Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Language Development

Language Development

Children master language quickly and with relative ease, supported by both biological predisposition and reinforcement. B. F. Skinner (1957) proposed that language is learned through reinforcement, while Noam Chomsky (1965) argued that language acquisition mechanisms are biologically determined.
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...

Comparing Copy Number Variations and SNPs

Comparing Copy Number Variations and SNPs

Sequencing of the human genome has opened up several best-kept secrets of the genome. Scientists have identified thousands of genome variations that exist within a population. These variations can be a single nucleotide or a larger chromosomal variation.
Copy number variations or CNVs are the structural variations that cover more than 1kb of DNA sequence. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), on the other hand, is a single nucleotide change or a point mutation that is found in more than 1%...

Language and Cognition

Language and Cognition

Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms-SNPs

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms-SNPs

A single nucleotide polymorphism or SNP is a single nucleotide variation at a specific genomic position in a large population. It is the most prevalent type of sequence variation found in the human genome. Point mutations that occur in more than 1% of the population qualify as SNPs. These are present once every 1000 nucleotides on an average in the human genome. Replacement of a purine with another purine (A/G) or a pyrimidine with another pyrimidine (C/T) is known as a transition. In contrast,...

Principles of Pharmacogenetics: Types of Genetic Variants

Principles of Pharmacogenetics: Types of Genetic Variants

The human genome is over 99.9% identical between individuals, yet genetic differences exist at millions of bases. The human genome contains approximately 3 million variant positions per individual, many of which are heterozygous, contributing to genetic diversity and individual traits. Genetic variations include single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), insertions, deletions, and copy number variations (CNVs).SNPs, the most common variation, involve single-base changes in DNA. These can be...

Incomplete Dominance

Incomplete Dominance

Gregor Mendel's work (1822 - 1884) was primarily focused on pea plants. Through his initial experiments, he determined that every gene in a diploid cell has two variants called alleles inherited from each parent. He suggested that amongst these two alleles, one allele is dominant in character and the other recessive. The combination of alleles determines the phenotype of a gene in an organism.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Large-scale analysis of structural brain asymmetries during neurodevelopment: Associations with age and sex in 4265 children and adolescents.

Human brain mapping·2024

Same author

Differential DNA methylation of steatosis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in adolescence.

Hepatology international·2023

Same author

Can we shift belief in the 'Law of Small Numbers'?

Royal Society open science·2022

Same author

Vaginal progesterone for prevention of preterm birth in asymptomatic high-risk women with a normal cervical length: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The journal of maternal-fetal & neonatal medicine : the official journal of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine, the Federation of Asia and Oceania Perinatal Societies, the International Society of Perinatal Obstetricians·2021

Same author

An updated investigation of the multidimensional structure of language lateralization in left- and right-handed adults: a test-retest functional transcranial Doppler sonography study with six language tasks.

Royal Society open science·2021

Same author

The effect of functioning on Quality of Life Inventory-Disability measured quality of life is not mediated or moderated by parental psychological distress.

Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation·2021

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 4, 2026

Investigating Protein-protein Interactions in Live Cells Using Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer

Investigating Protein-protein Interactions in Live Cells Using Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer

Published on: May 26, 2014

CNTNAP2 variants affect early language development in the general population.

A J O Whitehouse¹, D V M Bishop, Q W Ang

¹Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Centre for Child Health Research, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia. awhitehouse@ichr.uwa.edu.au

Genes, Brain, and Behavior

|February 12, 2011

Summary

Common variants in the CNTNAP2 gene influence early language development in toddlers. These genetic factors may increase susceptibility to specific language impairment (SLI) or autism when combined with other risks.

More Related Videos

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

Published on: July 1, 2015

In Vivo Functional Study of Disease-associated Rare Human Variants Using Drosophila

In Vivo Functional Study of Disease-associated Rare Human Variants Using Drosophila

Published on: August 20, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 4, 2026

Investigating Protein-protein Interactions in Live Cells Using Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer

Investigating Protein-protein Interactions in Live Cells Using Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer

Published on: May 26, 2014

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

Published on: July 1, 2015

In Vivo Functional Study of Disease-associated Rare Human Variants Using Drosophila

In Vivo Functional Study of Disease-associated Rare Human Variants Using Drosophila

Published on: August 20, 2019

Area of Science:

Genetics
Developmental Psychology
Neuroscience

Background:

Genetic factors significantly influence early language development, yet specific genes impacting normal variation are not well understood.
Previous research linked CNTNAP2 gene variants to language deficits in specific language impairment (SLI) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the association between CNTNAP2 gene variants and communicative behavior in a large, general population sample of 2-year-olds.
To determine if common CNTNAP2 variants influence typical early language acquisition.

Main Methods:

Analysis of 1149 children from the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study.
Single-point and haplotype analyses of specific CNTNAP2 genetic markers (rs2710102, rs759178, rs17236239, rs2538976).
Assessment of communicative behavior at 2 years of age.

Main Results:

Significant associations were found between specific CNTNAP2 variants (rs2710102, rs759178) and communicative behavior, mirroring findings in language disorders.
Haplotype analyses identified significant associations for TTAA (P = 0.049) and CGAG (P = .0014) in the exon 13-15 region of CNTNAP2.

Conclusions:

Common variants in the CNTNAP2 gene's exon 13-15 region appear to influence early language acquisition in the general population at age 2.
These CNTNAP2 variants may confer susceptibility to SLI or autism when interacting with other genetic or environmental risk factors.