BDNF Val⁶⁶Met polymorphism to generalized anxiety disorder pathways: Indirect effects via attenuated parasympathetic stress-relaxation reactivity.

The valine⁶⁶methionine (Val⁶⁶Met) polymorphism (rs6265) of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene has been shown to influence autonomic arousal pathways, which in turn predict elevated syndromal anxiety in healthy humans. We examined whether the BDNF variant is associated with an increased risk of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), one of the most prevalent anxiety disorders, through altering parasympathetic stress/relaxation...