A Quantitative Trait Locus Associated With Cognitive Ability in Children |
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| Authors: | M.J. Chorney,K. Chorney,N. Seese,M.J. Owen,J. Daniels,P. McGuffin,L.A. Thompson,D.K. Detterman,C. Benbow,D. Lubinski,T. Eley,& R. Plomin |
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| Affiliation: | Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Pennsylvania State University,;Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Pennsylvania State University,;Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Pennsylvania State University,;Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom,;Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom,;Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom,;Department of Psychology, Case Western Reserve University,;Department of Psychology, Case Western Reserve University,;Department of Psychology, Iowa State University,;Department of Psychology, Iowa State University,;Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom,;Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom |
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| Abstract: | Quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with general cognitive ability ( g ) were investigated for several groups of children selected for very high or for average cognitive functioning. A DNA marker in the gene for insulin-like growth factor-2 receptor (IGF2R) on Chromosome 6 yielded a significantly greater frequency of a particular form of the gene (allele) in a high- g group (.303; average IQ = 136, N = 51) than in a control group (.156; average IQ = 103, N = 51). This association was replicated in an extremely-high- g group (all estimated IQs > 160, N = 52) as compared with an independent control group (average IQ = 101, N = 50), with allelic frequencies of .340 and .169, respectively. Moreover, a high-mathematics-ability group ( N = 62) and a high-verbal-ability group ( N = 51) yielded results that were in the same direction but only marginally significant ( p = .06 and .08, respectively). |
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