Article: Autism risk genes linked to higher intelligence

Post Reply New Topic

Summary: “Genes linked with a greater risk of developing autism may also be associated with higher intelligence, a study suggests. Researchers have found new evidence linking genetic factors associated with autism to better cognitive ability in people who do not have the condition.”

Link <click>

Here is the abstract:
Cognitive impairment is common among individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It has been suggested that some aspects of intelligence are preserved or even superior in people with ASD compared with controls, but consistent evidence is lacking. Few studies have examined the genetic overlap between cognitive ability and ASD/ADHD. The aim of this study was to examine the polygenic overlap between ASD/ADHD and cognitive ability in individuals from the general population. Polygenic risk for ADHD and ASD was calculated from genome-wide association studies of ASD and ADHD conducted by the Psychiatric Genetics Consortium. Risk scores were created in three independent cohorts: Generation Scotland Scottish Family Health Study (GS:SFHS) (n=9863), the Lothian Birth Cohorts 1936 and 1921 (n=1522), and the Brisbane Adolescent Twin Sample (BATS) (n=921). We report that polygenic risk for ASD is positively correlated with general cognitive ability (beta=0.07, P=6 × 10−7, r2=0.003), logical memory and verbal intelligence in GS:SFHS. This was replicated in BATS as a positive association with full-scale intelligent quotient (IQ) (beta=0.07, P=0.03, r2=0.005). We did not find consistent evidence that polygenic risk for ADHD was associated with cognitive function; however, a negative correlation with IQ at age 11 years (beta=−0.08, Z=−3.3, P=0.001) was observed in the Lothian Birth Cohorts. These findings are in individuals from the general population, suggesting that the relationship between genetic risk for ASD and intelligence is partly independent of clinical state. These data suggest that common genetic variation relevant for ASD influences general cognitive ability.

And link to the article:
http://www.nature.com/mp/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/mp201512a.html

Associated, yes.

I think that individuals who are less susceptible to hosting the "hive mind", or conforming to group dynamics, are more likely to be able to develop and express certain aspects of their individual intelligence abilities.
They are simply less contaminated with self-reinforcing algorithms that tend to hog a lot of cognitive resources.

A fish needs to be separated from the school in order to develop individual thinking skills.

When parents are able to screen out autism genes from their baby the general intelligence level of mankind will plummet.

How is a study like this possible?

I thought autism was caused by 100s of genes or something like that, all of which are part of the normal population, but occasionally (when alignment or blah blah happens) cause autism.

_________________
Unapologetically, Norny.
-chronically drunk

How can anyone seek a correlation between genes involved with autism and the genes involved with intelligence? I thought that no genes have been isolated in relation to intelligence.