title: Challenges and opportunities for genomic developmental neuropsychology: examples from the Penn-Drexel collaborative battery.
abstract: Genomics has been revolutionizing medicine over the past decade by offering mechanistic insights into disease processes and engendering the age of "individualized medicine." Because of the sheer number of measures generated by gene sequencing methods, genomics requires "Big Science" where large datasets on genes are analyzed in reference to electronic medical record data. This revolution has largely bypassed the behavioral neurosciences, mainly because of the paucity of behavioral data in medical records and the labor-intensity of available neuropsychological assessment methods. We describe the development and implementation of an efficient neuroscience-based computerized battery, coupled with a computerized clinical assessment procedure. This assessment package has been applied to a genomic study of 10,000 children aged 8-21, of whom 1000 also undergo neuroimaging. Results from the first 3000 participants indicate sensitivity to neurodevelopmental trajectories. Sex differences were evident, with females outperforming males in memory and social cognition domains, while for spatial processing males were more accurate and faster, and they were faster on simple motor tasks. The study illustrates what will hopefully become a major component of the work of clinical and research neuropsychologists as invaluable participants in the dawning age of Big Science neuropsychological genomics.
authors: Neuropsychiatry Section, Department of Psychiatry, 10th Floor, Gates Building, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. gur@upenn.edu
authors: Ruben C
authors: RC
authors: Gur
authors: Farzin
authors: F
authors: Irani
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Seligman
authors: Monica E
authors: ME
authors: Calkins
authors: Jan
authors: J
authors: Richard
authors: Raquel E
authors: RE
authors: Gur
mesh_terms: D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D023281:Genomics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009484:Neuropsychology; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics