Abstract
OPINION article Front. Behav. Neurosci., 13 November 2013Sec. Pathological Conditions Volume 7 - 2013 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2013.00157
Highlights
BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCEReviewed by: Lars Lewejohann, University of Osnabrueck, Germany Katerina Zavitsanou, University New South Wales, Australia
Over the past several decades, significant advances in genetics and neuroscience have transformed our understanding of how the brain produces adaptive behavior and the ways in which normal functioning becomes disrupted in neurodevelopmental disorders, such as schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
Understanding how evolved genetic programs and biological systems are dynamically sculpted by G × E interactions is the frontier in the analysis of complex traits and in understanding the origin of neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia and ASD
Summary
Reviewed by: Lars Lewejohann, University of Osnabrueck, Germany Katerina Zavitsanou, University New South Wales, Australia. In order to fully understand the disorder, and develop more effective and targeted treatments, more accurate and sophisticated animal models are required, which incorporate genetic and environmental variables and their associated gene-environment interactions. We discuss key considerations in modeling gene-environment interactions, with a focus on the recent proposal that schizophrenia involves “decanalization,” whereby “experience-expectant” brain development can have its trajectory derailed when particular genotypes (and associated cryptic genetic variants) are exposed to “unexpected” environmental conditions. This has broader implications for the modeling of schizophrenia and other brain disorders involving neurodevelopmental etiology, including autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).
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