Neuroepigenetics of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Grace S. Kim, University of Illinois; Alicia K Smith, Emory University; Caroline M. Nievergelt, University of California San Diego; Monica Uddin, University of Illinois
• Language: English
• Date: 2018-01-01
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2018 Elsevier Inc.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/bs.pmbts.2018.04.001
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science
• ISSN: 1877-1173
• Volume: 158
• Start Page: 227
• End Page: 253
• Grant/Funding Information: This work was supported by NIH grants R01MH108826 and R01MH106595, and the University of Illinois’ CompGen Initiative.
• Keywords: PREFRONTAL CORTEX; Science & Technology; TRAUMATIC STRESS; EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS; FEAR-EXTINCTION; GYRUS GRANULE NEURONS; Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; GENOME-WIDE ASSOCIATION; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; ANIMAL-MODEL; GLUCOCORTICOID-RECEPTOR GENE; ANTERIOR CINGULATE CORTEX; Neurosciences & Neurology; Neurosciences; DNA METHYLATION
• Research Categories: Biology, Neuroscience; Chemistry, Biochemistry; Psychology, Clinical

Abstract

While diagnosis of PTSD is based on behavioral symptom clusters that are most directly associated with brain function, epigenetic studies of PTSD in humans to date have been limited to peripheral tissues. Animal models of PTSD have been key for understanding the epigenetic alterations in the brain most directly relevant to endophenotypes of PTSD, in particular those pertaining to fear memory and stress response. This chapter provides an overview of neuroepigenetic studies based on animal models of PTSD, with an emphasis on the effect of stress on fear memory. Where relevant, we also describe human-based studies with relevance to neuroepigenetic insights gleaned from animal work and suggest promising directions for future studies of PTSD neuroepigenetics in living humans that combine peripheral epigenetic measures with measures of central nervous system activity, structure and function.