methylation is related to reduced PTSD risk in two African cohorts of trauma survivors.

Extensive pharmacologic, genetic, and epigenetic research has linked the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) to memory processes, and to risk and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In the present study we investigated the epigenetic pattern of 12 genes involved in the regulation of GR signaling in two African populations of heavily traumatized individuals: Survivors of the rebel war in northern Uganda ( = 463) and survivors of the Rwandan genocide ( = 350). The strongest link between regional methylation and PTSD risk and symptoms was observed for , which encodes the transmembrane receptor tropomyosin-related kinase B, binds the brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and has been shown to play an important role in memory formation.