358 | id == 358
358 | category_id == 22
358 | category_order == 19
358 | category_name == Trauma
358 | category_color == #C47AC0
358 | slug == RORA-PTSD
358 | title == Can Your Brain Heal Itself After Stressful Events? (RORA)
358 | meta_description == The RORA gene regulates the sleep-wake cycle and the healing of brain cells after stress. What is its link to PTSD?
358 | summary == <p><strong>The <em>RORA </em>gene regulates the sleep-wake cycle and the healing of brain cells after stress. What is its link to PTSD? Read on to find out.</strong></p>
358 | overall_score_text == Your PTSD Score (based on RORA)
358 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/RORA-PTSD.jpg
358 | author_id == 1
358 | author_name == Jasmine Foster
358 | author_title == BSc, BEd
358 | author_order == 36
358 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Jasmine.jpg
358 | author_intro == <p><strong>Jasmine received her BS from McGill University and her BEd from Vancouver Island University.</strong></p>    <p>Jasmine loves helping people understand their brains and bodies, a passion that grew out of her dual background in biology and education. From the chem lab to the classroom, everyone has the right to learn and make informed decisions about their health.</p>
358 | reviewer == None
358 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
358 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
358 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
358 | publish_date == 2020
358 | publish_date == 9
358 | publish_date == 28
358 | avg_rating == 5.0
358 | tags_id == 112
358 | tags_name == Anxiety
358 | tags_id == 486
358 | tags_name == Circadian rhythm
358 | tags_id == 744
358 | tags_name == Neuroinflammation
358 | tags_id == 39
358 | tags_name == Oxidative Stress
358 | tags_id == 6
358 | tags_name == PTSD
358 | tags_id == 749
358 | tags_name == RORA Gene
358 | tags_id == 50
358 | tags_name == Stress
358 | permissions_favorite == False
358 | permissions_rate == False
358 | content_article == <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Summary</span></h2> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">RORA</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> encodes a hormone receptor that protects the brain from stress-induced damage. Variants that decrease </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">RORA</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> expression may lead to poor neuron healing and increased rates of PTSD. Diet and supplement modifications may counteract these variants by increasing RORA.</span></p> <h2><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">RORA </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">and PTSD</span></h2> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">RORA</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> encodes part of a hormone receptor that regulates the growth of organs, suppresses tumors, and protects the brain from damage [</span><a href="https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/RORA"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The RORA protein is believed to be involved in brain development, protecting neurons, regulating the </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/what-it-means-to-keep-to-a-circadian-rhythm/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">sleep-wake cycle</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and steroid hormone signalling [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3494788/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4568170/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A genome-wide association study found that four </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">RORA</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> variants were significantly more common in people with </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/ptsd-causes-treatments/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">PTSD</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> than in the general population [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3494788/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another possible reason for the association between </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">RORA</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and PTSD is that </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">RORA </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">regulates the </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/factors-counteract-stress-response/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">stress response</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> inside brain cells. Thus, people with harmful variants of this gene may not be able to heal the damage caused by </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/63-factors-raising-stress-cortisol-level-backed-science/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">stress</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (through steroid hormones and inflammation, for example) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3494788/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28262136"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">RORA</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene protects the brain from stress-induced damage, explaining its link to PTSD.</span></span></p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Your </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">RORA </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Results for PTSD</span></h2> <p>*8239972133073021*</p> <p><strong>RORA rs8041061</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Not associated with PTSD</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Associated with PTSD</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Minor &lsquo;T&rsquo; allele may result in poor healing and recovery of brain cells after trauma.</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>RORA rs8024133</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Not associated with PTSD</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Associated with PTSD</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Minor &lsquo;T&rsquo; allele may result in poor healing and recovery of brain cells after trauma.</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>RORA rs4775301</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Not associated with PTSD</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Associated with PTSD</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Minor &lsquo;C&rsquo; allele may result in poor healing and recovery of brain cells after trauma.</span></li> </ul> <p><strong>RORA rs8042149</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Not associated with PTSD</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Associated with PTSD</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Minor &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele may result in poor healing and recovery of brain cells after trauma.</span></li> </ul> <p>*1351383613094388*</p> <h2><span style="font-weight: 400;">Recommendations for Stress Recovery in the Brain</span></h2> <p>*4531019840086447*</p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Diet</span></h3> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Omega-3 Fatty Acids</span></h4> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">RORA</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> interacts with docosahexaenoic acid (</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/fish-oil-top-22-science-based-health-benefits-of-fish-oil/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">DHA</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">), a type of omega-3 fatty acid, in the brain. According to one study, young mice that didn&rsquo;t have the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">RORA</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene had drastically decreased brain DHA levels. This study suggests a mechanism through which RORA and brain DHA are linked [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7041906/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Low levels of DHA have also been found disproportionately in people with PTSD [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27567082/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Conversely, high blood levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) from taking omega-3 supplements have been associated with a reduced severity of PTSD after a traumatic injury [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27552592/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids prevented pounding </span><a href="https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/resting-heart-rate/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">heart rate</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in accident survivors with PTSD and memory impairment in chronically stressed rats [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27287561/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6468674/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fatty fish (such as mackerel, salmon, sardines, and herrings) are especially rich in DHA and other omega-3 fatty acids. DHA is also found in </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/top-22-science-based-health-benefits-of-fish-oil/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">fish oil</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> supplements [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22122770/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">RORA</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene appears to influence how omega-3 fatty acids like </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/top-22-science-based-health-benefits-of-fish-oil/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">DHA</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> work in the brain.</span></span></p> <h3><span style="font-weight: 400;">Supplements</span></h3> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cannabidiol (CBD)</span></h4> <p><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/cannabidiol-cbd/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cannabidiol</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (CBD) alters the expression of many genes that regulate the sleep-wake cycle, including </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">RORA</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">. In one study, CBD significantly increased </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">RORA</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> expression in a type of immune cell found in the brain [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30307084/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anecdotal evidence reports that </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/cannabidiol-cbd/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">CBD</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> reduced </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/natural-treatments-anxiety/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">anxiety</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in 3 adults and 1 child with PTSD [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6482919/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">,</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5101100/"><span style="font-weight: 400;"> R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Repeated administration of CBD prevented long-term anxiety effects in rats with PTSD caused by interactions with a predator [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Cannabidiol+blocks+long-lasting+behavioral+consequences+of+predator+threat+stress"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Note that CBD oil is derived from </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/top-6-unique-super-effective-ways-counteract-negative-performance-effects-cannabismarijuana/?utm_source=seo&amp;#38;utm_medium=selfhacked&amp;#38;utm_campaign=id00002"><span style="font-weight: 400;">cannabis</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, which is a controlled substance in many countries and states. Therefore, make sure to verify the legality of CBD and similar products where you live before seeking them out.</span></p> <h4><span style="font-weight: 400;">Melatonin</span></h4> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">RORA appears to be a receptor for the sleep hormone </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/melatonin/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">melatonin</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, meaning that melatonin can directly bind to and activate RORA [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26797926/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/melatonin/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Melatonin</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> is an important hormone that controls the </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/health-benefits-sleep/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">sleep</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">-wake cycle. Light at night, especially </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/health-effects-bluelight-at-night/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">blue light</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, suppresses melatonin production [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3047226/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3462291"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A study on soldiers with PTSD found they produced lower melatonin levels at night [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6910089/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another human study found lower melatonin production following a traumatic injury, possibly increasing the risk of developing PTSD [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20554012/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Research in animals shows that melatonin reduces fear conditioning, possibly helping with PTSD [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28061973/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">CBD increases </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">RORA</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> expression in some types of cells, while melatonin binds directly to and activates the RORA receptor.</span></span></p>
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358 | content_learn_more_1351383613094388_text == Based on the variants we looked at, your RORA gene is somewhat associated with PTSD. However, this doesn't necessarily reflect your overall risk of PTSD; it’s just one gene related to it. DHA, CBD, and melatonin may help. Keep scrolling to find out more.
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rsIDs = rs8024133,rs8042149,rs8041061,rs4775301
rsStatus = rs8024133,RORA,chr15,60838440,C,T,,,18,12,HET
rsStatus = rs8042149,RORA,chr15,60832754,T,G,,,8,26,HET
rsStatus = rs8041061,RORA,chr15,60832639,G,A,C,T,22,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs4775301,RORA,chr15,60834660,T,A,C,G,22,0,Normal
