The Unique Contribution of Twin Studies to the Elucidation of Nongenetic Factors in Personality Development and Psychopathogenesis

1970 ◽  
Vol 19 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 299-302
Author(s):  
William Pollin
Keyword(s):  
Matched Control ◽  
Personality Development ◽  
Methodological Issue ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Birth Size ◽  
Unique Contribution ◽  
Genetic Studies ◽  
Personality Differences ◽  
Multidisciplinary Study ◽  
Mz Twins

Our Section in Bethesda is primarily engaged in studies of schizophrenia and personality formation. I will summarize a number of our ongoing studies, and then briefly focus on a methodological issue: the possibility of twin studies moving beyond their heretofore almost constant, very useful tie to genetic studies.We have previously reported an elaborate multidisciplinary study of a series of MZ twins discordant for schizophrenia, a smaller number of appropriately matched control twin pairs, and their families, aimed at studying nongenetic factors in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia (Pollin et al, 1965, 1966). We have described three interacting groups of variables which consistently differentiated the schizophrenic and nonschizophrenic twins in the discordant pairs (Pollin and Stabenau, 1965). These included an initial set of nongenetic constitutional differences, including birth size, vigor, and physiological competence; consequent different parental perceptions of, and relationships to, each of the twins in a given pair; and subsequent biological and life history differences, based on evolving personality differences, such as in fearfulness, competence, independence, initiative and the like, differentiating the schizophrenic index and the nonschizophrenic cotwins.

Psychological Follow-up Study of Twins from Birth to Five Years

1976 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 198-212
Author(s):  
W. De Coster ◽  
J. Lerou ◽  
C. Dutoit ◽  
M. De Zutter ◽  
R. Derom ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Matched Control ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Psychological Tests ◽  
Follow Up Study ◽  
Follow Up Studies ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Mz Twins

Classical psychological twin studies have yielded in part equivocal and sometimes contradictory results. Besides the complexity of the problem, the delicate character of the diagnosis, and the rudimentary tools which were used, several other factors are underlying this situation: (1) insufficient systematization of the set-up and the careless design of the investigations; (2) lack of follow-up studies; (3) uncertain diagnosis of zygosity; in MZ twins no attention to the age of the ovum at the time of cleavage; (4) lack of consideration for antenatal and perinatal influences; (5) no attention to the typical circumstances linked to the twin situation. All this makes it difficult to balance nature against nurture on the basis of comparison between MZ twins, DZ twins, and singletons. Interactions may also appear between the effect of twinning and other factors such as the socioeconomic circumstances. A new investigation was therefore started where, besides the twins, a group of matched control singletons was constituted. The follow-up study is now completed up to the age of 5 years in 13 MZ and 20 DZ twin pairs (+ controls, that is to say, 99 children).The children were observed and subjected to psychological tests at the age of 6 months and of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years.

A Note on Twin–Singleton Differences in Asthma

2008 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Francis Thomsen ◽  
Kirsten Ohm Kyvik ◽  
Vibeke Backer
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Small Range ◽  
Valuable Resource ◽  
Genetic Studies ◽  
Prenatal Environment

AbstractTwins constitute a valuable resource for genetic studies of asthma. However, critics argue that twins are ‘special’ in terms of prenatal environment and upbringing and therefore nonrepresentative. In respect to asthma a small range of studies report differential morbidity in twins compared with singletons. We review some of the possible explanations for these findings and conclude that results from twin studies of asthma can be extrapolated to the general population.

Genetics of cluster headache

Cephalalgia ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (10) ◽  
pp. 1298-1312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate F Gibson ◽  
Anita Dos Santos ◽  
Nunu Lund ◽  
Rigmor Jensen ◽  
Ioannis M Stylianou
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Headache ◽  
Candidate Gene ◽  
Gene Selection ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Primary Headache ◽  
Headache Disorder ◽  
Genome Wide Association Studies ◽  
Genetic Studies ◽  
Primary Headache Disorder

Background Cluster headache is the most severe primary headache disorder. A genetic basis has long been suggested by family and twin studies; however, little is understood about the genetic variants that contribute to cluster headache susceptibility. Methods We conducted a literature search of the MEDLINE database using the PubMed search engine to identify all human genetic studies for cluster headache. In this article we provide a review of those genetic studies, along with an overview of the pathophysiology of cluster headache and a brief review of migraine genetics, which have both been significant drivers of cluster headache candidate gene selection. Results The investigation of cluster headache genetic etiology has been dominated by candidate gene studies. Candidate selection has largely been driven by the pathophysiology, such as the striking rhythmic nature of the attacks, which spurred close examination of the circadian rhythm genes CLOCK and HCRTR2. More recently, unbiased genetic approaches such as genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have yielded new genetic avenues of interest including ADCYAP1R1 and MME. Conclusions The majority of candidate genes studied for cluster headache suffer from poor reproducibility. Broader genetic interrogation through larger unbiased GWAS, exome, and whole genome studies may provide more robust candidates, and in turn provide a clearer understanding of the causes of cluster headache.

scholarly journals Twin Legacies: Victor and Vincent McKusick / Twin Studies: Twinning Rates I; Twinning Rates II; MZ Twin Discordance for Russell–Silver Syndrome; Twins’ Language Skills / Headlines: Babies Born to Identical Twin Couples; Identity Exchange; Death of Princess Ashraf (Twin); Yahoo CEO Delivers Identical Twins

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 158-162
Author(s):  
Nancy L. Segal
Keyword(s):  
Supreme Court ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Medical Genetics ◽  
Identical Twins ◽  
Identical Twin ◽  
New Mother ◽  
Biographical Account ◽  
Silver Syndrome ◽  
Mz Twins

The lives of the illustrious monozygotic (MZ) twins, Victor A. and Vincent L. McKusick, are described. Victor earned the distinction as the ‘Father of Medical Genetics’, while Vincent was a legendary Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Court. This dual biographical account is followed by two timely reports of twinning rates, a study of MZ twin discordance for Russell–Silver Syndrome (RSS) and a study of twins’ language skills. Twin stories in the news include babies born to identical twin couples, a case of switched identity, the death of Princess Ashraf (Twin) and a new mother of twins who is also Yahoo's CEO.

scholarly journals Co-Twin Controls: Facioplasty / Twin Research Reviews: Congenital Anomalies; Personality and Coital Orgasmic Infrequency; Physical Activity Participation / Newsworthy: Twins, Triplets and Quads; School Legislation Update; Premature Twins in Court

2008 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 474-477
Author(s):  
Nancy L. Segal
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Congenital Anomalies ◽  
Medical Malpractice ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Physical Activity Participation ◽  
Activity Participation ◽  
Face Lift ◽  
State Legislation ◽  
Classroom Placement ◽  
Mz Twins

AbstractThe usefulness of monozygotic (MZ) twins for studying the efficacy of different face lift techniques is described. The data suggest that no particular procedure out of four under consideration is superior to any other. Next, reviews of recent twin studies of congenital anomalies, personality traits and coital orgasmic infrequency, and physical activity participation are presented. Finally, timely topics of public interest are also described. They include a rare birth consequence of artificial reproductive technology, an update on state legislation regarding parents' rights to decide the classroom placement of their young twins, and medical malpractice lawsuits involving premature twins.

scholarly journals Twins Born Following Fertility Treatment: Implications for Quantitative Genetic Studies

2005 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 337-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Goody ◽  
Frances Rice ◽  
Jacky Boivin ◽  
Gordon T. Harold ◽  
Dale F. Hay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Child Psychopathology ◽  
Family Cohesion ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Demographic Factors ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Fertility Treatment ◽  
Genetic Studies ◽  
Smoking During Pregnancy ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Mean Differences

AbstractThe rate of multiple births is substantially elevated in women who have had assisted reproduction treatment (ART; ˜26%) compared to the general population (˜1%), and these offspring are usually included in twin studies. Several studies have attempted to identify possible consequences of undergoing ART on the subsequent offspring. However, most studies have only included singleton births. We first examined whether twins born by ART differed from other twins on measures of childhood psychopathology, putative risk factors and correlates, and secondly tested for differences in the degree of twin similarity for available outcome measures. From a population-based twin sample, 101 families with dizygotic (DZ) twins conceived via ART were identified and compared with 1073 naturally conceived (NC) control DZ twin pairs. Analyses performed were (1) univariate and multivariate comparisons of between-group mean differences; and (2) comparison of twin 1–twin 2 correlations between the groups. The groups differed significantly on demographic factors (parental age, family size and social class) and pregnancy variables (smoking during pregnancy and birthweight) but did not differ on family conflict scores or in the frequency of obstetric complications. Family cohesion was higher in the ART group but this was accounted for by demographic factors. For child psychopathology there was a difference between the groups only for teacher-rated ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Differences were also found between groups for twin correlations. The differences found between ART and NC twins on group means and twin correlations suggest that researchers should be aware that including ART twins may influence results from twin studies.

Blood Ties: Chimerism Can Mask Twin Discordance in High-Throughput Sequencing

2011 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaniv Erlich
Keyword(s):  
High Throughput ◽  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Disease Susceptibility ◽  
Twin Pair ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Sequencing Data ◽  
Hematopoietic Stem ◽  
High Throughput Sequencing Data ◽  
Genetic And Environmental Factors ◽  
Mz Twins

Twin studies have long provided a means to separate the contributions of genetic and environmental factors. A recent pioneering report by Baranzini et al. presented an analysis of the complete genomes and epigenomes of a monozygotic (MZ) twin pair discordant for multiple sclerosis. This failed to find any difference between the twins, raising doubts regarding the value of whole-genome twin studies for defining disease susceptibility alleles. However, the study was carried out with DNA extracted from blood. In many cases, the hematopoietic lineages of MZ twins are chimeric due to twin-to-twin exchange of hematopoietic stem cells during embryogenesis. We therefore wondered how chimerism might impact the ability to identify genetic differences. We inferred the blood chimerism rates and profiles of more than 30 discordant twin cases from a wide variety of medical conditions. We found that the genotype compositions of the twins were highly similar. We then benchmarked the performance of SNP callers to detect discordant variations using high-throughput sequencing data. Our analysis revealed that chimerism patterns, well within the range normally observed in MZ twins, greatly reduce the sensitivity of SNP calls. This raises questions regarding any conclusions of genomic homogeneity that might be drawn from studies of blood-derived twin DNA.

scholarly journals A Multidisciplinary Study Of Gender-Based Research Productivity In The Worlds Best Journals

2007 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 23-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Greg Tower ◽  
Julie Plummer ◽  
Brenda Ridgewell
Keyword(s):  
Impact Factor ◽  
Journal Impact Factor ◽  
Participation Rate ◽  
Work Force ◽  
Personality Differences ◽  
The Past ◽  
Multidisciplinary Study ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
Journal Impact ◽  
Number Of Authors

The past academic gender literature has focused on the underproduction of academic women in research outcomes and related reasons such as prejudice, more frequent career breaks and personality differences between genders. This study examines the top six journals in the world and finds no difference between women and men productivity when the percentage of women participating in the academic work force is factored in. Women have a 30-35% participation rate in academic university positions and represented almost 30% of the authors in the top tiered journals. There are also no significantly statistical differences in Journal Impact Factor ratings between men and women. These findings are consistent across all the major disciplines, science, business and social science. Other trends are noted such as the significantly higher number of authors in science journals and the different trends between US and non-US authors. Science authors quality (as measured by Journal Impact Factor (JIF of 31.9) is significantly higher than non-science authors (JIF 6.5); thus differences in quality are discipline specific not a gender issue. The implications are that academic womens research contribution matches that of a mans productivity.

scholarly journals Twin-Singleton Differences in Neonatal Brain Structure

2011 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 268-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca C. Knickmeyer ◽  
Chaeryon Kang ◽  
Sandra Woolson ◽  
J. Keith Smith ◽  
Robert M. Hamer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Matter ◽  
Gray Matter ◽  
Gestational Age ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Postnatal Period ◽  
Intracranial Volume ◽  
Brain Volumes ◽  
Mri Scans ◽  
Mz Twins ◽  
The Relationship

Twin studies suggest that global and regional brain volumes are highly heritable. However, estimates of heritability vary across development. Given that all twin studies are open to the potential criticism of non-generalizability due to differences in intrauterine environment between twins and singletons, these age effects may reflect the influence of perinatal environmental factors, which are unique to twins and which may be especially evident early in life. To address this question, we compared brain volumes and the relationship of brain volumes to gestational age in 136 singletons (67 male, 69 female) and 154 twins (75 male, 79 female; 82 DZ, 72 MZ) who had received high resolution MRI scans of the brain in the first month of life. Intracranial volume, total white matter, and ventricle volumes did not differ between twins and singletons. However, cerebrospinal fluid and frontal white matter volume was greater in twins compared to singletons. While gray matter volumes at MRI did not differ between groups, the slope of the relationship between total and cortical gray matter and gestational age at the MRI scan was steeper in MZ twins compared to DZ twins. Post-hoc analyses suggested that gray matter development is delayed in MZ twins in utero and that they experience ‘catch-up’ growth in the first month of life. These differences should be taken into account when interpreting and designing studies in the early postnatal period.

Happiness and Wellbeing; the value and findings from genetic studies

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margot Van de Weijer ◽  
Lianne de Vries ◽  
Meike Bartels
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Genetic ◽  
Genetic Research ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Genetic Studies ◽  
Global Trends ◽  
Genetic And Environmental Factors ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Ageing Populations

In light of major global trends (e.g., rise of ageing populations, increasing longevity, decreasing birth rates), maintaining, facilitating, and building well-being (WB) is crucial, but also becomes increasingly complex and demanding. Over the past decade, twin studies have helped us get better insight into the extent to which genes and environments contribute to individual differences in well-being. Our knowledge about these genetic and environmental factors is continuingly growing with studies on well-being related phenotypes, extensions of twin studies, molecular genetic studies, and environmental studies. In this chapter, we provide an overview of past, present, and future directions of behavioural genetic research on well-being, happiness, and related phenotypes.

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