Behavioral and Brain Sciences

Table of Contents - 2008 - Volume 31, Issue 03  

Open Peer Commentary

Heterogeneity and hypothesis testing in neuropsychiatric illness

Curtis K. Deutscha1, Wesley W. Ludwiga2 and William J. McIlvanea3

a1 Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS), Waltham, MA 02452, and Psychobiology Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115

a2 Neuroregeneration Laboratories, McLean Hospital, Mailman Research Center, Belmont, MA 02478

a3 Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) MRDDRC, Office of the Director, Waltham, MA 02452. curtis.deutsch@umassmed.edu wludwig@mclean.harvard.edu william.mcilvane@umassmed.edu

Abstract

The confounding effects of heterogeneity in biological psychiatry and psychiatric genetics have been widely discussed in the literature. We suggest an approach in which heterogeneity may be put to use in hypothesis testing, and may find application in evaluation of the Crespi & Badcock (C&B) imprinting hypothesis. Here we consider three potential sources of etiologic subtypes for analysis.