Three dopaminergic polymorphisms are associated with academic achievement in middle and high school

Although academic achievement is a heritable construct, to date research has yet to explore its molecular genetic underpinnings. Drawing on data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, the current longitudinal study investigated the associations between polymorphisms in three dopaminergic genes (DAT1, DRD2, and DRD4) and academic achievement during middle and high school (Ns ranged between 622 and 2181). Findings revealed statistically significant associations between the three dopaminergic polymorphisms and a composite genetic risk index with English, math, history, and science grades.