The rs1049353 Polymorphism in the CNR1 Gene Interacts with Childhood Abuse to Predict Posttraumatic Threat Symptoms

Citation

Mota, Natalie; Sumner, Jennifer A.; Lowe, Sarah R.; Neumeister, Alexander; Uddin, Monica; Aiello, Allison E.; Wildman, Derek E.; Galea, Sandro; Koenen, Karestan C.; & Pietrzak, Robert H. (2015). The rs1049353 Polymorphism in the CNR1 Gene Interacts with Childhood Abuse to Predict Posttraumatic Threat Symptoms. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 76(12), e1622-3. PMCID: PMC4783167

Abstract

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a heterogeneous condition comprising threat/fear (eg, intrusions, avoidance, hypervigilance) and loss/dysphoria (eg, numbing, dysphoric arousal) symptoms. Contemporary scientific efforts in psychiatry, such as the National Institute of Mental Health Research Domain Criteria project, are encouraging studies of the neurobiological and behavioral underpinnings of transdiagnostic aspects of mental disorders, such as threat and loss symptoms, with the goal of developing novel, mechanism-based classifications of psychopathology, which can be used to develop more targeted treatments. In line with such efforts, we recently found that PTSD is associated with greater cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptor availability and that greater CB1 receptor availability in the amygdala was associated with increased threat, but not loss, symptoms in trauma survivors. Variation in the cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CNR1) gene may also contribute to risk for PTSD, with the A allele of rs1049353 associated with increased likelihood of PTSD. Additionally, rs1049353 has been found to interact with childhood physical abuse (CPA), one type of trauma that might impact the endocannabinoid system, to predict anhedonia. However, no study has examined associations between rs1049353 genotype—alone or interactively with CPA—and the phenotypic expression of PTSD symptoms. Using data from the Detroit Neighborhood Health Study (DNHS), an epidemiologic study of predominantly African-American adults from urban Detroit for which data were collected from June 2008 to December 2013, we examined how rs1049353 genotype—alone and interactively with CPA—relates to severity of posttraumatic threat and loss symptoms. We hypothesized that rs1049353 genotype would specifically underlie threat, but not loss, symptoms.

URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.4088/JCP.15l10084

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year Published

2015

Journal Title

Journal of Clinical Psychiatry

Author(s)

Mota, Natalie
Sumner, Jennifer A.
Lowe, Sarah R.
Neumeister, Alexander
Uddin, Monica
Aiello, Allison E.
Wildman, Derek E.
Galea, Sandro
Koenen, Karestan C.
Pietrzak, Robert H.

PMCID

PMC4783167

ORCiD

Aiello - 0000-0001-7029-2537