To understand the masked synergy between PTSD and migraines, the study team analyzed six pairs of twins who volunteered for the study. Both twins had experienced traumatic events, but only one of each pair lives with PTSD. The team also enrolled 15 pairs of twins where one of each pair experiences migraine headaches.
‘Study in identical twins reveal epigenetic (influence of environment on genes) risk factors that common genes may play a role in two conditions Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and migraines and this may help explain why the conditions co-occur. This may help in the development of new therapeutics to target these co-occurring disorders such as PTSD and migraine and further reduce the symptoms.’
Blood samples from the twins were taken and analyzed for epigenetic changes associated with PTSD or migraine. The benefit to the study was that identical twins share all of their DNA but not all of their epigenetic marks.
It was found that certain genes are similarly affected in PTSD and migraine, suggesting that they may share some risk factors.
“Our results suggest that common genes and signaling pathways are involved in PTSD and migraine and this might explain why PTSD and migraine can co-occur frequently. This might further imply that common environmental risk factors for both PTSD and migraine might be acting on these genes,” says Prof Divya Mehta of the Queensland University of Technology, senior author on the study.
Thus the study may help in the development of new therapeutics to target these co-occurring disorders such as PTSD and migraine and further reduce the symptoms.
Source: Medindia
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