The cognitive neuroscience of executive control: behavioural, physiological and genetic mechanisms

基因是如何影响人类思考、推理和控制行为的能力的，几十年来一直困扰着科学家。 人类基因组计划使我们能够了解单个基因如何影响这些能力。 了解这些能力的遗传学提供了一个坚实的平台，可以在这些能力受到损害的临床疾病中启动基因发现项目。 目前的项目与精神疾病的遗传学直接相关，例如注意力缺陷多动症（ADHD），这给我们的社会带来了巨大的经济和情感负担。 了解增加精神障碍风险的基因和生物学途径将最终导致改善这些疾病的治疗方法。

How genes influence our human abilities to think, reason and control behaviour has puzzled scientists for decades. The human genome project has allowed us to ask how individual genes influence these capacities. Understanding the genetics of these abilities provides a solid platform from which to launch gene discovery projects in clinical disorders where these abilities are compromised. The current project is directly relevant to the genetics of mental disorders, such as attention deficit hyperactivity (ADHD), that place a large burden, both financially and emotionally, on our society. Understanding the genes and biological pathways that increase risk for mental disorders will ultimately lead to improved treatments for these conditions.