Potluck -- Genomics and Mental Illness

In light of our discussion last week about the utility of GWAS in developing treatment therapy for mental illnesses (among other clinical presentations), I thought the following article might be an interesting example of how GWAS and association studies in general can be useful in teasing out the differences between the physiological manifestations of certain clinical definitions of mental disorder.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165178110003094

While it is important to note that mental disorders constitute a much less 'cut and dry' category for which genomics research might be useful than many other areas of primate ecology, this article is a compelling example of how genomics can inform our understanding of pathophysiology and play an integral part in the fine tuning of pharmacological regimens for people suffering from mental conditions that often seem very difficult to pin down or effectively and wisely treat.