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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 14, 2026

An Allele-specific Gene Expression Assay to Test the Functional Basis of Genetic Associations

An Allele-specific Gene Expression Assay to Test the Functional Basis of Genetic Associations

Published on: November 3, 2010

Reading and Generalist Genes.

Claire M A Haworth¹, Emma L Meaburn, Nicole Harlaar

¹Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London.

Mind, Brain and Education : the Official Journal of the International Mind, Brain, and Education Society

|April 13, 2010

Summary

The generalist genes hypothesis suggests shared genetic influences across diverse learning abilities. This study supports this by linking early reading DNA markers to broader literacy, math, and cognitive skills in children.

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Last Updated: Jun 14, 2026

An Allele-specific Gene Expression Assay to Test the Functional Basis of Genetic Associations

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Published on: November 3, 2010

Candidate Gene Testing in Clinical Cohort Studies with Multiplexed Genotyping and Mass Spectrometry

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Using Cholesky Decomposition to Explore Individual Differences in Longitudinal Relations between Reading Skills

Using Cholesky Decomposition to Explore Individual Differences in Longitudinal Relations between Reading Skills

Published on: September 17, 2019

Area of Science:

Genetics
Developmental Psychology
Educational Neuroscience

Background:

Twin studies suggest shared genetic factors influence various learning abilities and disabilities, supporting the "generalist genes" hypothesis.
Identifying specific genetic markers associated with learning is crucial for understanding underlying mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

To test the generalist genes hypothesis by examining if DNA markers for early reading ability also correlate with other cognitive skills.
To investigate the genetic underpinnings of diverse learning abilities and disabilities.

Main Methods:

Utilized a dataset of 4,258 7-year-old children.
Screened 100,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and identified a set of 10 SNPs associated with early reading ability.
Analyzed the correlation between this early reading SNP set and other literacy, mathematics, and general cognitive abilities within the same sample.

Main Results:

The set of 10 SNPs associated with early reading ability also showed significant correlations with other literacy aspects, mathematical components, and general cognitive abilities.
These findings provide empirical support for the generalist genes hypothesis in a large sample of children.

Conclusions:

The results support the generalist genes hypothesis, indicating shared genetic influences across different learning domains.
While the effect size of the current SNP set is small, future applications may include predicting genetic risk for learning disabilities and developing personalized interventions.