title: Measuring behavioral phenotypes: provocations from the "new genetics".
abstract: Recent revolutionary advances in genetics bring a renewed importance to the behavioral phenotypes of mental retardation syndromes. Although the so-called "new genetics" calls for improved research on syndromic behavior, this work has not been a priority in the larger mental retardation field. Further, the work has suffered from inconsistent definitions and methodologies. In this paper key properties of behavioral phenotypes were clarified, including within-syndrome variability and between-syndrome similarities and qualitative differences. Three strategies were offered that improve the traditional focus on easily observed syndromic traits: a psychiatric approach, psychometric methods, and syndrome-specific observations. The need to combine these approaches was discussed as were complications of the work due to developmental and environmental issues.
authors.affiliation: Yale University, Child Study Center, New Haven, CT 06520-7900, USA.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Dykens
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D007360:Intelligence / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D013577:Syndrome