title: Integrating objective gene-brain-behavior markers of psychiatric disorders.
abstract: There is little consensus about which objective markers should be used to assess major psychiatric disorders, and predict/evaluate treatment response for these disorders. Clinical practice relies instead on subjective signs and symptoms, such that there is a "translational gap" between research findings and clinical practice. This gap arises from: a) a lack of integrative theoretical models which provide a basis for understanding links between gene-brain-behavior mechanisms and clinical entities; b) the reliance on studying one measure at a time so that linkages between markers are their specificity are not established; and c) the lack of a definitive understanding of what constitutes normative function. Here, we draw on a standardized methodology for acquiring multiple sources of genomic, brain and behavioral data in the same subjects, to propose candidate markers of selected psychiatric disorders: depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and dementia disorders. This methodology has been used to establish a standardized international database which provides a comprehensive framework and the basis for testing hypotheses derived from an integrative theoretical model of the brain. Using this normative base, we present preliminary findings for a number of disorders in relation to the proposed markers. Establishing these objective markers will be the first step towards determining their sensitivity, specificity and treatment prediction in individual patients.
authors.affiliation: The Brain Resource International Database and the Brain Resource Company, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia. evian.gordon@brainresource.com
authors.forename: Evian
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.forename: Belinda J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Liddell
authors.forename: Kerri J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bryant
authors.forename: C Richard
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Pritha
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: DAS
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dobson-Stone
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Falconer
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Felmingham
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Flynn
authors.forename: Justine M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gatt
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Daniel F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Hermens
authors.forename: Patrick J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Hopkinson
authors.forename: Andrew H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Kemp
authors.forename: Stacey A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Kuan
authors.forename: Illario
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lazzaro
authors.forename: Jonson
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moyle
authors.forename: Robert H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.forename: Chris J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Rennie
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schofield
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Whitford
authors.forename: Leanne M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D001519:Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D015415:Biomarkers; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D016208:Databases, Factual / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008954:Models, Biological
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers