"How To Incorporate Genetics Into Longitudinal Studies of Trauma and PTSD"

A major focus of many NIH funding initiatives is the identification of genes that contribute to common, complex disorders such as PTSD and major depression. However, most trauma researchers receive no training in how to think about, let alone conduct genetic studies. This presentation will provide an introduction to genetics research in studies of trauma and PTSD with a focus on how researchers might consider including a genetic component in ongoing studies. Considering a genetic component may be particularly advantageous for longitudinal studies as recent papers suggest such studies confer additional power to detect genetic effects. The presentation will begin by presenting a brief introduction to the principles of candidate gene association studies, the primary method currently used for complex phenotypes, and the state of the art of genetics research in trauma and PTSD. The rest of the presentation will focus on outlining the major tasks and common problems that participants need to think through if they are going to set up a genetic study including: choosing a family based versus population based study design, power, IRB and Human Subjects Issues, techniques for DNA collection and storage, identifying collaborators, choosing candidate genes, and data analysis. Examples will be drawn from the primary presenter’s experience as PI of a longitudinal family-based candidate gene study of PTSD in a sample of medically injured children. Both genotype and phenotype data are available from this study and will be used for illustration.