Machine learning reveals links between genetic factors and behavior

Researchers at the University of Utah Health have used machine learning to start making links between seemingly instinctive, random behaviors and the genetic factors that shape such behaviors. Using machine learning to study mice with differences in their genetics and age, the team found that these differences influenced the behavioral sequences the animals expressed while they foraged for food. The researchers believe the methodology could one day be applied to help understand the genomic elements that may shape complex behaviors in humans, including those that lead to disease or psychiatric disorders. Patterns of complex behavior, like searching for food, are composed of sequences that feel random, spontaneous and free. Using machine learning, we are finding discrete sequences that are reproduced more frequently than you would expect by chance and these sequences are rooted in biology." Gregg and colleagues are venturing into what has previously been considered a controversial new territory called behavioral sequencing. The aim is to understand the architecture of complex behavior and how genetics shape these patterns. The concerns surrounding behavioral genetics research are based on fears that it could lead to eugenic policies. Literally meaning "well-born," eugenics refers to the improvement of humanity using scientific methods such as selective breeding. As outlined by the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, the use of "negative eugenics" has led to some of the worst atrocities in recent history such as the segregation and sterilization of hundreds of thousands of people in the United States and Europe. However, members of the council point out that contemporary research into the area is not necessarily pursuing eugenics-based goals and that the devastating events that have occurred in the past could be learned from to prevent such abuse in the future. The council acknowledges that there are certain concerns that need to be addressed if research into the field is going to be encouraged. Defining and measuring behaviors can be challenging and there is a risk of misinterpreting or misapplying statistical estimates of heritability. Other concerns include the lack of replicated findings and difficulties in predicting how behavior develops, given how complex the interaction between genes and the environment is. However, the council concludes that despite these concerns, identifying and investigating the genes that influence behavior is still practicable and worthwhile. "There are currently no practical applications of research in the genetics of behavior within the normal range.