New Approaches to Psychiatric Diagnostic Classification

• Published in: Neuron (Cambridge, Mass.) Vol. 84; no. 3; pp. 564 - 571
• Main Author: Owen, Michael J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 05.11.2014; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; Autism; Behavior; Biomedical Research - economics; Biomedical Research - methods; Brain research; Classification; Disease; Genetics, Medical; Humans; Mental Disorders - classification; Mental Disorders - diagnosis; Mental Disorders - economics; Mental Disorders - genetics; Mutation; Neurobiology; Neurosciences; Neurosciences - methods; Pathogenesis; Psychopharmacology; Reproducibility of Results; Schizophrenia; Studies; Validity
• ISSN: 0896-6273; 1097-4199
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.10.028

Recent findings in psychiatric genetics have crystallized concerns that diagnostic categories used in the clinic map poorly onto the underlying biology. If we are to harness developments in genetics and neuroscience to understand disease mechanisms and develop new treatments, we need new approaches to patient stratification that recognize the complexity and continuous nature of psychiatric traits and that are not constrained by current categorical approaches. Recognizing this, the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH) has developed a novel framework to encourage more research of this kind. The implications of these recent findings and funding policy developments for neuroscience research are considerable. Owen reviews recent genetic findings suggesting that psychiatric diagnoses map poorly onto the underlying biology. He argues that new approaches to patient stratification are needed if we are to harness developments in genetics and neuroscience to understand disease mechanisms and develop new treatments.