Two Cohort and Three Independent Anonymous Twin Projects at the Keio Twin Research Center (KoTReC)

2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 202-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juko Ando ◽  
Keiko K. Fujisawa ◽  
Chizuru Shikishima ◽  
Kai Hiraishi ◽  
Mari Nozaki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Twin Study ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Research Center ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Environment Interaction ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Twin Research ◽  
Genes And Environment

The Keio Twin Research Center has conducted two longitudinal twin cohort projects and has collected three independent and anonymous twin data sets for studies of phenotypes related to psychological, socio-economic, and mental health factors. The Keio Twin Study has examined adolescent and adult cohorts, with a total of over 2,400 pairs of twins and their parents. DNA samples are available for approximately 600 of these twin pairs. The Tokyo Twin Cohort Project has followed a total of 1,600 twin pairs from infancy to early childhood. The large-scale cross-sectional twin study (CROSS) has collected data from over 4,000 twin pairs, from 3 to 26 years of age, and from two high school twin cohorts containing a total of 1,000 pairs of twins. These data sets of anonymous twin studies have mainly targeted academic performance, attitude, and social environment. The present article introduces the research designs and major findings of our center, such as genetic structures of cognitive abilities, personality traits, and academic performances, developmental effects of genes and environment on attitude, socio-cognitive ability and parenting, genes x environment interaction on attitude and conduct problem, and statistical methodological challenges and so on. We discuss the challenges in conducting twin research in Japan.

scholarly journals Psychosocial Twin Cohort Studies in Japan: The Keio Twin Research Center (KoTReC)

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 591-596
Author(s):  
Juko Ando ◽  
Keiko K. Fujisawa ◽  
Kai Hiraishi ◽  
Chizuru Shikishima ◽  
Tetsuya Kawamoto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Twin Study ◽  
Panel Study ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Research Center ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Twin Research ◽  
Infancy And Childhood ◽  
Research Designs ◽  
School Survey

AbstractThe Keio Twin Research Center (KoTReC) was established in 2009 at Keio University to combine two longitudinal cohort projects — the Keio Twin Study (KTS) for adolescence and adulthood and the Tokyo Twin Cohort Project (ToTCoP) for infancy and childhood. KoTReC also conducted a two-time panel study of self-control and psychopathology in twin adolescence in 2012 and 2013 and three independent anonymous cross-sectional twin surveys (ToTcross) before 2012 — the ToTCross, the Junior and Senior High School Survey and the High School Survey. This article introduces the recent research designs of KoTReC and its publications.

Longitudinal and cross-sectional twin data on cognitive abilities in adulthood: The Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging.

1998 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 1400-1413 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Finkel ◽  
Nancy L. Pedersen ◽  
Robert Plomin ◽  
Gerald E. McClearn
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Twin Study ◽  
Twin Data ◽  
Cross Sectional

scholarly journals The Value of Twins for Health and Medical Research: A Third of a Century of Progress

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey M. Craig ◽  
Lucas Calais-Ferreira ◽  
Mark P. Umstad ◽  
Dedra Buchwald
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Medical Research ◽  
Twin Study ◽  
Environmental Influences ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Twin Research ◽  
Study Designs ◽  
Genetic Contributions

AbstractIn 1984, Hrubec and Robinette published what was arguably the first review of the role of twins in medical research. The authors acknowledged a growing distinction between two categories of twin studies: those aimed at assessing genetic contributions to disease and those aimed at assessing environmental contributions while controlling for genetic variation. They concluded with a brief section on recently founded twin registries that had begun to provide unprecedented access to twins for medical research. Here we offer an overview of the twin research that, in our estimation, best represents the field has progress since 1984. We start by summarizing what we know about twinning. We then focus on the value of twin study designs to differentiate between genetic and environmental influences on health and on emerging applications of twins in multiple areas of medical research. We finish by describing how twin registries and networks are accelerating twin research worldwide.

scholarly journals Change in Depression Symptomatology and Cognitive Function in Twins: A 10-Year Follow-Up Study

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 104-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inge Petersen ◽  
Matt McGue ◽  
Qihua Tan ◽  
Kaare Christensen ◽  
Lene Christiansen
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Depressive Symptomatology ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Cognitive Change ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Depression Symptomatology

A complex interrelation exists between change in depression symptomatology and cognitive decline. Studies indicate either that depression is a direct risk factor for cognitive change over time, or vice versa. Longitudinal twin studies provide the possibility to unravel cause and effect of correlated traits. Here, we have applied twin modeling approaches to shed light on the genetic correlation between both level and change of depression symptomatology and cognitive functioning, and to further explore the bidirectionality of any such correlation using assessments of both phenotypes at two occasions 10 years apart. The study included 2,866 Danish twins with a mean age of 56.8 years at intake (range: 45–68 years). Of these, 1,267 were intact pairs. A total number of 1,582 twins (55%), of whom 557 were intact pairs, participated in the follow-up survey. We found stable cross-sectional heritability estimates of approximately 60% for general cognitive abilities and 30% for affective depressive symptoms. There was a considerable decline in the mean cognitive performance over 10 years, whereas the mean affective depression symptoms score was stable and with no genetic contribution to any individual change. Additionally, we saw a small but significant cross-trait correlation at both occasions (-0.11 and -0.09, respectively), but cross-trait cross-occasion analysis revealed no evidence that either of the two traits predicts the other over a 10-year interval. Thus, our study was not able to detect any causal association between change in depressive symptomatology and cognitive decline in middle-aged and elderly people over a 10-year interval.

scholarly journals Protocol for a longitudinal twin birth cohort study to unravel the complex interplay between early-life environmental and genetic risk factors in health and disease: the Chongqing Longitudinal Twin Study (LoTiS)

BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. e017889 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chao Tong ◽  
Li Wen ◽  
Yinyin Xia ◽  
Pamela Leong ◽  
Lan Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Twin Study ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Birth Cohort Study ◽  
Clinical Trial Registry ◽  
Time Points ◽  
Intermediate Phenotypes ◽  
Genes And Environment ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Longitudinal Twin Study

IntroductionNon-communicable diseases (NCD) now represent the major burden of adverse health in most countries. It is clear that much of the risk of such conditions begins very early in life, potentially in utero. Given their complex aetiology, an understanding of the origins of NCD requires an in-depth analysis of the interplay between genetic variation and environment, preferably over time. For decades, twin studies have played a key role in understanding such traits. Their strength lies in the ability to disentangle genetic and environmental factors that contribute to a phenotype. This is done by comparing genetically identical monozygotic (MZ) with dizygotic twins, who share on average 50% of genetic variation, or by comparing MZ twins within a pair. This study aims to determine the relative contributions of genes and environment to early-onset intermediate phenotypes related to later adult onset disease (such as growth and neurodevelopment) and to identify specific biomarkers and time points for emergence of phenotypes from infancy, largely independent of underlying genetic factors.Methods/designThe Chongqing Longitudinal Twin Study (LoTiS) will recruit 300 women pregnant with twins, enriched for MZ pregnancies, with follow-up to 3 years of age. Data collection will be undertaken at key time points in gestation (×3), at delivery and postnatally (×9). Maternal and infant biospecimens including blood, urine, hair, nails and buccal swabs along with measures such as fetal scans and body measurements will be collected. Additional information from questionnaires and medical records includes pregnancy, diet, sociodemographics, maternal stress, and infant growth and neurodevelopment.Ethics and disseminationThis study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of Chongqing Medical University (record no: 201530) and has been registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (registry no: ChiCTR-OOC-16008203). Results of the recruitment and all subsequent analyses will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals.Trial registration numberChiCTR-OOC-16008203; Results.

scholarly journals Babytwins Study Sweden (BATSS): A multi-method infant twin study of genetic and environmental factors influencing infant brain and behavioral development

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terje Falck-Ytter ◽  
Linnea Hamrefors ◽  
Monica Siqueiros Sanchez ◽  
Ana Maria Portugal ◽  
Mark Taylor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Twin Study ◽  
Dna Analysis ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Phenotypic Trait ◽  
Twin Design ◽  
Developmental Neuroscience ◽  
Genes And Environment ◽  
Genetic And Environmental Factors ◽  
Longitudinal Twin Study

ABSTRACTTwin studies can help us understand the relative contributions of genes and environment to phenotypic trait variation including attentional and brain activation measures. In terms of applying methodologies like electroencephalography (EEG) and eye tracking, which are key methods in developmental neuroscience, infant twin studies are almost non-existent. Here we describe the Babytwins Study Sweden (BATSS), a multi-method longitudinal twin study of 177 MZ and 134 DZ twin pairs (i.e. 622 individual infants) covering the 5 - 36 month time period. The study includes EEG, eye tracking and genetics, together with more traditional measures based on in-person testing, direct observation and questionnaires. The results show that interest in participation in research among twin parents is high, despite the comprehensive protocol. DNA analysis from saliva samples was possible in virtually all participants, allowing for both zygosity confirmation and polygenic score analyses. Combining a longitudinal twin design with advanced technologies in developmental cognitive neuroscience and genomics, BATSS represents a new approach in infancy research, which we hope to have impact across multiple disciplines in the coming years.

scholarly journals Genetic influences on brain activation and large-scale functional connectivity during nociceptive processing: a twin study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Granit Kastrati ◽  
Jorgen Rosen ◽  
William Hedley Thompson ◽  
Xu Chen ◽  
Henrik Larsson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Functional Connectivity ◽  
Twin Study ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Brain Structures ◽  
Genetic Influences ◽  
Twin Design ◽  
Midcingulate Cortex ◽  
Genes And Environment ◽  
Nociceptive Processing ◽  
Genetic Contributions

Nociceptive processing in the human brain is a signal that enables harm avoidance, with large interindividual variance. The relative contributions of genes and environment to the neural structures that support nociception have not been studied in twins previously. Here, we employed a classic twin-design to determine brain structures influenced by additive genetics. We found genetic influences on nociceptive processing in the midcingulate cortex, bilateral posterior insulae and thalamus. In addition to brain activations, we found genetic contributions to large-scale functional connectivity during nociceptive processing. We conclude that additive genetics influence specific aspects of nociceptive processing, which improves our understanding of human nociceptive processing.

scholarly journals Trends in alcohol consumption during pregnancy in Australia, 2001–2010

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Callinan ◽  
Jason Ferris
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Maternal Age ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Survey Period ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
National Drug ◽  
Large Scale Survey

Callinan, S., & Ferris, J. (2014). Trends in alcohol consumption during pregnancy in Australia, 2001–2010. The International Journal Of Alcohol And Drug Research, 3(1), 17-24. doi:10.7895/ijadr.v3i1.108Aim: The aim of the current study is to examine, using cross-sectional data, the role of maternal age, period (year of pregnancy) and cohort (year of birth) as predictors of alcohol consumption during pregnancy over a 10-year period.Design: Four cross-sectional surveys were examined, both separately and together.Setting: Using cross-sectional data, there does appear to be a positive relationship between maternal age and alcohol consumption during pregnancy; however, within any one survey period, it is difficult to determine if these patterns are due to period or cohort effects.Participants: The National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS) is a large-scale survey administered to more than 20,000 respondents. Across four survey periods, 3,281 women reported being pregnant in the 12 months prior to the survey.Measures: The section on pregnancy and alcohol in the NDSHS 2001, 2004, 2007 and 2010.Findings: Age was a significant positive predictor of alcohol consumption during pregnancy in 2010. However, when the four data sets were combined, period appeared to be a stronger predictor, with younger groups and cohorts decreasing consumption at a faster rate over time than older groups and cohorts.Conclusions: Although age and cohort do play a role in the likelihood of alcohol consumption among Australian women during pregnancy, period is the most important predictor, indicating that alcohol consumption among pregnant women is decreasing. Furthermore, knowledge of pregnancy results in a marked decrease in consumption, suggesting a possible focus for prevention campaigns.

scholarly journals The Brisbane Longitudinal Twin Study: Pathways to Cannabis Use, Abuse, and Dependence Project—Current Status, Preliminary Results, and Future Directions

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan A. Gillespie ◽  
Anjali K. Henders ◽  
Tracy A. Davenport ◽  
Daniel F. Hermens ◽  
Margie J. Wright ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Use ◽  
Twin Study ◽  
Twin Studies ◽  
Externalizing Disorders ◽  
Cannabis Use ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Drug Use Disorders ◽  
Longitudinal Twin Study

We describe the data being collected from the Brisbane Longitudinal Twin Study in Australia as part of the US National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)-funded project, Pathways to Cannabis Use, Abuse and Dependence. The history, recruitment, assessment, and retention of twin families in this project are described in detail, along with preliminary findings and plans for future research. The goal of this NIDA project is to make a significant contribution to the discovery of quantitative trait loci influencing cannabis use disorders. Although the focus is cannabis use, abuse, and dependence in young adults, measures of comorbid illicit drug use disorders are also being collected. In addition, a variety of internalizing and externalizing disorders are being assessed, funded by support from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council. Because these same twins have participated in numerous twin studies since 1992, future plans will include linking different phenotypes to investigate relationships between drug use, psychiatric disorders, and psychological phenotypes within cross-sectional and longitudinal or developmental frameworks.

Neurobiology of severe psychiatric disorders – new approaches in the molecular research landscape

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (01) ◽  
pp. 14-24
Author(s):  
D. Reich-Erkelenz ◽  
A. Schmitt ◽  
O. Gruber ◽  
P. Dechent ◽  
J. Brockmöller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Association Studies ◽  
Psychiatric Research ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Longitudinal Course ◽  
Candidate Gene Association ◽  
Disease Pattern ◽  
New Perspective

SummaryOver many years, intensive research into the molecular biological basis of psychosis (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder) has been conducted via complementary approaches of clinical and molecular biological techniques and strategies, be it linkage analyses, candidate gene association studies, pharmacogenetics, neuroimaging, or further neurobiological investigations in post-mortem tissue and animal models for risk factors of the diseases.However, since these approaches could not successfully explain the very heterogeneous disease pattern of schizophrenia or its overlapping spectra with bipolar disorder, we are in the need of a new perspective. Biological psychiatric research has largely focused on cross-sectional data sets without focusing on a phenotype of utmost relevance: the longitudinal course. Large-scale and systematic studies on the genetic and neurobiological underpinnings of the course of psychosis within a framework are lacking. To fill this gap, we are currently establishing such a framework via the DFG funded Clinical Research Group “Genotype-phenotype relationships and neurobiology of the longitudinal course of psychosis”. Here we will establish large cohorts with this phenotype of interest that is longitudinal in nature and also includes information on functional parameters and environmental factors.

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