Chunk #43 — Conclusions: Limits of the Knowns and Unknowns — Endophenotype Genetics Might Contribute Important Biologic Insights for Psychiatric Disorders
As de Geus (2010; 2014, this issue) and Munafò and Flint (2014, this issue) have noted, the value of endophenotypes may best be realized after genetic variants for a disorder, trait, or biological process are identified through other means such as large-sample meta-analyses of relevant traits and work with model organisms. Once genetic variants for clinical phenotypes are identified, we can determine their relevance to specific endophenotypes, in turn generating insights into neural and psychological processes important to clinical pathology. A related benefit of this approach will be better understanding the neurobiology of endophenotypes and the workings of endophenotype-relevant brain systems.
