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CSP 575, Post-Deployment Afghanistan/Iraq Trauma Related Inventory Of Traits

The PATRIOT study is intended to help us understand why some people get Combat Stress Reactions, (also known as Posttraumatic Stress Disorder), or PTSD. Combat Stress Reactions are common and are a serious problem among military personnel. People suffering from Combat Stress Reactions may experience traumatic flashbacks, trouble sleeping, and problems in their relationships. PTSD affects about 25% of all veterans who have served in support of OEF/OIF efforts. However, it is unknown whether this condition may have genetic links.

PATRIOT is a research project designed to identify possible genetic variations that may influence risk for Combat Stress Reactions. The study is open to veterans who served in Iraq and/or Afghanistan and may or may not have had Combat Stress Reactions. In fact, it is critical that veterans with and without Combat Stress Reactions participate. This study seeks to evaluate how these genes interact with environmental stressors to cause the disorder. A genome-wide association study is an approach involving scanning thousands of markers across complete sets of DNA to find genetic variations associated with a particular disease.

The study will be done in two stages. The first stage, the Feasibility Study, will be conducted to test out the study process. The results from the Feasibility Study will be used as a guide for the structure of the second study. The second part of the study will aim to identify genes that may contribute or protect against PTSD.

Overall, the study will recruit 20,000 OEF/OIF veterans who were either deployed in Afghanistan and/or Iraq. Information will be gathered by letter survey, telephone interview, and blood samples.

The study will be managed by VA's Cooperative Studies Program.

For more information on CSP No.575, please contact the Perry Point Cooperative Studies Coordinating Center (151E) PO Box 1010 VA Maryland HCS, Perry Point, MD 21902, Telephone: (410) 642-2411.

Biostatistician: Stephen Bingham, Ph.D, Stephen.Bingham@va.gov
Project Manager: Annette Wiseman, Annette.Wiseman@va.gov

Principal Proponents:

Murray B. Stein, MD, MPH
Director, Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Disorders Program
VA San Diego Healthcare System and University of California San Diego
mstein@ucsd.edu

Joel Gelernter, MD
Director, Laboratory of Psychiatric Genetics
West Haven VA Medical Center
Joel.gelernter@yale.edu

For Veterans Seeking General Information From VA:

For more information about PTSD, please view the following websites:



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Any health information on this website is strictly for informational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose or treat any condition.