In the present study, we have investigated the potential advantages of assessing gene-wide significance in two GWAS datasets, one of schizophrenia20 the other of bipolar disorder3. Specifically, we aimed to determine if gene-wide analyses resulted in evidence for a marked excess of genes surpassing various thresholds of evidence for association, a finding that would be compatible with a common disease-common variant hypothesis and supportive of more intensive GWAS endeavours. Our secondary aim was to identify at least suggestive evidence for multiple susceptibility genes for each disorder that might support earlier findings, and inform follow up genetic studies. Also, given the hypothesis of overlap in genetic risk between the two disorders21 we wished to determine if there is overlap in the identity of associated genes.
