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Non AL, Cerdeña JP. Considerations, Caveats, and Suggestions for the Use of Polygenic Scores for Social and Behavioral Traits. Behav Genet 2024; 54:34-41. [PMID: 37801150 PMCID: PMC10822803 DOI: 10.1007/s10519-023-10162-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
Polygenic scores (PGS) are increasingly being used for prediction of social and behavioral traits, but suffer from many methodological, theoretical, and ethical concerns that profoundly limit their value. Primarily, these scores are derived from statistical correlations, carrying no inherent biological meaning, and thus may capture indirect effects. Further, the performance of these scores depends upon the diversity of the reference populations and the genomic panels from which they were derived, which consistently underrepresent minoritized populations, leading to poor fit when applied to diverse groups. There is also inherent danger of eugenic applications for the information gained from these scores, and general risk of misunderstandings that could lead to stigmatization for underrepresented groups. We urge extreme caution in use of PGS particularly for social/behavioral outcomes fraught for misinterpretation, with potential harm for the minoritized groups least likely to benefit from their use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy L Non
- Department of Anthropology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Jessica P Cerdeña
- Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy (InCHIP), University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
- Department of Family Medicine, Middlesex Health, Middletown, CT, USA
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Martschenko DO, Matthews LJ, Sabatello M. Social and Behavioral Genomics: What Does It Mean for Pediatrics? J Pediatr 2024; 264:113735. [PMID: 37722558 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2023.113735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Lucas J Matthews
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY; The Hastings Center, Garrison, NY; Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, New York, NY
| | - Maya Sabatello
- Center for Precision Medicine and Genomics, Department of Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY; Division of Ethics, Department of Medical Humanities and Ethics, Columbia University, New York, NY
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Tcherni-Buzzeo M. Increased Prescribing of Psychotropic Drugs or School-Based Services for Children with Disabilities? Associations of These Self-control-Boosting Strategies with Juvenile Violence at the State Level. J Dev Life Course Criminol 2023; 9:1-35. [PMID: 36789240 PMCID: PMC9910267 DOI: 10.1007/s40865-023-00223-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2022] [Revised: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The increasing rates at which psychotropic drugs have been prescribed to children and adolescents in the USA in the last three decades (since the early 1990s) have prompted questions about whether this trend is associated with the "great American crime decline." Medicalization can be considered one of the strategies to remedy children's neuropsychological deficits and improve their self-control. Another possible remedy is school-based services for children with learning disabilities, mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) of 2004. Using state-level panel data analyses for years 1990-2014 (with the main focus on 2000-2014 outcomes), the current study estimates associations between these two developmental self-control remedies-medicalization and school-based services-and minor, moderate, and severe types of juvenile violence, while controlling for relevant covariates (both time-varying and time-invariant). The results of mixed-effects linear regression analyses accounting for powerful time trends show a strong association between increases in school-based services for children with learning disabilities and declines in all types of juvenile violence. Another strong and consistent finding that emerges in the analyses is the link between reductions in child poverty at the state level and decreases in juvenile violence, both contemporaneously and over time. Psychotropic drug prescribing to children (measured using Supplemental Security Income rolls of children with mental health conditions) exhibits inconsistent or insignificant effects. The findings of this study have substantial theoretical and policy implications and indicate the importance of strengthening school-based services for children with disabilities and reducing child poverty as essential violence prevention tools.
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Martins‐Silva T, Bauer A, Matijasevich A, Santos I, Barros A, Ekelund U, Tovo‐Rodrigues L, Murray J. Educational performance and conduct problem trajectories from childhood to adolescence: Observational and genetic associations in a Brazilian birth cohort. JCPP Adv 2022; 2:e12105. [PMID: 37431415 PMCID: PMC10242956 DOI: 10.1002/jcv2.12105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Educational difficulties are an important potential influence on both the onset and course of children's conduct problems. This study evaluated the association between school failure and children's conduct problems in Brazil, a context with high rates of both conditions, using both observational and genetic approaches. METHODS Prospective, population-based, birth cohort study in Pelotas city, Brazil. Parents reported on conduct problems four times between ages 4-15 years, and group-based trajectory analysis was used to classify 3469 children into trajectories of childhood-limited, early-onset persistent, adolescence-onset, or low conduct problems. School failure was measured as having repeated a school grade up to age 11, and a polygenic risk score (PRS) predicting educational attainment was calculated. Multinomial adjusted regression models were used to estimate the association between school failure (observational measure and the PRS) and conduct problem trajectories. To consider possible variation in effects of school failure by social context, interactions were tested with family income and school environment (using both observational and PRS methods). RESULTS Children repeating a school grade had increased odds of being on to childhood-limited (OR: 1.57; 95% CI 1.21; 2.03), adolescence-onset (OR: 1.96; 95% CI 1.39; 2.75), or early-onset persistent trajectory (OR: 2.99; 95% CI 1.85; 4.83), compared to the low conduct problem trajectory. School failure also predicted increased risk for early-onset persistent problems versus the childhood-limited problems (OR: 1.91; 95% CI 1.17; 3.09). Using a genetic PRS approach, similar findings were observed. Associations varied according to the school environment: school failure had larger effects on children in better school environments. CONCLUSION School performance, whether measured in terms of repeating school grades or genetic susceptibility, was consistently associated with trajectories of child conduct problems into mid-adolescence. We also found a larger association for children in better school environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thais Martins‐Silva
- Human Development and Violence Research Centre (DOVE)Federal University of PelotasPelotasBrazil
- Post‐Graduate Program in EpidemiologyFederal University of PelotasPelotasBrazil
| | - Andreas Bauer
- Human Development and Violence Research Centre (DOVE)Federal University of PelotasPelotasBrazil
- Post‐Graduate Program in EpidemiologyFederal University of PelotasPelotasBrazil
| | - Alicia Matijasevich
- Post‐Graduate Program in EpidemiologyFederal University of PelotasPelotasBrazil
- Departamento de Medicina PreventivaFaculdade de Medicina FMUSPUniversidade de São PauloSão PauloBrazil
| | - Iná Santos
- Post‐Graduate Program in EpidemiologyFederal University of PelotasPelotasBrazil
- Postgraduate Program in Pediatrics and Child HealthSchool of MedicinePontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do SulPorto AlegreBrazil
| | - Aluísio Barros
- Post‐Graduate Program in EpidemiologyFederal University of PelotasPelotasBrazil
- International Center for Equity in HealthFederal University of PelotasPelotasBrazil
| | - Ulf Ekelund
- Department of Sport MedicineNorwegian School of Sport SciencesOsloNorway
- Department of Chronic Diseases and AgeingNorwegian Institute of Public HealthOsloNorway
| | - Luciana Tovo‐Rodrigues
- Human Development and Violence Research Centre (DOVE)Federal University of PelotasPelotasBrazil
- Post‐Graduate Program in EpidemiologyFederal University of PelotasPelotasBrazil
| | - Joseph Murray
- Human Development and Violence Research Centre (DOVE)Federal University of PelotasPelotasBrazil
- Post‐Graduate Program in EpidemiologyFederal University of PelotasPelotasBrazil
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5
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Tielbeek JJ, Uffelmann E, Williams BS, Colodro-Conde L, Gagnon É, Mallard TT, Levitt BE, Jansen PR, Johansson A, Sallis HM, Pistis G, Saunders GRB, Allegrini AG, Rimfeld K, Konte B, Klein M, Hartmann AM, Salvatore JE, Nolte IM, Demontis D, Malmberg ALK, Burt SA, Savage JE, Sugden K, Poulton R, Harris KM, Vrieze S, McGue M, Iacono WG, Mota NR, Mill J, Viana JF, Mitchell BL, Morosoli JJ, Andlauer TFM, Ouellet-Morin I, Tremblay RE, Côté SM, Gouin JP, Brendgen MR, Dionne G, Vitaro F, Lupton MK, Martin NG, Castelao E, Räikkönen K, Eriksson JG, Lahti J, Hartman CA, Oldehinkel AJ, Snieder H, Liu H, Preisig M, Whipp A, Vuoksimaa E, Lu Y, Jern P, Rujescu D, Giegling I, Palviainen T, Kaprio J, Harden KP, Munafò MR, Morneau-Vaillancourt G, Plomin R, Viding E, Boutwell BB, Aliev F, Dick DM, Popma A, Faraone SV, Børglum AD, Medland SE, Franke B, Boivin M, Pingault JB, Glennon JC, Barnes JC, Fisher SE, Moffitt TE, Caspi A, Polderman TJC, Posthuma D. Uncovering the genetic architecture of broad antisocial behavior through a genome-wide association study meta-analysis. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:4453-4463. [PMID: 36284158 PMCID: PMC10902879 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01793-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Despite the substantial heritability of antisocial behavior (ASB), specific genetic variants robustly associated with the trait have not been identified. The present study by the Broad Antisocial Behavior Consortium (BroadABC) meta-analyzed data from 28 discovery samples (N = 85,359) and five independent replication samples (N = 8058) with genotypic data and broad measures of ASB. We identified the first significant genetic associations with broad ASB, involving common intronic variants in the forkhead box protein P2 (FOXP2) gene (lead SNP rs12536335, p = 6.32 × 10-10). Furthermore, we observed intronic variation in Foxp2 and one of its targets (Cntnap2) distinguishing a mouse model of pathological aggression (BALB/cJ strain) from controls (BALB/cByJ strain). Polygenic risk score (PRS) analyses in independent samples revealed that the genetic risk for ASB was associated with several antisocial outcomes across the lifespan, including diagnosis of conduct disorder, official criminal convictions, and trajectories of antisocial development. We found substantial genetic correlations of ASB with mental health (depression rg = 0.63, insomnia rg = 0.47), physical health (overweight rg = 0.19, waist-to-hip ratio rg = 0.32), smoking (rg = 0.54), cognitive ability (intelligence rg = -0.40), educational attainment (years of schooling rg = -0.46) and reproductive traits (age at first birth rg = -0.58, father's age at death rg = -0.54). Our findings provide a starting point toward identifying critical biosocial risk mechanisms for the development of ASB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorim J Tielbeek
- Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Department of Complex Trait Genetics, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Emil Uffelmann
- Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Department of Complex Trait Genetics, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Benjamin S Williams
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, Duke University, 2020 West Main Street, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
| | - Lucía Colodro-Conde
- Psychiatric Genetics, Department of Genetics and Computational Biology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Herston, Brisbane, QLD, 4006, Australia
| | - Éloi Gagnon
- Research Unit on Children's Psychosocial Maladjustment, École de psychologie, Université Laval, 2523 Allée des Bibliothèques, Quebec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Travis T Mallard
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Brandt E Levitt
- Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 123 Franklin St, Chapel Hill, NC, 27516, USA
| | - Philip R Jansen
- Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Department of Complex Trait Genetics, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ada Johansson
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Psychology, and Theology, Åbo Akademi University, Tuomiokirkontori 3, FI-20500, Turku, Finland
| | - Hannah M Sallis
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Oakfield Road, Bristol, BS8 2BN, UK
| | - Giorgio Pistis
- Center for Psychiatric Epidemiology and Psychopathology, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Route de Cery 25, CH-1008, Prilly, Vaud, Switzerland
| | - Gretchen R B Saunders
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, 75 E. River Road, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Andrea G Allegrini
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, DeCrespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Kaili Rimfeld
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, DeCrespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Bettina Konte
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marieke Klein
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Groteplein 10, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Annette M Hartmann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jessica E Salvatore
- Department of Psychiatry, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Ilja M Nolte
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ditte Demontis
- iPSYCH, The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, 8000, Aarhus C, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Anni L K Malmberg
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Jeanne E Savage
- Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Department of Complex Trait Genetics, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Karen Sugden
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, Duke University, 2020 West Main Street, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
| | - Richie Poulton
- Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Kathleen Mullan Harris
- Department of Sociology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB# 3210, 201 Hamilton Hall, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Scott Vrieze
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, 75 E. River Road, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Matt McGue
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, 75 E. River Road, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - William G Iacono
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, 75 E. River Road, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - Nina Roth Mota
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Groteplein 10, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jonathan Mill
- University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Joana F Viana
- The Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research (IMSR), University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
| | - Brittany L Mitchell
- Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Genetics and Computational Biology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Herston, Brisbane, QLD, 4006, Australia
| | - Jose J Morosoli
- Psychiatric Genetics, Department of Genetics and Computational Biology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Herston, Brisbane, QLD, 4006, Australia
| | - Till F M Andlauer
- Department of Neurology, Technical University of Munich, 22 Ismaninger St., 81675, Munich, Germany
| | - Isabelle Ouellet-Morin
- Research Unit on Children's Psychosocial Maladjustment, École de criminologie, Université of Montreal, 3150 Rue Jean-Brillant, Montreal, QC, H3T 1N8, Canada
| | - Richard E Tremblay
- Research Unit on Children's Psychosocial Maladjustment, Département de pédiatrie et de psychologie, University of Montreal, 90 Avenue Vincent d'Indy, Montreal, QC, H2V 2S9, Canada
| | - Sylvana M Côté
- Research Unit on Children's Psychosocial Maladjustment, CHU Ste-Justine Research Center and Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Montreal, 3175 Chemin de la Côte Ste-Catherine, Montreal, QC, H3T 1C5, Canada
| | - Jean-Philippe Gouin
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Mara R Brendgen
- Research Unit on Children's Psychosocial Maladjustment, Département de psychologie, Université du Québec à Montréal, CP 8888 succursale Centre-ville, Montreal, QC, H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Ginette Dionne
- Research Unit on Children's Psychosocial Maladjustment, École de psychologie, Université Laval, 2523 Allée des Bibliothèques, Quebec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Frank Vitaro
- Research Unit on Children's Psychosocial Maladjustment, CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center and University of Montreal, 3175 Chemin de la Côte Ste-Catherine, Montreal, QC, H3T 1C5, Canada
| | - Michelle K Lupton
- Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Genetics and Computational Biology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Herston, Brisbane, QLD, 4006, Australia
| | - Nicholas G Martin
- Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Genetics and Computational Biology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Herston, Brisbane, QLD, 4006, Australia
| | - Enrique Castelao
- Center for Psychiatric Epidemiology and Psychopathology, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Route de Cery 25, CH-1008, Prilly, Vaud, Switzerland
| | - Katri Räikkönen
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Johan G Eriksson
- Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Helsinki, Tukholmankatu 8 B, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jari Lahti
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Catharina A Hartman
- Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion Regulation (ICPE), University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Albertine J Oldehinkel
- Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion Regulation (ICPE), University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Harold Snieder
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Hexuan Liu
- School of Criminal Justice, University of Cincinnati, 2840 Bearcat Way, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Martin Preisig
- Center for Psychiatric Epidemiology and Psychopathology, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Route de Cery 25, CH-1008, Prilly, Vaud, Switzerland
| | - Alyce Whipp
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, PO Box 4, (Yliopistonkatu 3), 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Eero Vuoksimaa
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, PO Box 4, (Yliopistonkatu 3), 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Yi Lu
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels Väg 12A, 171 77, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Patrick Jern
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Psychology, and Theology, Åbo Akademi University, Tuomiokirkontori 3, FI-20500, Turku, Finland
| | - Dan Rujescu
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ina Giegling
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Teemu Palviainen
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, PO Box 4, (Yliopistonkatu 3), 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jaakko Kaprio
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, PO Box 4, (Yliopistonkatu 3), 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kathryn Paige Harden
- Department of Psychology and Population Research Center, University of Texas at Austin, 108 E Dean Keeton Stop #A8000, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Marcus R Munafò
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Oakfield Road, Bristol, BS8 2BN, UK
| | - Geneviève Morneau-Vaillancourt
- Research Unit on Children's Psychosocial Maladjustment, École de psychologie, Université Laval, 2523 Allée des Bibliothèques, Quebec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Robert Plomin
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, DeCrespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Essi Viding
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Brian B Boutwell
- School of Applied Sciences, University of Mississippi, John D. Bower School of Population Health, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 84 Dormitory Row West, University, MS, 38677, USA
| | - Fazil Aliev
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Box 842018, 806W Franklin St, Richmond, VA, 23284, USA
| | - Danielle M Dick
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Box 842018, 806W Franklin St, Richmond, VA, 23284, USA
| | - Arne Popma
- Amsterdam UMC, VKC Psyche, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry & Psychosocial Care, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Stephen V Faraone
- Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
| | - Anders D Børglum
- iPSYCH, The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, 8000, Aarhus C, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Sarah E Medland
- Psychiatric Genetics, Department of Genetics and Computational Biology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Herston, Brisbane, QLD, 4006, Australia
| | - Barbara Franke
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaivour, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein 10, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Michel Boivin
- Research Unit on Children's Psychosocial Maladjustment, École de psychologie, Université Laval, 2523 Allée des Bibliothèques, Quebec City, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Jean-Baptiste Pingault
- Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jeffrey C Glennon
- Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - J C Barnes
- School of Criminal Justice, University of Cincinnati, 2840 Bearcat Way, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Simon E Fisher
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Wundtlaan 1, 6525 XD, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Terrie E Moffitt
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, Duke University, 2020 West Main Street, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
| | - Avshalom Caspi
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Trinity College of Arts and Sciences, Duke University, 2020 West Main Street, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
| | - Tinca J C Polderman
- Amsterdam UMC, VKC Psyche, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry & Psychosocial Care, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Danielle Posthuma
- Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Department of Complex Trait Genetics, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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6
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Merz EC, Strack J, Hurtado H, Vainik U, Thomas M, Evans A, Khundrakpam B. Educational attainment polygenic scores, socioeconomic factors, and cortical structure in children and adolescents. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:4886-4900. [PMID: 35894163 PMCID: PMC9582364 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome‐wide polygenic scores for educational attainment (PGS‐EA) and socioeconomic factors, which are correlated with each other, have been consistently associated with academic achievement and general cognitive ability in children and adolescents. Yet, the independent associations of PGS‐EA and socioeconomic factors with specific underlying factors at the neural and neurocognitive levels are not well understood. The main goals of this study were to examine the unique contributions of PGS‐EA and parental education to cortical structure and neurocognitive skills in children and adolescents, and the associations among PGS‐EA, cortical structure, and neurocognitive skills. Participants were typically developing 3‐ to 21‐year‐olds (53% male; N = 391). High‐resolution, T1‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired, and cortical thickness (CT) and surface area (SA) were measured. PGS‐EA were computed based on the EA3 genome‐wide association study of educational attainment. Participants completed executive function, vocabulary, and episodic memory tasks. Higher PGS‐EA and parental education were independently and significantly associated with greater total SA and vocabulary. Higher PGS‐EA was significantly associated with greater SA in the left medial orbitofrontal gyrus and inferior frontal gyrus, which was associated with higher executive function. Higher parental education was significantly associated with greater SA in the left parahippocampal gyrus after accounting for PGS‐EA and total brain volume. These findings suggest that education‐linked genetics may influence SA in frontal regions, leading to variability in executive function. Associations of parental education with cortical structure in children and adolescents remained significant after controlling for PGS‐EA, a source of genetic confounding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily C Merz
- Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Jordan Strack
- Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Hailee Hurtado
- Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Uku Vainik
- University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.,Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Michael Thomas
- Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Alan Evans
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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7
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Marchi M, Elkrief L, Alkema A, van Gastel W, Schubart CD, van Eijk KR, Luykx JJ, Branje S, Mastrotheodoros S, Galeazzi GM, van Os J, Cecil CA, Conrod PJ, Boks MP. Childhood maltreatment mediates the effect of the genetic background on psychosis risk in young adults. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:219. [PMID: 35650188 PMCID: PMC9160238 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-01975-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Childhood maltreatment (CM) and genetic vulnerability are both risk factors for psychosis, but the relations between them are not fully understood. Guided by the recent identification of genetic risk to CM, this study investigates the hypothesis that genetic risk to schizophrenia also increases the risk of CM and thus impacts psychosis risk. The relationship between schizophrenia polygenetic risk, CM, and psychotic-like experiences (PLE) was investigated in participants from the Utrecht Cannabis Cohort (N = 1262) and replicated in the independent IMAGEN cohort (N = 1740). Schizophrenia polygenic risk score (SZ-PRS) were calculated from the most recent GWAS. The relationship between CM, PRS, and PLE was first investigated using multivariate linear regression. Next, mediation of CM in the pathway linking SZ-PRS and PLE was examined by structural equation modeling, while adjusting for a set of potential mediators including cannabis use, smoking, and neuroticism. In agreement with previous studies, PLE were strongly associated with SZ-PRS (B = 0.190, p = 0.009) and CM (B = 0.575, p < 0.001). Novel was that CM was also significantly associated with SZ-PRS (B = 0.171, p = 0.001), and substantially mediated the effects of SZ-PRS on PLE (proportion mediated = 29.9%, p = 0.001). In the replication cohort, the analyses yielded similar results, confirming equally strong mediation by CM (proportion mediated = 34.7%, p = 0.009). Our results suggest that CM acts as a mediator in the causal pathway linking SZ-PRS and psychosis risk. These findings open new perspectives on the relations between genetic and environmental risks and warrant further studies into potential interventions to reduce psychosis risk in vulnerable people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Marchi
- grid.7548.e0000000121697570Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Giuseppe Campi, 287 – 41125 Modena, Italy ,grid.5477.10000000120346234Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center University Medical Center Utrecht, University Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Laurent Elkrief
- grid.14848.310000 0001 2292 3357Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montréal, CHU Sainte-Justine Hospital, Montréal, QC Canada ,grid.411418.90000 0001 2173 6322Center Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Anne Alkema
- grid.5477.10000000120346234Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center University Medical Center Utrecht, University Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Willemijn van Gastel
- grid.5477.10000000120346234Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Chris D. Schubart
- grid.413202.60000 0004 0626 2490Department of Psychiatry, Tergooi Hospital, Blaricum, The Netherlands
| | - Kristel R. van Eijk
- grid.5477.10000000120346234Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jurjen J. Luykx
- grid.5477.10000000120346234Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center University Medical Center Utrecht, University Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Susan Branje
- grid.5477.10000000120346234Department of Youth and Family, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Stefanos Mastrotheodoros
- grid.5477.10000000120346234Department of Youth and Family, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands ,grid.8127.c0000 0004 0576 3437Department of Psychology, University of Crete, Rethymno, Greece
| | - Gian M. Galeazzi
- grid.7548.e0000000121697570Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Via Giuseppe Campi, 287 – 41125 Modena, Italy ,Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia, Reggio Emilia, Italy
| | - Jim van Os
- grid.5477.10000000120346234Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center University Medical Center Utrecht, University Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Charlotte A. Cecil
- grid.5645.2000000040459992XDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical Center, Sophia Children’s Hospital, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands ,grid.5645.2000000040459992XDepartment of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Patricia J. Conrod
- grid.14848.310000 0001 2292 3357Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montréal, CHU Sainte-Justine Hospital, Montréal, QC Canada ,grid.411418.90000 0001 2173 6322Center Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Marco P. Boks
- grid.5477.10000000120346234Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center University Medical Center Utrecht, University Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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8
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Burt CH. Challenging the utility of polygenic scores for social science: Environmental confounding, downward causation, and unknown biology. Behav Brain Sci 2022; 46:e207. [PMID: 35551690 PMCID: PMC9653522 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x22001145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The sociogenomics revolution is upon us, we are told. Whether revolutionary or not, sociogenomics is poised to flourish given the ease of incorporating polygenic scores (or PGSs) as "genetic propensities" for complex traits into social science research. Pointing to evidence of ubiquitous heritability and the accessibility of genetic data, scholars have argued that social scientists not only have an opportunity but a duty to add PGSs to social science research. Social science research that ignores genetics is, some proponents argue, at best partial and likely scientifically flawed, misleading, and wasteful. Here, I challenge arguments about the value of genetics for social science and with it the claimed necessity of incorporating PGSs into social science models as measures of genetic influences. In so doing, I discuss the impracticability of distinguishing genetic influences from environmental influences because of non-causal gene-environment correlations, especially population stratification, familial confounding, and downward causation. I explain how environmental effects masquerade as genetic influences in PGSs, which undermines their raison d'être as measures of genetic propensity, especially for complex socially contingent behaviors that are the subject of sociogenomics. Additionally, I draw attention to the partial, unknown biology, while highlighting the persistence of an implicit, unavoidable reductionist genes versus environments approach. Leaving sociopolitical and ethical concerns aside, I argue that the potential scientific rewards of adding PGSs to social science are few and greatly overstated and the scientific costs, which include obscuring structural disadvantages and cultural influences, outweigh these meager benefits for most social science applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Callie H Burt
- Department of Criminal Justice & Criminology, Center for Research on Interpersonal Violence (CRIV), Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA ; www.callieburt.org
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9
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Liu H, Tanksley PT, Motz RT, Kail RM, Barnes JC. Incarceration, polygenic risk, and depressive symptoms among males in late adulthood. Soc Sci Res 2022; 104:102683. [PMID: 35400388 PMCID: PMC10131033 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssresearch.2021.102683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
This study demonstrates how social and genetic factors jointly influence depression in late adulthood. We focus on the effect of incarceration, a major life event consistently found to be associated with mental health problems. Drawing on data from males in the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study and the Health and Retirement Study, we conduct a polygenic score analysis based on a genome-wide association study on depressive symptoms. Our analysis produces two important findings. First, incarceration experience mediates the association between the depression polygenic score and depressive symptoms in late adulthood (i.e., greater polygenic scores are associated with elevated incarceration risk, which increases depressive symptoms in late adulthood). Second, about one-fifth of the association between incarceration experience and late-adulthood depressive symptoms is accounted for by the depression polygenic score and childhood depression. These findings reveal complex biological and social mechanisms in the development of depression and, more broadly, provide important insights for causal inference in social science research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hexuan Liu
- School of Criminal Justice, University of Cincinnati, USA.
| | | | - Ryan T Motz
- School of Criminal Justice, University of Cincinnati, USA
| | - Rachel M Kail
- School of Criminal Justice, University of Cincinnati, USA
| | - J C Barnes
- School of Criminal Justice, University of Cincinnati, USA
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10
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Bolhuis K, Steenkamp LR, Blanken LME, Neumann A, Jansen PR, Hillegers MHJ, Cecil CAM, Tiemeier H, Kushner SA. Schizophrenia polygenic risk is associated with child mental health problems through early childhood adversity: evidence for a gene-environment correlation. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2022; 31:529-39. [PMID: 33635441 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-021-01727-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that schizophrenia polygenic risk predicts a multitude of mental health problems in the general population. Yet it is unclear by which mechanisms these associations arise. Here, we explored a possible gene-environment correlation in the association of schizophrenia polygenic risk with mental health problems via childhood adversity. This study was embedded in the population-based Generation R Study, including N = 1901 participants with genotyping for schizophrenia polygenic risk, maternal reporting of childhood adversity, and Child Behaviour Checklist measurement of mental health problems. Independent replication was attempted in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC; N = 3641). Associations were analysed with Poisson regression and statistical mediation analysis. Higher burden of schizophrenia polygenic risk was associated with greater exposure to childhood adversity (P-value threshold < 0.5: Generation R Study, OR = 1.08, 95%CI 1.02-1.15, P = 0.01; ALSPAC, OR = 1.02, 95%CI 1.01-1.03, P < 0.01). Childhood adversities partly explained the relationship of schizophrenia polygenic risk with emotional, attention, and thought problems (proportion explained, range 5-23%). Direct effects of schizophrenia polygenic risk and adversity on mental health outcomes were also observed. In summary, genetic liability to schizophrenia increased the risk for mental health problems in the general paediatric population through childhood adversity. Although this finding could result from a mediated causal relationship between genotype and mental health, we argue that these observations most likely reflect a gene-environment correlation, i.e. adversities are a marker for the genetic risk that parents transmit to children. These and similar recent findings raise important conceptual questions about preventative interventions aimed at reducing childhood adversities.
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11
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Oliva A, Grassi S, Zedda M, Molinari M, Ferracuti S. Forensic Value of Genetic Variants Associated with Anti-Social Behavior. Diagnostics (Basel) 2021; 11:2386. [PMID: 34943622 PMCID: PMC8700269 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11122386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Insanity defense is sometimes invoked in criminal cases, and its demonstration is usually based on a multifactorial contribution of behavioural, clinical, and neurological elements. Neuroradiological evidence of structural alterations in cerebral areas that involve decision-making and moral reasoning is often accepted as a useful tool in these evaluations. On the other hand, the genetic predisposition to anti-social behavior is still controversial. In this paper, we describe two cases of violent crimes committed by young carriers of genetic variants associated with personality disorder; both the defendants claimed to be insane at the time of the crime. We discuss these cases and review the scientific literature regarding the relationship between legal incapacity/predisposition to criminal behavior and genetic mutations. In conclusion, despite some genetic variants being able to influence several cognitive processes (like moral judgement and impulse control), there is currently no evidence that carriers of these mutations are, per se, incapable of intentionally committing crimes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Oliva
- Department of Health Surveillance and Bioethics, Section of Legal Medicine, Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.O.); (M.Z.)
| | - Simone Grassi
- Department of Health Surveillance and Bioethics, Section of Legal Medicine, Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.O.); (M.Z.)
| | - Massimo Zedda
- Department of Health Surveillance and Bioethics, Section of Legal Medicine, Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli IRCCS, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.O.); (M.Z.)
| | - Marco Molinari
- Neuro-Robot Rehabilitation Lab, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179 Rome, Italy;
| | - Stefano Ferracuti
- Department of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza University, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00165 Rome, Italy;
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12
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Carlisi CO, Moffitt TE, Knodt AR, Harrington H, Langevin S, Ireland D, Melzer TR, Poulton R, Ramrakha S, Caspi A, Hariri AR, Viding E. Association of subcortical gray-matter volumes with life-course-persistent antisocial behavior in a population-representative longitudinal birth cohort. Dev Psychopathol 2021; 34:1-11. [PMID: 34657646 PMCID: PMC7613992 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579421000377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Neuropsychological evidence supports the developmental taxonomy theory of antisocial behavior, suggesting that abnormal brain development distinguishes life-course-persistent from adolescence-limited antisocial behavior. Recent neuroimaging work confirmed that prospectively-measured life-course-persistent antisocial behavior is associated with differences in cortical brain structure. Whether this extends to subcortical brain structures remains uninvestigated. This study compared subcortical gray-matter volumes between 672 members of the Dunedin Study previously defined as exhibiting life-course-persistent, adolescence-limited or low-level antisocial behavior based on repeated assessments at ages 7-26 years. Gray-matter volumes of 10 subcortical structures were compared across groups. The life-course-persistent group had lower volumes of amygdala, brain stem, cerebellum, hippocampus, pallidum, thalamus, and ventral diencephalon compared to the low-antisocial group. Differences between life-course-persistent and adolescence-limited individuals were comparable in effect size to differences between life-course-persistent and low-antisocial individuals, but were not statistically significant due to less statistical power. Gray-matter volumes in adolescence-limited individuals were near the norm in this population-representative cohort and similar to volumes in low-antisocial individuals. Although this study could not establish causal links between brain volume and antisocial behavior, it constitutes new biological evidence that all people with antisocial behavior are not the same, supporting a need for greater developmental and diagnostic precision in clinical, forensic, and policy-based interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina O Carlisi
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Terrie E Moffitt
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- PROMENTA, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Annchen R Knodt
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - HonaLee Harrington
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Stephanie Langevin
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- School of Criminology, University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - David Ireland
- Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit, Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Tracy R Melzer
- New Zealand Brain Research Institute, Christchurch, New Zealand
- Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand
- Brain Research New Zealand - Rangahau Roro Aotearo Centre of Research Excellence, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Richie Poulton
- Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit, Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Sandhya Ramrakha
- Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit, Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Avshalom Caspi
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- PROMENTA, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ahmad R Hariri
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Essi Viding
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
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13
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Armstrong‐Carter E, Wertz J, Domingue BW. Genetics and Child Development: Recent Advances and Their Implications for Developmental Research. Child Dev Perspect 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/cdep.12400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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14
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Lam BYH, Huang Y, Gao Y. Gray matter asymmetry in the orbitofrontal cortex in relation to psychopathic traits in adolescents. J Psychiatr Res 2021; 132:84-96. [PMID: 33068818 PMCID: PMC7736323 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Structural abnormalities in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) of incarcerated psychopaths have been well documented. However, the neural correlates of psychopathic traits in younger and nonclinical samples remain poorly understood. AIM The present study aimed to examine the structural brain asymmetry in the OFC in relation to dimensions of psychopathic traits in adolescents from the community. METHOD In 29 youths from the community, childhood psychopathic traits including narcissism, impulsivity, and callous-unemotional traits were assessed when they were 7- to 10 years old (Time 1), and their gray matter (GM) volumes were measured using structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging when they were 10- to 14 years old (Time 2). RESULTS After controlling for age, sex, IQ, pubertal stage, and whole-brain volumes, callous-unemotional traits were associated with right-left asymmetry in the medial OFC (mOFC), that is, smaller right mOFC GM as compared to the left. Impulsivity was associated with left-right asymmetry in the mOFC, that is, smaller left mOFC than the right. Narcissism was not associated with any GM asymmetry measure. No significant association was found for the lateral OFC, amygdala, caudate and putamen. CONCLUSION The present findings provide further support that dimensions of psychopathic traits may have distinct neurobiological correlates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bess Yin- Hung Lam
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University,Correspondence: Dr. Bess Yin-Hung Lam, address:
| | - Yonglin Huang
- Brooklyn College, The City University of New York,The Graduate Center, City University of New York
| | - Yu Gao
- Brooklyn College, The City University of New York,The Graduate Center, City University of New York
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15
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Richmond‐Rakerd LS, Moffitt TE, Arseneault L, Belsky DW, Connor J, Corcoran DL, Harrington H, Houts RM, Poulton R, Prinz JA, Ramrakha S, Sugden K, Wertz J, Williams BS, Caspi A. A polygenic score for age-at-first-birth predicts disinhibition. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2020; 61:1349-1359. [PMID: 32220142 PMCID: PMC7529719 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A recent genome-wide association study identified molecular-genetic associations with age-at-first-birth. However, the meaning of these genetic discoveries is unclear. Drawing on evidence linking early pregnancy with disinhibitory behavior, we tested the hypothesis that genetic discoveries for age-at-first-birth predict disinhibition. METHODS We included participants with genotype data from the two-decade-long Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Study (N = 1,999) and the four-decade-long Dunedin Study (N = 918). We calculated a genome-wide polygenic score for age-at-first-birth and tested whether it was associated with a range of disinhibitory outcomes across the life course, including low childhood self-control; risk for externalizing psychopathology; officially recorded criminal offending; substance dependence; informant reports of disinhibitory problems; and number of lifetime sexual partners. We further tested whether associations were attributable to accelerated pubertal maturation. RESULTS In both cohorts, the age-at-first-birth polygenic score predicted low childhood self-control, externalizing psychopathology, officially recorded criminal offending, substance dependence, and number of sexual partners. Associations were modest, but robust across replication. Childhood disinhibition partly mediated associations between the polygenic score and reproductive behaviors. In contrast, associations were not attributable to accelerated pubertal timing. CONCLUSIONS Genomic discoveries for age-at-first-birth are about more than reproductive biology: They provide insight into the disinhibitory traits and behaviors that accompany early parenthood. Age-at-first-birth is a useful proxy phenotype for researchers interested in disinhibition. Further, interventions that improve self-regulation abilities may benefit young parents and their children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah S. Richmond‐Rakerd
- Department of Psychology and NeuroscienceDuke UniversityDurhamNCUSA,Frank Porter Graham Child Development InstituteUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNCUSA
| | - Terrie E. Moffitt
- Department of Psychology and NeuroscienceDuke UniversityDurhamNCUSA,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesDuke University School of MedicineDurhamNCUSA,Center for Genomic and Computational BiologyDuke UniversityDurhamNCUSA,Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Louise Arseneault
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Daniel W. Belsky
- Department of EpidemiologyColumbia University Mailman School of Public HealthNew YorkNYUSA
| | - Jennie Connor
- Department of Preventive and Social MedicineUniversity of OtagoDunedinNew Zealand
| | - David L. Corcoran
- Center for Genomic and Computational BiologyDuke UniversityDurhamNCUSA
| | | | - Renate M. Houts
- Department of Psychology and NeuroscienceDuke UniversityDurhamNCUSA
| | - Richie Poulton
- Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research UnitDepartment of PsychologyUniversity of OtagoDunedinNew Zealand
| | - Joey A. Prinz
- Center for Genomic and Computational BiologyDuke UniversityDurhamNCUSA
| | - Sandhya Ramrakha
- Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research UnitDepartment of PsychologyUniversity of OtagoDunedinNew Zealand
| | - Karen Sugden
- Department of Psychology and NeuroscienceDuke UniversityDurhamNCUSA
| | - Jasmin Wertz
- Department of Psychology and NeuroscienceDuke UniversityDurhamNCUSA
| | | | - Avshalom Caspi
- Department of Psychology and NeuroscienceDuke UniversityDurhamNCUSA,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesDuke University School of MedicineDurhamNCUSA,Center for Genomic and Computational BiologyDuke UniversityDurhamNCUSA,Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
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16
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Leshem R. There are More than Two Sides to Antisocial Behavior: The Inextricable Link between Hemispheric Specialization and Environment. Symmetry (Basel) 2020; 12:1671. [DOI: 10.3390/sym12101671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Human functions and traits are linked to cerebral networks serving different emotional and cognitive control systems, some of which rely on hemispheric specialization and integration to promote adaptive goal-directed behavior. Among the neural systems discussed in this context are those underlying pro- and antisocial behaviors. The diverse functions and traits governing our social behavior have been associated with lateralized neural activity. However, as with other complex behaviors, specific hemispheric roles are difficult to elucidate. This is due largely to environmental and contextual influences, which interact with neural substrates in the development and expression of pro and antisocial functions. This paper will discuss the reciprocal ties between environmental factors and hemispheric functioning in the context of social behavior. Rather than an exhaustive review, the paper will attempt to familiarize readers with the prominent literature and primary questions to encourage further research and in-depth discussion in this field.
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17
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Overbeek G, Creasey N, Wesarg C, Huijzer-Engbrenghof M, Spencer H. When mummy and daddy get under your skin: A new look at how parenting affects children's DNA methylation, stress reactivity, and disruptive behavior. New Dir Child Adolesc Dev 2020; 2020:25-38. [PMID: 32909678 DOI: 10.1002/cad.20362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Child maltreatment is a global phenomenon that affects the lives of millions of children. Worldwide, as many as one in three to six children encounter physical, sexual, or emotional abuse from their caregivers. Children who experience abuse often show alterations in stress reactivity. Although this alteration may reflect a physiological survival response, it can nevertheless be harmful in the long run-increasing children's disruptive behavior and jeopardizing their development in multiple domains. But can we undo this process in at-risk children? Based on several lines of pioneering research, we hypothesize that we indeed can. Specifically, we hypothesize that highly dysfunctional parenting leads to an epigenetic pattern in children's glucocorticoid genes that contributes to stress dysregulation and disruptive behavior. However, we also hypothesize that it is possible to "flip the methylation switch" by improving parenting with known-effective parenting interventions in at-risk families. We predict that improved parenting will change methylation in genes in the glucocorticoid pathway, leading to improved stress reactivity and decreased disruptive behavior in children. Future research testing this theory may transform developmental and intervention science, demonstrating how parents can get under their children's skins-and how this mechanism can be reversed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geertjan Overbeek
- University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nicole Creasey
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Christiane Wesarg
- Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Hannah Spencer
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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18
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Armstrong-Carter E, Trejo S, Hill LJB, Crossley KL, Mason D, Domingue BW. The Earliest Origins of Genetic Nurture: The Prenatal Environment Mediates the Association Between Maternal Genetics and Child Development. Psychol Sci 2020; 31:781-791. [PMID: 32484377 DOI: 10.1177/0956797620917209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Observed genetic associations with educational attainment may be due to direct or indirect genetic influences. Recent work highlights genetic nurture, the potential effect of parents' genetics on their child's educational outcomes via rearing environments. To date, few mediating childhood environments have been tested. We used a large sample of genotyped mother-child dyads (N = 2,077) to investigate whether genetic nurture occurs via the prenatal environment. We found that mothers with more education-related genes are generally healthier and more financially stable during pregnancy. Further, measured prenatal conditions explain up to one third of the associations between maternal genetics and children's academic and developmental outcomes at the ages of 4 to 7 years. By providing the first evidence of prenatal genetic nurture and showing that genetic nurture is detectable in early childhood, this study broadens our understanding of how parental genetics may influence children and illustrates the challenges of within-person interpretation of existing genetic associations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sam Trejo
- Graduate School of Education, Stanford University
| | - Liam J B Hill
- School of Psychology, University of Leeds.,Born in Bradford, Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
| | - Kirsty L Crossley
- Born in Bradford, Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
| | - Dan Mason
- Born in Bradford, Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
| | - Benjamin W Domingue
- Graduate School of Education, Stanford University.,Center for Population Health Sciences, Stanford University
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Rabinowitz JA, Kuo SIC, Domingue B, Smart M, Felder W, Benke K, Maher BS, Ialongo NS, Uhl G. Pathways Between a Polygenic Score for Educational Attainment and Higher Educational Attainment in an African American Sample. Behav Genet 2019; 50:14-25. [PMID: 31760550 DOI: 10.1007/s10519-019-09982-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the extent to which performance on standardized achievement tests, executive function (EF), and aggression in childhood and adolescence accounted for the relationship between a polygenic score for educational attainment (EA PGS) and years of education in a community sample of African Americans. Participants (N = 402; 49.9% female) were initially recruited for an elementary school-based prevention trial in a Mid-Atlantic city and followed into adulthood. In first and twelfth grade, participants completed math and reading standardized tests and teachers reported on participants' aggression and EF, specifically impulsivity and concentration problems. At age 20, participants reported on their years of education and post-secondary degrees attained and their genotype was assayed from blood or buccal swabs. An EA PGS was created using results from a large-scale GWAS on EA. A higher EA PGS was associated with higher education indirectly via adolescent achievement. No other mediating mechanisms were significant. Adolescent academic achievement is thus one mechanism through which polygenic propensity for EA influences post-secondary education among urban, African American youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill A Rabinowitz
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Heath, Baltimore, USA.
| | - Sally I-Chun Kuo
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, USA
| | | | - Mieka Smart
- College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA
| | - William Felder
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Heath, Baltimore, USA
| | - Kelly Benke
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Heath, Baltimore, USA
| | - Brion S Maher
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Heath, Baltimore, USA
| | - Nicholas S Ialongo
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Heath, Baltimore, USA
| | - George Uhl
- New Mexico VA Health Care System, Las Vegas, USA
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20
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Lynch JM, Lane JD, Berryessa CM, Rottman J. How information about perpetrators' nature and nurture influences assessments of their character, mental states, and deserved punishment. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0224093. [PMID: 31639151 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence of perpetrators' biological or situational circumstances has been increasingly brought to bear in courtrooms. Yet, research findings are mixed as to whether this information influences folk evaluations of perpetrators' dispositions, and subsequently, evaluations of their deserved punishments. Previous research has not clearly dissociated the effects of information about perpetrators' genetic endowment versus their environmental circumstances. Additionally, most research has focused exclusively on violations involving extreme physical harm, often using mock capital sentences cases as examples. To address these gaps in the literature, we employed a "switched-at-birth" paradigm to investigate whether positive or negative information about perpetrators' genetic or environmental backgrounds influence evaluations of a perpetrator's mental states, character, and deserved punishment. Across three studies, we varied whether the transgression involved direct harm, an impure act that caused no harm, or a case of moral luck. The results indicate that negative genetic and environmental backgrounds influenced participants' evaluations of perpetrators' intentions, free will, and character, but did not influence participants' punishment decisions. Overall, these results replicate and extend existing findings suggesting that perpetrators' supposed extenuating circumstances may not mitigate the punishment that others assign to them.
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21
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Reuben A, Arseneault L, Belsky DW, Caspi A, Fisher HL, Houts RM, Moffitt TE, Odgers C. Residential neighborhood greenery and children's cognitive development. Soc Sci Med 2019; 230:271-279. [PMID: 31035206 PMCID: PMC6527856 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.04.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2018] [Revised: 04/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Children who grow up in neighborhoods with more green vegetation show enhanced cognitive development in specific domains over short timespans. However, it is unknown if neighborhood greenery per se is uniquely predictive of children's overall cognitive development measured across many years. The E-Risk Longitudinal Study, a nationally representative 1994-5 birth-cohort of children in Britain (n = 1658 urban and suburban-dwelling participants), was used to test whether residential neighborhood greenery uniquely predicts children's cognitive development across childhood and adolescence. Greenery exposure was assessed from ages 5 to 18 using the satellite imagery-based normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in 1-mile buffers around the home. Fluid and crystalized intellectual performance was assessed in the home at ages 5, 12, and 18 using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale, and executive function, working memory, and attention ability were assessed in the home at age 18 using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery. Children living in residences surrounded by more neighborhood greenery scored significantly higher, on average, on IQ measures at all ages. However, the association between greenery and cognitive measures did not hold after accounting for family or neighborhood socioeconomic status. After adjustment for study covariates, child greenery exposure was not a significant predictor of longitudinal increases in IQ across childhood and adolescence or of executive function, working memory, or attention ability at age 18. Children raised in greener neighborhoods exhibit better overall cognitive ability, but the association is likely accounted for by family and neighborhood socioeconomic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Reuben
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Louise Arseneault
- King's College London, Social, Genetic, & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, & Neuroscience, London, UK
| | - Daniel W Belsky
- Social Science Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Avshalom Caspi
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; King's College London, Social, Genetic, & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, & Neuroscience, London, UK; Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Helen L Fisher
- King's College London, Social, Genetic, & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, & Neuroscience, London, UK
| | - Renate M Houts
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Terrie E Moffitt
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; King's College London, Social, Genetic, & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, & Neuroscience, London, UK; Center for Genomic and Computational Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Candice Odgers
- Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Psychological Science, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
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Beckley AL, Palmer RH, Rocque M, Whitfield KE. Health and criminal justice system involvement among African American siblings. SSM Popul Health 2019; 7:100359. [PMID: 30788408 PMCID: PMC6369245 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2019.100359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Revised: 01/01/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Health disparities between African Americans and Whites have persisted in the United States. Researchers have recently hypothesized that the relatively poor health of African Americans may be caused, in part, by African American overrepresentation in the criminal justice system. OBJECTIVES To test the hypothesis that criminal justice system involvement is associated with poor health and greater health risk when controlling for unobserved family factors through a discordant sibling design. METHODS Subjects were drawn from the Carolina African American Twin Study of Aging (CAATSA). Criminal conviction records were extracted from North Carolina's Department of Public Safety. Six measures of health and one measure of health risk were analyzed. The health of convicted respondents was compared to that of unrelated non-convicted respondents matched on childhood and demographic factors ("matched sample"). Convicted respondents were also compared to non-convicted siblings ("discordant sibling sample"). RESULTS The matched sample included 134 CAATSA respondents. On average, convicted CAATSA respondents, compared to matched non-convicted respondents, were in worse health. Convicted respondents had worse mean self-reported health, worse lung function, more depressive symptoms, and smoked more. The discordant sibling sample included 74 respondents. Convicted siblings and non-convicted siblings had similar self-reported health, depressive symptoms, and smoking. In general, non-convicted siblings were in worse health than non-convicted respondents from the matched sample, implying that poor health runs in families. CONCLUSIONS This study provided preliminary evidence that some of the association between a criminal record and poor health is confounded by family factors. Though more research is needed to support these results, the study suggests that criminal involvement may not be associated with the surfeit of health problems observed among African Americans. The criminal justice system, nonetheless, could be used to decrease the health disparity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber L Beckley
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Demography Unit, Department of Sociology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rohan H Palmer
- Behavioral Genetics of Addiction Laboratory, Department of Psychology at Emory University, 36 Eagle Row, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Michael Rocque
- Department of Scoiology, Bates College, Lewiston, ME, USA
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23
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Wertz J, Belsky J, Moffitt TE, Belsky DW, Harrington H, Avinun R, Poulton R, Ramrakha S, Caspi A. Genetics of nurture: A test of the hypothesis that parents' genetics predict their observed caregiving. Dev Psychol 2019; 55:1461-1472. [PMID: 30920238 DOI: 10.1037/dev0000709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Twin studies have documented that parenting behavior is partly heritable, but it is unclear how parents' genetics shape their caregiving. Using tools of molecular genetics, the present study investigated this process by testing hypotheses about associations between a genome-wide polygenic score for educational attainment and parental caregiving in 702 members of the Dunedin Study, a population-representative birth cohort. Data have been prospectively collected from when Study members were born through to midlife, and include assessments of the caregiving they provided once they became parents. Results showed that parents' polygenic scores predicted warm, sensitive, and stimulating caregiving, both in personal interactions with their young children (as captured on video) and through the home environments they created for their families (as observed by home visitors). The magnitude of this effect was small. Polygenic-score associations were independent of well-established predictors of parenting, such as parents' own childhood experiences of parenting and the age at which they became parents. Polygenic-score associations were mediated by parents' early-emerging cognitive abilities and self-control skills. Findings have implications for theory and research about genetic influences on caregiving and child development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmin Wertz
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Duke University
| | - Jay Belsky
- Department of Human Ecology, University of California, Davis
| | | | | | | | - Reut Avinun
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Duke University
| | - Richie Poulton
- Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit, University of Otago
| | - Sandhya Ramrakha
- Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research Unit, University of Otago
| | - Avshalom Caspi
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Duke University
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24
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Rabinowitz JA, Kuo SIC, Felder W, Musci RJ, Bettencourt A, Benke K, Sisto DY, Smail E, Uhl G, Maher BS, Kouzis A, Ialongo NS. Associations between an educational attainment polygenic score with educational attainment in an African American sample. Genes Brain Behav 2019; 18:e12558. [PMID: 30793481 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2018] [Revised: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Polygenic propensity for educational attainment has been associated with higher education attendance, academic achievement and criminal offending in predominantly European samples; however, less is known about whether this polygenic propensity is associated with these outcomes among African Americans. Using an educational attainment polygenic score (EA PGS), the present study examined whether this score was associated with post-secondary education, academic achievement and criminal offending in an urban, African American sample. Three cohorts of participants (N = 1050; 43.9% male) were initially recruited for an elementary school-based universal prevention trial in a Mid-Atlantic city and followed into young adulthood. Standardized tests of reading and math achievement were administered in first grade. At age 20, participants reported on their level of education attained, and records of incarceration were obtained from Maryland's Criminal Justice Information System. In young adulthood, DNA was collected and extracted from blood or buccal swabs and genotyped. An EA PGS was created using results from a large-scale genome-wide association study on educational attainment. A higher EA PGS was associated with a greater log odds of post-secondary education. The EA PGS was not associated with reading achievement, although a significant relationship was found with math achievement in the third cohort. These findings contribute to the dearth of molecular genetics work conducted in African American samples and highlight that polygenic propensity for educational attainment is associated with higher education attendance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill A Rabinowitz
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Sally I-C Kuo
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University College of Humanities and Sciences, Richmond, Virginia
| | - William Felder
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Rashelle J Musci
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Amie Bettencourt
- Department of Medicine, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Kelly Benke
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Danielle Y Sisto
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Emily Smail
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - George Uhl
- Office of Research & Development, New Mexico VA Health Care System, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - Brion S Maher
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Anthony Kouzis
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Nicholas S Ialongo
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
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25
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Palk AC, Dalvie S, de Vries J, Martin AR, Stein DJ. Potential use of clinical polygenic risk scores in psychiatry - ethical implications and communicating high polygenic risk. Philos Ethics Humanit Med 2019; 14:4. [PMID: 30813945 PMCID: PMC6391805 DOI: 10.1186/s13010-019-0073-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Psychiatric disorders present distinct clinical challenges which are partly attributable to their multifactorial aetiology and the absence of laboratory tests that can be used to confirm diagnosis or predict risk. Psychiatric disorders are highly heritable, but also polygenic, with genetic risk conferred by interactions between thousands of variants of small effect that can be summarized in a polygenic risk score. We discuss four areas in which the use of polygenic risk scores in psychiatric research and clinical contexts could have ethical implications. First, there is concern that clinical use of polygenic risk scores may exacerbate existing health inequities. Second, research findings regarding polygenic risk could be misinterpreted in stigmatising or discriminatory ways. Third, there are concerns associated with testing minors as well as eugenics concerns elicited by prenatal polygenic risk testing. Fourth, potential challenges that could arise with the feedback and interpretation of high polygenic risk for a psychiatric disorder would require consideration. While there would be extensive overlap with the challenges of feeding back genetic findings in general, the potential clinical use of polygenic risk scoring warrants discussion in its own right, given the recency of this possibility. To this end, we discuss how lay interpretations of risk and genetic information could intersect. Consideration of these factors would be necessary for ensuring effective and constructive communication and interpretation of polygenic risk information which, in turn, could have implications for the uptake of any therapeutic recommendations. Recent advances in polygenic risk scoring have major implications for its clinical potential, however, care should be taken to ensure that communication of polygenic risk does not feed into problematic assumptions regarding mental disorders or support reductive interpretations.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. C. Palk
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cape Town, Groote Schuur Hospital, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925 South Africa
| | - S. Dalvie
- Department of Psychiatry and SA MRC Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, University of Cape Town, Groote Schuur Hospital, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925 South Africa
| | - J. de Vries
- Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Groote Schuur Hospital, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925 South Africa
| | - A. R. Martin
- Analytic & Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research & Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA USA
| | - D. J. Stein
- Department of Psychiatry and SA MRC Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, University of Cape Town, Groote Schuur Hospital, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925 South Africa
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Abstract
Externalizing problems generally refer to a constellation of behaviors and/or disorders characterized by impulsive action and behavioral disinhibition. Phenotypes on the externalizing spectrum include psychiatric disorders, nonclinical behaviors, and personality characteristics (e.g. alcohol use disorders, other illicit substance use, antisocial behaviors, risky sex, sensation seeking, among others). Research using genetic designs including latent designs from twin and family data and more recent designs using genome-wide data reveal that these behaviors and problems are genetically influenced and largely share a common genetic etiology. Large-scale gene-identification efforts have started to identify robust associations between genetic variants and these phenotypes. However, there is still considerable work to be done. This chapter provides an overview of the current state of research into the genetics of behaviors and disorders on the externalizing spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter B Barr
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Danielle M Dick
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA. .,Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA. .,College Behavioral and Emotional Health Institute, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA.
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27
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Abstract
Emerging technologies for analyzing biospecimens have led to advances in understanding the interacting role of genetics and environment on development and individual responsivity to prevention and intervention programs. The scientific study of gene-environment influences has also benefited from the growth of Big Data tools that allow linking genomic data to health, educational, and other information stored in large integrated datasets. These advances have created a new frontier of ethical challenges for scientists as they collect, store, or engage in secondary use of potentially identifiable information and biospecimens. To address challenges arising from technological advances and the expanding contexts in which potentially identifiable information and biospecimens are collected and stored, the Office of Human Research Protections has revised federal regulations for the protection of human subjects. The revised regulations create a new format, content, and transparency requirements for informed consent, including a new mechanism known as broad consent. Broad consent offers participants a range of choices regarding consent for the storage and future use of their personally identifiable data. These regulations have important implications for how prevention scientists and oversight boards acquire participant consent for the collection, storage, and future use of their data by other investigators for scientific purposes significantly different from the original study. This article describes regulatory changes and challenges affecting traditional informed consent for prevention research, followed by a description of the rationale and requirements for obtaining broad consent, and concludes with a discussion of future challenges involving ongoing transparency and protections for participants and their communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celia B Fisher
- Department of Psychology, Fordham University, Dealy Hall 441, East Fordham Road, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA.
| | - Deborah M Layman
- Department of Psychology, Fordham University, Dealy Hall 441, East Fordham Road, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA
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28
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Gard AM, Dotterer HL, Hyde LW. Genetic influences on antisocial behavior: recent advances and future directions. Curr Opin Psychol 2018; 27:46-55. [PMID: 30145531 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2018.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2018] [Revised: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the etiology of antisocial behavior (i.e. violence, criminality, rule-breaking), is essential to the development of more effective prevention and intervention strategies. We provide a summary of the genetic correlates of antisocial behavior, drawing upon findings from behavioral, molecular, and statistical genetics. Across methodologies, our review highlights the centrality of environmental moderators of genetic effects, and how behavioral heterogeneity in antisocial behavior is an important consideration for genetic studies. We also review novel analytic techniques and neurogenetic approaches that can be used to examine how genetic variation predicts antisocial behavior. Finally, to illustrate how findings may converge across approaches, we describe pathways from genetic variability in oxytocin signaling to subtypes of antisocial behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna M Gard
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Hailey L Dotterer
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Luke W Hyde
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Survey Research Center of the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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