title: The implications of the shared genetics of psychiatric disorders.
abstract: Recent genomic studies have revealed the highly polygenic nature of psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder. Many of the individual genetic associations are shared across multiple disorders in a way that points to extensive biological pleiotropy and further challenges the biological validity of existing diagnostic approaches. Here we argue that the existence of risk alleles specific to a single diagnostic category is unlikely. We also highlight some of the important clinical repercussions of pleiotropy.
authors: MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, UK.
authors: Michael C
authors: MC
authors: O'Donovan
authors: MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, UK.
authors: Michael J
authors: 0000-0001-7073-2379
authors: MJ
authors: Owen
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000235:genetics; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000235:genetics; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000235:genetics; D058685:Genetic Pleiotropy / Q000235:genetics*; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000235:genetics*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000235:genetics