Priorities for neuropsychiatric genetics at the National Institutes of Health

Over the last decade, molecular genetics has become one of the most important technologies in medical research. However, the application of these approaches to neuropsychiatric disorders has been met with both unreasonable expectations, and at times, unreasonable criticism. Molecular genetics has opened a new window into these disorders that has great promise, but is likely to reveal a complex reality. Clearly, the potential exists to actually define some of the disorders that make up the syndromes that we are studying. In doing so, we will not only begin to address the fundamental pathophysiology of these disorders, but also begin to design treatments based on this new understanding. In this report, a series of four papers on the genetics programs of the National Institutes of Health will be introduced.