Psychiatric genetics

Psychiatric genetics

Psychiatric genetics, a subfield of behavioral neurogenetics, studies the role of genetics in psychological conditions such as alcoholism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and autism. The basic principle behind psychiatric genetics is that genetic polymorphisms, as indicated by linkage to e.g. a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), are part of the etiology of psychiatric disorders.

The goal of psychiatric genetics is to better understand the etiology of psychiatric disorders, to use that knowledge to improve treatment methods, and possibly also to develop personalized treatments based on genetic profiles (see pharmacogenomics). In other words, the goal is to transform parts of psychiatry into a neuroscience-based discipline. [cite journal |journal= Genet Med |date=2007 |volume=9 |issue=6 |pages=332–40 |title= Update on psychiatric genetics |author= Züchner S, Roberts ST, Speer MC, Beckham JC |pmid=17575499]

Linkage, association, and microarray studies generate raw material for findings in psychiatric genetics [cite journal |journal= Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet |date=2008 |title= A searchable database of genetic evidence for psychiatric disorders |author= Konneker T, Barnes T, Furberg H, Losh M, Bulik CM, Sullivan PF |doi=10.1002/ajmg.b.30802 |pmid=18548508 |volume= 147b |pages= 671] .
Copy number variants have also been associated with psychiatric conditions. [cite journal
title= Strong association of de novo copy number mutations with autism
doi= 10.1126/science.1138659
year= 2007
author= Sebat, J., et al.
journal= Science
volume= 316
pages= 445
pmid= 17363630] [cite journal
title= Large recurrent microdeletions associated with schizophrenia
doi=10.1038/nature07229
year= 2008
author= Stefansson, H., et al.
journal= Nature] [cite journal
title= Subtle chromosomal rearrangements in children with unexplained mental retardation
doi= 10.1016/S0140-6736(99)03070-6
year= 1999
author= Knight, S., et al.
journal= The Lancet
volume= 354
pages= 1676]

Most psychiatric disorders are highly heritable; the estimated heritability for bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and autism (80% or higher) is mich higher than that of diseases like breast cancer and Parkinson disease. However, linkage analysis and genome-wide association studies have found few reproducible risk factors.cite journal |journal= Nat Rev Genet |date=2008 |volume=9 |issue=7 |pages=527–40 |title= Psychiatric genetics: progress amid controversy |author= Burmeister M, McInnis MG, Zöllner S |doi=10.1038/nrg2381 |pmid=18560438]

Several genetic risk factors have been found with the endophenotypes of psychiatric disorders, rather than with the diagnoses themselves. That is, the risk factors are associated with particular symptoms, not with the overall diagnosis.

See also

* International Behavioural and Neural Genetics Society (IBANGS)
* "Psychiatric Genetics" (journal)

References

External links

* [http://ibangs.org/ IBANGS]
* [http://ispg.net/ International Society of Psychiatric Genetics]


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