In our investigation of tissue and cell type enrichment9, we found that brain tissues from specific regions were associated with REX: cortex, hypothalamus, amygdala, hippocampus, and basal ganglia. We also found striatal medium spiny neurons associated with REX using MAGMA and LDSC. Other associations observed were congruent with these findings and there was little association evidence for non-neuronal cell types. These results suggest that different types of neurons located in different brain regions (striatum, cortex, hypothalamus, ventral tegmental area) may play roles in REX symptoms and PTSD. The finding of association with striatal medium spiny neurons, coupled with the aforementioned genetic correlation between REX and schizophrenia, should spur further investigation into a role for striatal dysfunction in PTSD, and conceivably may point to new avenues for pharmacotherapy.
