A Baseline Model of PTSD From the ACES Cohort

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a primary military psychiatric condition with complex etiology including strong genetic and/or environmental influences. Environmental influences and demographics can play a role in supporting underlying genetic traits for clinical utility evaluation as risk modifying factors. We are undertaking an IRB approved study to evaluate polygenic scores of PTSD risk in the adverse childhood experience and serotonin (ACES) transporter cohort.

Baseline demographic characteristics and statistical modeling of 291 active duty service members from ACES cohort were used and excluded individuals with traumatic brain injury-induced loss of consciousness, pre-deployment PTSD or anxiety disorder, and pre-deployment prescription of antidepressants or psychoactive medications. Summary of categorical and numerical variables were evaluated using chi-square and t-test, respectively. We model PTSD risk and associated scores using linear and logistic regressions.

The ACES subset was 79.1% males, multi-ancestry, and mean age of 38.3 years. Most PTSD individuals received behavioral therapy (89.6%) and/or prescribed antidepressants (67%) had higher scores in ACES, combat exposure scales, PTSD checklist military version, neurobehavioral symptom inventory, Pittsburg sleep quality index, insomnia severity index, and composite autonomic symptom score surveys and were less likely to expect future deployment. A positive correlation between age, total months deployed, ACES, CES, PCL-M, and positive-PTSD diagnosis were consistent but not in older individuals, who were more likely and frequently deployed although increasing risk for combat exposure.

Demographic characteristics of the ACES cohort fit a coherent model of risk for PTSD to evaluate polygenic scores. Additional research is merited to understand PTSD effects on these confounding factors.