Researchers Create 'Polygenic Score' That Help Speculate Education Level

An international team of researchers have found out more than 1200 genetic variants that are linked to till what level a person has completed his schooling. With the help of these findings, they were helpful in developing a polygenic score that can predict more than 11% of the variation in education levels between individuals. The meta-analysis was published in the journal Nature Genetics. The analysis included the data of more than 1.1 million people of European descent. The study was one of the largest ever done in the field of human genetics. According to authors, the score is not deterministic but opens pathways on how genes can influence complex behaviours.

The study was done by Social Science Genetic Association Consortium and led by Wedow and his colleagues analysed 71 genetic datasets. They identified 1271 gene variants associated with educational attainment. Wedow and team emphasised that single gene variants have less predictive value. When assessed together, the variants account for around 4% of the variation in the level of education. Although, when the same assessment was done by including influence of variants across the genome to generate a polygenic score, the score could speculate 11-13% of variation in the schooling years completed by an individual.

The study will help to gain insights so as to how educational attainments can influence genetics and environment.

By: Neha Maheshwari

Content: https://www.news-medical.net/news/20180724/Researchers-develop-e2809cpolygenic-scoree2809d-that-can-help-predict-education-level.aspx