Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Genetics, Behavioral”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 397 records · Page 22Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

Sibling effects on smoking in adolescence: evidence for social influence from a genetically informative design.

AIMS: Behavioral genetic research has suggested that sibling effects on smoking may reflect social rather than genetic processes. We utilize a genetically informative sample of adolescents to test this proposition, focusing on sibling relationship processes (social connectedness) shown to be influential in studies of deviancy. DESIGN: A combined twin-sibling design was employed to disentangle genetic and non-genetic effects. PARTICIPANTS: We utilized a sample of 1421 adolescent sibling pairs participating in the US National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). These sibling pairs represent a spectrum of genetic relatedness and include monozygotic twins, dizygotic twins, biological siblings, half-siblings and unrelated siblings. MEASUREMENTS: Participants completed self-report questionnaires on smoking behavior, quality of relationship with their sibling (social connectedness) and peer and parental smoking. FINDINGS: Main effects of both shared environment and genetics were found on adolescent smoking frequency. Social connectedness between siblings moderated shared environmental influences on smoking frequency at each time period, as well as on change in smoking frequency. Shared environmental effects were more pronounced when siblings reported high levels of social connectedness. These environmental sibling effects on smoking were significant after controlling for parent and peer smoking. CONCLUSIONS: This report extends prior research on sibling effects on smoking by identifying specific relationship dynamics that underlie transmission of risk within sibships and providing evidence that such relationship dynamics represent social rather than genetic processes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

A qualitative study of health professionals' views regarding provision of information about health-protective behaviors during genetic consultation for breast cancer.

This study aimed to explore health professionals' views and practice regarding the provision of information about health-protective behaviors (e.g., exercise, alcohol consumption, diet) during genetic consultation for breast cancer. Ten genetic counselors participated in three focus groups, and seven medical specialists were interviewed in a focus group or individually. Data was analyzed using the constant comparative method. Findings suggested that health professionals held differing, often opposing, views about the value of health-protective behaviors for women at increased risk of breast cancer. The content and extent of information provided about health-protective behaviors varied widely, and participants expressed a need to form consensus regarding information provision both within and across clinics. The main barriers to providing information regarding health-protective behaviors included the lack of research evidence regarding the impact of these factors and higher priority of other information need to be provided in the limited consultation time. Participants generally did not consider it their role to promote health-protective behaviors, and were concerned about the psychological impact of providing information about behavioral risk factors during genetic consultations.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Genetics, antisocial personality, and criminal responsibility.

There is now substantial evidence that heritable biological factors play a role in the genesis of repetitive antisocial behavior. The differing conceptual frameworks of behavioral genetics and the law are described, and the implications that current research in behavioral genetics may have for assigning responsibility for unlawful behavior are discussed.

Antisocial Personality Disorder↗
PubMed2002

Identification and ranking of genetic and laboratory environment factors influencing a behavioral trait, thermal nociception, via computational analysis of a large data archive.

Laboratory conditions in biobehavioral experiments are commonly assumed to be 'controlled', having little impact on the outcome. However, recent studies have illustrated that the laboratory environment has a robust effect on behavioral traits. Given that environmental factors can interact with trait-relevant genes, some have questioned the reliability and generalizability of behavior genetic research designed to identify those genes. This problem might be alleviated by the identification of the most relevant environmental factors, but the task is hindered by the large number of factors that typically vary between and within laboratories. We used a computational approach to retrospectively identify and rank sources of variability in nociceptive responses as they occurred in a typical research laboratory over several years. A machine-learning algorithm was applied to an archival data set of 8034 independent observations of baseline thermal nociceptive sensitivity. This analysis revealed that a factor even more important than mouse genotype was the experimenter performing the test, and that nociception can be affected by many additional laboratory factors including season/humidity, cage density, time of day, sex and within-cage order of testing. The results were confirmed by linear modeling in a subset of the data, and in confirmatory experiments, in which we were able to partition the variance of this complex trait among genetic (27%), environmental (42%) and genetic x environmental (18%) sources.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Genetic and behavioral studies of female sex appeal in Drosophila.

The sex appeal of a Drosophila melanogaster female is defined here as the stimulus (or set of stimuli) which induces wing vibration in courting males. A quantitative measure of sex appeal is the cumulative duration of wing vibration induced by a given female averaged over several consecutive test intervals using different standardized male testers (sex appeal parameter, SAP). By use of SAP, both males and females are found to have the same amount of sex appeal on the first day after eclosion. However, males rapidly lose it by the next day, so that mature males become distinct from females. We report the ontogeny of the male's response to sex appeal. By the SAP method, we also demonstrate that the male's response is dependent on his previous encounter with females. The sex appeal of 287 gynandromorphs was examined in order to localize the sex appeal focus by means of blastoderm fate mapping. Most mosaic flies were classified as either positive (femalelike, with high SAPs) or negative (malelike, with SAPs of zero). Sixteen percent of the gynandromorphs had intermediate levels of SAP, inducing only short vibrations, a response which males rarely give to normal females. Assuming that the gynanders with such intermediate sex appeal must have both female and male foci, distances to the foci from external landmarks were calculated. The center of the focus seems to be an internal structure mapping to the ventroposterior region of the blastoderm fate map, close to the primordia of the anterior sternites. The focus might include a large mesodermal area, but only part of it must have a female genotype for the sex appeal to be expressed. A possible involvement of the fat bodies in production of the sex appeal stimulus is discussed in relation to these findings. Consistent with this conclusion is the fact that females whose abdomens were amputated still retain enough sex appeal to induce male wing vibrations.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Drosophila genetics in the classroom.

Drosophila has long been useful for demonstrating the principles of classical Mendelian genetics in the classroom. In recent years, the organism has also helped students understand biochemical and behavioral genetics. In this connection, this article describes the development of a set of integrated laboratory exercises and descriptive materials--a laboratory module--in biochemical genetics for use by high-school students. The module focuses on the Adh gene and its product, the alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme. Among other activities, students using the module get to measure alcohol tolerance and to assay alcohol dehydrogenase activity in Adh-negative and -positive flies. To effectively present the module in the classroom, teachers attend a month-long Dissemination Institute in the summer. During this period, they learn about other research activities that can be adapted for classroom use. One such activity that has proved popular with teachers and students utilizes Drosophila to introduce some of the concepts of behavioral genetics to the high-school student. By establishing closer interactions between high-school educators and research scientists, the gulf between the two communities can begin to be bridged. It is anticipated that the result of a closer relationship will be that the excitement and creativity of science will be more effectively conveyed to students.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Major growth QTLs in fowl are related to fearful behavior: possible genetic links between fear responses and production traits in a red junglefowl x white leghorn intercross.

The aim of this work was to study fear responses and their relation to production traits in red junglefowl ( Gallus gallus spp.), White Leghorn ( Gallus domesticus ), and their F2-progeny. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analyses were performed for behavioral traits to gain information about possible genetic links between fear-related behaviors and production. Four behavioral tests were performed that induce different levels of acute fear (open field [OF], exposure to a novel object, tonic immobility, and restraint). Production traits, that is, egg production, sexual maturity (in females), food intake, and growth, were measured individually. A genome scan using 105 microsatellite markers was carried out to identify QTLs controlling the traits studied. In the OF and novel object tests (NO), Leghorns showed less fear behavior than junglefowl, whereas junglefowl behaved less fearfully in the tonic immobility test (TI) and were more active in the restraint test. In the F2 progeny, only weak phenotypic associations were found between production traits and fear behavior. A significant QTL for TI duration was found on chromosome 1 that coincided with a QTL for egg weight and growth in the same animals. Another QTL for NO in males coincided with another major growth QTL. These two known growth QTLs affected a wide range of reactions in different tests. Several other significant and suggestive QTLs for behavioral traits related to fear were found. These QTLs did not coincide with QTLs for production traits, indicating that these fear variables may not be genetically linked to the production traits we measured here. The results show that loci affecting important production traits are located in the same chromosomal region as loci affecting different fear-related behaviors.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

The genetic basis of complex human behaviors.

Quantitative genetic research has built a strong case for the importance of genetic factors in many complex behavioral disorders and dimensions in the domains of psychopathology, personality, and cognitive abilities. Quantitative genetics can also provide an empirical guide and a conceptual framework for the application of molecular genetics. The success of molecular genetics in elucidating the genetic basis of behavioral disorders has largely relied on a reductionistic one gene, one disorder (OGOD) approach in which a single gene is necessary and sufficient to develop a disorder. In contrast, a quantitative trait loci (QTL) approach involves the search for multiple genes, each of which is neither necessary nor sufficient for the development of a trait. The OGOD and QTL approaches have both advantages and disadvantages for identifying genes that affect complex human behaviors.

Genetics, Behavioral↗
PubMed2003

Sociability and positive emotionality: genetic and environmental contributions to the covariation between different facets of extraversion.

The relation between sociability and positive affect is one of the most often replicated results of research on personality and subjective well-being. It is shown how behavior genetics can contribute to our understanding of the covariance between sociability and positive emotionality. The results of a multimethod behavior-genetic study with 158 monozygotic and 120 dizygotic twins are reported. In this study, sociability and two components of positive emotionality (positive affect, energy) were assessed by self-report and other report. Additionally, positive state affect was assessed in five situations and aggregated across situations. The results showed that there are strong genetic correlations between all variables. Furthermore, there are substantive correlations between the nonshared environmental components of the different variables. Shared environmental influences, however, seemed to be unimportant for explaining the correlations between sociability and the different components of positive emotionality. The results are discussed with respect to their implications for future research on sociability and positive emotionality.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Are endophenotypes based on measures of executive functions useful for molecular genetic studies of ADHD?

BACKGROUND: Behavioral genetic studies provide strong evidence that attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has a substantial genetic component. Yet, due to the complexity of the ADHD phenotype, questions remain as to the specific genes that contribute to this condition as well as the pathways from genes to behavior. Endophenotypes, or phenotypes that are more closely linked to the neurobiological substrate of a disorder, offer the potential to address these two issues simultaneously (Freedman, Adler, & Leonard, 1999). Thus far, potential endophenotypes for ADHD have not been systematically studied. METHOD: The current paper reviews evidence supporting the use of deficits on neurocognitive measures of executive functions for this purpose. RESULTS: Such deficits are a correlate of ADHD and show preliminary evidence of heritability and association with relevant candidate genes. Nonetheless, studies that have assessed the familial and genetic overlap of neurocognitive impairments with ADHD have yielded inconsistent results. CONCLUSIONS: In order for executive function deficits to be used as an endophenotype for ADHD, we recommend greater attention to the neurocognitive heterogeneity of this disorder and to the precision of measurement of the neuropsychological tests employed. We also discuss empirical strategies that may be necessary to allow such research to progress prior to full resolution of the pathophysiological basis of ADHD.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗
PubMed1985

Thermal preference behavior of genetically obese (ob/ob) and genetically lean (+/?) mice.

Chronically lower colonic temperatures (TcS) of genetically-obese (ob/ob) mice at ambient temperatures below thermoneutrality have led to speculation that these mutants regulate a lowered thermal setpoint relative to lean mice. Previous experiments, however, have not provided an opportunity for obese mice to exhibit compensatory thermoregulatory behaviors which might reinstate normal body temperature. In the present experiment, adult obese and lean (+/?) mice were tested at room temperature (25 degrees C) on a copper bar, thermal gradient to determine what temperatures they would select and what effect their selection would have on their TcS. The data revealed that ob/obs were more frequently observed within 25-35 degrees C locales than were lean controls, which spent more time in the below-25 degrees C zone (p less than 0.005). Ob/obs also raised their TcS to pretest values of leans' TcS, although ob/obs' TcS remained significantly lower than those of leans at the conclusion of testing. These data suggest that the hypothermia exhibited by the ob/ob may reflect both the absence of the opportunity to behaviorally thermoregulate and a genetic defect in thermogenesis.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Neuroanatomical, molecular genetic, and behavioral correlates of fragile X syndrome.

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a leading cause of inherited mental retardation. In the vast majority of cases, this X-linked disorder is due to a CGG expansion in the 5' untranslated region of the fmr-1 gene and the resulting decreased expression of its associated protein, FMRP. FXS is characterized by a number of cognitive, behavioral, anatomical, and biological abnormalities. FXS provides a unique opportunity to study the consequence of mutation in a single gene on the development and proper functioning of the CNS. The current focus on the role of FMRP in neuronal maturation makes it timely to assemble the extant information on how reduced expression of the fmr-1 gene leads to neuronal dysmorphology. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent genetic, neuroanatomical, and behavioral studies of fragile X syndrome and to offer potential mechanisms to account for the pleiotropic phenotype of this disorder.

Animals↗
PubMed2000

Pain genes?: natural variation and transgenic mutants.

Like many other complex biological phenomena, pain is starting to be studied at the level of the gene. Advances in molecular biological technology have allowed the cloning, mapping, and sequencing of genes, and also the ability to disrupt their function entirely (i.e. via transgenic knockouts). With these new tools at hand, pain researchers have begun in earnest the task of defining (a) which of the 70,000-150,000 mammalian genes are involved in the mediation of pain, and (b) which of the pain-relevant genes are polymorphic, contributing to both natural variation in responses and pathology. Although there are only a few known examples in which single gene mutations in humans are associated with pain conditions (e.g. an inherited form of migraine and congenital insensitivity to pain), it is likely that others will be identified. Concurrently, a variety of genes have been implicated in both the transmission and control of "pain" messages in animals. The present review summarizes current progress to these ends, focusing on both transgenic (gene-->behavior) and classical genetic (behavior-->gene) approaches in both humans and laboratory mice.

Analgesia↗
PubMed1990

Genetic and environmental influences on social support: the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging.

A new direction in behavioral genetic research is the exploration of genetic influences on ostensibly environmental measures. The goal of the present study was to identify genetic as well as environmental influences that contribute to an individual's motivation and ability to create and maintain social support systems during the second half of the life course. One of the most powerful behavioral genetic designs is the combined twin/adoption design which is used in the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging (SATSA). A subsample of 424 pairs of twins age 50 and above was used: 64 pairs of identical twins reared apart, 95 pairs of identical twins reared together, 132 pairs of fraternal twins reared apart, and 133 pairs of fraternal twins reared together. The measure of social support assessed both the quantity of relationships as well as the perceived adequacy of the social support network. Model-fitting analyses verified the importance of genetic factors for perceived adequacy of the social support network, whereas little genetic influence was found for the quantity of social relationships.

Adoption↗
PubMed1983

The La Trobe Twin Study: a genetic approach to the structure and development of cognition in twin children.

Twins are particularly useful for developmental behavior genetics, if adequate consideration is given to the possibilities of twin-singleton differences and of data from twins being unrepresentative of the entire population. As an alternative to existing analyses in the developmental behavior genetics of cognition, the covariance structure analysis method in biometrical genetics involving twins and other relatives has the potential for dissecting the determinants of the structure of cognitive abilities and how these change during childhood, as well as checking on the adequacy of twin data. Designed with these aims in mind, the La Trobe Twin Study is a mixed longitudinal analysis of 1,356 twins, their siblings, and cousins, who are followed between the ages of 3 and 15 years on a battery of physical and behavioral tests. The criteria for choosing behavioral tests in such a project are discussed, along with the comprehensive series of questionnaires necessary to examine the children's development in the context of the stresses a multiple birth may impose on a family. In discussion of methods of analysis, 2 points are emphasized: (1) Twin-singleton differences are specific to particular abilities rather than being general, and (2) the incidence of family changes and stresses in such that these should be considered among the environmental effects on development along with the more usual indices of family environment.

Adolescent↗