Genome biologyGenetic & Genomic MedicinePeer-reviewed journal article
Blood-based epigenome-wide analyses of cognitive abilities
Daniel L. McCartneyiD, Robert Francis HillaryiD, Eleanor L.S. ConoleiD, Daniel Trejo BañosiD, Danni A. GaddiD, Rosie May WalkeriD, Clifford NangleiD, Robin FlaigiD, Archie I CampbelliD, Alison D. MurrayiD, Susana Muñoz ManiegaiD, Maria del Carmen Valdés HernándeziD, Mathew A. HarrisiD, Mark E. BastiniD, Joanna Marguerite WardlawiD, Sarah E. HarrisiD, David John PorteousiD, Elliot M. Tucker–DrobiD, Andrew Mark McIntoshiD, Kathryn Louise EvansiD, Ian J. DearyiD, Simon R. CoxiD, Matthew R. RobinsoniD, Riccardo Emilio MarioniiD
Abstract
Using blood-based epigenome-wide analyses of general cognitive function (g; n=9,162) we show that individual differences in DNA methylation (DNAm) explain 35.0% of the variance in g. A DNAm predictor explains [~]4% of the variance in g, independently of a polygenic score, in two external cohorts. It also associates with circulating levels of neurology- and inflammation-related proteins, global brain imaging metrics, and regional cortical volumes. As sample sizes increase, our ability to assess cognitive function from DNAm data may be informative in settings where cognitive testing is unreliable or unavailable.
- organism: human
- assay: DNA methylation
- research focus: GWAS / association mapping
- approach: statistical model
- Citations
- 55
- FWCI
- 3.67
- Field percentile
- top 5%
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