Accelerated DNA methylation age: Associations with PTSD and neural integrity.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Accumulating evidence suggests that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may accelerate cellular aging and lead to premature morbidity and neurocognitive decline.

Methods

This study evaluated associations between PTSD and DNA methylation (DNAm) age using recently developed algorithms of cellular age by Horvath (2013) and Hannum et al. (2013). These estimates reflect accelerated aging when they exceed chronological age. We also examined if accelerated cellular age manifested in degraded neural integrity, indexed via diffusion tensor imaging.

Results

Among 281 male and female veterans of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, DNAm age was strongly related to chronological age (rs ∼.88). Lifetime PTSD severity was associated with Hannum DNAm age estimates resi

SUBMITTER: Wolf EJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4695261 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature