Converging Studies Guide Psychiatric Applications of Genetic Research

Gene discovery has revolutionized our understanding of neuropsychiatric disorders, but many questions about the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unanswered. Now, two studies expand the “research roadmap” that guides us as we seek to translate genetic and neurobiological findings into better clinical applications in psychiatry.

Using RNA sequencing in brain tissue from 175 patients with schizophrenia and 320 controls across the lifespan, researchers showed that regulation of expression of 237 genes involved in neuronal transmission and plasticity differed between the two groups. This shift reflected a fetal pattern of gene expression, suggesting that pathologic alterations of such expression may underlie failure to develop flexible tuni…