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Related Concept Videos

Longitudinal Research02:20

Longitudinal Research

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Sometimes we want to see how people change over time, as in studies of human development and lifespan. When we test the same group of individuals repeatedly over an extended period of time, we are conducting longitudinal research. Longitudinal research is a research design in which data-gathering is administered repeatedly over an extended period of time. For example, we may survey a group of individuals about their dietary habits at age 20, retest them a decade later at age 30, and then again...
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Human genetics provides a profound framework for understanding the interplay between genetic predispositions and human psychology. At the heart of this discipline lies the study of how genes influence physical traits, behaviors, and susceptibility to diseases. Each person carries a unique genetic code that subtly or significantly shapes their psychological and behavioral landscape.
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Post-traumatic Stress Disorder01:27

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Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition that arises following exposure to traumatic events such as natural disasters, forced displacement, or severe accidents. It significantly impairs individuals' ability to cope with daily activities and disrupts their emotional and psychological equilibrium.
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Longitudinal Studies01:26

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Longitudinal studies are also widely used in other medical and social science fields. For instance, in cardiovascular research, they can monitor patients' health over decades to identify risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol or smoking, and evaluate the long-term effectiveness of preventive measures. Similarly, in mental health studies, researchers might follow individuals from adolescence into adulthood to understand the development and progression of conditions like...
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PTSD and epigenetic aging: a longitudinal meta-analysis.

Xiang Zhao1, Seyma Katrinli2, Beth M McCormick3,4

  • 1Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.

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Developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or worsening symptoms accelerates epigenetic aging. This longitudinal study suggests PTSD may hasten biological aging, emphasizing the need for treatment research.

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Area of Science:

  • Epigenetics
  • Psychiatry
  • Longitudinal Studies

Background:

  • Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is linked to advanced epigenetic age, but longitudinal associations remain unclear.
  • This study investigates the relationship between PTSD development/severity changes and epigenetic aging over time.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if new-onset PTSD and changes in PTSD symptom severity are associated with epigenetic age acceleration/deceleration.
  • To analyze longitudinal data from military and civilian cohorts.

Main Methods:

  • Meta-analysis of 7 cohorts (N=1,367) from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium PTSD Epigenetics Workgroup.
  • Examined changes in epigenetic age acceleration/deceleration using Horvath and GrimAge metrics.
  • Assessed the interaction between baseline epigenetic age and PTSD changes over time.

Main Results:

  • New-onset PTSD was significantly associated with increased Horvath epigenetic age acceleration over time (meta β=0.16, p=0.02).
  • Increased PTSD symptom severity also correlated with greater Horvath age acceleration (meta β=0.24, p=0.05).
  • No significant associations were found for the GrimAge metric.

Conclusions:

  • Individuals developing PTSD or experiencing symptom worsening show accelerated epigenetic aging.
  • These findings suggest PTSD may accelerate biological aging longitudinally.
  • Further research is needed to explore if PTSD treatments can mitigate this accelerated aging effect on the methylome.