Sibling comparisons elucidate the associations between educational attainment polygenic scores and alcohol, nicotine and cannabis.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

The associations between low educational attainment and substance use disorders (SUDs) may be related to a common genetic vulnerability. We aimed to elucidate the associations between polygenic scores for educational attainment and clinical criterion counts for three SUDs (alcohol, nicotine and cannabis).

Design

Polygenic association and sibling comparison methods. The latter strengthens inferences in observational research by controlling for confounding factors that differ between families.

Setting

Six sites in the United States.

Participants

European ancestry participants aged 25 years and older from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA). Polygenic association analyses included 5582 (54% female) participants. Sibling

SUBMITTER: Salvatore JE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7034661 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature