Psychiatria pre prax 1/2013

Genetics of anxiety disorders

Heritability of anxiety disorders is the least of all psychiatric diseases – only 20 to 40 %. Environmental factors, especially the psychotraumatizing ones, are deciding. Although series of genetic association studies in anxiety disorders have already been performed, their results are typically negative, inconsistent, or non-replicated. On the present day, practically no gene can be considered as a causative one in the etiopathogenesis of anxiety disorders. A basically new knowledge can be attained by whole-genome association studies and genetic analyses of endophenotypes in the future. It will be useful in our finding of modern biological therapies in anxiety disorders.

Keywords: anxiety disorders, genetics, whole-genome association studies, endophenotype.