Gene-based analysis of ADHD using PASCAL: a biological insight into the novel associated genes.BACKGROUND
 Our main aim here, is to apply PASCAL (pathway scoring algorithm), a new gene-based analysis (GBA) method, to the summary statistics obtained in this meta-analysis.  PASCAL will take into account the linkage disequilibrium (LD) across genomic regions in a different way than the most commonly employed GBA methods (MAGMA or VEGAS (Versatile Gene-based Association Study)).  In addition to PASCAL analysis a gene network and an enrichment analysis for KEGG and GO terms were carried out.  PASCAL results have revealed the association of new loci with ADHD and it has also highlighted other genes previously reported by MAGMA analysis.  PASCAL was able to discover new associations at a gene level for ADHD: FEZF1 (p-value: 2.2 × 10- 7) and FEZF1-AS1 (p-value: 4.58 × 10- 7).  In addition, PASCAL has been able to highlight association of other genes that share the same LD block with some previously reported ADHD susceptibility genes.  PASCAL has been revealed as an efficient tool to extract additional information from previous GWAS using their summary statistics. 
PASCAL
PASCAL will take into account the linkage disequilibrium (LD) across genomic regions in a different way than the most commonly employed GBA methods (MAGMA or VEGAS (Versatile Gene-based Association Study)).  PASCAL results have revealed the association of new loci with ADHD and it has also highlighted other genes previously reported by MAGMA analysis. 
MAGMA
PASCAL will take into account the linkage disequilibrium (LD) across genomic regions in a different way than the most commonly employed GBA methods (MAGMA or VEGAS (Versatile Gene-based Association Study)). 
VEGAS (Versatile Gene-based Association Study)
Moreover, GENE2FUNC tool was employed to create gene expression heatmaps and to carry out a (DEG) (Differentially Expressed Gene) analysis using GTEX v7 and BrainSpan data.


 In addition, GENE2FUNC has demonstrated the existence of several up and down regulated expression clusters when the associated genes and their interactors were considered.



GENE2FUNC