Authors:
Pettigrew KA, Fajutrao Valles SF, Moll K, Northstone K, Ring S, Pennell C, ... Whitehouse AJO, et al.
Authors notes:
Genes Brain Behav. 2015;14(4):369-76.
Keywords:
ALSPAC, Cognitive abilities, Dyscalculia, Dyslexia, Genetic association, Neurodevelopmental disorders, Raine Study
Abstract:
Twin studies indicate that dyscalculia (or mathematical disability) is caused partly by a genetic component, which is yet to be understood at the molecular level.
Recently, a coding variant (rs133885) in the myosin-18B gene was shown to be associated with mathematical abilities with a specific effect among children with dyslexia.
This association represents one of the most significant genetic associations reported to date for mathematical abilities and the only one reaching genome-wide statistical significance.
We conducted a replication study in different cohorts to assess the effect of rs133885 maths-related measures.
The study was conducted primarily using the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), (N=3819).
We tested additional cohorts including the York Cohort, the Specific Language Impairment Consortium (SLIC) cohort and the Raine Cohort, and stratified them for a definition of dyslexia whenever possible.
We did not observe any associations between rs133885 in myosin-18B and mathematical abilities among individuals with dyslexia or in the general population.
Our results suggest that the myosin-18B variant is unlikely to be a main factor contributing to mathematical abilities.
We could not replicate the association of the myosin-18B gene with mathematical ability.