title: Distribution of lod scores under uncertain mode of inheritance.
abstract: We consider probability distributions of alternative lod statistics, differing in their treatment of segregation parameters when mode of inheritance is uncertain. A particular pedigree structure and a dominant genetic system displaying incomplete penetrance are analyzed. Lod scores calculated assuming an incorrect segregation model appear to conform quite well to the chi 2 distribution in the absence of linkage. In the presence of linkage, some power is lost. However, if lod scores are calculated under several different segregation models and the best one is accepted, opportunity for chance occurrence of high lod scores is enhanced. The distribution is still chi 2, but with extra degrees of freedom. These results hold over a wide range of sample sizes and segregation models, including small samples and low levels of penetrance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23298.
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: MacLean
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Bishop
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Sherman
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Diehl
mesh_terms: D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015870:Gene Expression; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008126:Lod Score; D008957:Models, Genetic; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D015203:Reproducibility of Results