TY - JOUR T1 - Affiliation buffers stress: cumulative genetic risk in oxytocin-vasopressin genes combines with early caregiving to predict PTSD in war-exposed young children JF - Transl Psychiatry Y1 - 2014 A1 - Feldman, R. A1 - Vengrober, A. A1 - Ebstein, R. P. KW - *Gene-Environment Interaction KW - *Genetic Predisposition to Disease KW - Adult KW - Child KW - Child Rearing/*psychology KW - Child, Preschool KW - Female KW - Humans KW - Infant KW - Longitudinal Studies KW - Male KW - Mother-Child Relations/*psychology KW - Receptors, Oxytocin/*genetics KW - Receptors, Vasopressin/*genetics KW - Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/*etiology/genetics KW - Warfare AB - Research indicates that risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is shaped by the interaction between genetic vulnerability and early caregiving experiences; yet, caregiving has typically been assessed by adult retrospective accounts. Here, we employed a prospective longitudinal design with real-time observations of early caregiving combined with assessment of genetic liability along the axis of vasopressin-oxytocin (OT) gene pathways to test G x E contributions to PTSD. Participants were 232 young Israeli children (1.5-5 years) and their parents, including 148 living in zones of continuous war and 84 controls. A cumulative genetic risk factor was computed for each family member by summing five risk alleles across three genes (OXTR, CD38 and AVPR1a) previously associated with psychopathology, sociality and caregiving. Child PTSD was diagnosed and mother-child interactions were observed in multiple contexts. In middle childhood (7-8 years), child psychopathology was re-evaluated. War exposure increased propensity to develop Axis-I disorder by threefold: 60% of exposed children displayed a psychiatric disorder by middle childhood and 62% of those showed several comorbid disorders. On the other hand, maternal sensitive support reduced risk for psychopathology. G x E effect was found for child genetic risk: in the context of war exposure, greater genetic risk on the vasopressin-OT pathway increased propensity for psychopathology. Among exposed children, chronicity of PTSD from early to middle childhood was related to higher child, maternal and paternal genetic risk, low maternal support and greater initial avoidance symptoms. Child avoidance was predicted by low maternal support and reduced mother-child reciprocity. These findings underscore the saliency of both genetic and behavioral facets of the human affiliation system in shaping vulnerability to PTSD as well as providing an underlying mechanism of post-traumatic resilience. VL - 4 SN - 2158-3188 (Electronic)
2158-3188 (Linking) N1 - Feldman, R
Vengrober, A
Ebstein, R P
eng
Duplicate Publication
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
2014/03/13 06:00
Transl Psychiatry. 2014 Mar 11;4:e370. doi: 10.1038/tp.2014.6. U2 - PMC3966045 ER -