Revisiting the Children of Twins: Can They Be Used to Resolve the Environmental Effects of Dyadic Parental Treatment on Child Behavior?

2005 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 283-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindon J. Eaves ◽  
Judy L. Silberg ◽  
Hermine H. Maes
Keyword(s):  
Child Behavior ◽  
Analytical Approach ◽  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Causal Effects ◽  
Direct Effects ◽  
Adoption Study ◽  
Children Of Twins ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Parental Treatment ◽  
Mz Twins

AbstractThe children of twins (COT) design has been proposed as an alternative to the adoption study to resolve the direct effects of parental treatment from secondary parent–child association due to genetic factors. The basic analytical approach compares the parent–offspring correlation with the correlation between children and the monozygotic (MZ) twins of their parents. We show that a significant difference between these correlations does not imply direct environmental causality when the measured parental treatment in question is dyadic, that is, influenced by both parents even when mating is random. Nongenetic causal effects yield very similar patterns of correlation to secondary genetic effects on dyadic treatment variables. The fact that many candidate environments, such as parental divorce, are dyadic gives reason to question the interpretation of their correlations with behavior in the children of twins.

scholarly journals Parental depression and offspring psychopathology: a Children of Twins study

2010 ◽  
Vol 41 (7) ◽  
pp. 1385-1395 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. L. Singh ◽  
B. M. D'Onofrio ◽  
W. S. Slutske ◽  
E. Turkheimer ◽  
R. E. Emery ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Parental Depression ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Disruptive Disorders ◽  
Children Of Twins ◽  
History Of ◽  
Mz Twins ◽  
History Of Depression ◽  
Shared Genetic

BackgroundAssociations between parental depression and offspring affective and disruptive disorders are well documented. Few genetically informed studies have explored the processes underlying intergenerational associations.MethodA semi-structured interview assessing DSM-III-R psychiatric disorders was administered to twins (n=1296) from the Australian Twin Register (ATR), their spouses (n=1046) and offspring (n=2555). We used the Children of Twins (CoT) design to delineate the extent to which intergenerational associations were consistent with a causal influence or due to genetic confounds.ResultsIn between-family analyses, parental depression was associated significantly with offspring depression [hazard ratio (HR) 1.52, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.20–1.93] and conduct disorder (CD; HR 2.27, CI 1.31–3.93). Survival analysis indicated that the intergenerational transmission of depression is consistent with a causal (environmental) inference, with a significant intergenerational association in offspring of discordant monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs (HR 1.39, CI 1.00–1.94). Logistic regression analysis suggested that the parental depression–offspring CD association was due to shared genetic liability in the parents and offspring. No intergenerational association was found when comparing the offspring of discordant MZ twins [odds ratio (OR) 1.41, CI 0.63–3.14], but offspring of discordant dizygotic (DZ) twins differed in their rates of CD (OR 2.53, CI 0.95–6.76). All findings remained after controlling for several measured covariates, including history of depression and CD in the twins' spouses.ConclusionsThe mechanisms underlying associations between parental depression and offspring psychopathology seem to differ depending on the outcome. The results are consistent with a causal environmental role of parental depression in offspring depression whereas common genetic factors account for the association of parental depression and offspring CD.

scholarly journals Spatial Similarity of MRI-Visible Perivascular Spaces in Healthy Young Adult Twins

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boeun Lee ◽  
Na-Young Shin ◽  
Chang-hyun Park ◽  
Yoonho Nam ◽  
Soo Mee Lim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Adult ◽  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Perivascular Spaces ◽  
Healthy Young Adult ◽  
Sibling Pairs ◽  
Spatial Similarity ◽  
Human Connectome Project ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Adult Twins ◽  
Mz Twins

Abstract Purpose This study aims to determine whether genetic factors affect the location of dilated perivascular spaces (dPVS) by comparing healthy young twins and non-twin (NT) siblings. Methods A total of 700 healthy young adult twins and NT siblings (138 monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs, 79 dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs, and 133 NT sibling pairs) were collected from the Human Connectome Project dataset. dPVS was automatically segmented and normalized to standard space. Then, spatial similarity indices (mean squared error [MSE], structural similarity [SSIM], and dice similarity [DS]) were calculated for dPVS in the basal ganglia (BGdPVS) and white matter (WMdPVS) between paired subjects before and after propensity score matching of dPVS volumes between groups. Within-pair correlations for the regional volumes of dVPS were also assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results The spatial similarity of dPVS was significantly higher in MZ twins (higher DS [median, 0.382 and 0.310] and SSIM [0.963 and 0.887] and lower MSE [0.005 and 0.005] for BGdPVS and WMdPVS, respectively) than DZ twins (DS [0.121 and 0.119], SSIM [0.941 and 0.868], and MSE [0.010 and 0.011]) and NT siblings (DS [0.106 and 0.097], SSIM [0.924 and 0.848], and MSE [0.016 and 0.017]). No significant difference was found between DZ twins and NT siblings. Similar results were found even after subjects were matched according to dPVS volume. Regional dPVS volumes were also more correlated within pairs in MZ twins than DZ twins and NT siblings. Conclusion Our results suggest that genetic factors affect the location of dPVS.

scholarly journals Estimating the causal effects of modifiable, non-genetic factors on Huntington disease progression using propensity score weighting

2021 ◽  
Vol 83 ◽  
pp. 56-62
Author(s):  
Beth Ann Griffin ◽  
Marika Suttorp Booth ◽  
Monica Busse ◽  
Edward J. Wild ◽  
Claude Setodji ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Propensity Score ◽  
Disease Progression ◽  
Huntington Disease ◽  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Causal Effects ◽  
Propensity Score Weighting

Genetic and environmental influences on teacher ratings of the Child Behavior Checklist

2000 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 373-381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hilary Towers ◽  
Erica Spotts ◽  
Jenae M. Neiderhiser ◽  
Robert Plomin ◽  
E. Mavis Hetherington ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Child Behavior ◽  
Child Behavior Checklist ◽  
Social Problems ◽  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Environmental Influences ◽  
Teacher Ratings ◽  
Attention Problems ◽  
Shared Environment ◽  
Sibling Pairs ◽  
Self Reports

The knowledge we have of childhood and adolescent behaviour is, to some extent, a function of the unique perspective of the rater. Although many behavioural genetics studies have used parent and child self-reports in their assessments of child and adolescent adjustment, few have included teacher ratings of behaviour. It is possible that genetic and environmental contributions to teacher reports are different from those using parent and self-reports. The present study examined genetic and environmental influences on six subscales of the Child Behavior Checklist Teacher Report Form (CBC-TRF) using a normative sample of adolescents. The sample consisted of 373 same-sex twin and sibling pairs of varying degrees of genetic relatedness participating in the Nonshared Environment in Adolescent project (NEAD). For all of the CBC subscales, except attention problems and social problems, nonshared environmental influence was the most important source of variance. Additive genetic factors were of moderate importance for externalising behaviours, whereas nonadditive genetic factors contributed to the anxious/depressed, attention problems, withdrawn, and social problems subscales. For none of the constructs was shared environment a significant influence. Three alternative models testing for contrast effects, differences in twin and nontwin siblings, and differences in nondivorced and stepfamilies were examined. In most cases, the best-fitting model was a model that did not include any of these effects, suggesting that these factors do not critically affect the basic model. However, some of the patterns of correlations and parameter estimates were unusual and may warrant future investigation.

scholarly journals Amazônia: disputas materiais e simbólicas

2009 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 57
Author(s):  
Suyá Quintslr
Keyword(s):  
Analytical Approach ◽  
Public Policies ◽  
Brazilian Amazon ◽  
Environmental Conflict ◽  
Direct Effects ◽  
International Debate ◽  
The Future ◽  
Degradation State

O estágio atual de degradação da Amazônia fez emergir, em âmbito internacional, um debate sobre seu futuro e sobre as ações que contribuem para a destruição ou para a conservação da floresta. Diversos grupos travam uma luta simbólica neste debate, através da qual buscam legitimação para seus projetos e para suas formas de utilização dos recursos. Neste trabalho, buscou-se construir um quadro analítico em que fossem contempladas as diversas matrizes discursivas empregadas na discussão acerca dos rumos da Amazônia brasileira, levando em consideração as propostas de diferentes atores e elaborações teóricas sobre os conceitos de desenvolvimento, preservação e sustentabilidade. Foram identificadas, desta forma, quatro matrizes discursivas: o discurso desenvolvimentista, o discurso da mercantilização da natureza, o discurso preservacionista e o discurso socioambiental. Palavras-chave: Amazônia; sustentabilidade; conflito ambiental; políticas públicas. Abstract: The current Amazon’s degradation state resulted in the emergence of an international debate on its future and on the actions that contribute to forest’s destruction or conservation. Several groups find themselves in a symbolic struggle around this debate, through which they reach for legitimacy for their projects and the different uses of resource. In this paper we tried to build an analytical approach in which the various discursive matrices utilized in the discussion on the future of the Brazilian Amazon were contemplated. This has been done considering the proposals of different agents and theoretic elaborations on the concepts of development, preservation and sustainability. In this way, four discursive matrices were identified – the developmentalist discourse, the nature’s mercantilist discourse, the preservationalist discourse and the socio-environmentalist discourse – that, in different political conjectures act with more or less influence over the elaborated policies for each region, with direct effects over its ecosystems and inhabitants. Keywords: Amazon; sustainability; environmental conflict; public policies. 

Does Having Rotavirus Infection in Early Childhood Increase the Risk of Celiac Disease?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meryem Keceli Basaran ◽  
Caner Dogan ◽  
Mahmut Bal ◽  
Seda Geylani Gulec ◽  
Nafiye Urganci
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Celiac Disease ◽  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Pediatric Patients ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Rotavirus Infection ◽  
Rotavirus Gastroenteritis ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Espghan Guidelines

Abstract Objective With the increasing prevalence of celiac disease (CD) in the population, possible risk factors are under investigation. Environmental and genetic factors that trigger the immune response have been analyzed for many years. This study investigates the presence of CD in children with rotavirus infection. Rotavirus infection is thought to be a risk factor for CD. Methods Included in the study were 105 of 160 pediatric patients hospitalized due to symptomatic rotavirus infection between 2012 and 2018. These children were screened for CD 45.6 ± 18.2 (14–90) months following the rotavirus infection diagnosed with CD as per ESPGHAN guidelines. Results A total of 105 pediatric patients who had rotavirus gastroenteritis were included in the study. The age of the children with rotavirus infection was 3.98 ± 1 (2–6) months. In terms of CD, it was 45.6 ± 18.2 months. Around 14 to 90 months later, patients were called for control. CD developed in four (3.8%) of the children with rotavirus, whereas none of the children in the control group developed CD. Conclusion Rotavirus infection may be a risk factor for CD through immune mechanisms. There are genetic and various environmental factors for the development of CD. Although the CD's occurrence on children who had rotavirus gastroenteritis in our study also supported this situation, there was no statistically significant difference.

scholarly journals ACTR-38. A SINGLE CENTER STUDY: LONG-TERM OUTCOMES OF COMBINED CHEMORADIATION THERAPY WITH TEMOZOLOMIDE FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED GLIOBLASTOMA IN KOREAN PATIENT

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (Supplement_6) ◽  
pp. vi21-vi21
Author(s):  
Kyeong-O Go ◽  
Ha Young Yang ◽  
Kihwan Hwang ◽  
Jung Ho Han ◽  
Hyoung Soo Choi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Radiation Therapy ◽  
Adjuvant Treatment ◽  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Newly Diagnosed ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Korean Patients ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma

Abstract In newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM), Temozolomide (TMZ) during and after radiation therapy has become standard treatment. This study describes the long-term use and follow-up results of this therapy for GBM. From 2004 to 2013 in a single institute, 112 Korean patients with newly diagnosed GBM were analyzed retrospectively. The Kaplan-Meier method, the two-sided log-rank test and Cox’s regression analysis was used to determine survival and its affecting factors. The toxicities of TMZ were evaluated using CTCAE v5.0. During the median follow-up period of 18.8 months, median PFS and OS were 9.2 and 20.3 months, respectively. This better survival outcome than the Stupp’s original study might be probably a large treatment effect of a single institution, ethnicity, and associated genetic factors. The TMZ during radiation therapy was completed in 108 patients (96.4%) and TMZ after radiation therapy in 59 patients (52.7%). Eight patients presented with grade 3 or 4 hematologic toxic effects during the protocol. Sixty-six patients (58.9%) received salvage treatment because of the poor response to adjuvant treatment or progression of the disease who achieved completion of adjuvant treatment was shown significantly longer median OS (p= 0.007) and PFS (p< 0.001). Age (< 60 years), preoperative KPS score (≥ 90), the extent of resection (≥ 78% by volumetric measurement, gross total resection), and completion of the Stupp’s protocol were significant factors affecting better survival. Between the sexes, and ages over 65 years did not show any significant difference among their groups. With marginal significances, the mutated IDH-1 and the methylated MGMT promoter showed longer median PFS(p= 0.075 and 0.777, respectively) and OS (p= 0.085 and 0.131, respectively). TMZ during and after radiation therapy might be effective and safe for newly diagnosed Korean patients with GBM. Further studies about various clinical and genetic factors affecting better survival are mandatory.

scholarly journals Are the Variants of the Circle of Willis Determined by Genetic or Environmental Factors? Results of a Twin Study and Review of the Literature

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 384-393 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bianka Forgo ◽  
Adam Domonkos Tarnoki ◽  
David Laszlo Tarnoki ◽  
Daniel Tamas Kovacs ◽  
Laszlo Szalontai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Blood Flow ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Cardiovascular Risk Factors ◽  
Transcranial Doppler Sonography ◽  
Circle Of Willis ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Altered Blood ◽  
Mz Twins

Background: Anatomic variants of the circle of Willis (CW) are commonly observed in healthy subjects. Genetic and environmental factors influencing these variants remain unclear. Our aim was to assess the genetic and environmental background affecting variant CW phenotypes. Methods: A total of 122 adult healthy twins from the Hungarian Twin Registry (39 monozygotic (MZ) and 22 dizygotic (DZ) pairs, average age 49.7 ± 13.4 years) underwent Time-of-Flight magnetic resonance angiography and transcranial Doppler sonography. We investigated the anterior and posterior CW according to morphological categories. Prevalence and concordance rates of CW variants were calculated. MZ twins discordant for CW variants were analyzed for cardiovascular risk factors and altered blood flow. Results: Complete CW (45.0%) and bilaterally absent posterior communicating artery (PCoA) (22.5%) were the most prevalent variants in the anterior and posterior CW, respectively. There was no significant difference regarding the prevalence of variants across zygosity except for bilaterally hypoplastic PCoA (p = .02). DZ concordance was higher compared to MZ twins regarding morphological categories of the CW. Cardiovascular risk factors were not significantly associated with variant CW in MZ twins discordant to CW morphology. Flow parameters did not differ significantly among MZ twins discordant to CW variants. Conclusion: CW variants may not be determined by substantial genetic effects and are not influenced by altered blood flow in healthy individuals. Further investigations are needed to identify potential environmental factors affecting these variants.

scholarly journals Cohabitation is associated with a greater resemblance in gut microbiota which can impact cardiometabolic and inflammatory risk

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Casey T. Finnicum ◽  
Jeffrey J. Beck ◽  
Conor V. Dolan ◽  
Christel Davis ◽  
Gonneke Willemsen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Environmental Influence ◽  
Alpha Diversity ◽  
P Value ◽  
Genetic Profile ◽  
Microbiota Composition ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Mz Twins ◽  
Gut Microbiota Composition ◽  
Inflammatory Burden

Abstract Background The gut microbiota composition is known to be influenced by a myriad of factors including the host genetic profile and a number of environmental influences. Here, we focus on the environmental influence of cohabitation on the gut microbiota as well as whether these environmentally influenced microorganisms are associated with cardiometabolic and inflammatory burden. We perform this by investigating the gut microbiota composition of various groups of related individuals including cohabitating monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs, non-cohabitating MZ twin pairs and spouse pairs. Results A stronger correlation between alpha diversity was found in cohabitating MZ twins (45 pairs, r = 0.64, p = 2.21 × 10− 06) than in non-cohabitating MZ twin pairs (121 pairs, r = 0.42, p = 1.35 × 10− 06). Although the correlation of alpha diversity did not attain significance between spouse pairs (42 pairs, r = 0.23, p = 0.15), the correlation was still higher than those in the 209 unrelated pairs (r = − 0.015, p = 0.832). Bray-Curtis (BC) dissimilarity metrics showed cohabitating MZ twin pairs had the most similar gut microbiota communities which were more similar than the BC values of non-cohabitating MZ twins (empirical p-value = 0.0103), cohabitating spouses (empirical p-value = 0.0194), and pairs of unrelated non-cohabitating individuals (empirical p-value< 0.00001). There was also a significant difference between the BC measures from the spouse pairs and those from the unrelated non-cohabitating individuals (empirical p-value< 0.00001). Intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated between the various groups of interest and the results indicate the presence of OTUs with an environmental influence and one OTU that appeared to demonstrate genetic influences. One of the OTUs (Otu0190) was observed to have a significant association with both the cardiometabolic and inflammatory burden scores (p’s < 0.05). Conclusions Through the comparison of the microbiota contents of MZ twins with varying cohabitation status and spousal pairs, we showed evidence of environmentally influenced OTUs, one of which had a significant association with cardiometabolic and inflammatory burden scores.

Temperament and Problem Behaviour during Early Childhood

1999 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 333-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Schmitz ◽  
David W. Fulker ◽  
Robert Plomin ◽  
Carolyn Zahn-Waxler ◽  
Robert N. Emde ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Child Behavior ◽  
Child Behavior Checklist ◽  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Broad Band ◽  
Behaviour Problems ◽  
Problem Behaviour ◽  
Maternal Reports ◽  
Temperamental Trait ◽  
Total Problem Score

Some evidence exists for the phenotypic association of problem behaviour in early childhood with temperament in infancy, but little is known about the genetic and environmental mechanisms mediating this association. At the ages of 14, 20, 24, and 36 months, mothers of twins completed the Colorado Childhood Temperament Inventory (CCTI; Buss & Plomin, 1984; Rowe & Plomin, 1977). At age 4, problem behaviour was assessed using maternal reports on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL/4-18; Achenbach, 1991). The temperamental trait of Emotionality at all four prior age points correlated significantly with the CBCL Total Problem Score at 4 years as well as with the broad-band groupings of Internalising the Externalising. In addition, Shyness at all four ages correlated significantly with the broad-band grouping of Internalising. Longitudinal behavioural genetic analyses indicated that these phenotypic predictions from early temperament to later behaviour problems are largely due to genetic factors.

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