Sensory Perception
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Review the available associations, their supporting evidence and the limits of each result.
These reports are for educational and informational purposes. They do not constitute medical advice or diagnosis. Consult healthcare professionals for medical decisions.
Genetics, environment and experience can all influence a trait. A statistical association is not a fixed outcome or a definition of a person.
Human sensory perception is the process of gathering, organizing, and interpreting sensory information from the environment.
Environmental Factors: Human sensory perception is the process of gathering, organizing, and interpreting sensory information from the environment.
Core Function: Human sensory perception is the process of gathering, organizing, and interpreting sensory information from the environment.
7 traits in this collection.
Ankle injuries (sprains and ligament damage) are among the most common musculoskeletal injuries in sport. GWAS work has identified variants near collagen and elastin genes (such as COL1A1 and COL5A1) linked to…
Average genetic tendency
Kim SK 09/28/2017
This research area looks at preference for diet drinks sweetened with non-nutritive sweeteners. Variants in taste receptor genes and reward-related genes have been studied for their links to artificially…
Average genetic tendency
Zhong VW 07/15/2019
After eating asparagus, sulfur-containing compounds are excreted in urine. Some people produce more of these compounds, and some people detect them more easily. Variants in olfactory receptor genes (OR2M7 and…
Least likely to be able to smell asparagus metabolites in urine
85% genetic influence 15% environmental influence
Eriksson N 06/24/2010
Corneal astigmatism is a refractive error caused by an irregular curvature of the cornea, leading to blurred vision at multiple distances. GWAS work has identified variants linked to corneal shape and…
Lower astigmatism susceptibility tendency
Shah RL 2018 Dec
Bitter (PROP) taste perception here refers to a study in adults with obesity and metabolic syndrome that measured how strongly people perceive the compound 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP), a research marker of…
Average genetic tendency
Coltell O 06/01/2019
This research area looks at how often people consume bitter alcoholic drinks like beer, dry wine, or spirits with bitter notes. GWAS work has identified variants near taste receptor and alcohol-metabolism…
Average genetic tendency
Zhong VW 07/15/2019
This research area looks at preference for bitter beverages such as coffee, tea, dark chocolate drinks, and tonic water. Variants in bitter taste receptor genes (such as TAS2R38) influence sensitivity to…
Higher bitter beverage consumption tendency
Zhong VW 07/15/2019
Bitter taste perception varies widely between people, partly because of differences in bitter taste receptor genes (the TAS2R family). The TAS2R38 gene, in particular, influences sensitivity to compounds like…
Can taste bitter
85% genetic influence 15% environmental influence
Perna S 2018 Mar
Bone strength here refers to research on inherited differences in fracture susceptibility, including stress fractures from repeated load. GWAS work has identified variants linked to bone density, bone…
Average genetic tendency
Morris JA 2019 Feb
Hallux valgus (bunions) is a deformity of the joint at the base of the big toe, with strong heritable and biomechanical contributions. GWAS work has identified variants linked to bunion susceptibility, often…
Average genetic tendency
Arbeeva L 03/04/2020
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. Most of it sits in bones and teeth, while a small fraction circulates in blood and helps muscles, nerves, and clotting work. GWAS studies of serum calcium have…
Higher calcium levels
Some people perceive cilantro (coriander leaf) as soapy or unpleasant rather than herbal. This is partly explained by inherited differences in olfactory receptor genes. Variants near OR6A2 have been linked to…
More likely to think cilantro tastes like soap
85% genetic influence 15% environmental influence
Shanle EK 11/12/2020
Coffee consumption is one of the most studied dietary habits because it relates to caffeine metabolism, cardiovascular health, and reward biology. GWAS work has identified variants in CYP1A2, AHR, and other…
Higher coffee consumption tendency
Zhong VW 07/15/2019
This trait reflects a UK Biobank self-report item about prolonged worry after embarrassing events, used in mood and personality research. GWAS work has identified variants linked to this self-report, with…
Average genetic tendency
Weak, population-level genetic association, not a personal diagnosis.
Evidence rating: Very Low
Nagel M 03/02/2018
This research area looks at inherited differences in how strongly people respond to environmental stress and adversity, sometimes framed as differential susceptibility. GWAS work has identified some variants…
Average genetic tendency
Weak, population-level genetic association, not a personal diagnosis.
Evidence rating: Very Low
Nagel M 2020 May
This trait reflects a UK Biobank self-report item about how often someone feels fed-up, used as part of broader mood research. GWAS work has identified variants linked to this self-report, with overlap with…
Average genetic tendency
Weak, population-level genetic association, not a personal diagnosis.
Evidence rating: Very Low
Nagel M 03/02/2018
Frontal fibrosing alopecia is a form of scarring hair loss that mostly affects post-menopausal women, with a frontal hairline pattern. GWAS work has identified variants near HLA and immune genes (such as…
Higher frontal fibrosing alopecia susceptibility tendency
Tziotzios C 03/08/2019
This research area looks at the anxiety and tension component of neuroticism, a Big Five personality dimension. GWAS work has identified variants linked to self-reported anxiety and tension, with overlap with…
Population-level evidence, without an individual Low/High verdict. Open the report to review its limitations and supporting studies.
Hill WD 2020 Nov
Cannabis use research studies inherited differences in initiation and frequency of cannabis use. GWAS work has identified variants linked to lifetime cannabis use, with overlap with risk tolerance and other…
Population-level evidence, without an individual Low/High verdict. Open the report to review its limitations and supporting studies.
Pasman JA 2018 Sep
Empathy quotient research uses self-report scales to measure how strongly people identify with others' feelings. GWAS work has identified variants linked to self-reported empathy, with some overlap with…
Population-level evidence, without an individual Low/High verdict. Open the report to review its limitations and supporting studies.
Warrier V 03/12/2018
Gambling behavior research studies inherited differences in problem gambling vulnerability. GWAS and candidate-gene work has identified variants in dopamine and reward pathway genes linked to gambling traits.…
Population-level evidence, without an individual Low/High verdict. Open the report to review its limitations and supporting studies.
Lind PA 2013 May
Mood swings research studies inherited differences in how often and how strongly mood changes during everyday life. GWAS work has identified variants linked to self-reported mood swings, with overlap with…
Population-level evidence, without an individual Low/High verdict. Open the report to review its limitations and supporting studies.
Nagel M 03/02/2018
Phoneme awareness is the ability to identify and manipulate the smallest units of sound in spoken words. It is a key research measure in reading development. GWAS work has identified some variants linked to…
Population-level evidence, without an individual Low/High verdict. Open the report to review its limitations and supporting studies.
Gialluisi A 02/11/2019
Rapid automised naming (RAN) of digits asks people to name printed digits as quickly as possible. It is one of the strongest predictors of reading fluency in research. GWAS work has identified variants linked…
Population-level evidence, without an individual Low/High verdict. Open the report to review its limitations and supporting studies.
Gialluisi A 02/11/2019
Rapid automised naming (RAN) of letters asks people to name printed letters as quickly as possible. It is widely used in reading research as a predictor of fluency. GWAS work has identified variants linked to…
Population-level evidence, without an individual Low/High verdict. Open the report to review its limitations and supporting studies.
Gialluisi A 02/11/2019
Rapid automised naming (RAN) of pictures asks people to name common objects as quickly as possible. It is a research task linked to reading fluency and word retrieval. GWAS work has identified variants linked…
Population-level evidence, without an individual Low/High verdict. Open the report to review its limitations and supporting studies.
Gialluisi A 02/11/2019
This trait reflects research on inherited factors associated with frequent attendance at a religious group, used in large UK Biobank-style studies. GWAS work has identified some variants linked to this…
Population-level evidence, without an individual Low/High verdict. Open the report to review its limitations and supporting studies.
Day FR 07/03/2018
Obstructive sleep apnea is a condition where the upper airway repeatedly narrows or collapses during sleep, causing pauses in breathing. GWAS work has identified variants linked to airway anatomy, body fat…
Population-level evidence, without an individual Low/High verdict. Open the report to review its limitations and supporting studies.
Strausz S 05/06/2021
Skin sensitivity to sun is closely tied to pigmentation biology and reflects how easily skin reddens or burns after UV exposure. Variants in MC1R, ASIP, TYR, and other pigmentation genes are strongly linked to…
Population-level evidence, without an individual Low/High verdict. Open the report to review its limitations and supporting studies.
Sulem P 2007 Dec
Gluten tolerance here refers to research on how people without diagnosed celiac disease vary in how they respond to gluten-containing foods, sometimes described as non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Most genetic…
Average genetic tendency
Ricaño-Ponce I 2020 Mar
This trait reflects a UK Biobank self-report item about how often someone feels guilty, used in broader mood and personality research. GWAS work has identified variants linked to this self-report, with overlap…
Average genetic tendency
Weak, population-level genetic association, not a personal diagnosis.
Evidence rating: Very Low
Nagel M 03/02/2018
This trait reflects research on whether and how often people seek help from a general practitioner for mental or emotional concerns. GWAS work has identified some variants linked to help-seeking behavior, with…
Average genetic tendency
Cai N 2020 Apr
This trait reflects a UK Biobank self-report item about how easily someone feels hurt by others, used in mood and personality research. GWAS work has identified variants linked to this self-report, with…
Average genetic tendency
Weak, population-level genetic association, not a personal diagnosis.
Evidence rating: Very Low
Nagel M 03/02/2018
Iron is essential for hemoglobin in red blood cells and for many enzymes. Researchers track several iron biomarkers, including transferrin, ferritin, and serum iron. Variants in HFE and TMPRSS6, among others,…
Average genetic tendency
Benyamin B 10/29/2014
Irritable mood research uses self-report items to study how easily people feel irritated or annoyed. GWAS work has identified variants linked to self-reported irritability, with overlap with neuroticism and…
Average genetic tendency
Weak, population-level genetic association, not a personal diagnosis.
Evidence rating: Very Low
Nagel M 03/02/2018
Receptive language ability measures how well people understand spoken or written language. It is one component of broader language skills. GWAS work has identified variants linked to language and…
Average genetic tendency
Weak, population-level genetic association, not a personal diagnosis.
Evidence rating: Good
Nudel R 07/07/2020
Lead is a heavy metal with no useful role in the body. Researchers study blood lead levels because chronic exposure has measurable health effects. Variants in genes that affect metal transport and…
Average genetic tendency
Warrington NM 07/01/2015
Handedness reflects which hand is preferred for fine motor tasks. About 10 percent of people are predominantly left-handed. GWAS work has identified variants linked to left-handedness, including signals near…
Average genetic tendency
Cuellar-Partida G 2021 Jan
Life satisfaction is a global self-evaluation of one's life and is one of the most widely used well-being measures. GWAS work has identified variants linked to life satisfaction, with overlap with happiness,…
Higher life satisfaction tendency
Baselmans BML 2019 Mar
This trait reflects a UK Biobank self-report item about how often someone feels miserable, used in broader mood research. GWAS work has identified variants linked to this self-report, with overlap with…
Average genetic tendency
Weak, population-level genetic association, not a personal diagnosis.
Evidence rating: Very Low
Nagel M 03/02/2018
Magnesium is a mineral involved in hundreds of enzyme reactions, including energy production and muscle and nerve function. GWAS work has identified variants near genes that regulate magnesium absorption and…
Average genetic tendency
Tin A 05/29/2015
Moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is one of the most studied health behaviors, often measured by self-report or accelerometers. GWAS work has identified variants linked to physical activity levels,…
Lower moderate physical activity tendency
Klimentidis YC 2018 Jun
Itch intensity after a mosquito bite varies widely between people because of differences in immune response to mosquito saliva. GWAS work has identified variants near immune and skin biology genes linked to…
Lower mosquito bite itch susceptibility tendency
Jones AV 04/01/2017
Motion sickness happens when the brain receives mismatched signals from the inner ear, eyes, and body sensors. GWAS work has identified more than 30 variants linked to motion sickness susceptibility, with some…
Average genetic tendency
Hromatka BS 05/01/2015
This trait reflects a UK Biobank self-report item about how easily someone feels nervous, used in mood and personality research. GWAS work has identified variants linked to this self-report, with overlap with…
Average genetic tendency
Weak, population-level genetic association, not a personal diagnosis.
Evidence rating: Low
Nagel M 03/02/2018
Odor detection refers to inherited differences in detecting specific odor molecules, governed by hundreds of olfactory receptor genes. GWAS work has linked specific receptor variants to whether certain odors…
Slightly increased likelihood of smell a wider number of odors
80% genetic influence 20% environmental influence
Menashe I 10/30/2007
Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is a plant-based omega-3 fatty acid found in flaxseed, walnuts, and chia. The body can convert a small fraction of ALA into longer-chain omega-3s like EPA and DHA. Variants in the…
Higher omega-3 (ALA) processing tendency
Lemaitre RN 2011 Jul
Docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) is an intermediate long-chain omega-3 fatty acid, sitting between EPA and DHA in the conversion pathway. Variants in the FADS gene cluster influence the desaturase enzymes that…
Higher efficiency in processing omega-3 (DPA)
Lemaitre RN 2011 Jul
Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is a long-chain omega-3 fatty acid found in fatty fish. It is studied for its role in inflammation pathways and cardiovascular biology. Variants in the FADS gene cluster affect how…
Average genetic tendency
Lemaitre RN 2011 Jul
Pain sensitivity research looks at inherited differences in how strongly people perceive painful stimuli, both in experiments and in clinical settings. Variants in SCN9A, COMT, OPRM1, and other genes have been…
Slightly increased perception of pain
80% genetic influence 20% environmental influence
Reimann F 03/16/2010
Phosphorus is a mineral that combines with calcium in bones and teeth and is also involved in energy metabolism (as ATP) and DNA structure. GWAS work has identified variants near genes regulating phosphorus…
Average genetic tendency
Kestenbaum B 2010 Jul
Photic sneeze reflex (autosomal dominant compelling helio-ophthalmic outburst, or ACHOO) describes sneezing in response to bright light. GWAS work has identified a variant near the ZEB2 gene linked to the…
Increased odds of having the photic sneeze reflex
80% genetic influence 20% environmental influence
Eriksson N 06/24/2010
Positive affect research measures how often people experience pleasant emotions like joy, enthusiasm, or contentment. GWAS work has identified variants linked to positive affect, with overlap with well-being…
Higher positive affect tendency
Baselmans BML 2019 Mar
Information processing speed measures how quickly people can take in and respond to information, often using reaction-time tasks. GWAS work has identified variants linked to processing speed, with overlap with…
Average genetic tendency
Weak, population-level genetic association, not a personal diagnosis.
Evidence rating: Low
Luciano M 2011 Mar
Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated skin condition that causes scaly, inflamed plaques. GWAS work has identified more than 60 variants linked to psoriasis, including strong signals in the HLA region…
Average genetic tendency
Tsoi LC 05/05/2015
This trait reflects research on inherited factors associated with frequent attendance at a gym or sports club, a behavior with health implications. GWAS work has identified variants linked to self-reported…
Average genetic tendency
Day FR 07/03/2018
Rosacea is a chronic skin condition that causes facial redness, flushing, and sometimes bumps or visible blood vessels. GWAS work has identified variants near HLA, IL-13, and other immune-related genes linked…
Average genetic tendency
Aponte JL 08/01/2018
Salty taste perception here refers to a study in adults with obesity and metabolic syndrome that examined inherited differences in how strongly salt is perceived on the tongue. Variants in taste-receptor and…
Average genetic tendency
Coltell O 06/01/2019
Keloids are raised scars that grow beyond the original wound boundary because of excess collagen production during healing. GWAS work has identified variants linked to keloid susceptibility, with notably…
Average genetic tendency
Nakashima M 2010 Sep
Skin aging is studied in research using microtopography (fine wrinkles, surface roughness) and other measurable skin features that change with age and sun exposure. GWAS work has identified variants near…
Average genetic tendency
Law MH 2017 Sep
Sleep duration refers to how many hours a person typically sleeps in a 24-hour period. Most adults function best on 7 to 9 hours. GWAS work has identified variants in genes that influence circadian rhythm and…
Average genetic tendency
Dashti HS 03/07/2019
Sleep quality refers to how restorative sleep feels, including how easily someone falls asleep, how often they wake, and how rested they feel. GWAS work has identified variants linked to insomnia traits, sleep…
Average genetic tendency
Byrne EM 2013 Jul
Smell sensitivity covers research on inherited differences in how strongly people detect a wide range of odors. GWAS work has identified variants in olfactory receptor genes that influence detection thresholds…
Average genetic tendency
Dong J 2015 Nov
This trait reflects a UK Biobank-derived measure of how often people drive faster than the speed limit. GWAS work has identified variants linked to this behavior, with overlap with risk tolerance and…
Average genetic tendency
Weak, population-level genetic association, not a personal diagnosis.
Evidence rating: Very Low
Karlsson Linnér R 2019 Feb
Strabismus is a misalignment of the eyes that can affect vision development, especially in children. It has both inherited and environmental contributors. GWAS work has identified variants linked to strabismus…
Average genetic tendency
Plotnikov D 2019 Jul
Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption is a major focus of nutrition research because of its links to weight, dental health, and metabolic outcomes. GWAS work has identified variants in taste and reward-related…
Average genetic tendency
Zhong VW 07/15/2019
Excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis) is sweating beyond what is needed for temperature regulation. It can be primary (often inherited) or secondary to other conditions. Genetic research has identified some…
Average genetic tendency
Endo C 06/12/2018
Sweetness detection covers inherited differences in how strongly sweet flavors are perceived on the tongue. Variants in the sweet taste receptor genes (TAS1R2 and TAS1R3) have been linked to differences in…
Average ability to detect sweetness
80% genetic influence 20% environmental influence
Fushan AA 08/11/2009
Tea consumption research looks at inherited differences in how often people drink tea across cultures. Variants near caffeine-metabolism and taste-related genes have been examined for their links to tea…
Higher tea consumption tendency
Zhong VW 07/15/2019
This trait reflects a UK Biobank self-report item about how often someone feels tense, used in mood and personality research. GWAS work has identified variants linked to this self-report, with overlap with…
Average genetic tendency
Weak, population-level genetic association, not a personal diagnosis.
Evidence rating: Very Low
Nagel M 03/02/2018
Adventurousness research looks at how strongly people are drawn to novelty, sensation, and risk-tinged experiences. GWAS work has identified variants linked to self-reported adventurousness, with overlap with…
Average genetic tendency
Weak, population-level genetic association, not a personal diagnosis.
Evidence rating: Very Low
Karlsson Linnér R 2019 Feb
Triglycerides are the main type of fat in blood and food. They store and transport energy and are part of the standard lipid panel. GWAS work has identified many variants influencing triglyceride levels,…
Average genetic tendency
Wan JY 06/01/2021
Varicose veins are enlarged, twisted veins that often appear in the legs and have a strong inherited component. GWAS work has identified variants near genes involved in vein wall structure and venous valve…
Average genetic tendency
Verbal declarative memory is the ability to recall verbal information, such as words from a list or details from a story. It is one of the most studied cognitive measures. GWAS work has identified variants…
Average genetic tendency
Debette S 04/15/2015
High myopia is severe nearsightedness, usually defined as a refractive error of -6 diopters or worse. It carries higher risks of eye complications. GWAS work has identified variants linked to high myopia,…
Average genetic tendency
Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is essential for red blood cell formation, DNA synthesis, and nerve function. The body cannot make it, so it has to come from diet or supplements. GWAS work has identified variants near…
Average genetic tendency
Nongmaithem SS 07/01/2017
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is a water-soluble antioxidant that supports collagen synthesis, immune function, and iron absorption. Variants in SLC23A1 and SLC23A2 (vitamin C transporters) have been linked to…
Average genetic tendency
Zheng JS 2021 Jan
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant present in nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils. The main biologically active form in humans is alpha-tocopherol. GWAS studies have identified variants near genes that handle…
Average genetic tendency
Major JM 10/01/2011
Eudaimonic well-being refers to a sense of meaning, purpose, and personal growth, distinct from short-term pleasure. GWAS work has identified variants linked to eudaimonic well-being, with substantial overlap…
Higher well-being - eudaimonic tendency
Baselmans BML 10/02/2018
Subjective well-being combines life satisfaction and positive affect into a single measure of how people feel about their lives. GWAS work has identified variants linked to subjective well-being, with overlap…
Average genetic tendency
Okbay A 2016 Jun
Worry research uses self-report scales to measure how often and how strongly people worry in everyday life. GWAS work has identified variants linked to self-reported worry, with overlap with anxiety and…
Higher worry tendency
Weak, population-level genetic association, not a personal diagnosis.
Evidence rating: Low
Nagel M 2018 Jul
Facial wrinkles are creases that develop in the skin over time due to a mix of intrinsic aging and external damage. GWAS work has identified variants near collagen, elastin, and pigmentation genes linked to…
Average genetic tendency
Hamer MA 2018 Aug
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