Neurogenomics - towards a more rigorous science

Abstract

The field of neurogenomics is coming of age, but not without some teething problems. The aim of this field is to understand the genetic basis of differences in brain structure and function, which in turn underlie differences in behaviour, cognition, perception, mood and other psychological faculties, as well as susceptibility to psychiatric disorders. Both imaging and genomic technologies are now being applied on a very large scale, greatly boosting the potential power of this combined approach. However, the field is lagging behind some others in the degree of rigour and quality control that is demanded. Past practices have yielded a literature hopelessly polluted with spurious findings. To make real progress, the field will have to learn from these mistakes and adopt more rigorous standards. In addition, our emerging understanding of the genetic architecture of psychological traits or psychiatric disorders has important implications for the design and interpretation of imaging and neurogenomics experiments.