GENETIC CORRELATES OF SENSORY TRAIT MARKERS IN SCHIZOPHRENIA

本研究探讨了使用一系列的生理特征标记，而不是精神分裂症本身的诊断在这种疾病的遗传研究。 三个标志物，这是异常的精神分裂症患者和大量的亲属正在调查：听觉感觉门控，顺利的追求和反扫视眼球运动，和烟酸引起的红斑。 这些性状与候选基因的关联已被其他研究小组报道。 既往未报告同一队列受试者的多项标志物研究。 在本赠款年度，我们制定了程序，使用可以在临床地点之间移动的设备在三小时内进行这些测试和诊断面谈，以最大限度地发挥家庭招募潜力。在过去的一年里，我们研究了55名受试者的这些特征，并证实与对照组相比，患者及其亲属的异常特征发生率较高。在接下来的一年里，我们预计将招募和测试50-80名额外的受试者。 当我们收集到足够数量的DNA样本时，我们将开始基于先前的文献报道来检查这些异常性状标记结果与特定遗传基因座的关联。

This study investigates the use of a series of physiologic trait markers rather than the diagnosis of schizophrenia itself in genetic studies of this illness. Three markers which are abnormal in patients with schizophrenia and a large number of their relatives are being investigated: auditory sensory gating, smooth pursuit and anti-saccade eye movements, and niacin-induced erythema. Associations of these traits with candidate genes has been reported by other groups. Study of multiple markers for the same cohort of subjects has not been reported previously. During the current grant year we have developed procedures to carry out these tests and diagnostic interviews in a three hour period using equipment which can be moved between clinical sites to maximize family recruitment potential. During the past year we studied these traits in 55 subjects and have confirmed an elevated rate of abnormal traits in patients and their relatives as compared with controls. During the next year we anticipate recruiting and testing 50-80 additional subjects. As we collect sufficient numbers of DNA samples we will begin to examine associations of these abnormal trait marker results with specific genetic loci based on prior literature reports.