Memory abnormalities are considered a core feature of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Studies attempting to quantify such memory dysfunction in PTSD have reported that individuals with this disorder exhibit selective memory bias toward negative material. The low expression Met allele of brainderived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism has been associated with the aetiology of PTSD and with memory abnormalities. It is therefore possible that the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism can moderate the relationship between PTSD and memory bias. Here we examined this association in 50 civilian women with PTSD and 70 non-trauma-exposed healthy control women. All subjects were genotyped for the BDNF Val66Met (rs6265) polymorphism. Negative memory bias was assessed using a recognition memory task. Patients showed significantly greater negative memory bias compared to controls. In patients, negative memory bias significantly increased with increasing numbers of Met alleles; while no significant relationship was seen in controls. Further pairwise analyses revealed that patients with the Met allele had significantly greater negative memory bias than controls. These results suggest that the relationship between PTSD and negative memory bias can be moderated by the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism. More studies are needed to further clarify the relationship between this polymorphism and memory abnormalities in PTSD.Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious psychiatric condition that can develop after a major traumatic event, often leading to a chronic course and severe functional impairment. Among various psychobehavioural symptoms of PTSD, involuntary retrieval of traumatic memories that are collectively termed as "re-experiencing" symptoms, such as intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, and nightmares, are postulated as a central feature of this disorder. The presence of these re-experiencing phenomena suggests that trauma-related fear can be easily activated in these individuals even in the absence of an actual threat, and this sense of threat is considered to arise, at least in part, as a consequence of excessively negative appraisals of the trauma and its sequelae 1 .One approach to quantifying such disordered memory/cognition in PTSD is to experimentally measure selective memory bias toward negative and/or emotionally threatening material. To date, a number of studies have observed the memory bias in individuals with this disorder compared to healthy controls 2-4 . We have also found that female patients with PTSD as a group display negative memory bias, albeit with considerable inter-individual variation 5 . Such variation in negative memory bias may be related to the heterogeneous nature of this disorder.Evidence suggests that genetic factors are involved in the aetiology of PTSD 6 . Based on both biological mechanisms and data-driven approaches, the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene is considered as one of the most relevant candidate genes for this disorder [6][7][8][9][10][11] . BDNF encodes a neurotr...
BackgroundPanic disorder (PD) is a common disease and presents with broad dimensions of psychopathology. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is known to improve these broad dimensions of psychopathology in addition to PD symptoms. However, little is known about the predictors of treatment response in comorbid psychiatric symptoms after CBT for PD. Recent studies suggest that anxiety sensitivity (AS) may be a key vulnerability for PD. This study aimed to examine AS as a predictor of broad dimensions of psychopathology after CBT for PD.Materials and methodsIn total, 118 patients with PD were treated with manualized group CBT. We used multiple regression analysis to examine the associations between 3 Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI) factors (physical concerns, mental incapacitation concerns, and social concerns) at baseline and the subscales of the Symptom Checklist-90 Revised (SCL-90-R) at endpoint.ResultsLow levels of social concerns at baseline predicted low levels on 5 SCL-90-R subscales after CBT: interpersonal sensitivity, depression, hostility, paranoid ideation, and psychosis. High levels of mental incapacitation concerns significantly predicted low levels on 3 SCL-90-R subscales after treatment: interpersonal sensitivity, hostility, and paranoid ideation. Physical concerns at baseline did not predict broad dimensions of psychopathology.ConclusionThis study suggested that the social concerns and mental incapacitation concerns subscales of the ASI at baseline predicted several dimensions of psychopathology after CBT for PD. To improve comorbid psychopathology, it may be useful to direct more attention to these ASI subscales.
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