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5 - Genetic epidemiology

from Section 1 - The Tools of Psychiatry

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 August 2009

By
Pak C. Sham  and
Kenneth S. Kendler
Edited by
Robin M. Murray ,
Kenneth S. Kendler ,
Peter McGuffin ,
Simon Wessely  and
David J. Castle
Robin M. Murray
Affiliation:
King's College London
Kenneth S. Kendler
Affiliation:
Virginia Commonwealth University
Peter McGuffin
Affiliation:
University of Wales College of Medicine
Simon Wessely
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, London
David J. Castle
Affiliation:
University of Melbourne
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Summary

Genetic epidemiology explores the interrelationship of genetic and environmental risk factors in which genes are measured indirectly in ways that reflect aggregate effects "averaged" across the entire genome. This chapter describes the principles and methodology of psychiatric genetics using four-paradigm framework: basic genetic epidemiology, advanced genetic epidemiology, gene finding, and molecular genetics. Each of these paradigms has strengths and limitations, and they are in a process of dynamic interaction with each other. Genetic epidemiology has proved a reliable method to answer basic questions about the overall importance of genetic risk factors for psychiatric illness. The advanced genetic epidemiology paradigm has been used to study the relationships between neuroticism and depression. Molecular genetics is an entirely laboratory-based discipline applying a range of modern methods from genomics to neuroscience to try to identify and then trace pathophysiological pathways.
Type
Chapter
Information
Essential Psychiatry , pp. 80 - 94
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2008

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