Convergent functional genomics of anxiety disorders: translational identification of genes, biomarkers, pathways and mechanisms.

ABSTRACT: Anxiety disorders are prevalent and disabling yet understudied from a genetic standpoint, compared with other major psychiatric disorders such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The fact that they are more common, diverse and perceived as embedded in normal life may explain this relative oversight. In addition, as for other psychiatric disorders, there are technical challenges related to the identification and validation of candidate genes and peripheral biomarkers. Human studies, particularly genetic ones, are susceptible to the issue of being underpowered, because of genetic heterogeneity, the effect of variable environmental exposure on gene expression, and difficulty of accrual of large, well phenotyped cohorts. Animal model gene expression studies, in a genetically homogeneous and

SUBMITTER: Le-Niculescu H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3309477 | biostudies-literature | 2011 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature