Behavioral Genetics

Question 1

Is correlation of behavioral traits higher for monozygotic or dizygotic twins?

Answer 1

Monozygotic twins- role of genetics in behavioral traits

Question 2

Are monozygotic twins ever perfectly similar for behavioral traits?

Answer 2

No- traits are genetically influenced, but not genetically determined (environment plays a role)

Question 3

What are the most highly heritable behavioral traits?

Answer 3

Neurodevelopmental disorders

Question 4

What are the least highly heritable behavioral traits?

Answer 4

Opinions (political affiliation, etc.)

Question 5

Linkage study results for schizophrenia

Answer 5

Schizophrenia is highly polygenic
Difficult to determine mechanism of genetic influence: effects are small
Risk variants for schizophrenia are common: most people carry, but not enough to cause disease
Most of the heritability is missing

Question 6

Utility of GWAS findings on behavioral traits

Answer 6

Reveal biological pathways involved in disease
Overlap with other disorders (ex- schizophrenia is genetically correlated with bipolar disorder)
Possibility for genetic prediction