Estimation of Genetic Correlations Among Countries in International Dairy Sire Evaluations with Structural Models

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have revealed hundreds of genetic loci associated with the vulnerability to major psychiatric disorders, and post-GWAS analyses have shown substantial genetic correlations among these disorders. This evidence supports the existence of a higher-order structure of psychopathology at both the genetic and phenotypic levels. Despite recent efforts by collaborative consortia such as the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP), this structure remains unclear. In this study, we tested multiple alternative structural models of psychopathology at the genomic level, using the genetic correlations among fourteen psychiatric disorders and related psychological traits estimated from GWAS summary statistics. The best-fitting model included four correlated higher-order factors – externalizing, internalizing, thought problems, and neurodevelopmental disorders – which showed distinct patterns of genetic correlations with external validity variables and accounted for substantial genetic variance in their constituent disorders. A bifactor model including a general factor of psychopathology as well as the four specific factors fit worse than the above model. Several model modifications were tested to explore the placement of some disorders – such as bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and eating disorders – within the broader psychopathology structure. The best-fitting model indicated that eating disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder, on the one hand, and bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, on the other, load together on the same thought problems factor. These findings provide support for several of the HiTOP higher-order dimensions and suggest a similar structure of psychopathology at the genomic and phenotypic levels.

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Multivariate genome-wide covariance analyses of literacy, language and working memory skills reveal distinct etiologies

npj Science of Learning ◽

10.1038/s41539-021-00101-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Chin Yang Shapland ◽

Ellen Verhoef ◽

George Davey Smith ◽

Simon E. Fisher ◽

Brad Verhulst ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Phonological Awareness ◽

Oral Language ◽

Genetic Variance ◽

Genetic Correlations ◽

Structural Models ◽

Covariance Structures ◽

Language And Literacy ◽

Genome Wide ◽

Trait Covariance

AbstractSeveral abilities outside literacy proper are associated with reading and spelling, both phenotypically and genetically, though our knowledge of multivariate genomic covariance structures is incomplete. Here, we introduce structural models describing genetic and residual influences between traits to study multivariate links across measures of literacy, phonological awareness, oral language, and phonological working memory (PWM) in unrelated UK youth (8–13 years, N = 6453). We find that all phenotypes share a large proportion of underlying genetic variation, although especially oral language and PWM reveal substantial differences in their genetic variance composition with substantial trait-specific genetic influences. Multivariate genetic and residual trait covariance showed concordant patterns, except for marked differences between oral language and literacy/phonological awareness, where strong genetic links contrasted near-zero residual overlap. These findings suggest differences in etiological mechanisms, acting beyond a pleiotropic set of genetic variants, and implicate variation in trait modifiability even among phenotypes that have high genetic correlations.

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Validation of the Short Dark Triad in a German Sample

European Journal of Psychological Assessment ◽

10.1027/1015-5759/a000617 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

Caroline Wehner ◽

Ulrike Maaß ◽

Marius Leckelt ◽

Mitja D. Back ◽

Matthias Ziegler

Keyword(s):

Sensation Seeking ◽

Factor Model ◽

Structural Models ◽

Self Esteem ◽

Dark Triad ◽

Fit Indices ◽

Nomological Network ◽

Competitive Test ◽

Three Factor ◽

Behavioral Criteria

Abstract. The structure, correlates, and assessment of the Dark Triad are widely discussed in several fields of psychology. Based on the German version of the Short Dark Triad (SDT), we add to this by (a) providing a competitive test of existing structural models, (b) testing the nomological network, and (c) proposing an ultrashort 9-item version of the SDT (uSDT). A sample of N = 969 participants provided data on the SDT and a range of further measures. Our competitive test of five structural models revealed that fit indices and nomological network assumptions were best met in a three-factor model, with separate factors for psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism. The results provided an extensive overview of the raw, unique, and shared associations of Dark Triad dimensions with narcissism facets, sadism, impulsivity, self-esteem, sensation seeking, the Big Five, maladaptive personality traits, sociosexual orientation, and behavioral criteria. Finally, the uSDT exhibited satisfactory psychometric properties. The highest overlap in expected relations between SDT and uSDT, and convergent and discriminant measures was also found for the three-factor model. Our study underlines the utility of a three-factor model of the Dark Triad, extends findings on its nomological network, and provides an ultrashort instrument.

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