Toward Behavioral Genomics

The genetic influences on behavior are even more difficult to tease out than the genetic bases of complex diseases. But McGuffin et al . discuss how the ultimate availability of the complete genome sequences of many individuals will offer a solution to this problem. The sequencing of the human genome has opened the door to obtaining extensive maps of markers for single nucleotide variations among people. This information will allow the use of allelic association, a method for identifying the genes that contribute to variations in behavior among people and to complex behavioral disorders.