Expanding Rapid Ascertainment Networks of Schizophrenia Families in Taiwan

Far Eastern Memorial Hospital

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Schizophrenia

Treatments: Other: No intervention would be provided in this research

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01357005

099032-F

Details and patient eligibility

About

This proposal responds to Request for Applications RFA-MH-08-131, which seeks applications that propose to enrich pre-existing resources for schizophrenia in the NIMH Human Genetics Initiative and to apply genomic methods to further our understanding of the molecular etiology of the disorder. The overarching aims of this proposal are to quickly and cost-effectively ascertain a large sample of trio families affected by schizophrenia, and to discover causal variants for the disorder in the first family-based genome-wide association study (GWAS) of the disorder. In Taiwan, there is no such kind of policy to support this kind of GWAS study as it is a very expensive study, including collecting large family samples and genome-wide SNP scanning. The investigators, thus, collaborate with Professor Ming T, Tsuang and his intended subcontracted researchers to apply for this project. The investigators, the research team in Taiwan, will collect 3800 trio families (11400 subjects) of schizophrenia.

The investigators will meet the overarching goals of this project by accomplishing several Specific Aims, as follows: 1) Rapidly ascertain schizophrenia trio families from Taiwanese clinical ascertainment sites; 2) Supplement NIMH Genetics Initiative collections by sending all clinical data and biomaterials to the appropriate repositories; 3) Assess the association of schizophrenia with a genome-wide panel of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and their constituent haplotypes; 4) Analyze quantitative schizophrenia phenotypes such as age at onset ; 5) Perform a genome-wide survey for copy-number variations related to schizophrenia; 6) Test for gene-gene interactions (epistasis); and 7) Test for gene-environment interactions, such as the well-established effect of season of birth.

Enrollment: 300 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 16 to 90 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia and their parents,and parents are still alive

Exclusion criteria

• person with Mental Retardation

  • persons with epilepsy
  • alcohol or substance abuse combined
  • in combination with other organic brain damage syndrome

Trial design

300 participants in 1 patient group

Schizophrenia Family

Treatment:

Other: No intervention would be provided in this research