Behavioral and Molecular Genetics and Developmental Psychopathology

The most notable advancement in the field of behavioral genetics over the past decade has been the expansion of traditional behavioral genetic research to include state-of-the-art molecular genetic approaches. This chapter examines advancements in the field that have been influenced by and/or have implications for developmental psychopathology. It first talks about the theoretical and methodological foundations of behavioral genetics, and the advances in behavioral genetics and developmental psychopathology. Then chapter then discusses molecular genetic approaches to developmental psychopathology. It draws a distinction between behavioral genetics and molecular genetics. The chapter talks about monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins and highlights that there is current interest in the children of twins design. It further reviews various studies of association and linkage between psychiatric disorders and candidate genes within neurotransmission pathways. Some of these studies deal with dopamine dopamine receptor D4 gene (DRD4), Attention-Deficit /Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and genome scans.