All Posts By

Christopher Rayner

P is for Polygenic Risk Scores

By | A-Z

Nearly all human traits, such as height, weight, and intelligence, and common disorders like major depressive and anxiety disorders are polygenic. This means that variation in more than one gene (usually many genes) contributes to total genetic predisposition for a specific trait or disorder. Chris outlines how Polygenic Risk Scores…

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The largest genome-wide association study of depression was published last month. What did they find and what happens next?

By | Research Matters

Depression is a leading cause of disability worldwide, contributing considerably to early mortality. Despite significant efforts, the genetics underlying depression has been difficult to identify and there has been limited progress in developing new treatments. Last month the largest genome-wide association study of depression was published in Nature Genetics (1)….

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C for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

By | A-Z

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based psychological therapy, most commonly used to treat anxiety disorders and depression. CBT is a talking therapy that explores the relationship between thoughts, feelings and behaviours. It is a structured, goal-oriented, skills-based treatment that uses both cognitive and behavioural techniques to change the way…

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