Rochester Institute of Technology Croatia, Zagreb, Croatia.
Rudjer Boskovic Institute, Zagreb, Croatia.
Neurosci Lett. 2020 Sep 14;735:135235. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2020.135235. Epub 2020 Jul 3.
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a trauma-induced disorder characterized with impaired cognitive function. BDNF modulates cognition and is involved in neuroprotection and neurocognitive processing. The BDNF Val66Met polymorphism was found to influence cognitive functions. In PTSD, carriers of the BDNF GG genotype had better spatial processing of navigation performance, and lower hyperarousal and startle reaction than A allele carriers. The hypothesis was that veterans with PTSD, carriers of the BDNF Val66Met A allele, will show reduced cognitive skills. The study included 315 male Caucasian combat veterans, with (N = 199) or without (N = 116) current and chronic PTSD. Cognition was assessed using the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF) test that determines visual-spatial perception and short and long-term visual memory function. The results revealed that cognitive decline measured with ROCF test was associated with PTSD. Presence of the BDNF Val66Met GG genotype in veterans with PTSD, but not in veterans without PTSD, showed protective association with visual short-term memory and visual object manipulation after few seconds (executive function), assessed with the ROCF immediate recall test, compared to the A carriers with PTSD. In conclusion, this was the first study to confirm the association between BDNF Val66Met and memory and attention performed with ROCF in male veterans with PTSD. The results corroborated that the BDNF Val66Met A allele, compared to GG genotype, is associated with poorer short-term visual memory and attention linked with executive functions, in veterans with PTSD.
创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）是一种创伤后发生的障碍，其特征是认知功能受损。BDNF 调节认知功能，参与神经保护和神经认知处理。BDNF Val66Met 多态性被发现影响认知功能。在 PTSD 中，BDNF GG 基因型携带者的导航表现空间处理能力更好，高唤醒和惊吓反应低于 A 等位基因携带者。假设是 PTSD 患者中携带 BDNF Val66Met A 等位基因的退伍军人，其认知技能会降低。该研究纳入了 315 名男性白种人战斗退伍军人，其中（N=199）或没有（N=116）当前和慢性 PTSD。使用 Rey-Osterrieth 复杂图形（ROCF）测试评估认知，该测试确定视觉空间感知和短期及长期视觉记忆功能。结果表明，ROCF 测试测量的认知能力下降与 PTSD 有关。在 PTSD 退伍军人中存在 BDNF Val66Met GG 基因型，但在没有 PTSD 的退伍军人中不存在，与 ROCF 即时回忆测试评估的视觉短期记忆和视觉物体操作（执行功能）的保护关联，与 PTSD 患者的 A 携带者相比。总之，这是第一项研究证实 BDNF Val66Met 与 PTSD 男性退伍军人 ROCF 记忆和注意力之间的关联。结果证实，与 GG 基因型相比，BDNF Val66Met A 等位基因与 PTSD 患者的短期视觉记忆和注意力差有关，注意力与执行功能有关。
