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CHICAGO — A study of college students’ reactions to shootings on their Illinois campus in 2008 gives fresh insight into how genes may influence the psychological impact of traumatic events.
The researchers found that symptoms similar to post- traumatic stress disorder were more common in Northern Illinois University students who had certain variations in a gene that regulates levels of serotonin, a brain chemical linked with mood that is the target of popular antidepressants.
The researchers say the results could someday lead to new treatments for PTSD, and also could help predict who will develop the condition, which could be useful for soldiers involved in combat.
