PTSD Biomarker Database: Deep Dive Meta-database for PTSD Biomarkers, Visualizations, and Analysis Tools

Abstract

The PTSD Biomarker Database (PTSDDB) is a database that provides a landscape view of physiological markers being studied as putative biomarkers in the current post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) literature to enable researchers to quickly explore and compare findings. The PTSDDB currently contains over 900 biomarkers and their relevant information from 109 original articles published from 1997 to 2017. Further, the curated content stored in this database is complemented by a web application consisting of multiple interactive visualizations that enable the investigation of biomarker knowledge in PTSD (e.g., clinical study metadata, biomarker findings, experimental methods, etc.) by compiling results from biomarker studies to visualize the level of evidence for single biomarkers and across functional categories. This resource is the first attempt, to the best of our knowledge, to capture and organize biomarker and metadata in the area of PTSD for storage in a comprehensive database that may, in turn, facilitate future analysis and research in the field.Database URL: https://ptsd.scai.fraunhofer.de

Literature review and methodological considerations for understanding circulating risk biomarkers following trauma exposure

“… 52 Such biomarkers are the most common type of blood-based biological markers identified for APNS to-date 53 – 55 , and include circulating biomarkers cataloged in the PTSD Biomarker Database . 56 Risk biomarkers are defined as biomarkers that indicate the potential for developing a disease that is not yet clinically apparant. Examples of circulating blood-based biomarkers that have been assessed via previous research as risk factors for APNS are displayed in Figure 1 .…”