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Lexical decision as an endophenotype for reading comprehension: An exploration of an association

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 October 2012

Adam Naples
Affiliation:
Yale University
Len Katz
Affiliation:
University of Connecticut
Elena L. Grigorenko*
Affiliation:
Yale University Moscow State University Columbia University
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Elena L. Grigorenko, Child Study Center, Yale University, 230 South Frontage Road, New Haven, CT 06519; E-mail: Elena.grigorenko@yale.edu.

Abstract

Based on numerous suggestions in the literature, we evaluated lexical decision (LD) as a putative endophenotype for reading comprehension by investigating heritability estimates and segregation analyses parameter estimates for both of these phenotypes. Specifically, in a segregation analysis of a large sample of families, we established that there is little to no overlap between genes contributing to LD and reading comprehension and that the genetic mechanism behind LD derived from this analysis appears to be more complex than that for reading comprehension. We conclude that in our sample, LD is not a good candidate as an endophenotype for reading comprehension, despite previous suggestions from the literature. Based on this conclusion, we discuss the role and benefit of the endophenotype approach in studies of complex human cognitive functions.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

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