Dopamine genes and academic performance

The academic performance of adolescents will suffer in at least one of four key subjects - English, math, science, history - if their DNA contains one or more of three specific dopamine gene variations. The research sheds new light on the genetic components of academic performance, and on the interplay of specific genes and environmental factors. Dopaminergic genes affect grades because they have previously been linked to factors associated with academic performance, including adolescent delinquency, working memory, intelligence and cognitive abilities, and ADHD, among others. Students with lower grades are generally more likely to participate in antisocial or criminal activities, and less likely to attend college and earn comparatively higher salaries as a result.