Imaging and cardiovascular genetics

Human behaviour shows substantial individual variation which can be explained to a large extent by differences in the genetic makeup of individuals. It is therefore of crucial importance to gain knowledge of the genetic underpinnings of normal and, in particular, abnormal behaviour. For example, knowledge about the genetic variants that underlie psychiatric conditions such as ADHD, depression and schizophrenia provides keys to obtain more in-depth understanding of the underlying pathophysiology. In addition identification of relevant genes affords the ability to predict at risk people and can provide novel insights to improve care and pave the way to the application of personalised interventions. To date the search for genetic variants that influence behaviour and elucidation of the biological pathways through which they do so remains a tremendous scientific challenge. This of course reflects the complexity of behavioural traits as well as their highly polygenetic background. An added problem is that detailed quantitative descriptions of abnormal behaviours and psychiatric diseases are generally lacking. Current health diagnostic systems generally entail only qualitative appraisals of behaviour symptoms or psychiatric disorders, i.e., "one has a symptom or disorder or not". Instead of behaviour itself, quantitative measures of specific nervous system function that underlie final output behaviour likely are more closely linked to genetic variation and therefore help elucidate the pathways by which these genetic variants influence behaviour. Measuring these biomarkers, or "endophenotypes", can furthermore help us understand how these genes exert their effect by highlighting the associated functional neurobiological changes.