The impact of BDNF Val66Met on cognitive skills in veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder.
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.
['Havelka Mestrovic|Ana|A|', 'Tudor|Lucija|L|', 'Nedic Erjavec|Gordana|G|', 'Nikolac Perkovic|Matea|M|', 'Svob Strac|Dubravka|D|', 'Kovacic Petrovic|Zrnka|Z|', 'Pivac|Nela|N|']
D000328:Adult D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor D003071:Cognition D056344:Executive Function D006801:Humans D008297:Male D008570:Memory, Short-Term D008715:Methionine D009483:Neuropsychological Tests D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic D014633:Valine D014728:Veterans
Cognition PTSD BDNF Val66Met polymorphism Male veterans Rey–Osterrieth complex figure test