Fort Campbell Longitudinal Cohort Study: Biological Predictors of PTSD
Abstract
The Fort Campbell Cohort Study is an ongoing effort funded by the Department of Defense (DoD) and granted to members of the Systems Biology Consortium, to accelerate the development of sensitive and specific biomarkers for objective diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). In pursuit of this goal, prospective, longitudinal clinical data and blood samples have been collected by investigators in the PTSD Systems Biology Consortium (lead by Dr. Charles Marmar at New York University Medical School (NYU). The current investigative team, led by Dr. Yehuda at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS) is proposing to perform analyses of endocrine and resilience biomarkers and analyze other biological data from already collected blood samples and clinical information from soldiers who deployed to Afghanistan. Data were collected at three time points: pre-deployment, post-deployment 1 and post-deployment 2. Data collection for a 4th wave has commenced. The study represents a replication and extension of important biomarker discovery work performed by the Systems Biology Consortium. Fort Cambbell is home to the 101st Airborne Division and the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. Active duty members of the ArmyÕs 101st Airborne Division who were deployed to Afghanistan participated in the study. Participants were evaluated three times at the Fort Campbell U.S. Army military installation. The first evaluation took place prior to deployment in January-February, 2014 (n=1,029), the second evaluation took place 2-4 weeks upon return from deployment (n=760) and the third evaluation occurred 90-180 days upon return from deployment (n= 1,166). The evaluation procedures at each evaluation time-point consisted of an 85cc blood draw; clinical self-assessment measures of stress, anxiety, depression, PTSD, concussion, and TBI; and cognitive measures of executive function, psychomotor function, and emotion regulation. We will be accessing data and biological samples collected in the Fort Campbell Cohort Study as part of the PTSD Systems Biology Consortium to identify Biomarkers of PTSD. Data from the 4th wave, designed to identify resilience markers will be incorporated into the current study. The ISMMS participates as a full member of the Systems Biology Consortium as the Endocrine Core, and in that capacity, has assessed a variety of blood neuroendocrine, and resilience related markers including stress hormones (cortisol and ACTH) markers of inflammation, and peptides such as neuropeptide Y (NPY). We propose to analyze these measures again in samples collected from the Fort Campbell Cohort Study. The data will be integrated with other information such as a)brain-specific proteins appearing in the blood along with the presence of potential resilience factors (Jett/Hood laboratory); b. miRNA, which can implicate progression of regulatory pathways and nodes in response to continued severe stress or its mitigation (Jett/Hood laboratory) and c. DNA methylation patterns. DNA methylation in stress has revealed long-term persistence (generations) of the epigenetic changes that occur (Jett/Hood laboratory). Investigators at the ISMMS and other sites will also participate in computational analyses to identify and validate biological signals that have been previously observed in cross-sectional and longitudinal treatment samples of combat veterans with and without PTSD. It is predicted that a panel of specific brain proteins and miRNAs, specific transcriptomics and epigenomic markers obtained prior to deployment, along with the neuroendocrine and resilience related data will predict PTSD. It is also predicted that the presence of specific endocrine and resilience related markers will be associated with presence or absence and levels of symptoms prior to deployment. As such, tools for prognosis and diagnosis that are objective and blood based can be developed.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jun 25, 2021
- Source ID
- W911NF2110065
Entities
People
- Rachel Yehuda
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- United States Army