Gene-Environment Interactions in Schizophrenia: Review of Epidemiological Findings and Future Directions
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Concern is building about high rates of schizophrenia in large cities, and among immigrants, cannabis users, and traumatized individuals, some of which likely reflects the causal influence of environmental exposures. This, in combination with very slow progress in the area of molecular genetics, has generated interest in more complicated models of schizophrenia etiology that explicitly posit gene-environment interactions (EU-GEI. European Network of Schizophrenia Networks for the Study of Gene Environment Interactions. Schizophrenia aetiology: do gene-environment interactions hold the key? [published online ahead of print April 25, 2008] Schizophr Res; S0920-9964(08) 00170-9). Although findings of epidemiological gene-environment interaction (G x E) studies are suggestive of widespread gene-environment interactions in the etiology of schizophrenia, numerous challenges remain. For example, attempts to identify gene-environment interactions cannot be equated with molecular genetic studies with a few putative environmental variables "thrown in": G x E is a multidisciplinary exercise involving epidemiology, psychology, psychiatry, neuroscience, neuroimaging, pharmacology, biostatistics, and genetics. Epidemiological G x E studies using indirect measures of genetic risk in genetically sensitive designs have the advantage that they are able to model the net, albeit nonspecific, genetic load. In studies using direct molecular measures of genetic variation, a hypothesis-driven approach postulating synergistic effects between genes and environment impacting on a final common pathway, such as "sensitization" of mesolimbic dopamine neurotransmission, while simplistic, may provide initial focus and protection against the numerous false-positive and false-negative results that these investigations engender. Experimental ecogenetic approaches with randomized assignment may help to overcome some of the limitations of observational studies and allow for the additional elucidation of underlying mechanisms using a combination of functional enviromics and functional genomics.
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The key causal mechanisms for guiding effective prevention and treatment of psychiatric disorders remain poorly understood.
“Both genetic and environmental factors are implicated in the aetiology of psychiatric disorders, however, the key causal mechanisms for guiding effective prevention and treatment remain poorly understood (Van Os, Rutten, & Poulton, 2008).”
From Can epigenetics shine a light on the biological pathways underlying major mental disorders? (2022) · cites this paper as Van Os, Rutten, & Poulton, 2008
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- Authors
- van Os, J., Rutten, B. P., & Poulton, R.
- Affiliations
- Maastricht University Medical Centre (NL)
- University of Otago (NZ)
- Venue
- Schizophrenia Bulletin
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2008-08-20
- Volume
- 34
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 1066-1082
- ISSN
- 0586-7614 (ISSN-L)
- 1745-1701
- PMC
- PMC2632485
- OpenAlex
- W2117633779
- Cited by
- 713
- References
- 13
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 27 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 36 · 2022: 34 · 2021: 36 · 2020: 28 · 2019: 46 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 74 · 2016: 37 · 2015: 43 · 2014: 49 · 2013: 46 · 2012: 44
- FWCI
- 7.11
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Schizophrenia Bulletin (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- University of Cambridge
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Schizophrenia research and treatment
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetic Associations and Epidemiology
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Keywords
- schizophrenia, gene-environment interaction
- MeSH terms
- Cross-Sectional Studies, Genotype, Humans, Research, Risk Factors, Schizophrenia, Schizophrenic Psychology, Social Environment, Genetic Predisposition to Disease
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