Heritability and molecular genetic basis of electrodermal activity: a genome-wide association study.
The molecular genetic basis of electrodermal activity (EDA) was analyzed using 527,829 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in a large population-representative sample of twins and parents (N = 4,424) in relation to various EDA indices. Biometric analyses suggested that approximately 50% or more of variance in all EDA indices was heritable. The combined effect of all SNPs together accounted for a significant amount of variance in each index, affirming their polygenic basis and heritability. However, none of the SNPs were genome-wide significant for any EDA index. Previously reported SNP associations with disorders such as substance dependence or schizophrenia, which have been linked to EDA abnormalities, were not significant; nor were associations between EDA and genes in specific neurotransmitter systems. These results suggest that EDA is influenced by multiple genes rather than by polymorphisms with large effects.
Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
Uma
U
Vaidyanathan
Joshua D
JD
Isen
Stephen M
SM
Malone
Michael B
MB
Miller
Matt
M
McGue
William G
WG
Iacono
D000293:Adolescent; D058068:Endophenotypes; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response / Q000235:genetics*; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D014427:Twins / Q000235:genetics*
Electrodermal activity; Genome-wide association study; Habituation; Heritability; Molecular genetics; Skin conductance