Imputation of fluid intelligence scores reduces ascertainment bias and increases power for analyses of common and rare variants.

The authors integrated fluid intelligence (FI) tests from different UK Biobank measures and imputed FI for unmeasured individuals, increasing the sample from about 270,000 to more than 455,000. The imputed phenotype genetically resembles measured FI, although some non-cognitive signal likely remains. The number of independent significant common SNP associations rose from 390 to 550, and the ascertainment bias linked to the higher education of tested participants was reduced. Rare variant analyses identified 26 significantly associated genes (FDR < 1%), including 8 without strong prior evidence of involvement in intelligence or neurodevelopmental conditions, which replicate in aggregate in external cohorts.

Synthesis written by Geno'X. For the full original abstract, please refer to the source publication.

This is population-genetics work whose clinical reach is indirect: the eight genes without prior evidence are not established disease genes, and their replication is shown only in aggregate. The abstract does not name them, so they are not listed here. To follow as a candidate reservoir for neurodevelopmental disorders, not as a change in practice.

Analysis by Dr Thibaut Benquey