Combined Analysis of Psychiatric Studies (CAPS)

About the CAPS Project

The aim of the CAPS project is to leverage investments made by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in the NIMH Repository and Genomics Resource (NRGR). The NRGR comprises a massive and valuable public resource for investigating the genetics of an array of psychiatric disorders. The CAPS project is a component within the NRGR that is focused on the analysis of samples and data across multiple NRGR studies, both within single disorders and cross-disorders. CAPS places a special emphasis on reanalyzing older samples and data from extended pedigrees using modern analysis techniques, with the goal of maximizing the research value of these samples. Some specific activities of CAPS include:

• Genotyping select older extended pedigree samples with high-density SNP arrays
• Correcting pedigree structures based on new genetic data
• Re-cleaning older genotype data based on modern genetic maps and marker information
• Curating item-level response data from multiple clinical assessment instruments
• Harmonizing traditional clinical phenotypes across studies
• Developing novel statistical methods to devise new clinical phenotypes from item-level assessment data
• Analyzing data from multiple studies for evidence of linkage and association

The CAPS project is using the PPL framework, as implemented in the software package KELVIN, to reanalyze NIMH data. Statistics in the PPL framework are specifically tailored to accumulate evidence in a mathematically rigorous way across multiple data sets or data subsets, while allowing for multiple sources of heterogeneity.

Data

All individual-level data curated or generated by CAPS are freely available to approved investigators through the download data section, under the applicable disorder collection. Data released to date:

• Schizophrenia: Pedigrees with Genome-Wide Marker Data
• Schizophrenia: New SNP Genotypes for Select Pedigrees
• Bipolar: Pedigrees with Genome-Wide Marker Data

Methods and Results

CAPS data curation and analysis protocols, as well as results, are freely available to all. Protocols and Results released to date:

• Schizophrenia: Data Curation and Linkage Analysis Methods, Results
• Bipolar: Data Curation and Linkage Analysis Methods, Results

Questions

For questions or more information about the CAPS project please contact:

• Veronica Vieland, PhD, Mathematical Medicine LLC
• Linda Brzustowicz, MD, Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, Piscataway NJ