety disorder that may be particularly understandable from a scientific perspective. Specifically, PTSD can be conceptualized as a disorder of fear and stress dysregulation, and the neural circuitry underlying these pathways in both animals and humans are becoming increasingly well understood. Furthermore, PTSD is the only disorder in psychiatry in which the initiating factor, the trauma exposure, can be identified. Thus, the pathophysiology of the fear and stress response underlying PTSD can be examined and potentially interrupted. Twin studies have shown that the development of PTSD following a trauma is heritable, and that genetic risk factors may account for up to 30-40% of this heritability. A current goal is to understand the gene pathways that are associated with PTSD, and how those genes act on the fear/stress circuitry to mediate risk vs. resilience for PTSD. This review will examine gene pathways that have recently been analysed, primarily through candidate gene studies (including neuroimaging studies of candidate genes), in addition to genome-wide associations and the epigenetic regulation of PTSD. Future and on-going studies are utilizing larger and collaborative cohorts to identify novel gene candidates through genome-wide association and other powerful genomic approaches. Identification of PTSD biological pathways strengthens the hope of progress in the mechanistic understanding of a model psychiatric disorder and allows for the development of targeted treatments and interventions.
Institutions: Emory University, Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: G134501340, G28226525, Genetic & Environmental Risk Factors that Contribute to Childhood Psychopathology, G4257227877, Genetic and estrogen-dependent regulation of the human PAC1R receptor and PTSD, Genetic and Trauma-Related Risk Factors for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Atlanta Clinical and Translational Science Institute (ACTSI) Renewal, GENERAL CLINICAL RESEARCH CENTER, Neuroendophenotypes and Risk for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, G6945683100, G725112703, Genetic and Trauma-Related Risk Factors for PTSD: From GWAS to Function
OpenAlex ID: W2154629684