Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Research on blood-based biomarkers for diagnosing PTSD

Led by PI Dr. Francis Doyle at Harvard University and in collaboration with researchers at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) and the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB), Dr. Bernie Daigle, associate professor in the department of Biological Sciences and Computer Science, was recently awarded funding (as a subcontractor to Harvard) from the U.S. Army Research Office for his project, "Robust PTSD diagnosis through refinement of candidate biomarker panels.”

This funding will support ongoing efforts in the Daigle Lab at the University of Memphis to identify blood-based biomarkers for the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a debilitating condition which develops in some individuals following trauma exposure, often causing flashbacks, nightmares, and severe anxiety. It is one of the most common psychiatric disorders, with a lifetime occurrence rate of 6-7% in the United States.

In addition to its primary effects, PTSD is often linked to comorbidities such as substance abuse and severe depression. Currently, survey-based assays are used to diagnose PTSD; however, these tests can be prone to bias and are not designed to diagnose stages of the disorder, from an early manifestation to later advanced stages. Thus, there is a pressing need to identify reliable molecular biomarkers of PTSD for the accurate diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of the disorder.

Daigle will work alongside collaborators from the Department of Defense-funded Systems Biology of PTSD Consortium to refine candidate protein and DNA methylation-based biomarkers measured from over 200 male combat veterans and nearly 1,800 active duty soldiers with and without PTSD. Members of the Daigle Lab will develop and apply sophisticated statistical and machine learning techniques to identify biomarkers that enable accurate diagnosis of PTSD in future subjects. Expected outcomes of this research include development of a robust panel of diagnostic PTSD biomarkers as well as an improved understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying PTSD pathophysiology.

For more information on this project or research, contact Daigle at bjdaigle@memphis.edu.