Imprinted genes, cognition and behaviour

The idea that genes can influence behavioural predispositions and their und erlying psychological determinants is becoming increasingly tractable. In t his article, recent findings are reviewed on a special type of inheritance, related to the transmission of traits Via what have been termed 'imprinted ' genes. In imprinted genes one allele is silenced according to its parenta l origin. This results in the inheritance of traits down the maternal or pa ternal line, in contrast to the more frequent mode of inheritance that is i ndifferent to the parental origin of the allele. Drawing on the advances ma de possible by combining the approaches of cognitive neuropsychology, behav ioural neuroscience and contemporary molecular genetics, the detailed evide nce for imprinted effects on behavioural and cognitive phenotypes is consid ered, focusing an findings from mental disorders, Turner's syndrome and exp erimental work in animal models. As prevailing evolutionary theories stress an essential antagonistic role of imprinted: effects, these data might lin k such apparently diverse issues as neurodevelopment ant vulnerability to m ental disease with the 'battle of the sexes', as joined a cognitive and beh avioural functioning.