Searching for valid psychiatric phenotypes: discrete latent variable models

✍ Scribed by Jeannie-Marie S. Leoutsakos; Peter P. Zandi; Karen Bandeen-Roche; Constantine G. Lyketsos

• Book ID: 102523221
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2010
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 258 KB
• Volume: 19
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1049-8931
• DOI: 10.1002/mpr.301

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Introduction: A primary challenge in psychiatric genetics is the lack of a completely validated system of classification for mental disorders. Appropriate statistical methods are needed to empirically derive more homogenous disorder subtypes.

Methods: Using the framework of Robins and Guze's (‘Establishment of diagnostic validity in psychiatric illness: its application to schizophrenia’, American Journal of Psychiatry, 1970, 126(7), 983–987) five phases, latent variable models to derive and validate diagnostic groups are described. A process of iterative validation is proposed through which refined phenotypes would facilitate research on genetics, pathogenesis, and treatment, which would in turn aid further refinement of disorder definitions.

Conclusions: Latent variable methods are useful tools for defining and validating psychiatric phenotypes. Further methodological research should address sample size issues and application to iterative validation. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.