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Cited by 86Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual OffendingGenetic Associations and EpidemiologyCrime Patterns and Interventions

Unraveling the Genetic Etiology of Adult Antisocial Behavior: A Genome-Wide Association Study

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Tielbeek, Jorim J., Medland, Sarah E., Benyamin, Beben, Byrne, Enda M., Heath, Andrew C., Madden, Pamela A. F., Martin, Nicholas G., Wray, Naomi R. +1 more·2012·PLoS ONE
DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0045086PMC PMC3471931
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Abstract

Crime poses a major burden for society. The heterogeneous nature of criminal behavior makes it difficult to unravel its causes. Relatively little research has been conducted on the genetic influences of criminal behavior. The few twin and adoption studies that have been undertaken suggest that about half of the variance in antisocial behavior can be explained by genetic factors. In order to identify the specific common genetic variants underlying this behavior, we conduct the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) on adult antisocial behavior. Our sample comprised a community sample of 4816 individuals who had completed a self-report questionnaire. No genetic polymorphisms reached genome-wide significance for association with adult antisocial behavior. In addition, none of the traditional candidate genes can be confirmed in our study. While not genome-wide significant, the gene with the strongest association (p-value = 8.7×10(-5)) was DYRK1A, a gene previously related to abnormal brain development and mental retardation. Future studies should use larger, more homogeneous samples to disentangle the etiology of antisocial behavior. Biosocial criminological research allows a more empirically grounded understanding of criminal behavior, which could ultimately inform and improve current treatment strategies.

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  • Other published genome-wide association studies of antisocial phenotypes did not report genome-wide significant associations.

    “none of the other published GWAS studies Tielbeek et al. 2012(Tielbeek et al., 2012) (QIMR, N=4816, continuous measure of adult antisocial behaviour), Salvatore et al. 2015(Salvatore et al., 2015) (COGA, N=1379, continuous measure of adult antisocial behaviour, part of the present meta-analysis), Viding et al. 2010(Viding et al., 2010) (TEDS, N=1186 (Ncases=593), psychopathic tendencies) and Derr”

    From Genome-Wide Association Studies of a Broad Spectrum of Antisocial Behavior (2017) · cites this paper as Tielbeek et al., 2012

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Authors
Tielbeek, J. J., Medland, S. E., Benyamin, B., Byrne, E. M., Heath, A. C., Madden, P. A. F., Martin, N. G., Wray, N. R., & Verweij, K. J. H.
Affiliations
  • QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute (AU)
  • Washington University in St. Louis (US)
  • The University of Queensland (AU)
Corresponding author
Tielbeek, Jorim J.
ORCID
Venue
PLoS ONE
Publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Published
2012-10-15
Volume
7
Issue
10
Pages
e45086
ISSN
1932-6203 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0045086
PMC
PMC3471931
OpenAlex
W2058335862
Cited by
86
References
61
Citations by year
2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 5
FWCI
5.46
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • PLoS ONE (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • VU Research Portal (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • Digital Commons@Becker (Washington University School of Medicine) (submittedVersion)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Digital Academic REpository of VU University Amsterdam (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) (submittedVersion)
  • Adelaide Research & Scholarship (AR&S) (University of Adelaide) (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Pure Amsterdam UMC (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Radboud Repository (Radboud University) (submittedVersion)
  • Radboud Repository (Radboud University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
  • Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited
  • National Institutes of Health (AA13320, AA013321, DA12854)
  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (K05AA017688, AA013326, R01AA013321, AA13320, AA-014041, R01AA013326, AA013321, R01AA013320, R01AA014041)
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (R56DA012854, DA12854, R01DA012854)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetic Associations and Epidemiology
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Crime Patterns and Interventions
Keywords
antisocial behavior, criminal behavior, genetic etiology, common genetic variants, DYRK1A, candidate genes, biosocial criminology, heritability, brain development
MeSH terms
Antisocial Personality Disorder, Humans, Polymorphism, Genetic, Surveys and Questionnaires, Genome-Wide Association Study

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