Variability in the common genetic architecture of social-communication spectrum phenotypes during childhood and adolescence.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Social-communication abilities are heritable traits, and their impairments overlap with the autism continuum. To characterise the genetic architecture of social-communication difficulties developmentally and identify genetic links with the autistic dimension, we conducted a genome-wide screen of social-communication problems at multiple time-points during childhood and adolescence.

Methods

Social-communication difficulties were ascertained at ages 8, 11, 14 and 17 years in a UK population-based birth cohort (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children; N ≤ 5,628) using mother-reported Social Communication Disorder Checklist scores. Genome-wide Complex Trait Analysis (GCTA) was conducted for all phenotypes. The time-points with the highest GCTA heritability wer

SUBMITTER: St Pourcain B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3940728 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature