Polygenic risk for aggressive behavior from late childhood through early adulthood

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Genetics
• Developmental Psychology
• Psychiatric Genetics

Background:

• Twin studies indicate significant genetic influence on aggressive behavior throughout development.
• The precise relationship between measured genetic risk and aggressive behavior across adolescence remains unclear.
• Understanding how genetic factors shape developmental trajectories of aggression is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the predictive power of a polygenic risk score for aggressive behavior trajectories in adolescents.
• To examine whether genetic risk differentiates developmental patterns of aggression.
• To assess the impact of reporting source (parent, self, teacher) and sample type (general population, high-risk) on genetic associations.

Main Methods:

• A polygenic risk score (PRS) was derived from the EAGLE-Consortium GWAS of childhood aggression.
• The PRS was used to predict latent growth classes of aggressive behavior in an adolescent population sample and a high-risk sample.
• Aggressive behavior was assessed via parent-report, self-report, and teacher-report.

Main Results:

• In the general population sample, the PRS significantly predicted parent-reported aggressive behavior across all ages.
• The PRS distinguished between stable low aggression and decreasing moderate/high aggression trajectories based on parent-reports.
• No significant associations were found between the PRS and self- or teacher-reported aggression, nor in the high-risk sample.

Conclusions:

• Polygenic risk scores derived from specific genome-wide association studies may have limited generalizability and specificity.
• Methodological choices in genome-wide association studies influence the predictive utility of polygenic risk scores.
• The source of behavioral data (e.g., parent-report) is critical for detecting genetic associations with aggressive behavior trajectories.