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Updated: Mar 31, 2026

Targeted Next-generation Sequencing and Bioinformatics Pipeline to Evaluate Genetic Determinants of Constitutional Disease
Published on: April 4, 2018
Common variants in the ARC gene are not associated with cognitive abilities
Craig Myrum1, Sudheer Giddaluru2, Kaya Jacobsen3
1Dr. Einar Martens Research Group for Biological Psychiatry Center for Medical Genetics and Molecular Medicine Haukeland University Hospital Bergen Norway ; Department of Biomedicine University of Bergen Bergen Norway ; K.G. Jebsen Center for Research on Neuropsychiatric Disorders University of Bergen Bergen Norway.
Common genetic variations in the Activity-Regulated Cytoskeleton-associated (ARC) gene do not significantly impact human cognitive abilities or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) susceptibility. Further research may explore potential small effects of ARC variants on cognition.
Area of Science:
- Neurogenetics
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Background:
- The Activity-Regulated Cytoskeleton-associated (ARC) gene is crucial for synaptic plasticity and long-term memory.
- Genetic variations in ARC might influence cognitive abilities and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between ARC gene variants and cognitive functioning in healthy individuals.
- To examine the role of ARC variants in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) susceptibility.
Main Methods:
- Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) data from 670 Norwegian subjects (NCNG).
- Association analysis of 19 tag SNPs in ARC with cognitive measures in 1800 Swedish subjects (Betula).
- Case-control study for ARC SNP association with ADHD in a Norwegian sample.
Main Results:
- No study-wide significant associations were found between ARC variants and cognitive functions.
- Several ARC markers showed a trend toward association with cognitive measures.
- No significant associations were detected between ARC SNPs and ADHD.
Conclusions:
- Common genetic variants in the ARC gene do not appear to explain variance in human cognitive abilities.
- The potential for small effects of ARC variants on cognition cannot be entirely excluded.
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