The human ortholog of acid-sensing ion channel gene ASIC1a is associated with panic disorder and amygdala structure and function.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Individuals with panic disorder (PD) exhibit a hypersensitivity to inhaled carbon dioxide, possibly reflecting a lowered threshold for sensing signals of suffocation. Animal studies have shown that carbon dioxide-mediated fear behavior depends on chemosensing of acidosis in the amygdala via the acid-sensing ion channel ASIC1a. We examined whether the human ortholog of the ASIC1a gene, ACCN2, is associated with the presence of PD and with amygdala structure and function.

Methods

We conducted a case-control analysis (n = 414 PD cases and 846 healthy controls) of ACCN2 single nucleotide polymorphisms and PD. We then tested whether variants showing significant association with PD are also associated with amygdala volume (n = 1048) or task-evoked reactivity to emotiona

SUBMITTER: Smoller JW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4103972 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature