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Vulnerability factors for schizophrenia and autism include advanced paternal age (Arch Gen Psychiatry 2006; 63:1026) and de novo mutations that occur four times more frequently in sperm than ova and correlate with paternal age (Nature 2012; 485:246 and Arch Gen Psychiatry 2001; 58:361). A new study on this topic has recently received much attention in the general media.
To replicate the previous findings, researchers performed whole-genome sequencing of 78 Icelandic trios (proband and both parents; mean paternal age, 29). Forty-four probands had autism, and 21 had schizophrenia. In five families, three generations were genotyped, enabling assignment of a de novo mutation to a parent. There were 4933 candidate de novo mutations identified. Am…