Genetic underpinnings of chills from art and music
Summary
This PLOS Genetics study analyzes the genetic basis of chills triggered by art and music using Lifelines cohort data. It finds SNP-based heritability up to 29% for chills and a moderate genetic correlation between aesthetic and music chills (rg ≈ 0.58), with openness to experience partially indexing these responses via a polygenic index. The work highlights additive genetic effects and non-SNP related familial factors, while noting cross-cultural and ancestry limitations.