Genotype by Environment Interactions in Cognitive Ability: A Survey of 14 Studies from Four Countries Covering Four Age Groups

TY - JOUR

T1 - Genotype by Environment Interactions in Cognitive Ability

T2 - A Survey of 14 Studies from Four Countries Covering Four Age Groups

AU - Molenaar, Dylan

AU - van der Sluis, Sophie

AU - Boomsma, Dorret I

AU - Haworth, Claire M A

AU - Hewitt, John K

AU - Martin, Nicholas G

AU - Plomin, Robert

AU - Wright, Margaret J

AU - Dolan, Conor V

PY - 2013/5

Y1 - 2013/5

N2 - A large part of the variation in cognitive ability is known to be due to genetic factors. Researchers have tried to identify modifiers that influence the heritability of cognitive ability, indicating a genotype by environment interaction (G×E). To date, such modifiers include measured variables like income and socioeconomic status. The present paper focuses on G×E in cognitive ability where the environmental variable is an unmeasured environmental factor that is uncorrelated in family members. We examined this type of G×E in the GHCA-database (Haworth et al., Behav Genet 39:359-370, 2009), which comprises data of 14 different cognition studies from four different countries including participants of different ages. Results indicate that for younger participants (4-13 years), the strength of E decreases across the additive genetic factor A, but that this effect reverts for older participants (17-34 years). However, a clear and general conclusion about the presence of a genuine G×E is hampered by differences between the individual studies with respect to environmental and genetic influences on cognitive ability.

AB - A large part of the variation in cognitive ability is known to be due to genetic factors. Researchers have tried to identify modifiers that influence the heritability of cognitive ability, indicating a genotype by environment interaction (G×E). To date, such modifiers include measured variables like income and socioeconomic status. The present paper focuses on G×E in cognitive ability where the environmental variable is an unmeasured environmental factor that is uncorrelated in family members. We examined this type of G×E in the GHCA-database (Haworth et al., Behav Genet 39:359-370, 2009), which comprises data of 14 different cognition studies from four different countries including participants of different ages. Results indicate that for younger participants (4-13 years), the strength of E decreases across the additive genetic factor A, but that this effect reverts for older participants (17-34 years). However, a clear and general conclusion about the presence of a genuine G×E is hampered by differences between the individual studies with respect to environmental and genetic influences on cognitive ability.

KW - Genotype by environment interaction

KW - Heritability

KW - Environment

KW - Intelligence

KW - Development

KW - Ability differentiation

U2 - 10.1007/s10519-012-9581-7

DO - 10.1007/s10519-012-9581-7

M3 - Article

C2 - 23397253

SN - 0001-8244

VL - 43

SP - 208

EP - 219

JO - Behavior Genetics

JF - Behavior Genetics

IS - 3

ER -