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Voice of America
Jan 9 2015
Genes in Psychiatric Disorder Identified
Jessica Berman
January 09, 2015 12:50 PM
On December 7, 1988, two massive earthquakes struck northern Armenia,
leveling almost all buildings.
In the region, home to 200,000 people, more than 25,000 Armenians were
killed by crushing injuries in the town of Spitak, most of them
children, leaving survivors grieving and devastated.
Armenian-American Armen Goenjian and colleagues raced to the site to help.
"In a condensed area, there was horror, terror, morbidity, mortality,"
said Goenjian. "So these people witnessed severe trauma."
Goenjian helped establish two psychiatric clinics to help survivors.
Over the course of 21 years, the clinics provided mental health
services to the victims.
Using the Armenia earthquakes of 1988 as a springboard, Goenjian's
researchers have identified two genes that play a role in
post-traumatic stress disorder. Known as PTSD, the condition is marked
by severe anxiety, stress and depression after victims live through a
traumatic event.
Goenjian, a neuroscience researcher at the University of California
Los Angeles, also oversaw the collection of blood samples from a dozen
multigenerational families.
Back at UCLA, researchers analyzed the DNA from 200 survivors, looking
for genetic vulnerability to PTSD.
They identified two gene variants that appear to play a role in the
development of the psychiatric disorder. They are involved in how the
brain regulates mood, thinking, attention and behavior.
People who had the two variants of the genes were most vulnerable to
developing PTSD, according to criteria laid out by the American
Psychiatric Association.
By identifying the effect of the genes -- called COMT and TPH-2 --
Goenjian says it may be possible to develop a diagnostic blood test
that can help pinpoint those who are at highest risk of suffering from
PTSD.
"You can do further testing with humans and animals, and then
hopefully find pharmaceutical companies who will be interested in
finding medications that will target these genes," said Goenjian.
Goenjian says there are other still-to-be identified genes involved in
post-traumatic stress disorder, which also affects soldiers returning
from war in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan.
Goenjian and colleagues describe heredity of the two PTSD genes in the
Journal of Affective Disorders.
http://www.voanews.com/content/genes-in-psychiatric-disorder-identified/2592139.html
Jan 9 2015
Genes in Psychiatric Disorder Identified
Jessica Berman
January 09, 2015 12:50 PM
On December 7, 1988, two massive earthquakes struck northern Armenia,
leveling almost all buildings.
In the region, home to 200,000 people, more than 25,000 Armenians were
killed by crushing injuries in the town of Spitak, most of them
children, leaving survivors grieving and devastated.
Armenian-American Armen Goenjian and colleagues raced to the site to help.
"In a condensed area, there was horror, terror, morbidity, mortality,"
said Goenjian. "So these people witnessed severe trauma."
Goenjian helped establish two psychiatric clinics to help survivors.
Over the course of 21 years, the clinics provided mental health
services to the victims.
Using the Armenia earthquakes of 1988 as a springboard, Goenjian's
researchers have identified two genes that play a role in
post-traumatic stress disorder. Known as PTSD, the condition is marked
by severe anxiety, stress and depression after victims live through a
traumatic event.
Goenjian, a neuroscience researcher at the University of California
Los Angeles, also oversaw the collection of blood samples from a dozen
multigenerational families.
Back at UCLA, researchers analyzed the DNA from 200 survivors, looking
for genetic vulnerability to PTSD.
They identified two gene variants that appear to play a role in the
development of the psychiatric disorder. They are involved in how the
brain regulates mood, thinking, attention and behavior.
People who had the two variants of the genes were most vulnerable to
developing PTSD, according to criteria laid out by the American
Psychiatric Association.
By identifying the effect of the genes -- called COMT and TPH-2 --
Goenjian says it may be possible to develop a diagnostic blood test
that can help pinpoint those who are at highest risk of suffering from
PTSD.
"You can do further testing with humans and animals, and then
hopefully find pharmaceutical companies who will be interested in
finding medications that will target these genes," said Goenjian.
Goenjian says there are other still-to-be identified genes involved in
post-traumatic stress disorder, which also affects soldiers returning
from war in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan.
Goenjian and colleagues describe heredity of the two PTSD genes in the
Journal of Affective Disorders.
http://www.voanews.com/content/genes-in-psychiatric-disorder-identified/2592139.html