Genetics influence head trauma and PTSD’s impact on dementia risk

Dr. Mark Logue, lead author of the study, statistician in the National Center for PTSD at VA Boston Healthcare System, and associate professor of psychiatry at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, and his team first found a greater percentage of Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias, or ADRD, in Veterans with PTSD and in those with TBI, relative to those without, as well as higher rates of ADRD in Veterans who had inherited the E4 variant of the apolipoprotein E gene, known as APOE.

Looking for interactions between the E4 variant, PTSD and TBI, the researchers then found an increase in risk due to PTSD and TBI in Veterans of European ancestry who inherited the E4 variant relative to those without. In Veterans of African ancestry, however, the impact of PTSD didn’t vary as a function of E4, but the TBI effect and interaction with E4 was stronger. 

“The impact of APOE E4 on Alzheimer’s risk is well established, but in this cohort, the effects of PTSD and head injury were just as clear,” Logue said. “These findings suggest that PTSD and TBI history will play an important role, along with genetic testing, in doing an accurate assessment of ADRD risk.”

Researchers carried out the study using data from VA’s Million Veteran Program, one of the world’s largest databases of health and genetic information. MVP is aimed at learning how genes, lifestyle, and military exposures affect health and illness, with more than 900,000 Veterans enrolled so far.

Winfield Danielson, Public Affairs Officer

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