Association of polygenic risk scores, traumatic life events and coping strategies with war-related PTSD diagnosis and symptom severity in the South Eastern Europe (SEE)-PTSD cohort.

Objectives: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is triggered by extremely stressful environmental events and characterized by high emotional distress, re-experiencing of trauma, avoidance and hypervigilance. The present study uses polygenic risk scores (PRS) derived from the UK Biobank (UKBB) mega-cohort analysis as part of the PGC PTSD GWAS effort to determine the heritable basis of PTSD in the South Eastern Europe (SEE)-PTSD cohort. We further analyzed the relation between PRS and additional disease-related variables, such as number and intensity of life events, coping, sex and age at war on PTSD and CAPS as outcome variables.

Guidelines for Editing Biomedical Journals: Recommended by Academy of Medical Sciences of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Background: Enormous number of medical journals published around the globe requires standardization of editing practice.

Objective: The aim of this article was to enlist main principles of editing biomedical scientific journals adopted at annual meeting of Academy of Medical Sciences of Bosnia & Herzegovina (AMSB&H).

Methods: The evidence for writing this Guideline was systematically searched for during September 2020 in the PUBMED and GOOGLE SCHOLAR databases.

Balkan Clinical Research Registry: Established by Academy of Medical Sciences of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Background: From 2013 the World Medical Association's Declaration of Helsinki explicitly requires pre-registration of a study involving human subjects. The registration gives a chance for improvement of design and avoidance of bias.

Objective: The aim of this article was to describe process of bearing decision to create regional registry of clinical studies for Balkan countries.

A Candidate Gene Association Study of FKBP5 and CRHR1 Polymorphisms in Relation to War-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a highly frequent and disabling psychiatric condition among war-affected populations. The FK506-binding protein 5 (FKBP5) gene and the corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1 (CRHR1) gene have previously been implicated in an elevated risk of peritraumatic dissociation and PTSD development. Our aim was to investigate the association between FKBP5 and CRHR1 genotypes and PTSD diagnosis and severity among individuals who were affected by the Balkan wars during the 1990s.

The Role of TaqI DRD2 (rs1800497) and DRD4 VNTR Polymorphisms in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a complex stress related disorder, that follows a severe traumatic experience, characterized with an intense sense of terror, fear, and helplessness. The aim of this study is to identify associations of genetic variations within candidate genes DRD2 and DRD4 with various PTSD related phenotypes. PTSD lifetime and PTSD current subjects were analyzed separately, each of them were analyzed in a Case/Control design, as well as regarding BSI and CAPS within cases only.

Role of the Allelic Variation in the 5-Hydroxytryptamine Receptor 1A (HTR1A) and the Tryptophan Hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) Genes in the Development of PTSD.

Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a stress related disorder which can occur in an individual after exposure to a traumatic event. It most commonly co-occurs with depression. The two disorders share not only overlapping symptoms, but also genetic diathesis.

Association of Neuropeptide S Receptor 1 and Glutamate Decarboxylase 1 Gene Polymorphisms with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder caused by highly traumatic experiences. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the neuropeptide S receptor 1 (NPSR1) and the glutamate decarboxylase 1(GAD1) gene on PTSD and its psychopathological aspects among individuals affected by the Balkan wars during the 90s.

Subjects And Methods: This study was conducted as part of the South Eastern Europe (SEE) study on molecular mechanisms of PTSD.

The Association of Catechol-O-Methyl-Transferase and Interleukin 6 Gene Polymorphisms with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disorder that occurs in some people who have experienced a severe traumatic event. Several genetic studies suggest that gene encoding proteins of catechol-O-methyl-transferase (COMT) may be relevant for the pathogenesis of PTSD. Some researchers suggested that the elevation of interleukin-6 (IL6) correlates with major depression and PTSD.

Associations between Polymorphisms in the Solute Carrier Family 6 Member 3 and the Myelin Basic Protein Gene and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

Background: Previous research showed inconsistent results concerning a possible association between solute carrier family 6 member 3 (SLC6A3) gene polymorphisms and dopamine symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Several studies also indicate that the myelin basic protein (MBP) gene is of importance in the etiology of several psychiatric disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the relation of distinct SLC6A3 and MBP gene polymorphisms with PTSD and whether SLC6A3 and MBP genotypes contribute to PTSD symptom severity.

Associations of Gene Variations in Neuropeptide Y and Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor Genes with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

Background: Individuals who are exposed to traumatic events are at an increased risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a condition during which an individual's ability to function is impaired by emotional responses to memories of those events. The gene coding for neuropeptide Y (NPY) and the gene coding for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are among the number of candidate gene variants that have been identified as potential contributors to PTSD. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between NPY and BDNF and PTSD in individuals who experienced war-related trauma in the South Eastern Europe (SEE) conflicts (1991-1999).

Genetic Susceptibility to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Analyses of the Oxytocin Receptor, Retinoic Acid Receptor-Related Orphan Receptor A and Cannabinoid Receptor 1 Genes.

Background: Exposure to life-threatening events is common and everyone will most likely experience this type of trauma during their lifetime. Reactions to these events are highly heterogeneous and seems to be influenced by genes as well. Some individuals will develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), while others will not.

Association Analysis of Maoa and Slc6a4 Gene Variation in South East European War Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

Background: The aim of this study is to investigate the association of gene variations of the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) and the serotonin transporter solute carrier family 6 member 4 (SLC6A4) gene with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) severity and coping strategies in patients with war related PTSD.

Subjects And Methods: The study included 747 individuals who had experienced war trauma in the South Eastern Europe conflicts between 1991 and 1999. Genotyping of the MAOA VNTR and SLC6A4 tandem repeat polymorphism in combination with rs25531 was done in 719 participants: 232 females and 487 males.

Monoamine Oxidase A Gene Methylation and Its Role in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: First Evidence from the South Eastern Europe (SEE)-PTSD Study.

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder is characterized by an overactive noradrenergic system conferring core posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms such as hyperarousal and reexperiencing. Monoamine oxidase A is one of the key enzymes mediating the turnover of noradrenaline. Here, DNA methylation of the monoamine oxidase A gene exonI/intronI region was investigated for the first time regarding its role in posttraumatic stress disorder risk and severity.

Molecular Mechanisms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a Basis for Individualized and Personalized Therapy: Rationale, Design and Methods of the South Eastern Europe (SEE)-PTSD study.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a major health problem in South Eastern Europe (SEE). Available treatment options are not efficient enough and the course is often chronic. Little is known about molecular mediators and moderators of pathogenesis and therapy.

Fatigue during multiple sclerosis relapse and its relationship to depression and neurological disability.

Background: Fatigue is a common symptom of multiple sclerosis patients that may be present at all stages of the disease. The aim of this study was to determine presence of fatigue in multiple sclerosis patients during relapse and its relation to neurological disability and depression.

Subjects And Methods: This cross-sectional study included 120 patients who were assessed during the acute relapse of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

Recovery from posttraumatic stress symptoms: a qualitative study of attributions in survivors of war.

Objective: The study explored factors to which people traumatized by war attribute their recovery from posttraumatic symptoms and from war experiences.

Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with two groups of participants with mental sequelae of the war in the former Yugoslavia: 26 people who had recovered from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and 17 people with ongoing symptoms of PTSD. Participants could attribute their recovery to any event, person or process in their life.

Subjective quality of life in war-affected populations.

Background: Exposure to traumatic war events may lead to a reduction in quality of life for many years. Research suggests that these impairments may be associated with posttraumatic stress symptoms; however, wars also have a profound impact on social conditions. Systematic studies utilising subjective quality of life (SQOL) measures are particularly rare and research in post-conflict settings is scarce.

The utilization and perceived usefulness of health care and other support services by people exposed to traumatic events related to the war in the Balkans.

Objective: To explore which health care and other support services people exposed to traumatic events related to the war use, how helpful they perceive them in the course of their post-war adaptation and whether utilization and perceived usefulness depend on the mental health status of participants.

Methods: A community sample of 3304 adults exposed to at least one war-related traumatic event was randomly selected in different regions in the former Yugoslavia. A specifically designed instrument, the Matrix for the Assessment of Community and Healthcare Services, was used to record service utilization and their perceived usefulness.

Co-occurrence of major depressive episode and posttraumatic stress disorder among survivors of war: how is it different from either condition alone?

Objective: Major depressive episode (MDE) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been shown to be the most common mental disorders following traumatic war experiences and have been found to frequently co-occur. This study, designed as a randomized cross-sectional interview survey, aimed to identify whether the co-occurence of MDE and PTSD following exposure to war-related experiences is associated with different demographics, exposure to previous traumatic events, and clinical characteristics than either condition alone.

Method: After a random-walk technique was used to randomly select participants, face-to-face interviews were conducted among war-affected community samples in 5 Balkan countries (N = 3,313) in the years 2006 and 2007.

Chronic illness and family: impact of schizophrenia and Crohn's disease on the family quality of life.

Background: Quality of life assessments are increasingly present in health research. Chronic and progressive illness of a family member unavoidably affects quality of life of a family as a whole. The goals of this study were to gain insight into the family burden of chronic disorders, especially possible differences in family quality of life (FQOL) in families that have members suffering from either schizophrenia or Crohn's disease, and families in which none of the members have chronic somatic or mental illness, as well as to pilot an instrument for this purpose.

Frequency of bipolar affective disorder in patients with major depressive episode with or without psychiatric co-morbid disorders.

Background: Epidemiological studies indicate that only 20% of patients with Bipolar Affective Disorder are diagnosed on time while in 35% of patients diagnosis is 10 years late. Unipolar depression represents the most frequent misdiagnosis.

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of BAD in subjects diagnosed with Major Depressive Episode with or without co-morbid disorders.

Psychological symptoms as long-term consequences of war experiences.

Background/aims: War experiences can affect mental health, but large-scale studies on the long-term impact are rare. We aimed to assess long-term mental health consequences of war in both people who stayed in the conflict area and refugees.

Method: On average 8 years after the war in former Yugoslavia, participants were recruited by probabilistic sampling in 5 Balkan countries and by registers and networking in 3 Western European countries.

Factors associated with mental disorders in long-settled war refugees: refugees from the former Yugoslavia in Germany, Italy and the UK.

Background: Prevalence rates of mental disorders are frequently increased in long-settled war refugees. However, substantial variation in prevalence rates across studies and countries remain unexplained.

Aims: To test whether the same sociodemographic characteristics, war experiences and post-migration stressors are associated with mental disorders in similar refugee groups resettled in different countries.

Long-term impact of war on healthcare costs: an eight-country study.

Objective: Exposure to war can negatively affect health and may impact on healthcare costs. Estimating these costs and identifying their predictors is important for appropriate service planning. We aimed to measure use of health services in an adult population who had experienced war in the former-Yugoslavia on average 8 years previously, and to identify characteristics associated with the use and costs of healthcare.