NCT00001486

Genetic Study of Schizophrenia

A Neurobiological Investigation of Patients With Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders and Their Siblings

• Status: Completed
• Phase: —
• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 4,914 (actual)
• Sponsor: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) · NIH
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 55 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This large ongoing study at NIMH investigates the neurobiology of schizophrenia by identifying susceptibility genes, evaluating their impact on brain function to better understand how to treat and prevent this illness.

Detailed description

Objective: Schizophrenia is a complex genetic disorder which likely involves many genes each producing a slight increase in risk. Finding weak-acting genes in complex genetic disorders has been challenging and will likely require a number of approaches and large clinical samples. Several strategies have emerged recently that appear to markedly improve the power of genetic studies for detecting such genes. These include using association (rather than linkage) and using intermediate phenotypes in addition to DMS-IV diagnosis. Study Population: We propose to take advantage of these techniques by studying quantitative traits related to schizophrenia in patients, siblings, and controls. Design: We will employ an association design, rather than linkage. Traits will include quantifiable neurobiological variables that have been implicated previously as possible phenotypes related to schizophrenia. These include tests of attention and cognition. Outcome Measure: We will use several statistical methods to show that specific genetic polymorphisms affect these phenotypes, including case control and family based association studies.

Conditions

• Schizoaffective Disorder
• Schizophrenia

Timeline

• Start date: 1995-07-15
• First posted: 1999-11-04
• Last updated: 2026-04-01

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States