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PMID: 23358157 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Twin Study

DNA evidence for strong genetic stability and increasing heritability of intelligence from age 7 to 12.

Molecular psychiatry ·Vol. 19 ·No. 3 ·2014-03-00 ·Pages 380-4

Trzaskowski M, Yang J, Visscher PM, Plomin R

Abstract

Two genetic findings from twin research have far-reaching implications for understanding individual differences in the development of brain function as indexed by general cognitive ability (g, aka intelligence): (1) The same genes affect g throughout development, even though (2) heritability increases. It is now possible to test these hypotheses using DNA alone. From 1.7 million DNA markers and g scores at ages 7 and 12 on 2875 children, the DNA genetic correlation from age 7 to 12 was 0.73, highly similar to the genetic correlation of 0.75 estimated from 6702 pairs of twins from the same sample. DNA-estimated heritabilities increased from 0.26 at age 7 to 0.45 at age 12; twin-estimated heritabilities also increased from 0.35 to 0.48. These DNA results confirm the results of twin studies indicating strong genetic stability but increasing heritability for g, despite mean changes in brain structure and function from childhood to adolescence.

MeSH Terms
Aging/genetics Child Child Development Female Genetic Markers/genetics Humans Intelligence/genetics Intelligence Tests Male Quantitative Trait, Heritable Twins/genetics
Chemicals
Genetic Markers
Authors & Affiliations
4 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Trzaskowski M
King's College London, MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Denmark Hill, London, UK.
Yang J
University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, The University of Queensland, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Visscher P M
1] University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, The University of Queensland, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia [2] Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Plomin R
King's College London, MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Denmark Hill, London, UK.
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Article Info
Journal
Molecular psychiatry
Abbr.
Mol Psychiatry
ISSN
1476-5578
DOI
10.1038/mp.2012.191
Published
2014-03-00
Epub
2013-00-29
Pages
380-4
Language
English
Region
England
NLM ID
9607835
PMCID
PMC3932402
Subset
IM
Grants
Medical Research Council · G0500079(73692) · United Kingdom
Wellcome Trust · 085475/B/08/Z · United Kingdom
Medical Research Council · G0901245 · United Kingdom
Medical Research Council · G19/2 · United Kingdom
European Research Council · 295366 · International
Medical Research Council · G0500079 · United Kingdom
Medical Research Council · G19/2(78332) · United Kingdom
NICHD NIH HHS · HD044454 · United States
NICHD NIH HHS · R01 HD044454 · United States
NICHD NIH HHS · R01 HD046167 · United States
NICHD NIH HHS · HD046167 · United States
Wellcome Trust · 085475/Z/08/Z · United Kingdom
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1038/mp.2012.191 PMC Full Text View journal details
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