Latin American Trans-ancestry INitiative for OCD genomics (LATINO): Study Protocol

Area of Science:

• Neurogenetics
• Psychiatric Genomics
• Global Mental Health

Background:

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) affects ~2% of the global population, with largely unknown etiology.
• Current genomic studies of OCD are predominantly based on European ancestry, risking health disparities.
• Addressing the Eurocentric bias is crucial for equitable advancements in OCD genetic research and treatment.

Approach:

• The Latin American Trans-ancestry INitiative for OCD genomics (LATINO) is a collaborative network collecting data from 5,000 richly-phenotyped OCD cases of Latin American ancestry.
• Utilizing trans-ancestry genomic analyses to identify OCD risk loci, fine-map causal variants, and enhance polygenic risk score performance in diverse populations.
• Leveraging extensive clinical data to investigate the genetics of treatment response, OCD subtypes, and symptom dimensions.

Key Points:

• LATINO aims to accelerate the discovery of OCD genetic risk loci by including underrepresented populations.
• The initiative will improve the accuracy of polygenic risk scores across diverse ancestries.
• Rich clinical data will facilitate the examination of genetic influences on OCD heterogeneity and treatment response.

Conclusions:

• LATINO promotes global mental health discovery and equity by addressing historical biases in genomic research.
• This initiative will advance the understanding of OCD's biological mechanisms and potentially improve treatment outcomes for diverse populations.
• Culturally sensitive data collection and collaborative training foster inclusivity in psychiatric genetics research.