No association between common genetic variation in FOXP2 and language impairment in schizophrenia

Nina S McCarthy; Melanie L Clark; Assen Jablensky; Johanna C Badcock

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2018.12.016

No association between common genetic variation in FOXP2 and language impairment in schizophrenia

Psychiatry Res. 2019 Jan:271:590-597. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.12.016. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Authors

Nina S McCarthy¹, Melanie L Clark², Assen Jablensky³, Johanna C Badcock⁴

Affiliations

¹ Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Research in Neuropsychiatry, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Medical Research Foundation Building, Perth WA 6000, Australia; Centre for the Genetic Origins of Health and Disease, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University and Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Medical Research Foundation Building, Perth WA 6000, Australia. Electronic address: nina.mccarthy@uwa.edu.au.
² Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Research in Neuropsychiatry, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Medical Research Foundation Building, Perth WA 6000, Australia. Electronic address: Melanie.Clark@uwa.edu.au.
³ Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Research in Neuropsychiatry, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Medical Research Foundation Building, Perth WA 6000, Australia. Electronic address: Assen.Jablensky@uwa.edu.au.
⁴ Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Research in Neuropsychiatry, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Medical Research Foundation Building, Perth WA 6000, Australia; Perth Voices Clinic, South Street, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia. Electronic address: Johanna.badcock@uwa.edu.au.

PMID: 30554107
DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.12.016

Abstract

The FOXP2 gene is hypothesised to be involved in schizophrenia by affecting speech and language development. Associations between common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in FOXP2 and language have been inconsistent. We tested five previously associated SNPs for association with language in the Western Australian Family Study of Schizophrenia (n = 709, including n = 333 with schizophrenia/spectrum disorder) and found no significant associations. When we included all common FOXP2 variants, one SNP (rs2189008) was nominally associated with language. This is the most comprehensive analysis to date and indicates that common variants in FOXP2 do not play a major role in speech and language development in a clinical family sample.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Female
Forkhead Transcription Factors / genetics*
Humans
Language Development Disorders / complications
Language Development Disorders / genetics*
Male
Middle Aged
Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide*
Schizophrenia / complications
Schizophrenia / genetics*
Speech / physiology
Young Adult

Substances

FOXP2 protein, human
Forkhead Transcription Factors