Inconsistent designs of association studies: A missed opportunity

Abstract

Genetic association mapping is a powerful tool to detect susceptibility genes for complex disorders, even when each of these genes has small contribution to risk. Given the lack of Consistency across studies, particularly of psychiatric diseases, it is imperative to develop and agree upon standards for the design and report of genetic association studies. The authors propose standards of general study design, diagnostic assessment, genotyping, and statistical analysis, which could enhance the comparability of future genetic association studies.