This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Benzodiazepines are widely used medications that have significant side effects.
The specific aim of this project is to provide a detailed phenotype of clinical response which can then be correlated with alleles for the GABA-A receptor subunits. We have already found alleles for the gene coding for the alpha-6 subunit. The ability to identify beforehand, which patients would be most sensitive to side effects would save patients a great deal of suffering and would allow us to tailor the best medications for a patient with less time spent in trial and error. By studying the effects of benzodiazepines in humans and comparing the genetic background of people especially sensitive to these effects with those who are not, we hope to learn more about the role of the GABA-A system in major mental illnesses.
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