Fredagskollokvium: Severe mental illness - from clinical phenomenon to molecular mechanisms

Severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorders, have been known since antiquity and constitute large public health problems. Still, the disease mechanisms are largely unknown. Through integrating clinical research with new technology, such as brain imaging (MRI) and molecular genetics, major advances in the field have been obtained in recent years. This is based on a stress-vulnerability model. Through participation in large international collaboration, we have now found a number of genetic variants that individually have little effect, but together increases the risk of disease. In parallel, multi-centre data collection has also revealed numerous but small differences in brain networks. How these new findings may identify new drug targets and be useful in clinical practice will be discussed.