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Classifying Mental Disorders Genetically: Genomic Factor Analysis

27 Pages Posted: 26 Jul 2019

See all articles by Shuquan Rao

Shuquan Rao

Southwest Jiaotong University

Ancha Baranova

George Mason University - School of Systems Biology

Lei Cai

Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) - Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders

Hongbao Cao

George Mason University - School of Systems Biology

Lin Tian

Nanjing Medical University - Department of Psychiatry

Jun Wang

Nanjing Medical University - Wuxi Mental Health Center

Qiang Wang

Sichuan University - Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory

Xiangrong Zhang

Nanjing Medical University - Affiliated Brain Hospital

Fuquan Zhang

Nanjing Medical University - Department of Psychiatry; Nanjing Medical University - Institute of Neuropsychiatry

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Abstract

Background: Typically, mental disorders are defined and classified based on clinical symptoms and syndromes. Although clinically useful, current diagnostic systems for psychiatry cause concerns due to the lack of biological mechanisms. Deciphering the relationships among psychiatric traits according to their genetic basis may facilitate understanding biological mechanisms of psychiatric disorders.

Methods: Ten mental disorders were classified by genomic structural equation modeling (SEM) which leverages summary results of genome-wide association studies. Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anorexia nervosa (AN), anxiety disorder (ANX), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), bipolar disorder (BD), major depressive disorder (MDD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia (SZ), and Tourette syndrome (TS) were included.

Findings: Our analysis indicates that the ten psychiatric conditions were genetically inter-correlated with one another can be separated based on their general psychopathology. Most disorders have a close partner, forming pairs of traits, including SZ with BD, MDD with ANX, ADHD with ASD, and OCD with PTSD. TS and AN are two distinctive conditions, although both of them share some common components with OCD. At a higher level, MDD, ANX, ADHD, ASD, and PTSD cluster together, while OCD, AN, and TS cluster together. Together, the ten traits may constitute a hierarchical classificatory system.

Interpretation: Our study allows inference of genetically determined classification of the ten mental disorders, which may biologically inform current diagnostic framework.

Funding: National Natural Science Foundation of China and Primary Research & Development Plan of Jiangsu Province.

Declaration of Interest: We declare no competing interests.

Ethical Approval: Missing

Keywords: mental disorders; classification; structural equation modeling; exploratory factor analysis; confirmatory factor analysis

Suggested Citation

Rao, Shuquan and Baranova, Ancha and Cai, Lei and Cao, Hongbao and Tian, Lin and Wang, Jun and Wang, Qiang and Zhang, Xiangrong and Zhang, Fuquan, Classifying Mental Disorders Genetically: Genomic Factor Analysis (07/19/2019 16:19:48). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3424211 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3424211

Shuquan Rao

Southwest Jiaotong University

No. 111, Sec. North 1, Er-Huan Rd.
Chengdu
Chengdu, Sichuan 610031
China

Ancha Baranova

George Mason University - School of Systems Biology

VA
United States

Lei Cai

Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) - Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders

Shanghai
China

Hongbao Cao

George Mason University - School of Systems Biology

VA
United States

Lin Tian

Nanjing Medical University - Department of Psychiatry

Wuxi, Jiangsu Province 214151
China

Jun Wang

Nanjing Medical University - Wuxi Mental Health Center

Wuxi, Jiangsu Province 214151
China

Qiang Wang

Sichuan University - Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory

Sichuan, Chengdu
China

Xiangrong Zhang

Nanjing Medical University - Affiliated Brain Hospital

300 Guangzhou Road
Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029
China

Fuquan Zhang (Contact Author)

Nanjing Medical University - Department of Psychiatry ( email )

Wuxi, Jiangsu Province 214151
China

Nanjing Medical University - Institute of Neuropsychiatry ( email )

300 Guangzhou Road
Nanjing, Jiangsu 210029
United States

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