Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40847094›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2025

The impact of the BDNF Val66Met genotype on intrusive memories following trauma exposure and in PTSD is moderated by sex and timing of trauma exposure.

Emma Louise Nicholson, Michael Garry, Luke J Ney, Ken Chia Ming Hsu, Daniel V Zuj, Kim L Felmingham

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Emma Louise NicholsonMelbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Redmond Barry Building, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia. elnicholson@student.unimelb.edu.au.
Michael GarrySchool of Psychological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Dynnyrne, Australia.
Luke J NeySchool of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
Ken Chia Ming HsuSchool of Psychological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Dynnyrne, Australia.
Daniel V ZujSchool of Psychological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Dynnyrne, Australia.
Kim L FelminghamMelbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Redmond Barry Building, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.

Funding

National Health and Medical Research Council APP1073041
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Intrusive memories are a key symptom of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) has been proposed as a possible mechanism influencing intrusive memories in PTSD given its role in synaptic plasticity and memory consolidation. The BDNF Val66Met polymorphism has been linked PTSD susceptibility and episodic memory disturbances however previous research outcomes have been variable, potentially due to a failure to control for important confounds such as sex, ethnicity, BMI, developmental stage and extent of previous trauma experiences. This study explored the relationship between the BDNF Val66Met genotype and emotional memory (intrusive memories and recall) in PTSD controlling for these factors in 276 participants: 53 with PTSD, 118 Trauma Exposed and 105 Controls. Key findings revealed the PTSD group experienced significantly more negative intrusions than Controls, and females more intrusions than males, however there were no group or sex differences in negative memory recall. When developmental stage of trauma was considered in a traumatised sub-sample, BDNF genotype significantly interacted with PTSD status, sex, and developmental trauma stage. This highlights the importance of controlling for sex and timing of trauma on BDNF expression in neurobiological PTSD research, however further research is needed to replicate these preliminary findings and investigate the specific epigenetic and neurobiological mechanisms involved.

Indexed as

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic FactorMemoryPolymorphism, Single NucleotideStress Disorders, Post-TraumaticAdultCase-Control StudiesFemaleGenotypeHumansMaleMemory, EpisodicMental RecallMiddle AgedSex FactorsYoung AdultBDNF protein, humanBrain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor

Identifiers

PMID40847094
PMCPMC12373918

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.