Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase and Threat Related Amygdala Activity in Individuals With PTSD

Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is the major enzyme for the endocannabinoid anandamide. A functional single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (C385A) in the gene for FAAH has been linked with decreased self-reported anxiety during stress exposure and decreased amygdala reactivity to facial cues signaling threat. Further, our group recently reported a relationship between FAAH levels in brain measured with Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging and functional connectivity in amygdala-related circuits. The goal of the current study was to test the hypothesis that FAAH levels in brain are correlated with amygdala reactivity to pictures of faces in PTSD.