EXPERT REACTION: Different mental health disorders linked by similar DNA
Anorexia, obsessive-compulsive disorder and schizophrenia all share common genetics, according to a massive DNA analysis by Australian and international researchers which found the same genes were connected to a range of psychiatric disorders. The researchers were looked at the genetic risks for 25 brain disorders in almost 900,000 people to try and find common genes impacting everything from epilepsy to autism and depression. They found that people with psychiatric disorders shared many common genes, although the genetic risk most commonly found in both Autism Spectrum Disorder and Tourette syndrome (TS) was different to other psychiatric disorders. They also found that personality traits such as neuroticism were linked to specific psychiatric diseases, including depression and anxiety. The researchers found almost no genetic overlap among neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis.
Journal/conference: Science
Link to research (DOI): 10.1126/science.aap8757
Organisation/s: QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, The University of Queensland, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), The University of Melbourne, Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Newcastle, Flinders University, NeuRa, University of New South Wales, University of Adelaide, University of Sydney,
Funder: National Institute of Mental Health, the Orion Farmos Research Foundation and the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation.
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Expert Reaction
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