Recently-Derived Variants of Brain-Size Genes "ASPM", "MCPH1", "CDK5RAP" and "BRCA1" Not Associated with General Cognition, Reading or Language

Autor/inn/en	Bates, Timothy C.; Luciano, Michelle; Lind, Penelope A.; Wright, Margaret J.; Montgomery, Grant W.; Martin, Nicholas G.
Titel	Recently-Derived Variants of Brain-Size Genes "ASPM", "MCPH1", "CDK5RAP" and "BRCA1" Not Associated with General Cognition, Reading or Language
Quelle	In: Intelligence, 36 (2008) 6, S.689-693 (5 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0160-2896
DOI	10.1016/j.intell.2008.04.001
Schlagwörter	Dyslexia; Language Impairments; Short Term Memory; Brain; Genetics; Hypothesis Testing; Twins; Correlation; Evolution; Intelligence; Cognitive Ability; Cognitive Measurement; Cognitive Development; Genetic Disorders + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Dyslexics; Legasthenie; Lese-Rechtschreib-Schwäche; Speech disorder; Speech disorders; Speech disabilities; Speech disability; Speech handicap; Speech handicaps; Speech impairment; Speech impairments; Language handicaps; Sprachbehinderung; Kurzzeitgedächtnis; Gehirn; Humangenetik; Hypothesenprüfung; Hypothesentest; Twin; Zwilling; Korrelation; Intelligenz; Klugheit; Denkfähigkeit; Kognitive Entwicklung
Abstract	Derived changes in genes associated with primary microcephaly (MCPH) have been suggested to be "currently sweeping to fixation" i.e., increasing in frequency in most populations, with the likely outcome that the derived allele will completely displace the ancestral allele over time. Possible causes for this sweep include effects on human reasoning and language. Here we test the hypothesis that these derived alleles are associated with current variation in spoken or written language and related traits. The association of derived alleles of the "ASPM", "MCPH1", "CDK5RAP2" and "BRCA1" genes was tested against well-validated measures of dyslexia, specific language impairment, working memory, IQ, and head-size in a family-based association study of over 1776 subjects from 789 families of twins. No evidence for association was found for any gene to any trait. The results strongly did not support the hypothesis that derived alleles in MCPH-related genes are related to the evolution of human language or cognition. Results were compatible with the alternate hypothesis, suggesting that adaptations in these genes associated with a dramatic increase in brain size have long since reached fixation and are now maintained by stabilizing selection. (Contains 1 table.) (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10