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. 2018 Mar 12;8(1):35.
doi: 10.1038/s41398-017-0082-6.

Genome-wide analyses of self-reported empathy: correlations with autism, schizophrenia, and anorexia nervosa

Varun Warrier  1 , Roberto Toro  2   3   4 , Bhismadev Chakrabarti  5   6 ; iPSYCH-Broad autism group; Anders D Børglum  7   8   9 , Jakob Grove  7   8   9   10 ; 23andMe Research Team; David A Hinds  11 , Thomas Bourgeron  2   3   4 , Simon Baron-Cohen  12   13   14
Affiliations

Genome-wide analyses of self-reported empathy: correlations with autism, schizophrenia, and anorexia nervosa

Varun Warrier et al. Transl Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Empathy is the ability to recognize and respond to the emotional states of other individuals. It is an important psychological process that facilitates navigating social interactions and maintaining relationships, which are important for well-being. Several psychological studies have identified difficulties in both self-report and performance-based measures of empathy in a range of psychiatric conditions. To date, no study has systematically investigated the genetic architecture of empathy using genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Here we report the results of the largest GWAS of empathy to date using a well-validated self-report measure of empathy, the Empathy Quotient (EQ), in 46,861 research participants from 23andMe, Inc. We identify 11 suggestive loci (P < 1 × 10-6), though none were significant at P < 2.5 × 10-8 after correcting for multiple testing. The most significant SNP was identified in the non-stratified analysis (rs4882760; P = 4.29 × 10-8), and is an intronic SNP in TMEM132C. The EQ had a modest but significant narrow-sense heritability (0.11 ± 0.014; P = 1.7 × 10-14). As predicted, based on earlier work, we confirmed a significant female advantage on the EQ (P < 2 × 10-16, Cohen's d = 0.65). We identified similar SNP heritability and high genetic correlation between the sexes. Also, as predicted, we identified a significant negative genetic correlation between autism and the EQ (rg = -0.27 ± 0.07, P = 1.63 × 10-4). We also identified a significant positive genetic correlation between the EQ and risk for schizophrenia (rg = 0.19 ± 0.04; P = 1.36 × 10-5), risk for anorexia nervosa (rg = 0.32 ± 0.09; P = 6 × 10-4), and extraversion (rg = 0.45 ± 0.08; 5.7 × 10-8). This is the first GWAS of self-reported empathy. The results suggest that the genetic variations associated with empathy also play a role in psychiatric conditions and psychological traits.

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Conflict of interest statement

DH and the 23andMe Research Team are employees of 23andMe, Inc. The remaining authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Schematic diagram of the study protocol
Phenotyping was conducted in research participants from 23andMe, Inc., using the 60-question Empathy Quotient (a). Three GWAS analyses were conducted: non-stratified GWAS (b) and sex-stratified GWAS (d) in unrelated individuals of primarily European ancestry. Summary non-stratified GWAS data were used to conduct SNP heritability, gene, pathway, and functional enrichment, genetic correlations with psychiatric conditions, psychological traits and education, and Bayesian gene colocalization (c). Summary sex-stratified GWAS data were used to conduct sex-specific SNP heritability, genetic correlation between the male and female datasets, and enrichment in sex differentially expressed genes (e)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2. Mean scores and heritability estimates for the EQ.
Mean scores and standard deviations for scores on the EQ (a). The effect size of the difference between males and females for the EQ scores was Cohen’s d = 0.65. The bar on top and the number represents the statistical significance of the male–female difference in mean scores for the EQ. Mean estimates and standard errors for heritability for scores on the EQ (b) for the females-only GWAS, males-only GWAS, and the non-stratified GWAS. Numbers on top of the graphs represent P-values for each heritability estimate. Note that the y-axis does not start at 0
Fig. 3
Fig. 3. Genetic correlations between the EQ and other conditions.
Mean and 95% confidence intervals shown for genetic correlations between empathy and other conditions. P-values are provided with significant correlations after Bonferroni correction
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