{"id":20516,"date":"2026-07-31T10:32:59","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T10:32:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/woncaeurope2026.org\/sessions\/genetic-predisposition-and-epigenetics-of-anxiety-disorders\/"},"modified":"2026-07-31T10:32:59","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T10:32:59","slug":"genetic-predisposition-and-epigenetics-of-anxiety-disorders","status":"publish","type":"wsa_session","link":"https:\/\/woncaeurope2026.org\/fr\/sessions\/genetic-predisposition-and-epigenetics-of-anxiety-disorders\/","title":{"rendered":"Genetic predisposition and epigenetics of anxiety disorders"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Anxiety disorders (ADs)\u00a0are highly prevalent, heterogeneous group of psychiatric conditions with an impressive public health impact. Twin and family studies confirm a\u00a0moderate heritability\u00a0(typically 30-50%), suggesting a clear\u00a0genetic predisposition. However, the complexity and polygenic nature of ADs, where many common genetic variants each contribute only a small effect, have meant that Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) have had limited success in identifying major causative loci. This gap underscores the critical role of\u00a0environmental factors\u00a0and their interaction with the genome in disease pathogenesis.\u00a0Epigenetics\u00a0provides the critical mechanism for this gene-environment interaction. These reversible modifications, which include\u00a0DNA methylation,\u00a0histone modifications, and\u00a0non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), alter gene expression without changing the underlying DNA sequence.\u00a0 The majority of environmental stressors, particularly\u00a0early-life adversity, can lead to persistent epigenetic changes, biologically embedding vulnerability and altering an individual&#039;s response to stress later in life.The aim of our study was to investigate the role of genetic polymorphisms, genetic variants and epigenetic modifications in anxiety disordersWe have done literature review and summarised the dataResearch, mainly utilizing animal models, has identified epigenetic modifications in brain regions critical for stress and emotion regulation, such as the\u00a0amygdala,\u00a0hippocampus, and\u00a0prefrontal cortex (PFC). These modifications often target genes involved in the\u00a0Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis\u00a0(e.g., NR3C1, FKBP5) and\u00a0neurotransmitter systems\u00a0(e.g., GABAergic and serotonergic pathways). For instance, altered DNA methylation of the NR3C1 gene, which encodes the glucocorticoid receptor, has been implicated in an abnormal stress response.DNA methylation is a crucial\u00a0epigenetic mechanism\u00a0that plays a significant role in the pathophysiology of\u00a0anxiety disorders\u00a0by influencing gene expression in brain regions associated with stress and emotion.In conclusion, the current understanding of Anxiety disordres demonstraits a complex interplay between an individual\u2019s\u00a0genetic predisposition\u00a0and\u00a0epigenetic alterations\u00a0induced by environmental exposure. Future research integrating large-scale genetic and epigenetic data across diverse populations is essential to fully characterize the risk architecture of ADs. This neuroepigenetic perspective offers promising avenues for identifying novel\u00a0biomarkers\u00a0for risk prediction and developing targeted,\u00a0epigenetic-based therapeutics\u00a0to modulate maladaptive gene expression patterns.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","class_list":["post-20516","wsa_session","type-wsa_session","status-publish","hentry","description-off"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/woncaeurope2026.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wsa_session\/20516","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/woncaeurope2026.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wsa_session"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/woncaeurope2026.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/wsa_session"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/woncaeurope2026.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}