A study finds a genetic similarity between PTSD and other mental health disorders

Attempts to identify the genetic causes of neuropsychiatric diseases such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) through large genome-wide studies have resulted in many thousands of connections. The challenge is further complicated by the wide range of symptoms exhibited by those with PTSD. For example, does the same genetic basis of true turmoil, anger, or humiliation that some suffer from experiencing tragic events, another sign of the disorder?

A new study led by researchers at Yale and the University of California-San Diego (UCSD) provides answers to some of these questions and finds an interesting genetic similarity between PTSD and mental health disorders others such as anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.

The findings also suggest that the existing drugs may be commonly used to modify other disorders to help treat individual symptoms of multiple disorders. .

“The complexity still exists, but this study helped us eliminate it,” said co-author Joel Gelernter, Professor of Psychology Funds and professor of genetics and neurobiology at Yale.

The study was published Jan. 28 in the journal The genetics of nature.

For the study, the researchers analyzed total genomes of more than 250,000 participants in the Million Veteran Program, a national research program of the U.S. Veterans Administration that studies how genes, lifestyle , and military experiences affecting the health and illness of military veterans. Among those participants were approximately 36,000 diagnosed with PTSD.

But instead of just looking for gene changes shared by PTSD patients, they also studied for changes linked to three types of clinical symptoms that are, to varying degrees, with those diagnosed. with the disorder. These symptom groups, or “subdomains,” include recurrence of a traumatic event, hyperarousal or acute anger and irritability, and avoidance of people or subjects who may have been associated with previous trauma. .

While the researchers found the underlying genetic norms among the three symptom groups, they also found specific changes associated with just one or two of the symptoms.

We found a very high degree of genetic affiliation between these three symptom subdomains. But we also wouldn’t expect them to be genetically identical, and they are not. We found biological support for various clinical manifestations of PTSD. “

Joel Gelernter, Professor of Genetics and Neurobiology, Yale University

The research also showed that some of these variables found in subgroups of patient symptoms are also linked to other disorders such as depression. The results suggest that drugs used to treat other disorders may help treat PTSD.

“Our research identified some medications that are currently marketed for other disease states and that may be reversible for PTSD,” said co-author Murray Stein, Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Public Health at UC-San Diego.

Interestingly, some of the variables associated with all PTSD symptoms have been associated with other neuropsychiatric disorders. For example, PTSD-related mutations of the MAD1L1 gene, which helps regulate cell cycle, have been linked to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

“Those comments, and the recent GWS discovery [genomewide-significant] anxiety-related suggests that MAD1L1 may be a common risk factor for psychopathology, ”the authors write.