Family and Genetic Studies
Director: Gerald Nestadt, M.D., M.P.H.
The goal of this research is to develop an understanding of the causes and pathophysiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This is important to provide the basis for developing rational treatments and preventive measures for this common condition, which affects 2-3% of the population and is considered by the World Health Organization to be among the ten most disabling disorders world-wide.
This program was initiated in the 1990’s to investigate the genetic etiology of OCD. From 1996-2001, the program evaluated over 800 individuals in 153 families. We found the occurance of OCD to be six times greater in relatives of diagnosed cases than in relatives of the control group. Other anxiety disorders, especially agoraphobia and generalized anxiety disorder, are also more prevalent in case families. Results from segregation analysis suggest that genes of major effect are involved in OCD. From 2001-2007, we directed a genetics study of OCD, in collaboration with five other academic centers in the United States. The collaboration diagnostically evaluated and collected DNA samples from over 200 affected sibling pairs. We found evidence of genetic linkage of OCD to regions on chromosomes 1, 3, 6, 7, and 15; intrafamilial correlation of factor dimensions, especially hoarding behavior, in OCD families; and significant linkage of compulsive hoarding behavior to a region on chromosome 14. We are following up these findings with fine mapping of these regions and functional candidate genes. This research has been funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the OCD Foundation, and the James E. Marshall OCD Foundation. To date, we have evaluated a total of over 2800 individuals in over 500 families, and we are continuing to recruit individuals and families for genetic studies of OCD.
Faculty and staff involved in the research include:
Gerald Nestadt, M.D, M.P.H.
Joseph Bienvenu, MD, Ph.D.
Christy Chang, Ph.D.
Bernadette Cullen, M.D.
Marco Grados, M.D.
Rudolf Hoehn-Saric, M.D.
Kung-Yee Liang, Ph.D.
Ann Pulver, Ph.D.
Mark Riddle, M.D.
Jack Samuels, Ph.D.
Yin Yao Shugart, Ph.D.
David Valle, M.D.
Ying Wang, M.S.
Holly Wilcox, Ph.D.
| VOLUNTEERS being recruited for this study. Click here if you are interested. |
Click here for more research information on the OCD Website
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Click here for more OCD research in the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
