Genetic and Environmental Influences on the Handedness and Footedness in Japanese Twin Children

2005 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 649-656 ◽  
Author(s):  
Syuichi Ooki
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Genetic Effect ◽  
Model Fit ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Genetic Contribution ◽  
Japanese Education ◽  
Twin Children

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to examine the genetic contribution to handedness and footedness in childhood using one of the largest available databases of Japanese twins. The participants were 1131 twin pairs, 1057 males and 1205 females, of 11 or 12 years of age (6th grade of secondary school in the Japanese education system). All data were gathered by questionnaire. The prevalence of left (nonright) handedness was 15% in males and 13% in females. The prevalence of left (nonright) footedness was 13% in males and 11% in females. The similarities between twin pairs, estimated by concordance rates and tetrachoric correlations, suggested a slight genetic effect on male handedness, no genetic effect on female handedness, and no genetic effect on footedness in either sex. Structural equation modeling showed small genetic factors (11%) in male handedness and no genetic factors in female handedness. As to footedness, no genetic factors were observed in either sex. The effects of nonshared environmental factors were large (85%) in males and moderate (44%) in females. Moreover, handedness and footedness tended to be concordant irrespective of sex, with polychoric correlations over r = .70. The results of bivariate genetic analyses were not necessarily satisfactory. For males, no model fit. For females, shared and nonshared environmental factors explained the concordance of handedness and footedness. It was concluded that the genetic effects on handedness and footedness are relatively small, as is their association; moreover, considerably large twin samples are needed to obtain stable and appropriate results.

Genetic and Environmental Influences on Stuttering and Tics in Japanese Twin Children

2005 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Syuichi Ooki
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Genetic Variance ◽  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Phenotypic Variance ◽  
Genetic Contribution ◽  
Total Phenotypic Variance ◽  
Total Genetic Variance ◽  
The Common ◽  
Twin Children

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to clarify the genetic contribution to stuttering and tics in childhood using the largest databases of Japanese twins. The subjects were 1896 pairs of twin children consisting of 1849 males and 1943 females with a mean age of 11.6 years (3 years to 15 years). All data were gathered by questionnaire. The prevalence of stuttering was 6.7% in males and 3.6% in females (p < .0001). The prevalence of tics was 6.8% in males and 4.1% in females (p = .0021). Concordance rates and polychoric correlations were all higher in monozygotic pairs than in dizygotic pairs irrespective of sex combination. Structural equation modeling showed that the proportion of total phenotypic variance attributable to genetic influences was 80% in males and 85% in females for stuttering, and 28% in males and 29% in females for tics. Moreover, co-occurrence between stuttering and tics was observed in 0.8% of males (tetrachoric correlation: r = .18) and 0.5% of females (r = .31), which was attributed partly (nearly 10% of total genetic variance of each trait) to the common genetic factors, with genetic correlation of r = .32.

Genetic and environmental determination of tracking in static strength during adolescence

2005 ◽  
Vol 99 (4) ◽  
pp. 1317-1326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maarten W. Peeters ◽  
Martine A. Thomis ◽  
Hermine H. M. Maes ◽  
Gaston P. Beunen ◽  
Ruth J. F. Loos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Peak Height ◽  
Static Strength ◽  
Height Velocity ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Growth Spurt ◽  
Peak Height Velocity ◽  
Measurement Occasion

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the observed phenotypic stability in static strength during adolescence, as measured by interage correlations in arm pull, is mainly caused by genetic and/or environmental factors. Subjects were from the Leuven Longitudinal Twin Study ( n = 105 pairs, equally divided over 5 zygosity groups). Arm-pull data were aligned on age at peak height velocity to attenuate the temporal fluctuations in interage correlations caused by differences in timing of the adolescent growth spurt. Developmental genetic models were fitted using structural equation modeling. After the data were aligned on age at peak height velocity, the annual interage correlations conformed to a quasi-simplex structure over a 4-yr interval. The best-fitting models included additive genetic and unique environmental sources of variation. Additive genetic factors that already explained a significant amount of variation at previous measurement occasions explained 44.3 and 22.5% of the total variation at the last measurement occasion in boys and girls, respectively. Corresponding values for unique environmental sources of variance are 31.2 and 44.5%, respectively. In conclusion, the observed stability of static strength during adolescence is caused by both stable genetic influences and stable unique environmental influences in boys and girls. Additive genetic factors seem to be the most important source of stability in boys, whereas unique environmental factors appear to be more predominant in girls.

scholarly journals Heritability of Type 2 Diabetes in the Washington State Twin Registry

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ally R. Avery ◽  
Glen E. Duncan
Keyword(s):  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Washington State ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Twin Registry ◽  
Genetic And Environmental Factors ◽  
Adult Twins

AbstractApproximately 12% of U.S. adults have type 2 diabetes (T2D). Diagnosed T2D is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors including age and lifestyle. In adults 45 years and older, the Discordant Twin (DISCOTWIN) consortium of twin registries from Europe and Australia showed a moderate-to-high contribution of genetic factors of T2D with a pooled heritability of 72%. The purpose of this study was to investigate the contributions of genetic and environmental factors of T2D in twins 45 years and older in a U.S. twin cohort (Washington State Twin Registry, WSTR) and compare the estimates to the DISCOTWIN consortium. We also compared these estimates with twins under the age of 45. Data were obtained from 2692 monozygotic (MZ) and same-sex dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs over 45 and 4217 twin pairs under 45 who responded to the question ‘Has a doctor ever diagnosed you with (type 2) diabetes?’ Twin similarity was analyzed using both tetrachoric correlations and structural equation modeling. Overall, 9.4% of MZ and 14.7% of DZ twins over the age of 45 were discordant for T2D in the WSTR, compared to 5.1% of MZ and 8% of DZ twins in the DISCOTWIN consortium. Unlike the DISCOTWIN consortium in which heritability was 72%, heritability was only 52% in the WSTR. In twins under the age of 45, heritability did not contribute to the variance in T2D. In a U.S. sample of adult twins, environmental factors appear to be increasingly important in the development of T2D.

The Strength of the Genetic Effect

1994 ◽  
Vol 164 (5) ◽  
pp. 593-599 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Mcguffin ◽  
Philip Asherson ◽  
Michael Owen ◽  
Anne Farmer
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Environmental Stress ◽  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Genetic Effect ◽  
Genetic Contribution ◽  
Stochastic Events

The evidence for a genetic contribution to schizophrenia is compelling. However, the pattern of inheritance is complex and it is usually assumed that environmental factors also have a role that will eventually be identified. We argue that this is not necessarily the case. While a hypothesis combining genetic diathesis with environmental stress cannot be disproved, it is also possible that ‘non-genetic’ factors consist entirely of stochastic events affecting gene expression or structure.

scholarly journals Heritability of Gestational Weight Gain – A Swedish Register-Based Twin Study

2015 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 410-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elina Scheers Andersson ◽  
Karri Silventoinen ◽  
Per Tynelius ◽  
Ellen A. Nohr ◽  
Thorkild I. A. Sørensen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Gestational Weight Gain ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Complex Trait ◽  
Complete Data ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Linkage Data ◽  
Gestational Weight

Gestational weight gain (GWG) is a complex trait involving intrauterine environmental, maternal environmental, and genetic factors. However, the extent to which these factors contribute to the total variation in GWG is unclear. We therefore examined the genetic and environmental influences on the variation in GWG in the first and second pregnancy in monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twin mother-pairs. Further, we explored if any co-variance existed between factors influencing the variation in GWG of the mothers’ first and second pregnancies. By using Swedish nationwide record-linkage data, we identified 694 twin mother-pairs with complete data on their first pregnancy and 465 twin mother-pairs with complete data on their second pregnancy during 1982–2010. For a subanalysis, 143 twin mother-pairs had complete data on two consecutive pregnancies during the study period. We used structural equation modeling (SEM) to assess the contribution of genetic, shared, and unique environmental factors to the variation in GWG. A bivariate Cholesky decomposition model was used for the subanalysis. We found that genetic factors explained 43% (95% CI: 36–51%) of the variation in GWG in the first pregnancy and 26% (95% CI: 16–36%) in the second pregnancy. The remaining variance was explained by unique environmental factors. Both overlapping and distinct genetic and unique environmental factors influenced GWG in the first and the second pregnancy. This study showed that GWG has a moderate heritability, suggesting that a large part of the variation in the trait can be explained by unique environmental factors.

scholarly journals Genetic and Environmental Influences on Finger-Sucking and Nail-Biting in Japanese Twin Children

2005 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 320-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Syuichi Ooki
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Phenotypic Variance ◽  
Medical Interview ◽  
Total Phenotypic Variance ◽  
Nail Biting ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Twin Children ◽  
Variance Explained

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to clarify the genetic contribution to finger-sucking and nail- biting in childhood using the largest databases available on Japanese twins. The subjects were 1131 pairs of 12-year-old twin children, consisting of 1057 males and 1205 females. All data were gathered by maternal questionnaire, and responses to the questionnaire were checked in the medical interview. The prevalence of finger-sucking between 0 to 2 years was 40% in males and 43% in females (p = .0053). The prevalence of nail-biting up until the age of 12 years was 28% in males and 26% in females (nonsignificant). Concordance rates and polychoric correlations were all higher in monozygotic pairs than in dizygotic pairs, irrespective of the sex combination. Univariate and bivariate genetic analyses using structural equation modeling was performed. The results showed that the proportion of total phenotypic variance attributable to genetic influences was 66% in males and 50% in females for finger-sucking, and 50% in both males and females for nail-biting. A co-occurrence of finger-sucking and nail-biting was observed in 17.7% of males (tetrachoric correlation: r = .40) and 15.7% of females (r = .32), which was attributed partly to common genetic or environmental factors. The proportion of total shared variance explained by genetic factors was 67%.

scholarly journals Religious Upbringing and Neuroticism in Dutch Twin Families

2007 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 327-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gonneke Willemsen ◽  
Dorret I. Boomsma
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation Modeling ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Environmental Influences ◽  
Longitudinal Survey ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Twin Families

AbstractEvidence for a relation between neuroticism and religion is scarce and inconsistent. The aims of the present study were to determine the association of religious upbringing with adult neuroticism scores and to examine the effect of religious upbringing on the heritability of neuroticism. As part of a longitudinal survey of twin families from the Netherlands Twin Register, data were collected on neuroticism and religious upbringing. Restricting the sample to persons aged 25 and over resulted in a sample of 4369 twins and 1304 siblings from 2698 families. Religious upbringing was significantly associated with neuroticism; in both men and women neuroticism levels were lower in those who had received a religious upbringing. There were no sex or twinsibling differences in neuroticism variances and covariances. Structural equation modeling showed differences in heritability between those with and without religious upbringing. In the group with religious upbringing, variation in neuroticism was determined for 41% by additive genetic factors and for the remaining 59% by unique environmental factors. In the group who had not received a religious upbringing, variation in neuroticism was determined for 55% by genetic factors, with evidence for both additive and nonadditive factors, and for the remaining 45% by unique environmental influences. In conclusion, having received a religious upbringing is associated with lower neuroticism scores and a lower heritability in adulthood.

scholarly journals Associations Between Traumatic Stress, Brain Volumes and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms in Children: Data from the ABCD Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Bustamante ◽  
Ananda B. Amstadter ◽  
Joshua N. Pritikin ◽  
Timothy R. Brick ◽  
Michael C. Neale
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Indirect Effects ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Cerebral White Matter ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Brain Volumes

AbstractReduced volumes in brain regions of interest (ROIs), primarily from adult samples, are associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We extended this work to children using data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study® (N = 11,848; Mage = 9.92). Structural equation modeling and an elastic-net (EN) machine-learning approach were used to identify potential effects of traumatic events (TEs) on PTSD symptoms (PTSDsx) directly, and indirectly via the volumes 300 subcortical and cortical ROIs. We then estimated the genetic and environmental variation in the phenotypes. TEs were directly associated with PTSDsx (r = 0.92) in children, but their indirect effects (r < 0.0004)—via the volumes of EN-identified subcortical and cortical ROIs—were negligible at this age. Additive genetic factors explained a modest proportion of the variance in TEs (23.4%) and PTSDsx (21.3%), and accounted for most of the variance of EN-identified volumes of four of the five subcortical (52.4–61.8%) three of the nine cortical ROIs (46.4–53.3%) and cerebral white matter in the left hemisphere (57.4%). Environmental factors explained most of the variance in TEs (C = 61.6%, E = 15.1%), PTSDsx (residual-C = 18.4%, residual-E = 21.8%), right lateral ventricle (C = 15.2%, E = 43.1%) and six of the nine EN-identified cortical ROIs (C = 4.0–13.6%, E = 56.7–74.8%). There is negligible evidence that the volumes of brain ROIs are associated with the indirect effects of TEs on PTSDsx at this age. Overall, environmental factors accounted for more of the variation in TEs and PTSDsx. Whereas additive genetic factors accounted for most of the variability in the volumes of a minority of cortical and in most of subcortical ROIs.

The Schoolwork Engagement Inventory

2012 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katariina Salmela-Aro ◽  
Katja Upadaya
Keyword(s):  
Secondary School ◽  
Concurrent Validity ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Older Students ◽  
School Students ◽  
Factor Solution ◽  
Upper Secondary

This study introduces the Schoolwork Engagement Inventory (EDA), which measures energy, dedication, and absorption with respect to schoolwork. Structural equation modeling was used to assess the validity and reliability of the inventory among students attending postcomprehensive schools. A total of 1,530 (769 girls, 761 boys) students from 13 institutions (six upper-secondary and seven vocational schools) completed the EDA 1 year apart. The results showed that a one-factor solution had the most reliability and fitted best among the younger students, whereas a three-factor solution was most reliable and fit best among the older students. In terms of concurrent validity, depressive symptoms and school burnout were inversely related, and self-esteem and academic achievement were positively associated with EDA. Boys and upper-secondary-school students experienced lower levels of schoolwork engagement than girls and vocational-school students.

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