New Delhi, Apr 19 (PTI) Ninety-five regions on the human genome are linked to the risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a new international study analysing genetic data of people with diverse ancestry.

The findings showed heritability being central to PTSD and that genetically, men and women were at almost the same risk for developing the disorder.

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"This discovery firmly validates that heritability is a central feature of PTSD based on the largest PTSD genetics study conducted to date and reinforces there is a genetic component that contributes to the complexity of PTSD," said Caroline Nievergelt, corresponding author of the study and a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego, US.

The research team said the findings could help understand the biological mechanisms underlying PTSD and why only some of the individuals experiencing trauma develop the mental disorder.

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Symptoms of PTSD can involve re-experiencing the traumatic incident and avoiding reminders, and cognitive or mood issues.

The study, including the PTSD working group within the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC-PTSD), is published in the journal Nature Genetics.

Previous studies have shown that PTSD has genetic underpinnings and that many genes contribute towards an individual developing the condition.

The latest analysis of genes of more than 1.2 million people with varied ancestry -- European and African, among others -- found 95 locations on the genome to be strongly associated with PTSD, 80 of which were not identified previously.

The researchers further found that 43 genes appeared to play a role in causing PTSD by affecting brain cells (neurons) and chemicals (neurotransmitters), and the hormone producing endocrine system.

They also found that PTSD and depression shared many genetic features, and also many of the newly researched locations on the genome.

Even though previous studies have found PTSD to be more prevalent among women than men, the researchers could not find evidence for this in their genetic analyses.

Examining the X-chromosome, they found five locations associated with PTSD and said that these changes on the X chromosome would have similar effect in males and females.

Women have two X-chromosomes in their DNA, while men have one X- and one Y-chromosome. PTI KRS

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