The pathology of mental disorders is complex. Researchers can’t just attribute mental disorders to one or a few single mutations in a gene or protein — there are too many factors at play. After all, some 98 percent of the human genome is composed of DNA segments that are important for regulating other genes. To pin down the interplay between these genes and mental disorders, a consortium funded by the National Institute of Mental Health are making a map. In a series of new papers, the researchers outlined genes and regulatory elements that control the brain’s pathways — crucial steps toward finding out how genes contribute to mental health disorders.
