Epigenetics in posttraumatic stress disorder

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is characterized by low levels of cortisol and high HPA reactivity to stress although most individuals exposed to trauma will not develop the disorder. Childhood trauma and abuse is significantly associated with risk of PTSD and those with a history of abuse may represent a biologically distinct subtype of the disorder. Risk of PTSD can be transmitted across generations as exemplified by the survivors of the Holocaust and Dutch hunger winter. Epigenetic effects are present in the brain and other tissues in response to stress and trauma. New research is exploring novel therapies like mindfulness-based stress reduction, MDMA, cannabinoids, and other pharmaceuticals to target the epigenetic patterns present in PTSD.