Genetics of panic disorder on the Faroe Islands: a replication study of chromosome 9 and panic disorder

OBJECTIVE: The population of the Faroe Islands in the North Atlantic Ocean is likely to have the same ancestry as the Icelandic population. An Icelandic study on Panic Disorder has found some evidence for a loci on chromosome 9. METHODS: On the Faroe Islands we have an ongoing genetic project concerning panic disorder among other psychiatric disorders. We searched for shared alleles and haplotypes in distantly related cases from the isolated and recently found population of the Faroe Islands, using 26 more or less evenly distributed microsatellite markers on chromosome 9, with emphasis on the candidate region identified in the Icelandic study. RESULTS: We have not been able to replicate the Icelandic results. Owing to the study design and sample size, we would not be able to detect areas with small impact.