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Twin studies to GWAS: there and back again
Naomi P Friedman1, Marie T Banich2, Matthew C Keller1
1Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA.
Trends in Cognitive Sciences
|July 27, 2021
Summary
Human behavioral genetics integrates twin/family studies and genome-wide association studies (GWASs). Both methods are crucial for understanding genetic and environmental influences on behavior, especially in cognitive neuroscience.
Area of Science:
- Human behavioral genetics
- Cognitive neuroscience
Background:
- Historically, twin/family studies estimated genetic and environmental influences.
- Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) emerged with cost-effective genotyping, revealing genetic influences and enabling new heritability estimation methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the strengths and weaknesses of twin/family studies and GWASs.
- To compare these methods in characterizing genetic/environmental influences, behavioral phenotypes, and causal models.
- To highlight their complementary roles in cognitive neuroscience.
Main Methods:
- Comparative review of twin/family studies and GWAS methodologies.
- Analysis of their application in behavioral genetics and cognitive neuroscience.
- Discussion of their respective contributions to understanding heritability and genetic correlations.
Main Results:
- Twin/family studies and GWASs offer complementary insights into genetic and environmental influences.
- GWAS methods have advanced the field but have not replaced traditional twin/family studies.
- Both approaches are vital for a comprehensive understanding of behavioral phenotypes.
Conclusions:
- Twin/family studies and GWASs are mutually reinforcing in human behavioral genetics.
- Integrating both approaches provides a more robust framework for cognitive neuroscience research.
- The synergy between these methods advances the study of genetic and environmental contributions to behavior.
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