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Direct and indirect genetic effects on early neurodevelopmental traits
Laura Hegemann1,2,3, Espen Eilertsen4, Johanne Hagen Pettersen1,3,5
1Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines
|January 31, 2025
Summary
Direct and indirect genetic effects influence early neurodevelopmental traits. Indirect genetic effects are crucial for hyperactivity and repetitive behaviors, linked to cognition and education. Understanding these genetic pathways is key.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Neurodevelopment
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Neurodevelopmental conditions exhibit high heritability.
- Genomic heritability estimates can be confounded by indirect genetic effects (GxE).
- The distinct roles of direct vs. indirect genetic effects on early neurodevelopmental traits remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To differentiate direct and indirect genetic effects on early neurodevelopmental traits.
- To assess the contribution of common genetic variants to these effects.
- To investigate the role of polygenic scores (PGS) for specific traits.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Trio-GCTA on up to 24,692 parent-offspring trios from the Norwegian MoBa cohort.
- Estimated latent direct and indirect genetic effects on mother-reported traits at age 3 years.
- Employed regression modeling with PGS for autism, ADHD, dyslexia, educational attainment, and cognitive ability.
Main Results:
- Direct and indirect genetic effects contribute to inattention, hyperactivity, and restricted/repetitive behaviors.
- Direct effects were most significant for social, language, and motor development.
- Indirect effects on neurodevelopmental traits were primarily linked to educational attainment and cognitive ability PGS.
Conclusions:
- Direct and indirect genetic effects differentially impact early neurodevelopmental traits.
- Indirect genetic effects are particularly important for hyperactivity and restricted/repetitive behaviors.
- Within-family methods are vital for disentangling complex genetic influences on early development.
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