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Access through your institution Buy or subscribe Adjustments for multiple testing are rare in situations where a modest number of markers are typed, such as candidate genes studies. Based on
a simulation study, we argue that this can result in a considerable risk of false discoveries, but that a simple and efficient method can be used to counteract this. We noted that in
studies where relatively few tests are performed, such as candidate genes studies, adjustments for multiple testing are rare. The reasons are not clear. As few tests are performed compared
to linkage (disequilibrium) scans, the risk of false discoveries is perhaps perceived to be small. Geneticists could also be reluctant to correct for multiple testing because this may result
in a low power to detect real effects. Furthermore, markers in candidate gene studies are often in linkage disequilibrium and analyzed in multiple ways (eg as single markers or part of
haplotypes). Procedures to control false discoveries are sometimes considered inappropriate for such correlated tests.1 The pattern that emerges from the analyses may sometimes seem
meaningful. For instance, finding a more significant haplotype could be viewed as a confirmation that a significant single marker was not a false discovery. Researchers might feel that
methods for controlling false discoveries are too conservative since they cannot take this kind of information into account. The same might be true for other forms of ‘circumstantial
evidence,’ such as a significant result for markers that are functional or show similar genotype–phenotype associations in other species. This is a preview of subscription content, access
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Log in * Learn about institutional subscriptions * Read our FAQs * Contact customer support REFERENCES * Shin HD _et al_. _Hum Mol Genet_ 2004; 13: 397–403. * Hudson RR . _Theor Popul Biol_
1983; 23: 183–201. * Benjamini Y _et al_. _J Roy Stat Soc B_ 1995; 57: 289–300. * Zaykin D _et al_. _Genetics_ 2000; 154: 1917–1918. * Storey J _et al_. _Proc Natl Acad Sci USA_ 2003; 100:
9440–9445. * Benjamini Y _et al_. _J Educ Behav Stat_ 2000; 25: 60–83. * Benjamini Y _et al_. _Ann Stat_ 1999; 29: 1165–1188. * Zhang K _et al_. _Am J Hum Genet_ 2002; 71: 1386–1394. * Van
den Oord EJCG _et al_. _Trends Genet_ 2003; 19: 537–542. * Storey J . _J Roy Stat Soc B_ 2002; 64: 479–498. Download references ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This work was supported in part by grants
from the NIMH (MH065320) and NARSAD. The coalescent simulations were performed using code from the program MS (http://home.uchicago.edu/~rhudson1/source/mksamples.html), and I thank Kui
Zhang for making his source code available to select the haplotype tag SNPs. AUTHOR INFORMATION AUTHORS AND AFFILIATIONS * Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Medical
College of Virginia of Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA E J C G van den Oord Authors * E J C G van den Oord View author publications You can also search for this author
inPubMed Google Scholar CORRESPONDING AUTHOR Correspondence to E J C G van den Oord. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary Information accompanies the paper on
Molecular Psychiatry website (http://www.nature.com/MP). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION RIGHTS AND PERMISSIONS Reprints and permissions ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CITE THIS
ARTICLE van den Oord, E. Controlling false discoveries in candidate gene studies. _Mol Psychiatry_ 10, 230–231 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.mp.4001581 Download citation * Published: 28
February 2005 * Issue Date: 01 March 2005 * DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.mp.4001581 SHARE THIS ARTICLE Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: Get
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