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Investigating the molecular ‘scars’ of PTSD in the human brain

Trauma leaves traces in the brain. A study of alterations in gene regulation in the brains of people with post-traumatic stress disorder offers insights into its biology.
By
  1. Arturo Marroquin Rivera

    1. Arturo Marroquin Rivera is at the CERVO Brain Research Centre, Québec City, Québec G1J 2G3, Canada and the Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Québec City, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada.

  2. Benoit Labonté

    1. Benoit Labonté is at the CERVO Brain Research Centre, Québec City, Québec G1J 2G3, Canada and the Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Québec City, Québec G1V 0A6, Canada.

Mental disorders have long been among the most neglected health conditions. Despite their widespread prevalence, they remain poorly treated and heavily stigmatized. The promise of breakthroughs after the human genome was first sequenced faded as it became clear that complex psychiatric conditions arise not from mutations in single genes, but from dynamic interactions between a person’s molecular make-up and environmental influences1. This is particularly true for stress-related conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which results from acute exposure to a traumatic experience2. Writing in Nature, Hwang et al.3 reveal how experiencing traumatic stress can change gene-expression patterns in the brain.

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Nature 643, 639-640 (2025)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-01707-7

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Competing Interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

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