Chunk #54 — Reasons to be Concerned about the Published cGxE Literature — Problems with the Recipe: Statistical Concerns in cGxE Research — cGxE versus gene-environment correlation (rGE)
examined whether MAOA genotype was correlated with not only exposure to abuse (i.e. evocative rGE) but also, maternal antisocial behavior (i.e. passive rGE) with the latter being a key correlate of transmission of risk for antisociality and for increased likelihood of exposure to abuse (Kim-Cohen et al., 2006). There was evidence for the latter, whereby maternal antisocial behavior was correlated with offspring exposure to abuse, however the effect of the interaction persisted even after accounting for this effect. Alternatively, Salvatore and colleagues accounted for rGE by residualizing both their polygenic score and their environmental measures (parental knowledge and peer deviance) for each other prior to testing for cGxE in the etiology of alcohol use problems (Salvatore et al., 2014). The interaction between parental knowledge and the polygenic scores remained significant; however, the interaction with peer deviance was no longer significant, indicating the possibility of both rGE and cGxE for the former but rGE alone for the latter. Therefore, while both mechanisms of gene-environment interplay (rGE and GxE) may be at work, testing for rGE is necessary before conclusions regarding GxE are made. When rGE is presented, methods to account for it should be implemented. In some instances, relevant data may
