Session Information
Date: Saturday, October 6, 2018
Session Title: Genetics (Non-PD)
Session Time: 1:45pm-3:15pm
Location: Hall 3FG
Objective: The aim of the current study was to evaluate the association between common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at the level of genetic loci involved in stress modulation and diagnosis of FND. We further analyze the effects of these genetic variations, as well as gene x environment interaction, on several phenotypical characteristics of FND.
Background: Several phenotypical characteristics of Functional Neurological Disorders (FND), such as increased stress reactivity, hyperarousal and impaired amygdala habituation to salient stimuli, are observed in several stress-related disorders, suggesting they may share overlapping neurobiological substrates. While the role of stress and trauma has been largely studied in FND with mixed results, to date no study has investigated the contribution of genetic variations at the level of loci involved in modulating stress response, and their interaction with environmental factors, to the prevalence and clinical presentation of FND.
Methods: Seventy-seven patients with a diagnosis of ‘clinically defined’ FND were recruited. In addition to medical and neurological examination, an extensive psychiatric and psychological evaluation was performed, including the administration of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the Traumatic Life Events Questionnaire (TLEQ). Participants were genotyped using the Illumina OmniExpress BeadChip array (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA) including more than 700,000 SNPs. Ancestry was determined via a genome-wide panel of ancestry informative markers
Results: None of the SNP analyzed was significantly associated with FND diagnosis. However, FAAH C385A allele carriers showed decreased subjective anxiety levels and reduced incidence of comorbid anxiety disorders. Conversely FKBP5 variants showed a significant interaction with maltreatment in the prediction of increased self-reported anxiety symptoms.
Conclusions: Genetic variations in genes involved in stress response, as well as their interaction with stressful events, modulate the phenotype exhibited by patients with FND, particularly in regard to stress reactivity.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
P. Spagnolo, C. Maurer, C. Hodgkinson, D. Goldman. The role of Genes and Gene x Environment Determinants of Stress in the pathogenesis of Functional Neurological Disorders [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2018; 33 (suppl 2). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-role-of-genes-and-gene-x-environment-determinants-of-stress-in-the-pathogenesis-of-functional-neurological-disorders/. Accessed June 14, 2025.« Back to 2018 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-role-of-genes-and-gene-x-environment-determinants-of-stress-in-the-pathogenesis-of-functional-neurological-disorders/