title: Can Genetics Predict Response to Complex Behavioral Interventions? Evidence from a Genetic Analysis of the Fast Track Randomized Control Trial.
abstract: Early interventions are a preferred method for addressing behavioral problems in high-risk children, but often have only modest effects. Identifying sources of variation in intervention effects can suggest means to improve efficiency. One potential source of such variation is the genome. We conducted a genetic analysis of the Fast Track randomized control trial, a 10-year-long intervention to prevent high-risk kindergarteners from developing adult externalizing problems including substance abuse and antisocial behavior. We tested whether variants of the glucocorticoid receptor gene NR3C1 were associated with differences in response to the Fast Track intervention. We found that in European-American children, a variant of NR3C1 identified by the single-nucleotide polymorphism rs10482672 was associated with increased risk for externalizing psychopathology in control group children and decreased risk for externalizing psychopathology in intervention group children. Variation in NR3C1 measured in this study was not associated with differential intervention response in African-American children. We discuss implications for efforts to prevent externalizing problems in high-risk children and for public policy in the genomic era.
authors.affiliation: Center for Child and Family Policy at Duke University, Durham, NC 27708. dustin.albert@duke.edu
authors.forename: Dustin
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Albert
authors.affiliation: Social Science Research Institute at Duke University, Durham, NC 27708. dbelsky@duke.edu
authors.forename: Daniel W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Belsky
authors.affiliation: Center for Child and Family Policy at Duke University, Durham, NC 27708. max.crowley@duke.edu
authors.forename: D Max
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Crowley
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at Baylor University,  Baylor Sciences Building, Waco, TX 76798. shawn_latendress@baylor.edu
authors.forename: Shawn J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Latendresse
authors.affiliation: Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23219, and Karabuk University, Turkey. faliev@vcu.edu
authors.forename: Fazil
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aliev
authors.affiliation: Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23219. bpriley@vcu.edu
authors.forename: Brien
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Riley
authors.affiliation: Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23219. scun@vcu.edu
authors.forename: Cuie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23219. ddick@vcu.edu
authors.forename: Danielle M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Dick
authors.affiliation: Center for Child and Family Policy, and Duke University, Durham, NC 27708. dodge@duke.edu
authors.forename: Kenneth A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Dodge
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000235:genetics; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D061345:Early Medical Intervention / Q000379:methods*; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics*; D015894:Genome, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011599:Psychopathology; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid / Q000235:genetics*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D011965:Receptors, Glucocorticoid