1. PKCα is genetically linked to memory capacity in healthy subjects and to risk for posttraumatic stress disorder in genocide survivors.
- Author
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de Quervain DJ, Kolassa IT, Ackermann S, Aerni A, Boesiger P, Demougin P, Elbert T, Ertl V, Gschwind L, Hadziselimovic N, Hanser E, Heck A, Hieber P, Huynh KD, Klarhöfer M, Luechinger R, Rasch B, Scheffler K, Spalek K, Stippich C, Vogler C, Vukojevic V, Stetak A, and Papassotiropoulos A
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Brain pathology, Brain physiopathology, Female, Genotype, Homicide psychology, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Mental Recall physiology, Middle Aged, Photic Stimulation, Psychomotor Performance physiology, Risk Factors, Rwanda ethnology, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic psychology, Survivors psychology, Uganda, Young Adult, Memory physiology, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Protein Kinase C-alpha genetics, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic genetics, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic physiopathology
- Abstract
Strong memory of a traumatic event is thought to contribute to the development and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Therefore, a genetic predisposition to build strong memories could lead to increased risk for PTSD after a traumatic event. Here we show that genetic variability of the gene encoding PKCα (PRKCA) was associated with memory capacity--including aversive memory--in nontraumatized subjects of European descent. This finding was replicated in an independent sample of nontraumatized subjects, who additionally underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). fMRI analysis revealed PRKCA genotype-dependent brain activation differences during successful encoding of aversive information. Further, the identified genetic variant was also related to traumatic memory and to the risk for PTSD in heavily traumatized survivors of the Rwandan genocide. Our results indicate a role for PKCα in memory and suggest a genetic link between memory and the risk for PTSD.
- Published
- 2012
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