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Warrier V, Grasby KL, Uzefovsky F, Toro R, Smith P, Chakrabarti B, Khadake J, Mawbey-Adamson E, Litterman N, Hottenga JJ, Lubke G, Boomsma DI, Martin NG, Hatemi PK, Medland SE, Hinds DA, Bourgeron T, Baron-Cohen S. Genome-wide meta-analysis of cognitive empathy: heritability, and correlates with sex, neuropsychiatric conditions and cognition. Mol Psychiatry 2018; 23:1402-1409. [PMID: 28584286 PMCID: PMC5656177 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2017.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2016] [Revised: 04/08/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
We conducted a genome-wide meta-analysis of cognitive empathy using the 'Reading the Mind in the Eyes' Test (Eyes Test) in 88,056 research volunteers of European Ancestry (44,574 females and 43,482 males) from 23andMe Inc., and an additional 1497 research volunteers of European Ancestry (891 females and 606 males) from the Brisbane Longitudinal Twin Study. We confirmed a female advantage on the Eyes Test (Cohen's d=0.21, P<2.2 × 10-16), and identified a locus in 3p26.1 that is associated with scores on the Eyes Test in females (rs7641347, Pmeta=1.58 × 10-8). Common single nucleotide polymorphisms explained 5.8% (95% CI: 4.5%-7.2%; P=1.00 × 10-17) of the total trait variance in both sexes, and we identified a twin heritability of 28% (95% CI: 13%-42%). Finally, we identified significant genetic correlation between the Eyes Test and anorexia nervosa, openness (NEO-Five Factor Inventory), and different measures of educational attainment and cognitive aptitude.
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Affiliation(s)
- Varun Warrier
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom,Corresponding authors: Varun Warrier () and Simon Baron-Cohen (). Autism Research Centre, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, United Kingdom. Telephone: 0044 (0) 1223 746057
| | | | - Florina Uzefovsky
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom,Department of Psychology, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
| | - Roberto Toro
- CNRS UMR 3571: Genes, Synapses and Cognition, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France,Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Paris, France,Institut Pasteur, 5-28 Rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Paula Smith
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
| | - Bhismadev Chakrabarti
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
| | - Jyoti Khadake
- NIHR Cambridge BioResource, Cambridge University and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Eleanor Mawbey-Adamson
- NIHR Cambridge BioResource, Cambridge University and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Nadia Litterman
- 23andMe Inc., 899 West Evelyn Ave, Mountain View, California 94041, USA
| | - Jouke-Jan Hottenga
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands,EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, VU Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Gitta Lubke
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands,Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, United States
| | - Dorret I Boomsma
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Peter K Hatemi
- Political Science, Microbiology and Biochemistry, Pennsylvania State University
| | - Sarah E Medland
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - David A Hinds
- 23andMe Inc., 899 West Evelyn Ave, Mountain View, California 94041, USA
| | - Thomas Bourgeron
- CNRS UMR 3571: Genes, Synapses and Cognition, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France,Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Paris, France,Institut Pasteur, 5-28 Rue du Dr Roux, 75015 Paris, France
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom,CLASS Clinic, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT), Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom,Corresponding authors: Varun Warrier () and Simon Baron-Cohen (). Autism Research Centre, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, United Kingdom. Telephone: 0044 (0) 1223 746057
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