Posttraumatic Stress Disorder by Bremner J. Douglas

Author:Bremner, J. Douglas
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781118356128
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Published: 2016-03-21T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Genomics of PTSD

Anthony S. Zannas, Elisabeth Binder & Divya Mehta

Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich,, Germany

10.1 Introduction

The role of genetic influences in the pathogenesis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been recognized for over half a century (Cornelis et al., 2010), but the first molecular genetic study in PTSD wasn't reported until 1996 (Comings et al., 1996). Proof of the genetic contribution to PTSD came from compelling evidence from twin and family studies conducted largely in war veterans demonstrating that PTSD is influenced by genetic factors, and indicating a genetic vulnerability to PTSD independent of the effects of combat exposure and the genetic influences determining that exposure (Goldberg et al., 2002; True et al., 1993). These studies provided the impetus for the evaluation of pre-existing risk factors that might play an important role in the onset and trajectory of PTSD.

The last decade has seen a significant amount of research focused on the identification of genetic risk factors for PTSD. The condition is an enormous health burden not just for individuals, but also for their family and society, and hence an understanding of risk factors for PTSD is crucial for treatment, prevention, and the fostering of well-being. This chapter summarizes available literature on the genetics of PTSD and highlights scientific research in animal models and humans related to the identification of genetic risk factors for PTSD. These studies contribute to a better understanding of the disorder. Since trauma exposure is a prerequisite for diagnosis of PTSD, we will discuss how genetic predisposition can moderate the environmental impact on disease. This chapter presents an overview of candidate-based and genome-wide association studies as well as gene-environment interaction studies performed in humans to date. Additionally, we describe potential epigenetic mechanisms in tandem with gene expression results that provide new models for how the environment (e.g., stress) influences PTSD risk by modification of genetic contributions to PTSD.

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