scholarly journals The 5th Summit on Chinese Psychiatric Genetics: Multi–Omics and Spectrum of Psychiatric Disorders

2005 ◽  
Vol 39 (7) ◽  
pp. 542-549 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian P. Blair ◽  
Philip B. Mitchell ◽  
Peter R. Schofield

Objective: Most psychiatric disorders are complex genetic traits involving both genetic and environmental risk factors. This paper aims to review the gene identification strategies being applied bymolecular geneticists in their efforts to elucidate the genetic and molecular basis of psychiatric disorders. Future strategies will also be canvassed. Method: The psychiatric genetic literature was reviewed to identify current strategies applied to gene identification, with examples provided where available. The future strategies and applications that will arise from genome projects, including the International Haplotype Mapping Project, are also discussed. Results: Many advances in the techniques of gene discovery, and the increasing resources available, are rapidly being adopted by researchers and applied to the complex problem of identifying susceptibility genes for mental illnesses. Perhaps the single most important advance to date is the Human Genome Project and all that has stemmed from the vast quantity of information that this endeavour has provided. With these technological advances and the massive increase of publicly available genetic resources, several genes have recently been implicated in the susceptibility to psychiatric illnesses including schizophrenia and depression. After many years of fruitless endeavours, these recent reports indicate that the labours of researchers in psychiatric genetics are beginning to show exciting results. Conclusions: Identification of these susceptibility genes holds great promise, with the unravelling of the molecular and biochemical basis of some conditions now being a more realistic and tangible goal. The increasing number of genes being identified augers well for the future treatment of psychiatric disorders. The genes identified, and the pathways of genes and proteins that they implicate, will provide potential novel targets for new therapeutic drugs. Psychiatric genetics appears to be poised for significant advances in our knowledge and understanding of the molecular genetic basis of mental illness.


CNS Spectrums ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 2 (9) ◽  
pp. 42-44
Author(s):  
Giovanni P. A. Placidi ◽  
Maura Boldrini

AbstractDuring the last 30 years, several studies in psychiatric genetics have been conducted. These include a series of clinical and family-oriented studies on genetic factors in schizophrenia, alcoholism, and manic-depressive disorder. Since these trials have taken place, great emphasis has been placed on the hypothesis that psychiatric disorders could have a genetic vulnerability. This hypothesis is supported by significant advancements in biological and mathematical analysis methods, as well as by the large number of epidemiological and diagnostic studies on the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in patients' families. This article provides on overview of this research.Many other hypotheses have been raised by the optimism of research, but are often followed by experimental failures. There are several pitfalls in methods, ranging from sample selection to genotyping to statistical analysis methods. Finally, the interpretations of the results often have been misunderstood. Nonetheless, this body of research contributes to future genetic perspectives in psychiatry.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Jessica L. Bourdon ◽  
Rachel A. Davies ◽  
Elizabeth C. Long

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Psychiatric genetics has had limited success in translational efforts. A thorough understanding of the present state of translation in this field will be useful in the facilitation and assessment of future translational progress. <b><i>Purpose:</i></b> A narrative literature review was conducted. Combinations of 3 groups of terms were searched in EBSCOhost, Google Scholar, and PubMed. The review occurred in multiple steps, including abstract collection, inclusion/exclusion criteria review, coding, and analysis of included papers. <b><i>Results:</i></b> One hundred and fourteen articles were analyzed for the narrative review. Across those, 4 bottlenecks were noted that, if addressed, may provide insights and help improve and increase translation in the field of psychiatric genetics. These 4 bottlenecks are emphasizing linear translational frameworks, relying on molecular genomic findings, prioritizing certain psychiatric disorders, and publishing more reviews than experiments. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> These entwined bottlenecks are examined with one another. Awareness of these bottlenecks can inform stakeholders who work to translate and/or utilize psychiatric genetic information. Potential solutions include utilizing nonlinear translational frameworks as well as a wider array of psychiatric genetic information (e.g., family history and gene-environment interplay) in this area of research, expanding which psychiatric disorders are considered for translation, and when possible, conducting original research. Researchers are urged to consider how their research is translational in the context of the frameworks, genetic information, and psychiatric disorders discussed in this review. At a broader level, these efforts should be supported with translational efforts in funding and policy shifts.


2018 ◽  
Vol 72 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Anna Grzywacz ◽  
Małgorzata Ryder ◽  
Iwona Małecka ◽  
Jolanta Chmielowiec

The aim of this article was to review the results of research carried out in recent years in relation to genetic studies in psychiatry. The authors’ focus is on the selected disorders, with particular emphasis on the reports from Poland. For this purpose, the most often mentioned studies describing genes and biomarkers involved in psychiatry were selected. Genetic polymorphisms were described in relation to schizophrenia, alcoholism, addiction to psychoactive substances, autistic spectrum, unipolar depression and bipolar disorder, eating disorders and other psychiatric disorders. Characterizing the impact of inheritance factors on the processes in the central nervous system, it can be observed that some biological mechanisms forms associations with tested genetic variants and this combination is linked with the risk of mental disorders. To understand the role of psychiatric genetics, surveys which join genotype and phenotype associations (endophenotype) are essential. It seems important to study and search for associations of genes polymorphisms and biomarkers with mental and psychiatric disorders in order to better understanding the biological basis of the disease and more effective treatment of patients. In many cases, the variability analysis of selected genes sheds new light on understanding the etiology of diseases and mental disorders. Genetics is a powerful technique which allows us to study the impact of the inherited variance on changes in mental state, even without having prior knowledge about biological changes.


CNS Spectrums ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 215-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander B. Niculescu ◽  
John R. Kelsoe

ABSTRACTPsychiatric genetics, while promising to unravel the mechanisms of psychiatric disorders, has proven to be a challenging field. Psychiatric disorders, like other common genetic traits, are complex and heterogeneous. Psychiatric genetics has also suffered from a lack of quantifiable, biology-based phenotypes. However, the field is currently at an opportune moment. The work of various investigators is on the verge of paying rich dividends. Efforts at positional cloning are being greatly accelerated by the fruits of the Human Genome Project. New tools of functional genomics, such as expression profiling and proteomics, are being applied to animal models. These two methods can complement each other in an approach we have termed convergent functional genomics. Lastly, improvements in the measurement of biologically distinct endophenotypes—or phenomics—will lead to a better understanding of the mapping of genes to phenotypes in both animal and human systems.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Lazaro-Munoz ◽  
Laura N. Torgerson ◽  
Stacey Pereira

Many research sponsors and genetic researchers agree that some medically relevant genetic findings should be offered to participants. The scarcity of research specific to returning genetic results related to psychiatric disorders hinders the ability to develop ethically-justified and empirically-informed guidelines for responsible return of results for these conditions. We surveyed 407 psychiatric genetics researchers from 39 countries to examine their perceptions of challenges to returning individual results and views about best practices for the process of offering and returning results. Most researchers believed that disclosure of results should be delayed if a patient-participant is experiencing significant psychiatric symptoms. Respondents felt that there is little research on the impact of returning results to participants with psychiatric disorders and agreed that return of psychiatric genetics results to patient-participants may lead to discrimination by insurance companies or other third parties. Almost half of researchers believed results should be returned through a participant's treating psychiatrist, but many felt that clinicians lack knowledge about how to manage genetic research results. Most researchers thought results should be disclosed by genetic counselors or medical geneticists and in person, however, almost half also supported disclosure via telemedicine. This is the first global survey to examine the perspectives of researchers with experience working with this patient population and with these conditions. Their perspectives can help inform the development of much-needed guidelines to promote responsible return of results related to psychiatric conditions to patients with psychiatric disorders.


2019 ◽  
Vol 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanna M. van Loo ◽  
Jan-Willem Romeijn

AbstractNetwork models block reductionism about psychiatric disorders only if models are interpreted in a realist manner – that is, taken to represent “what psychiatric disorders really are.” A flexible and more instrumentalist view of models is needed to improve our understanding of the heterogeneity and multifactorial character of psychiatric disorders.


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