Project Summary

Andrew Makoff, Ph.D. (Independent Investigator 2007) of the Institute of Psychiatry/King's College London, University of London, is attempting to delineate genetic factors disposing individuals to schizophrenia that are shared by a large portion of those affected by the disease. One measurable characteristic which many schizophrenics share but which involves only one or a few genes is a measurement of brain electrical activity called P50. A genetic change on chromosome 15 has been associated with abnormal P50 measurements. The project will focus upon changes in the DNA sequence, including very small variations in CHRNA7 and its partial duplication, as well as common variants involving structural rearrangements and duplications in this region of chromosome 15. Each variant will be compared with corresponding P50 responses, to permit identification of variants associated with P50 response. Identification and functional investigation of predisposing variant(s) has the potential to generate important data relevant to genetic predisposition to schizophrenia and/or bipolar disorder and may indicate targets for future treatments.

Program Area: SCHIZOPHRENIA/PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS\Schizophrenia

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