TY - JOUR
T1 - Introduction
T2 - Genes, cognition and neuropsychiatry
AU - Elvevåg, Brita
AU - Weinberger, Daniel R.
N1 - Funding Information:
Correspondence should be addressed to Brita Elvevåg or Daniel R. Weinberger, Clinical Brain Disorders Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Building 10, Room 3C104, MSC 1379, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] This research was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health.
PY - 2009/9
Y1 - 2009/9
N2 - Numerous genes modulate dopamine and consequently prefrontal cortical function. Some of these genes - notably catechol-O-methyltransferase - have been shown to impact a variety of core cognitive processes that are dependent upon the prefrontal cortex. This demonstration that a single functional polymorphism can contribute so dramatically to individual differences heralds a new era for neuropsychiatry. Although enormous detail remains to be discovered about these various genes that regulate neurotransmitters, how they interact and how they affect brain systems, there is much excitement and promise regarding new neuropsychopharmacological possibilities. However, this new research program is magnitudes more complex than any enterprise embarked on hitherto and requires the development, validation and deployment of novel behavioural and neurophysiological phenotypes in order to unravel the pathologies within neural functional systems. This research foundation is essential if these genetic breakthroughs are to be translated to successful clinical agents.
AB - Numerous genes modulate dopamine and consequently prefrontal cortical function. Some of these genes - notably catechol-O-methyltransferase - have been shown to impact a variety of core cognitive processes that are dependent upon the prefrontal cortex. This demonstration that a single functional polymorphism can contribute so dramatically to individual differences heralds a new era for neuropsychiatry. Although enormous detail remains to be discovered about these various genes that regulate neurotransmitters, how they interact and how they affect brain systems, there is much excitement and promise regarding new neuropsychopharmacological possibilities. However, this new research program is magnitudes more complex than any enterprise embarked on hitherto and requires the development, validation and deployment of novel behavioural and neurophysiological phenotypes in order to unravel the pathologies within neural functional systems. This research foundation is essential if these genetic breakthroughs are to be translated to successful clinical agents.
KW - COMT
KW - Dopamine
KW - Phenotypes
KW - Prefrontal function
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U2 - 10.1080/13546800903126016
DO - 10.1080/13546800903126016
M3 - Review article
C2 - 19634030
AN - SCOPUS:70349762098
SN - 1354-6805
VL - 14
SP - 261
EP - 276
JO - Cognitive Neuropsychiatry
JF - Cognitive Neuropsychiatry
IS - 4-5
ER -