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The Dopamine D 3 Receptor Gene and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Author(s) -
Wolf Erika J.,
Mitchell Karen S.,
Logue Mark W.,
Baldwin Clinton T.,
Reardon Annemarie F.,
Aiello Alison,
Galea Sandro,
Koenen Karestan C.,
Uddin Monica,
Wildman Derek,
Miller Mark W.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of traumatic stress
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.259
H-Index - 134
eISSN - 1573-6598
pISSN - 0894-9867
DOI - 10.1002/jts.21937
Subject(s) - psychology , single nucleotide polymorphism , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , clinical psychology , psychiatry , posttraumatic stress , genetics , genotype , gene , biology
The dopamine D 3 receptor ( DRD3 ) gene has been implicated in schizophrenia, autism, and substance use‐disorders and is related to emotion reactivity, executive functioning, and stress‐responding, processes impaired in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The aim of this candidate gene study was to evaluate DRD3 polymorphisms for association with PTSD. The discovery sample was trauma‐exposed White, non‐Hispanic U.S. veterans and their trauma‐exposed intimate partners ( N = 491); 60.3% met criteria for lifetime PTSD. The replication sample was 601 trauma‐exposed African American participants living in Detroit, Michigan; 23.6% met criteria for lifetime PTSD. Genotyping was based on high‐density bead chips. In the discovery sample, 4 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs2134655, rs201252087, rs4646996, and rs9868039, showed evidence of association with PTSD and withstood correction for multiple testing. The minor alleles were associated with reduced risk for PTSD ( OR range = 0.59 to 0.69). In the replication sample, rs2251177, located 149 base pairs away from the most significant SNP in the discovery sample, was nominally associated with PTSD in men ( OR = 0.32). Although the precise role of the D 3 receptor in PTSD is not yet known, its role in executive functioning and emotional reactivity, and the sensitivity of the dopamine system to environmental stressors could potentially explain this association.