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Heterogeneity and hypothesis testing in neuropsychiatric illness

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 June 2008

Curtis K. Deutsch
Affiliation:
Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS), Waltham, MA 02452, and Psychobiology Program, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
Wesley W. Ludwig
Affiliation:
Neuroregeneration Laboratories, McLean Hospital, Mailman Research Center, Belmont, MA 02478
William J. McIlvane
Affiliation:
Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) MRDDRC, Office of the Director, Waltham, MA 02452. curtis.deutsch@umassmed.eduwludwig@mclean.harvard.eduwilliam.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.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

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