title: Genetics and delusional disorder.
abstract: This article gives an overview of genetic research approaches and their application to delusional disorder. Most studies have been based on small samples and have had other methodological limitations, so it is not clear whether there is a genetic contribution to the aetiology of delusional disorder. It is unlikely that delusional disorder is strongly related genetically to affective disorder or schizophrenia, but more subtle relationships cannot be ruled out. The rarity of multiply affected families prohibits linkage studies and, to date, molecular genetic investigations have been mainly limited to small association studies of dopamine receptor polymorphisms. A range of considerably larger, epidemiologically rigorous studies is required, but the uncommonness and other features of the disorder put strong limitations on the prospects for ascertaining adequate samples.
authors.affiliation: Academic Unit of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Leeds, 15 Hyde Terrace, Leeds LS2 9LT, UK. A.G.Cardno@leeds.ac.uk
authors.forename: Alastair G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Cardno
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McGuffin
mesh_terms: D000300:Adoption; D003702:Delusions / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000235:genetics; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics; D018433:Twin Studies as Topic; D014427:Twins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D011954:Receptors, Dopamine