Can Genetics Predict Response to Complex Behavioral Interventions? Evidence from
a Genetic Analysis of the Fast Track Randomized Control Trial.
Author(s): Albert D(1), Belsky DW(2), Crowley DM(3), Latendresse SJ(4), Aliev F(5), Riley
B(6), Sun C(7); Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group, Dick DM(8), Dodge
KA(9).
Affiliation(s): Author information:
(1)Center for Child and Family Policy at Duke University, Durham, NC 27708.
dustin.albert@duke.edu (2)Social Science Research Institute at Duke University,
Durham, NC 27708. dbelsky@duke.edu (3)Center for Child and Family Policy at Duke
University, Durham, NC 27708. max.crowley@duke.edu (4)Department of Psychology
and Neuroscience at Baylor University, Baylor Sciences Building, Waco, TX 76798.
shawn_latendress@baylor.edu (5)Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral
Genetics at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23219, and Karabuk
University, Turkey. faliev@vcu.edu (6)Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and
Behavioral Genetics at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23219.
bpriley@vcu.edu (7)Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics at
Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23219. scun@vcu.edu (8)Virginia
Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics at Virginia Commonwealth
University, Richmond, VA 23219. ddick@vcu.edu (9)Center for Child and Family
Policy, and Duke University, Durham, NC 27708. dodge@duke.edu
Publication date & source: 2015, J Policy Anal Manage. , 34(3):497-518
Early interventions are a preferred method for addressing behavioral problems in
high-risk children, but often have only modest effects. Identifying sources of
variation in intervention effects can suggest means to improve efficiency. One
potential source of such variation is the genome. We conducted a genetic analysis
of the Fast Track randomized control trial, a 10-year-long intervention to
prevent high-risk kindergarteners from developing adult externalizing problems
including substance abuse and antisocial behavior. We tested whether variants of
the glucocorticoid receptor gene NR3C1 were associated with differences in
response to the Fast Track intervention. We found that in European-American
children, a variant of NR3C1 identified by the single-nucleotide polymorphism
rs10482672 was associated with increased risk for externalizing psychopathology
in control group children and decreased risk for externalizing psychopathology in
intervention group children. Variation in NR3C1 measured in this study was not
associated with differential intervention response in African-American children.
We discuss implications for efforts to prevent externalizing problems in
high-risk children and for public policy in the genomic era.
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