Several submicroscopic genomic deletions and duplications known as copy number variants (CNVs) have been reported to increase susceptibility to schizophrenia. Those for which the evidence is particularly strong include deletions at chromosomal segments 1q21.1, 3q29, 15q11.2, 15q13.3, 17q12 and 22q11.2, duplications at 15q11.2-q13.1, 16p13.1, and 16p11.2, and deletions atthe gene NRXN1. The effect of each on individual risk is relatively large, but it does not appear that any of them is alone sufficient to cause disorder in carriers. These CNVs often arise as new mutations(de novo). Analyses of genes enriched among schizophrenia implicated CNVs highlight the involvement in the disorder of post-synaptic processes relevant to glutamatergicsignalling, cognition and learning. CNVs that contribute to schizophrenia risk also contribute to other neurodevelopmental disorders, including intellectual disability, developmental delay and autism. As a result of selection, all known pathogenic CNVs are rare, and none makes a sizeable contribution to overall population risk of schizophrenia, although the study of these mutations is nevertheless providing important insights into the origins of the disorder.
Copy number variants are frequent in genetic generalized epilepsy with intellectual disability
