Mapping the association of polygenic risk scores with autism and ADHD traits in a single city region

Abstract

AbstractThe prevalence of autistic traits and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) traits is known to vary by location. The genetic and environmental aetiology of these traits may also vary spatially, with geographical environments amplifying or masking genetic influences. To investigate this, we constructed polygenic risk scores for autism and ADHD in participants from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (N=4,255 to 6,165). We estimated the association between polygenic risk and autistic and ADHD trait scores across the area surrounding the city of Bristol in the southwest of the United Kingdom. Mapping the results shows how associations between polygenic risk and trait scores varied by location. Our maps suggest that there is evidence of spatial variation in genetic associations for all traits. For social autistic traits and an autistic trait mean factor score, patterns of association were consistent among risk scores constructed at different p-value thresholds. The patterns for ADHD traits were more variable. We examined similarities between these maps and those of environmental variables associated with the prevalence of autism and ADHD, and found that in many cases the spatial distributions were correlated. This finding of spatial variation in genetic associations for autism and ADHD traits will help us better understand the factors that contribute to the complex interplay between the environment and genetic influence.