VULNERABILITY TO DEPRESSION--GENETIC EPIDEMIOLOGY

此应用程序是一个指导研究科学家的要求 发展奖，以发展必要的技能，进行遗传 儿童和青少年抑郁症的流行病学研究。 尽管遗传学研究的最新进展给人类带来了希望， 鉴定与这些基因可能相关的遗传标记， 有效的疾病，成功地应用这些技术将 取决于明确和有效的定义的表型，反映了 基因脆弱性 该提案旨在提供 申请人具有必要的技能，进行信息遗传学 抑郁症的流行病学研究， 同质亚型的 指导性假设是， 潜在同质亚型的指标是抑郁症， 在成年之前首次发病，正如最近的家族遗传学研究所表明的那样， 问题研究 这一假设将通过对 家庭研究/高风险设计，重点关注抑郁青年的兄弟姐妹 作为一个年龄和队列相匹配的信息丰富的家庭成员。 在这 在这一框架内，设计了一项试点研究，以实现两个目标：（1） 确定纵向高风险同胞研究的可行性;以及 (2)使表型指标的诊断界限更加清晰， 抑郁症的家族脆弱性。 结合研究， 目标，将追求两个主要的培训目标：（1）培训 儿童抑郁症和相关精神病理学的评估， 青少年;（2）培训在新的生物统计应用 用于帮助提高遗传病诊断界限的技术 问题研究 研究和培训的总体目的是获得 研究基因和生物技术之间交易的必要技能 抑郁症特有的环境风险因素及其相互作用 在敏感的发展时期，这样的重点可能最终 对今后的预防工作产生影响。

This application is a request for a Mentored Research Scientist Developmental Award to develop necessary skills to conduct genetic epidemiological studies of depression in childhood and adolescence. Although recent advances in genetic research hold promise for the identification of genetic markers of potential relevance to the effective disorders, the successful application of such techniques will depend on clear and valid definitions of the phenotype which reflects genetic vulnerability. This proposal is designed to provide the applicant with necessary skills to conduct informative genetic epidemiological studies of depression geared toward the identification of homogeneous subtypes. The guiding hypothesis is that a critical indicator of a potentially homogeneous subtype is depression with an initial onset prior to adulthood, as suggested by recent family-genetic studies. This hypothesis will be tested through a refinement of the family study/high risk design by focusing on siblings of depressed youth as an informative family member matched for age and cohort. Within this framework, a pilot study has been designed to address two aims: (1) to determine the feasibility of longitudinal high-risk sibling studies; and (2) to sharpen diagnostic boundaries of phenotypic indicators of familial vulnerability for depression. In conjunction with the research goals, two primary training goals will be pursued: (1) training in the evaluation of depression, and related psychopathology, in children and adolescents; (2) training in the application of novel biostatistical techniques used to help sharpen diagnostic boundaries for genetic studies. The overall purpose of research and training is to acquire requisite skills to examine transactions between genetic and environmental risk factors specific to depression, and their interplay during sensitive developmental periods, as such a focus may eventually carry implications for future preventative efforts.