Pretrauma cognitive ability and risk for posttraumatic stress disorder: a twin study.
BACKGROUND
Cognitive deficits are associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but whether such deficits reflect sequelae or risk factors is not fully resolved.


OBJECTIVE
To determine, in a representative sample, whether preexposure cognitive ability is associated with risk for PTSD, and whether that risk is genetically mediated.


METHODS
The co-twin-control study involved 2386 male Vietnam-era twin veterans with a mean (SD) age of 41.9 (2.7) years, a population-based sample of men who were in military service during this era. Cognitive ability scores were obtained just before military induction at a mean (SD) age of 19.7 (1.5) years. Participants included only individuals who were exposed to potentially traumatic events and underwent preexposure cognitive testing.


METHODS
Armed Forces Qualification Test (of cognitive ability) percentile scores and PTSD diagnosed by means of structured interviews.


RESULTS
We found a significant dose-response relationship between preexposure cognitive ability and risk for PTSD. After controlling for confounders, the highest cognitive ability quartile had a 48% lower risk than the lowest ability quartile (P<.001). Non-PTSD-concordant pairs had the highest scores; PTSD-concordant pairs had the lowest scores; and PTSD-discordant pairs had intermediate scores. Differences in Armed Forces Qualification Test scores within twin pairs were significant only in PTSD-discordant pairs (P=.04) and were accounted for specifically by the discordant dizygotic pairs (P=.002). Genetic influences on preexposure cognitive ability explained 5% of the variation in PTSD, but 100% of that relationship was explained by common genes.


CONCLUSIONS
Preexposure cognitive ability is a risk or a protective factor for PTSD. The variance in PTSD explained by preexposure cognitive ability is accounted for entirely by common genetic factors. Lower cognitive ability may be a marker of less adaptive coping against adverse mental health consequences of exposure to potentially traumatic events. Further study of the potential mechanisms through which cognitive ability confers risk is needed.
Kremen
William S
WS
Department of Psychiatry and Center for Behavioral Genomics, University of California-San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA. wkremen@ucsd.edu
Koenen
Karestan C
KC
Boake
Corwin
C
Purcell
Shaun
S
Eisen
Seth A
SA
Franz
Carol E
CE
Tsuang
Ming T
MT
Lyons
Michael J
MJ
D000328:Adult; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D003130:Combat Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D015897:Comorbidity; D004200:Diseases in Twins / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D004521:Educational Measurement / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D014429:Twins, Dizygotic / Q000235:genetics; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic / Q000235:genetics; D014728:Veterans; D047829:Vietnam Conflict