This is a competing renewal of a multi-year conference grant that has supported a forum for researchers to pursue collaborative studies of the molecular genetics of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). This application is consistent with NIMH initiatives to facilitate meetings in which researchers come together to establish mechanisms for collaborating in a manner that would facilitate the detection of genes predisposing to psychiatric disorders. At the present time, there are approximately 60 researchers who have attended the meetings of this group. These individuals come from 38 different research centers in 13 foreign countries and the United States. OCD is a serious psychiatric condition that can have debilitating affects on both adults and children. The importance of genetic factors in OCD has been demonstrated by twin and family aggregation studies. Furthermore, recent molecular genetic studies have begun to provide evidence that specific genes may play a role in the manifestation of the disorder. Although these preliminary results are encouraging, several considerations suggest that fully clarifying the genetic architecture of OCD will require large samples and collaborative efforts. It is clear from ongoing studies of the genetics of schizophrenia, autism, Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome, ADHD and bipolar disorder that are consistent with statistical considerations regarding the power to locate genes for complex disorders, that samples collected by individual investigators may not be sufficiently large to provide significant evidence for genetic linkage. Furthermore, once linkage has been demonstrated, even larger samples sizes are needed to identify and characterize susceptibility genes. Thus, it is clear that coordinated collaboration is needed to share findings and pool samples. Cooperative research of this type is often difficult. With the support of the Obsessive Compulsive Foundation and this grant from NIMH, this group of investigators is collaborating on the first Genome Wide Association Study of OCD. At the present time, investigators from 19 different sites have agreed to combine their OCD samples. The total sample consists of approximately 4,500 individuals, 1,800 singleton cases and 800 triads consisting of an affected individual and two parents. It is expected that the results of this GWAS will be published before December 2008. Thus, the aim of this proposal is to obtain funding that will allow this group to continue meeting to further establish collaborative working groups focused on different aspects of the genetics of OCD. This is a competing continuation application of a meeting grant that has funded meetings of the Obsessive Compulsive Foundation Genetics Collaborative (OCFGC) over the last four years. The major goal of the OCFGC is to develop collaborative studies of the molecular genetics of obsessive- compulsive disorder. Over the last 2 years, the OCFGC has undertaken a Whole Genome Association Study for OCD that should identify susceptibility genes for this disorder.

Public Health Relevance

This is a competing continuation application of a meeting grant that has funded meetings of the Obsessive Compulsive Foundation Genetics Collaborative (OCFGC) over the last four years. The major goal of the OCFGC is to develop collaborative studies of the molecular genetics of obsessive- compulsive disorder. Over the last 2 years, the OCFGC has undertaken a Whole Genome Association Study for OCD that should identify susceptibility genes for this disorder.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Conference (R13)
Project #
5R13MH073250-08
Application #
8096687
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZMH1-CNF-Z (01))
Program Officer
Bender, Patrick
Project Start
2004-09-23
Project End
2014-06-30
Budget Start
2011-07-01
Budget End
2012-06-30
Support Year
8
Fiscal Year
2011
Total Cost
$49,250
Indirect Cost
Name
Massachusetts General Hospital
Department
Type
DUNS #
073130411
City
Boston
State
MA
Country
United States
Zip Code
02199
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Abdulkadir, Mohamed; Mathews, Carol A; Scharf, Jeremiah M et al. (2018) Polygenic Risk Scores Derived From a Tourette Syndrome Genome-wide Association Study Predict Presence of Tics in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children Cohort. Biol Psychiatry :
Yu, Dongmei; Mathews, Carol A; Scharf, Jeremiah M et al. (2015) Cross-disorder genome-wide analyses suggest a complex genetic relationship between Tourette's syndrome and OCD. Am J Psychiatry 172:82-93
McGrath, Lauren M; Yu, Dongmei; Marshall, Christian et al. (2014) Copy number variation in obsessive-compulsive disorder and tourette syndrome: a cross-disorder study. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 53:910-9
Davis, Lea K; Yu, Dongmei; Keenan, Clare L et al. (2013) Partitioning the heritability of Tourette syndrome and obsessive compulsive disorder reveals differences in genetic architecture. PLoS Genet 9:e1003864
Stewart, S E; Yu, D; Scharf, J M et al. (2013) Genome-wide association study of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Mol Psychiatry 18:788-98
Stewart, S E; Mayerfeld, C; Arnold, P D et al. (2013) Meta-analysis of association between obsessive-compulsive disorder and the 3' region of neuronal glutamate transporter gene SLC1A1. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 162B:367-79