The Heterogeneity of Neuropsychiatric Disorders

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About this Research Topic

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Background

Neuropsychiatric disorders always exhibit complex characteristics with high heterogeneity. This heterogeneity prevents the comprehensive understanding of the disorder and the exploration of their neuropathogenesis. Several efforts have been developed to reduce the heterogeneity based on the current DSM nosology. In addition, works following the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) and Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) frameworks have also born fruits. To further elucidate the heterogeneity of neuropsychiatric disorders, a more precise and/or multidimensional investigation is needed. These works will promote the presentation of a more comprehensive spectrum of these disorders, which will facilitate the development of the nosology of neuropsychiatric disorders.

The goal of this Research Topic is to examine and demonstrate the heterogeneity of neuropsychiatric disorders from multidimensions; including the clinical phenotypes, neurophysiology, neuropsychology, and genetics. The aim is to explore the potential influencing factors on heterogeneity, such as sex, comorbidities, age, subtypes, and so on; and to investigate the possible strategies to reduce the phenotypic and mechanistic heterogeneity. This Research Topic aims to promote the works to improve and revise the nosology of neuropsychiatric disorders by a comprehensive understanding of and efforts on reducing the high heterogeneity.

This Research Topic may include works based on both the current DSM nosology and the new potential RDoC and HiTOP framework:

• the description of the phenotypic heterogeneity using data of a large sample size.
• the heterogeneity and its influence on clinical intervention
• the detailed illustration of the multidimensional heterogeneity in neuropsychology (cognition), neurobiology (brain-imaging), and genetics.
• the efforts to reduce the heterogeneity based on the DSM nosology, such as refining the phenotypes, use of endophenotypes
• the efforts to reduce the heterogeneity based on the revised nosology, for example, based on the RDoC and/or HiTOP framework

We welcome studies based on a multidimensional database, in which Original Research or a Brief Research report will be acceptable. We also welcome a comprehensive Review related to this topic, for example, a review or a systematic review of the heterogeneity of a specific DSM disorder. In addition, ‘Perspective’ and ‘Hypothesis and Theory’ will be also considered.

Research Topic Research topic image

Keywords: Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Heterogeneity, Nosology, Behavior, Cognition, Imaging, Genetics, Multidimensional Analyses

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