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Colli C, Garzitto M, Bonivento C, Delvecchio G, Maggioni E, Fagnani C, Medda E, Mauri M, Nobile M, Brambilla P. Exploring the effects of family and life events on genetic and environmental architecture of schizotypal and hypomanic dimensions: Insights from a twin study. J Affect Disord 2024; 362:375-383. [PMID: 38971195 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Strategies of prevention for psychiatric disorders need a deep understanding of the aetiological factors involved in the psychopathological processes. Our twin study aims at disentangling the contributions of genes and environment to schizotypal and hypomanic dimensions, considering the role of stressful life events (LEs) and the quality of family relationships. METHODS The Magical Ideation Scale (MIS) and Perceptual Aberration Scale (PAS) were used to assess positive schizotypy, while Hypomanic Personality Scale (HPS) and its sub-scales were used to investigate proneness to affective disorders. 268 twins (54.5 % female; aged 18.0 ± 6.68) were included. Participants filled out a questionnaire on LEs and their parents provided an evaluation of intra-family relationship (Relationship Quality Index, RQI). Classic univariate twin models for quantitative traits were fitted for scales, and the effects of covariates (LEs and RQI) were assessed. RESULTS For MIS, HPS and its sub-scales, significant common and unique environmental effects were detected, with genetic factors affecting only HPS Social Vitality sub-scale. Unique environment was the only source of variance of PAS score. The number of recent LEs influenced MIS and PAS models, while RQI score affected MIS model. LIMITATIONS The main limitation of the study is the small sample size, which reduces statistical power and may potentially lead to an underestimation of heritability. Additionally, the cross-sectional design limits the possibility to draw causal considerations. CONCLUSIONS Findings provide preliminary evidence for a significant environmental role in modulating states of vulnerability. Moreover, the expression of positive schizotypy resulted influenced by recent stressors and intra-family relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Colli
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Garzitto
- Department of Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | | | - Giuseppe Delvecchio
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Eleonora Maggioni
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Corrado Fagnani
- Italian Twin Registry, Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Emanuela Medda
- Italian Twin Registry, Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Maddalena Mauri
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini (LC), Italy
| | - Maria Nobile
- Child Psychopathology Unit, Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini (LC), Italy
| | - Paolo Brambilla
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
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Reyes-Pérez P, Hernández-Ledesma AL, Román-López TV, García-Vilchis B, Ramírez-González D, Lázaro-Figueroa A, Martinez D, Flores-Ocampo V, Espinosa-Méndez IM, Tinajero-Nieto L, Peña-Ayala A, Morelos-Figaredo E, Guerra-Galicia CM, Torres-Valdez E, Gordillo-Huerta MV, Gandarilla-Martínez NA, Salinas-Barboza K, Félix-Rodríguez G, Frontana-Vázquez G, Matuk-Pérez Y, Estrada-Bellmann I, Alpizar-Rodríguez D, Rodríguez-Violante M, Rentería ME, Ruíz-Contreras AE, Alcauter S, Medina-Rivera A. Building national patient registries in Mexico: insights from the MexOMICS Consortium. Front Digit Health 2024; 6:1344103. [PMID: 38895515 PMCID: PMC11183280 DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2024.1344103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective To introduce MexOMICS, a Mexican Consortium focused on establishing electronic databases to collect, cross-reference, and share health-related and omics data on the Mexican population. Methods Since 2019, the MexOMICS Consortium has established three electronic-based registries: the Mexican Twin Registry (TwinsMX), Mexican Lupus Registry (LupusRGMX), and the Mexican Parkinson's Research Network (MEX-PD), designed and implemented using the Research Electronic Data Capture web-based application. Participants were enrolled through voluntary participation and on-site engagement with medical specialists. We also acquired DNA samples and Magnetic Resonance Imaging scans in subsets of participants. Results The registries have successfully enrolled a large number of participants from a variety of regions within Mexico: TwinsMX (n = 2,915), LupusRGMX (n = 1,761) and MEX-PD (n = 750). In addition to sociodemographic, psychosocial, and clinical data, MexOMICS has collected DNA samples to study the genetic biomarkers across the three registries. Cognitive function has been assessed with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment in a subset of 376 MEX-PD participants. Furthermore, a subset of 267 twins have participated in cognitive evaluations with the Creyos platform and in MRI sessions acquiring structural, functional, and spectroscopy brain imaging; comparable evaluations are planned for LupusRGMX and MEX-PD. Conclusions The MexOMICS registries offer a valuable repository of information concerning the potential interplay of genetic and environmental factors in health conditions among the Mexican population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Reyes-Pérez
- Laboratorio Internacional de Investigación Sobre el Genoma Humano, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Ana Laura Hernández-Ledesma
- Laboratorio Internacional de Investigación Sobre el Genoma Humano, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Talía V. Román-López
- Departamento de Neurobiología Conductual y Cognitiva, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Brisa García-Vilchis
- Laboratorio de Neurogenómica Cognitiva, Unidad de Investigación de Psicobiología y Neurociencias, Coordinación de Psicobiología y Neurociencias, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Diego Ramírez-González
- Departamento de Neurobiología Conductual y Cognitiva, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Alejandra Lázaro-Figueroa
- Laboratorio de Neurogenómica Cognitiva, Unidad de Investigación de Psicobiología y Neurociencias, Coordinación de Psicobiología y Neurociencias, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Domingo Martinez
- Laboratorio Internacional de Investigación Sobre el Genoma Humano, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico
- Unidad de Genómica Avanzada, Langebio, Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Irapuato, Mexico
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Unidad Juriquilla, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Victor Flores-Ocampo
- Laboratorio Internacional de Investigación Sobre el Genoma Humano, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Ian M. Espinosa-Méndez
- Departamento de Neurobiología Conductual y Cognitiva, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Lizbet Tinajero-Nieto
- Hospital General Regional No. 1, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Querétaro, Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Angélica Peña-Ayala
- Hospital General Regional No. 1, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Querétaro, Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico
- Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación “Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra”, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Eugenia Morelos-Figaredo
- Hospital Regional, Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado, Morelia, Mexico
| | | | | | - María Vanessa Gordillo-Huerta
- Hospital General Querétaro, Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado, Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico
| | | | | | | | | | - Yamil Matuk-Pérez
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro. Unidad de Neurociencias, Hospital Angeles Centro Sur, Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Ingrid Estrada-Bellmann
- Movement Disorders Clinic, Neurology Division, Internal Medicine Department, University Hospital “Dr. José E. González”, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Mexico
| | | | - Mayela Rodríguez-Violante
- Laboratorio Clínico de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Instituto Nacional de Neurología y Neurocirugía Manuel Velasco Suárez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Miguel E. Rentería
- Mental Health and Neuroscience Program, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Alejandra E. Ruíz-Contreras
- Laboratorio de Neurogenómica Cognitiva, Unidad de Investigación de Psicobiología y Neurociencias, Coordinación de Psicobiología y Neurociencias, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Sarael Alcauter
- Departamento de Neurobiología Conductual y Cognitiva, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Alejandra Medina-Rivera
- Laboratorio Internacional de Investigación Sobre el Genoma Humano, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico
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Fernandes EDS, Ferreira IF, de Felipe RP, Segal N, Otta E. Brazilian Twin Studies: A Scoping Review. Twin Res Hum Genet 2024; 27:105-114. [PMID: 38619001 DOI: 10.1017/thg.2024.17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
The current study was motivated by an interest in deepening understanding of Brazilian twin research, which is underrepresented internationally, in an effort to rectify this situation. Our aim was threefold: (1) to carry out a comprehensive investigation of Brazilian research on twins according to the area of knowledge; (2) to evaluate the representation of research in the field of psychology in comparison with other areas; (3) to evaluate characteristics of the research that may have contributed to its exclusion from the comprehensive meta-analysis of 50 years of twin research. A scoping review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. Titles and abstracts were searched up to 2022 in six databases: CAPES, BDLTD, PePSIC, PubMed, Google Scholar, and SciELO, using selected keywords both in Portuguese and in English (e.g., 'twins' and 'Brazil'; 'twinning' and 'Brazil'; 'gemelaridade' [twinning], and 'gêmeos' [twins]). Three hundred and forty publications were included in the review. Approximately half (53.8‰) used the classic twin design to investigate the heritability of several traits, and the other half (46.2%) used other research designs. The scoping review showed that the number of publications doubled approximately every 10 years. Most publications were from the health area, with medicine accounting for approximately half of the studies, followed by psychology, odontology, and biology. We found that the interest in studying twins among Brazilian scientists is increasing over the years and there are reasons to be enthusiastic about the potential impact of this trend in the global scenario.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eloisa de Souza Fernandes
- Departamento de Psicologia Experimental, Instituto de Psicologia (IP), Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Brazil
| | - Isabella França Ferreira
- Departamento de Psicologia Experimental, Instituto de Psicologia (IP), Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Brazil
| | - Renata Pereira de Felipe
- Departamento de Psicologia Experimental, Instituto de Psicologia (IP), Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Brazil
| | - Nancy Segal
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Fullerton, California, USA
| | - Emma Otta
- Departamento de Psicologia Experimental, Instituto de Psicologia (IP), Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Brazil
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García-Vilchis B, Román-López TV, Ramírez-González D, López-Camaño XJ, Murillo-Lechuga V, Díaz-Téllez X, Sánchez-Moncada CI, Espinosa-Méndez IM, Zenteno-Morales D, Espinosa-Valdes ZX, Pradel-Jiménez S, Tapia-Atilano A, Zanabria-Pérez AV, Livas-Gangas F, Aldana-Assad O, Caballero-Sánchez U, Dominguez-Frausto CA, Rentería ME, Medina-Rivera A, Alcauter S, Ruiz-Contreras AE. TwinsMX: Exploring the Genetic and Environmental Influences on Health Traits in the Mexican Population. Twin Res Hum Genet 2024; 27:85-96. [PMID: 38699821 DOI: 10.1017/thg.2024.18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
TwinsMX registry is a national research initiative in Mexico that aims to understand the complex interplay between genetics and environment in shaping physical and mental health traits among the country's population. With a multidisciplinary approach, TwinsMX aims to advance our knowledge of the genetic and environmental mechanisms underlying ethnic variations in complex traits and diseases, including behavioral, psychometric, anthropometric, metabolic, cardiovascular and mental disorders. With information gathered from over 2800 twins, this article updates the prevalence of several complex traits; and describes the advances and novel ideas we have implemented such as magnetic resonance imaging. The future expansion of the TwinsMX registry will enhance our comprehension of the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in shaping health and disease in the Mexican population. Overall, this report describes the progress in the building of a solid database that will allow the study of complex traits in the Mexican population, valuable not only for our consortium, but also for the worldwide scientific community, by providing new insights of understudied genetically admixed populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brisa García-Vilchis
- Laboratorio de Neurogenómica Cognitiva, Unidad de Investigación en Psicobiología y Neurociencias. Coordinación de Psicobiología y Neurociencias, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Talia V Román-López
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Juriquilla, Querétaro, México
| | - Diego Ramírez-González
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Juriquilla, Querétaro, México
| | - Xanat J López-Camaño
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Juriquilla, Querétaro, México
| | - Vanessa Murillo-Lechuga
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Juriquilla, Querétaro, México
| | - Xóchitl Díaz-Téllez
- Laboratorio Internacional de Investigación sobre el Genoma Humano, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Juriquilla, Querétaro, México
| | | | - Ian M Espinosa-Méndez
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Juriquilla, Querétaro, México
| | - Diego Zenteno-Morales
- Laboratorio de Neurogenómica Cognitiva, Unidad de Investigación en Psicobiología y Neurociencias. Coordinación de Psicobiología y Neurociencias, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Zaida X Espinosa-Valdes
- Laboratorio de Neurogenómica Cognitiva, Unidad de Investigación en Psicobiología y Neurociencias. Coordinación de Psicobiología y Neurociencias, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Sofia Pradel-Jiménez
- Laboratorio de Neurogenómica Cognitiva, Unidad de Investigación en Psicobiología y Neurociencias. Coordinación de Psicobiología y Neurociencias, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Andrea Tapia-Atilano
- Laboratorio de Neurogenómica Cognitiva, Unidad de Investigación en Psicobiología y Neurociencias. Coordinación de Psicobiología y Neurociencias, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Ana V Zanabria-Pérez
- Laboratorio de Neurogenómica Cognitiva, Unidad de Investigación en Psicobiología y Neurociencias. Coordinación de Psicobiología y Neurociencias, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Federica Livas-Gangas
- Laboratorio de Neurogenómica Cognitiva, Unidad de Investigación en Psicobiología y Neurociencias. Coordinación de Psicobiología y Neurociencias, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Oscar Aldana-Assad
- Laboratorio Internacional de Investigación sobre el Genoma Humano, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Juriquilla, Querétaro, México
| | - Ulises Caballero-Sánchez
- Laboratorio de Neurogenómica Cognitiva, Unidad de Investigación en Psicobiología y Neurociencias. Coordinación de Psicobiología y Neurociencias, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | | | - Miguel E Rentería
- Mental Health & Neuroscience Program, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Alejandra Medina-Rivera
- Laboratorio Internacional de Investigación sobre el Genoma Humano, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Juriquilla, Querétaro, México
| | - Sarael Alcauter
- Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Juriquilla, Querétaro, México
| | - Alejandra E Ruiz-Contreras
- Laboratorio de Neurogenómica Cognitiva, Unidad de Investigación en Psicobiología y Neurociencias. Coordinación de Psicobiología y Neurociencias, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
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Wilson S, Rhee SH. Special Issue editorial: Leveraging genetically informative study designs to understand the development and familial transmission of psychopathology. Dev Psychopathol 2022; 34:1-8. [PMID: 35968855 PMCID: PMC9929024 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579422000955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sylia Wilson
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota
| | - Soo Hyun Rhee
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Boulder
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India's Opportunities and Challenges in Establishing a Twin Registry: An Unexplored Human Resource for the World's Second-Most Populous Nation. Twin Res Hum Genet 2022; 25:156-164. [PMID: 35786423 DOI: 10.1017/thg.2022.24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Nature and nurture have always been a prerogative of evolutionary biologists. The environment's role in shaping an organism's phenotype has always intrigued us. Since the inception of humankind, twinning has existed with an unsettled parley on the contribution of nature (i.e. genetics) versus nurture (i.e. environment), which can influence the phenotypes. The study of twins measures the genetic contribution and that of the environmental influence for a particular trait, acting as a catalyst, fine-tuning the phenotypic trajectories. This is further evident because a number of human diseases show a spectrum of clinical manifestations with the same underlying molecular aberration. As of now, there is no definite way to conclude just from the genomic data the severity of a disease or even to predict who will get affected. This greatly justifies initiating a twin registry for a country as diverse and populated as India. There is an unmet need to set up a nationwide database to carefully curate the information on twins, serving as a valuable biorepository to study their overall susceptibility to disease. Establishing a twin registry is of paramount importance to harness the wealth of human information related to the biomedical, anthropological, cultural, social and economic significance.
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Alrouh H, van Bergen E, de Zeeuw E, Dolan C, Boomsma DI. Intergenerational transmission of body mass index and associations with educational attainment. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:890. [PMID: 35509009 PMCID: PMC9069759 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13270-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Individual differences in educational attainment (EA) and physical health, as indexed by body mass index (BMI), are correlated within persons and across generations. The present aim was to assess these associations while controlling for parental transmission. Methods We analyzed BMI and EA obtained for 8,866 families from the Netherlands. Data were available for 19,132 persons, including 6,901 parents (mean age 54) and 12,234 of their adult offspring (mean age 32). We employed structural equation modeling to simultaneously model the direct and indirect transmission of BMI and EA from parents to offspring, spousal correlations, and the residual within-person BMI-EA association and tested for gender differences in the transmission parameters. Results We found moderate intergeneration transmission for BMI (standardized beta ~ .20) and EA (~ .22), and substantial spousal correlations for BMI (.23) and EA (.51). Cross-trait parent to offspring transmission was weak. The strength of transmission was largely independent of parent or offspring gender. Negative within person EA-BMI correlations were observed for all family members (fathers, -0.102; mothers, -0.147; sons, -0.154; daughters, -0.173). About 60% of the EA-BMI correlation in offspring persisted after taking into account the intergeneration transmission. Conclusions The intergenerational transmission for BMI and EA is mainly predictive within traits. Significant spousal and within person correlations in the parental generation are responsible for the effect of parental EA on offspring BMI. Offspring EA and BMI are further correlated beyond parental influences. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-13270-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hekmat Alrouh
- Department of Biological Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 7-9, Room MF-H557, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. .,Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
| | - Elsje van Bergen
- Department of Biological Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 7-9, Room MF-H557, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands.,Research Institute LEARN!, VrijeUniversiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Eveline de Zeeuw
- Department of Biological Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 7-9, Room MF-H557, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Conor Dolan
- Department of Biological Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 7-9, Room MF-H557, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Dorret I Boomsma
- Department of Biological Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 7-9, Room MF-H557, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands.,Amsterdam Reproduction & Development Research Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Enck P, Goebel-Stengel M, Rieß O, Hübener-Schmid J, Kagan KO, Nieß AM, Tümmers H, Wiesing U, Zipfel S, Stengel A. [Twin research in Germany]. Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz 2021; 64:1298-1306. [PMID: 34524474 PMCID: PMC8441034 DOI: 10.1007/s00103-021-03400-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg wurden weltweit Zwillingskohorten aufgebaut, die inzwischen ca. 1,5 Mio. Zwillinge umfassen und zwischen 1950 und 2012 über 2748 Zwillingsstudien hervorgebracht haben. Diese Zahl steigt jedes Jahr um weitere 500 bis 1000. Die Unterrepräsentanz deutscher Zwillingsstudien in diesen Datenbanken lässt sich nicht allein durch den Missbrauch medizinischer Forschung im Nationalsozialismus erklären. Entwicklung und Ausbau großer Zwillingskohorten sind ethisch und datenschutzrechtlich eine Herausforderung. Zwillingskohorten ermöglichen jedoch die Langzeit- und Echtzeiterforschung vieler medizinischer Fragestellungen; und die Zwillingsstudien tragen auch nach der Entschlüsselung des Humangenoms erheblich zur Beantwortung der Frage nach Anlage oder Umwelt als mögliche Erkrankungsauslöser bei. Derzeit gibt es 2 deutsche Zwillingskohorten: die biomedizinische Kohorte HealthTwiSt mit ca. 1500 Zwillingspaaren und TwinLife, eine soziologisch-psychologische Kohorte mit ca. 4000 Zwillingspaaren. Daneben gibt es krankheitsspezifische Kohorten. 2016 startete das TwinHealth-Konsortium der Medizinischen Fakultät der Universität Tübingen mit dem Ziel, eine forschungsoffene und nachhaltige Zwillingsforschung am Standort Tübingen zur Bearbeitung unterschiedlicher Fragestellungen zu etablieren. Der Artikel bietet mithilfe einer systematischen Literaturrecherche und einer medizinhistorischen Betrachtung einen Überblick über die weltweite und nationale Entwicklung von Zwillingsstudien und -datenbanken der letzten 100 Jahre. Anhand der Tübinger TwinHealth-Initiative beleuchtet er den Aufbau eines Zwillingskollektivs und dessen juristische, ethische und Datenschutzaspekte.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Enck
- Innere Medizin VI, Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Osianderstr. 5, 72076, Tübingen, Deutschland
| | - Miriam Goebel-Stengel
- Innere Medizin VI, Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Osianderstr. 5, 72076, Tübingen, Deutschland. .,Klinik für Innere Medizin, Helios Klinik Rottweil, Rottweil, Deutschland.
| | - Olaf Rieß
- Institut für Medizinische Genetik und Angewandte Genomik, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Tübingen, Deutschland
| | - Jeannette Hübener-Schmid
- Institut für Medizinische Genetik und Angewandte Genomik, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Tübingen, Deutschland
| | - Karl Oliver Kagan
- Department für Frauengesundheit, Universitäts-Frauenklinik, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Tübingen, Deutschland
| | - Andreas Michael Nieß
- Innere Medizin V, Sportmedizin, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Tübingen, Deutschland
| | - Henning Tümmers
- Institut für Ethik und Geschichte der Medizin, Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Deutschland
| | - Urban Wiesing
- Institut für Ethik und Geschichte der Medizin, Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Deutschland
| | - Stephan Zipfel
- Innere Medizin VI, Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Osianderstr. 5, 72076, Tübingen, Deutschland
| | - Andreas Stengel
- Innere Medizin VI, Psychosomatische Medizin und Psychotherapie, Universitätsklinikum Tübingen, Osianderstr. 5, 72076, Tübingen, Deutschland
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9
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Changes in Multiple Birth Rates and Parental Demographic Factors in South Korea During the Last Four Decades: 1981-2019. Twin Res Hum Genet 2021; 24:163-167. [PMID: 34247687 DOI: 10.1017/thg.2021.23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Over the previous decades, twinning rates worldwide have increased remarkably. This study aimed to describe changes in multiple birth rates and related demographic characteristics, such as maternal age and the level of education of parents in South Korea from 1981 to 2019. This study analyzed birth data obtained from the Korean Statistical Information Service. From 1981 to 2019, the total twinning rate increased from 5 to 22.5 pairs per 1000 births. This rapid increase was due to an increase in dizygotic twin births, which mainly occurred in mothers aged between 30 and 39 years. The average maternal age of multiples increased from 26.06 years in 1981 to 33.98 years in 2019, suggesting that a delay in childbearing contributed to the increase in the twinning rate. The percentage of mothers of multiples who completed a college or higher degree (CHD) increased by 1000% from 1981 to 2019, indicating that a sharp increase in the level of education of females in part explains the delay in childbearing. The percentages of individuals who completed a CHD were higher among parents of multiples than among those of singletons in recent years when public funding arrangements for fertility treatments were available. This result suggested that completion of higher education may be associated with increased use of assisted reproductive technology (ART) independent of the financial status of couples. Taken together, the analysis suggested that increased maternal age, ART and the increased number of females who completed CHD may be responsible for the remarkable increase in the rates of multiple births in South Korea in the last four decades.
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10
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Dissecting polygenic signals from genome-wide association studies on human behaviour. Nat Hum Behav 2021; 5:686-694. [PMID: 33986517 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-021-01110-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies on human behavioural traits are producing large amounts of polygenic signals with significant predictive power and potentially useful biological clues. Behavioural traits are more distal and are less directly under biological control compared with physical characteristics, which makes the associated genetic effects harder to interpret. The results of genome-wide association studies for human behaviour are likely made up of a composite of signals from different sources. While sample sizes continue to increase, we outline additional steps that need to be taken to better delineate the origin of the increasingly stronger polygenic signals. In addition to genetic effects on the traits themselves, the major sources of polygenic signals are those that are associated with correlated traits, environmental effects and ascertainment bias. Advances in statistical approaches that disentangle polygenic effects from different traits as well as extending data collection to families and social circles with better geographical coverage will probably contribute to filling the gap of knowledge between genetic effects and behavioural outcomes.
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11
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McAdams TA, Rijsdijk FV, Zavos HMS, Pingault JB. Twins and Causal Inference: Leveraging Nature's Experiment. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2021; 11:a039552. [PMID: 32900702 PMCID: PMC8168524 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a039552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In this review, we discuss how samples comprising monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs can be used for the purpose of strengthening causal inference by controlling for shared influences on exposure and outcome. We begin by briefly introducing how twin data can be used to inform the biometric decomposition of population variance into genetic, shared environmental, and nonshared environmental influences. We then discuss how extensions to this model can be used to explore whether associations between exposure and outcome survive correction for shared etiology (common causes). We review several analytical approaches that can be applied to twin data for this purpose. These include multivariate structural equation models, cotwin control methods, direction of causation models (cross-sectional and longitudinal), and extended family designs used to assess intergenerational associations. We conclude by highlighting some of the limitations and considerations that researchers should be aware of when using twin data for the purposes of interrogating causal hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom A McAdams
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
- Promenta Research Centre, University of Oslo, Oslo 0373, Norway
| | - Fruhling V Rijsdijk
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
| | - Helena M S Zavos
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
| | - Jean-Baptiste Pingault
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
- Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
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