Using a polygenic score in a family design to understand genetic influences on musicality.

ABSTRACT: To further our understanding of the genetics of musicality, we explored associations between a polygenic score for self-reported beat synchronization ability (PGS_rhythm) and objectively measured rhythm discrimination, as well as other validated music skills and music-related traits. Using family data, we were able to further explore potential pathways of direct genetic, indirect genetic (through passive gene-environment correlation) and confounding effects (such as population structure and assortative mating). In 5648 Swedish twins, we found PGS_rhythm to predict not only rhythm discrimination, but also melody and pitch discrimination (betas between 0.11 and 0.16, p < 0.001), as well as other music-related outcomes (p < 0.05). In contrast, PGS_rhythm was not

SUBMITTER: Wesseldijk LW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9424203 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature