The Root Cause of Post-Traumatic and Developmental Stress Disorder
Abstract
Our overarching scientific hypothesis holds that serotonergic influences on brain development, driven by genetics and early experience, induce a variation of normal brain anatomy that makes the brain highly susceptible to the effects of severe stress. After TATRC review in January of 2011, a revised research plan was developed to include a pre/post-deployment study at Fort Hood and anatomical studies of PTSD in collaboration with NIMH, Yale and USUHS. BAMC IRB for the clinical study was approved in December 2012 and the study was approved by HRPO in October 2013, with no changes recommended by HRPO. However, BAMC review of changes in the protocol has further delayed BAMC approval. Post-mortem brain tissue from 30 PTSD, 30 MDD and 30 controls is being studied with several molecular approaches. A subgroup of Control and PTSD cases (N=8) is being studied with anatomical and molecular techniques. Initial golgi analysis of prefrontal anatomy and stereological studies of the frontal cortex in Nissl sections are in progress. Major findings being prepared for publication include 1) Decreased mature dendritic spine density in the straight gyrus of PTSD BA11 (medio-orbital frontal cortex = mOFCtx) involving mushroom spines, 2) Increased density of stubby spines, suggesting that some mature mushroom spines have regressed to a more immature phenotype in PTSD, 3) evidence of major disruption of microRNA levels in suicide and major depression, 4) Approximately 1 in 6 microRNAs (112/716) are elevated in medial straight gyrus in PTSD, indicating a major change in cell physiology.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2014
- Accession Number
- ADA623883
Entities
People
- Keith A. Young
Organizations
- Texas A&M University