Genetic approaches for the study of PTSD: Advances and challenges

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Sunayana B. Banerjee, Emory University; Filomene G. Morrison, Emory University; Kerry Ressler, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2017-05-10
• Publisher: Elsevier: 12 months
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2017 Elsevier B.V.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2017.02.058
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Neuroscience Letters
• ISSN: 0304-3940
• Volume: 649
• Start Page: 139
• End Page: 146
• Grant/Funding Information: This project was also funded by the Office of Research Infrastructure Programs/OD P51OD011132 (formerly NCRR P51RR000165).; This work was supported in part by the following sources of funding: KJR (1R01MH096764), the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Ruth L. Kirstein NRSA predoctoral fellowship to FGM (F31 MH105237-01).
• Keywords: Brain; Animals; Epigenesis, Genetic; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Memory; Genome-Wide Association Study; Humans; Genetic Predisposition to Disease
• Research Categories: Biology, Neuroscience; Biology, Genetics; Psychology, General

Abstract

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a highly debilitating stress and anxiety-related disorder that occurs in response to specific trauma or abuse. Genetic risk factors may account for up to 30–40% of the heritability of PTSD. Understanding the gene pathways that are associated with PTSD, and how those genes interact with the fear and stress circuitry to mediate risk and resilience for PTSD will enable the development of targeted therapies to prevent the occurrence of or decrease the severity of this complex multi-gene disorder. This review will summarize recent research on genetic approaches to understanding PTSD risk and resilience in human populations, including candidate genes and their epigenetic modifications, genome-wide association studies and neural imaging genetics approaches. Despite challenges faced within this field of study such as inconsistent results and replications, genetic approaches still offer exciting opportunities for the identification and development of novel therapeutic targets and therapies in the future.