To date, however, no previous GWAS meta-analysis targeting broad ASB detected SNPs or genes that are well-replicated. The polygenic architecture of ASB underscores the importance of employing very large samples to yield sufficient power to detect genetic loci of small effect size. Therefore, we substantially boost statistical power by quadrupling the sample size and adding new cohorts to the BroadABC consortium. Since ASB is a critical issue for psychiatry and for society, the present study uniquely focuses on (severe) forms of ASB and persistence over the lifespan.
