a previous linkage or association study. In a candidate gene study, the aim is to obtain the highest possible coverage of genetic variation within specified genomic boundaries, taking account of any known functional genomic characteristics. In contrast, genome-wide association studies utilise pre-designed genotyping panels containing selected sets of SNPs distributed throughout the whole genome. Genome-wide association studies are useful for hypothesis-generating purposes but rarely provide the same coverage for a candidate region as a well-designed candidate gene study.
