All LODs are not created equal.

Article is free to read on publisher website In recent years, the development of new methodology and/or the improvement of existing methodology in gene mapping, specifically that which is targeted toward the localization of genes underlying complex disorders, have led to a proliferation of linkage analysis techniques, most of which have been implemented in user-friendly programs and have been made freely available to the genetics community. A scan through genetic epidemiological journals reveals the almost immediate embracement of these techniques; however, user interpretation regarding the statistical properties of these tests is often insubstantial and occasionally is incorrect. To assist in this interpretation, this review provides both an overview of the underlying hypotheses and an explanation of the different statistical properties of the most-popular techniques. Furthermore, accepted thresholds for genomewide significance and appropriate corrections for multiple testing are discussed.