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Genomic imprinting and disorders of the social brain; shades of grey rather than black and white

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 June 2008

William Davies
Affiliation:
Behavioural Genetics Group, Department of Psychological Medicine, School of Medicine and School of Psychology, University of Cardiff, Cardiff CF14 4XN, United Kingdom. [email protected]://www.cardiff.ac.uk/medic/contactsandpeople/d/[email protected]://www.cardiff.ac.uk/medic/contactsandpeople/i/isles-anthony-roger-overview_new.html
Anthony R. Isles
Affiliation:
Behavioural Genetics Group, Department of Psychological Medicine, School of Medicine and School of Psychology, University of Cardiff, Cardiff CF14 4XN, United Kingdom. [email protected]://www.cardiff.ac.uk/medic/contactsandpeople/d/[email protected]://www.cardiff.ac.uk/medic/contactsandpeople/i/isles-anthony-roger-overview_new.html

Abstract

Crespi & Badcock (C&B) provide a novel hypothesis outlining a role for imprinted genes in mediating brain functions underlying social behaviours. The basic premise is that maternally expressed genes are predicted to promote hypermentalistic behaviours, and paternally expressed genes hypomentalistic behaviours. The authors provide a detailed overview of data supporting their ideas, but as we discuss, caution should be applied in interpreting these data.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

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