18 Questions
What are the three main types of gene-environment correlations related to childhood maltreatment?
Passive, active, and reactive or evocative
What is the heritability range for childhood maltreatment according to studies?
6–62%
How does passive gene-environment correlation occur in the context of childhood maltreatment?
Parental genes influence family environments and are inherited by their children.
What is the SNP heritability percentage for childhood maltreatment according to a 2020 study?
6%
How do reactive or evocative gene-environment correlations manifest in childhood maltreatment?
Children's genes shape their behavior and physical features, leading to different responses from parents or others.
What types of health problems are linked to childhood maltreatment according to observational studies?
Severe and long-lasting mental and physical health problems
What is the modest SNP heritability of childhood maltreatment?
6% of total phenotypic variance
What percentage of the variance in childhood maltreatment is due to active and reactive gene–environment correlation (AGEE) according to within-family analyses?
58%
What did Mendelian randomisation analyses find about the causal effect of childhood maltreatment on major depressive disorder (MDD)?
Significant causal effect
Which conditions did the study find bidirectional causal effects with childhood maltreatment?
ADHD and schizophrenia
What are the limitations of the study in understanding childhood maltreatment?
Small proportion of variance explained by genetic factors, non-uniform maltreatment measurement across cohorts, lack of distinction between objective and subjective maltreatment
What is highlighted as important in the study to minimize the risk of child maltreatment and limit intergenerational transmission?
Family-based support strategies
What were the methods used in the study to investigate childhood maltreatment?
The study used GWAS meta-analysis, SNP heritability, polygenic score analyses, contribution of different mechanisms, and Mendelian randomisation.
How many independent loci associated with childhood maltreatment were identified in the study?
14 independent loci
What were some of the characteristics associated with the loci identified in the study?
Mental health problems, risky behavior, smoking, cannabis use, cardiovascular health, sleep difficulties, reduced intelligence, and educational attainment
In terms of gene-environment correlation, how much of the variance in childhood maltreatment was suggested to be due to active and reactive correlation?
58%
What brain-specific characteristics were the loci enriched for in the study?
Histone marks, DNAse hypersensitivity sites, and high expression in excitatory neuron subpopulation (Ex4)
Which cohorts were included in the study on childhood maltreatment?
UK Biobank, Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, Generation R, and the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC_26K)
Test your knowledge on how parental experience of childhood maltreatment can be a risk factor for maltreating their own children, the heritability of childhood maltreatment, and gene-environment correlations. Explore the main types of gene-environment correlations and their impact.
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