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Introduction to the Special Issue: Human Linkage Studies for Behavioral Traits

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Abstract

In the post Genome era, the aim of behavior genetics has shifted from estimating the relative contributions of genes and environmental factors to (co-)variation in human complex traits, to localization of genes and identification of functional genetic variants. This special issue reflects this transition and presents fifteen papers that report on genome-wide linkage scans for complex traits in humans and on methodological tools and innovations. Six papers focus on cognition and report overlapping linkage peaks on chromosomes 6p and 14p. Papers on addictive behavior, i.e. smoking and alcohol dependence and its endophenotypes, find moderate LOD scores on chromosomes 6p, 5q, 4p and 7q, respectively. Three papers concentrate on emotionality, depression and loneliness and examine chromosomes 2q and 12q. The papers in this issue represent a summary of the first large scale linkage enterprises of human behavioral traits.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    D. Posthuma & D. I. Boomsma

  2. Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, United Kingdom

    S. S. Cherny

  3. Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    D. Posthuma

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  1. D. Posthuma
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  2. S. S. Cherny
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  3. D. I. Boomsma
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Correspondence to D. Posthuma.

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Posthuma, D., Cherny, S. & Boomsma, D. Introduction to the Special Issue: Human Linkage Studies for Behavioral Traits. Behav Genet 36, 1–3 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10519-005-9010-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10519-005-9010-2

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