biostudies-literatureDeo AJNIMH NIH HHSNHGRI NIH HHSe9714https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC2838792biostudies-literatureUnknown5(3)<h4>Background</h4>For diagnosis of neuropsychiatric disorders, a categorical classification system is often utilized as a simple way for conceptualizing an often complex clinical picture. This approach provides an unsatisfactory model of mental illness, since in practice patients do not conform to these prototypical diagnostic categories. Family studies show notable familial co-aggregation between schizophrenia and bipolar illness and between schizoaffective disorders and both bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, revealing that mental illness does not conform to such categorical models and is likely to follow a continuum encompassing a spectrum of behavioral symptoms.<h4>Results and methodology</h4>We introduce an analytic framework to dissect the phenotypic heterogeneity present in complePloS oneA novel analytical framework for dissecting the genetic architecture of behavioral symptoms in neuropsychiatric disorders.PMC2838792K22 HG002915MH074118HG002915R01 MH074118Deo AJCosta RDeLisi LEDeSalle RHaghighi FfalseA novel analytical framework for dissecting the genetic architecture of behavioral symptoms in neuropsychiatric disorders.<h4>Background</h4>For diagnosis of neuropsychiatric disorders, a categorical classification system is often utilized as a simple way for conceptualizing an often complex clinical picture. This approach provides an unsatisfactory model of mental illness, since in practice patients do not conform to these prototypical diagnostic categories. Family studies show notable familial co-aggregation between schizophrenia and bipolar illness and between schizoaffective disorders and both bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, revealing that mental illness does not conform to such categorical models and is likely to follow a continuum encompassing a spectrum of behavioral symptoms.<h4>Results and methodology</h4>We introduce an analytic framework to dissect the phenotypic heterogeneity present in comple2010-01-01T00:00:00Z2010 Mar2026-07-15T07:06:43.62Z2026-07-01T03:07:33.724ZS-EPMC28387922030052610.1371/journal.pone.0009714