The report of reduced ANK3 mRNA expression in the superior temporal gyrus of subjects with the rs9804190 CC genotype (Roussos et al., 2012) is interesting in light of the role of ANK3 in neuronal activity. Loss of Ank3 in mice disrupts action potential firing (Zhou et al., 1998), therefore lower expression in the superior temporal gyrus may impair neuronal activity in this region. Although mainly responsible for processing sound and speech, the superior temporal gyrus has also been implicated in emotion processing, specifically emotion recognition in facial expressions and speech (Fruhholz et al., 2012; Park et al., 2010; Robins et al., 2009). A recent study found substantial differences in synchronous neural interactions in the right superior temporal gyrus between veterans with PTSD and resilient veterans, suggesting that modulation of neural networks by trauma, particularly in this region, may be a marker of resilience (James et al., 2013).
