Genetic and Epigenetic Factors of Mental Disorders

Dear Colleagues,

Mental disorders are common health problems that impact an individual’s thinking, feeling or mood and thus influence his/her social and daily life. Genetic variations and environmental factors may have a combined effect on risk of mental disorders. Inherited epigenetic marks or altered epigenetic status resulting from environmental exposures or certain lifestyles may also affect an individual’s vulnerability to mental disorders. The state-of-the-art microarray and next-generation sequencing technologies allow us to identify mental disorders-associated genetic and epigenetic marks at the genome-wide level. Advances in animal or cell models facilitate functional studies of mental disorders-associated genes/variants. Identification of genetic and epigenetic risk factors for mental disorders will help developing personalized medications.

This special issue provides a forum for experimental and clinical studies to explore the role of genetics and epigenetics in mental disorders, such as anxiety disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, bipolar disorder, depressive disorder, eating disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, and substance abuse/dependence.

This special issue of Genes welcomes reviews and original articles covering recent research on mental disorders with the use of study approaches such as candidate gene or genome-wide genetic and epigenetic studies, next-generation sequencing, functional genomics studies, pharmacogenetic studies, and gene-environment interaction analysis.

Dr. Huiping Zhang
Guest Editor

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