Search results for "twin study"

Personal Goals of Older Female Twins

2009

This study examined genetic and environmental influences on older women’s personal goals by using data from the Finnish Twin Study on Aging. The interview for the personal goals was completed by 67 monozygotic (MZ) pairs and 75 dizygotic (DZ) pairs. The tetrachoric correlations for personal goals related to health and functioning, close relationships, and independent living were higher in MZ than DZ twins, indicating possible genetic influence. The pattern of tetrachoric correlations for personal goals related to cultural activities, care of others, and physical exercise indicated environmental influence. For goals concerning health and functioning, independent living, and close relationsh…

2012

BackgroundIncreased reaction time variability (RTV) on cognitive tasks requiring a speeded response is characteristic of several psychiatric disorders. In attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the association with RTV is strong phenotypically and genetically, yet high RTV is not a stable impairment but shows ADHD-sensitive improvement under certain conditions, such as those with rewards. The state regulation theory proposed that the RTV difference score, which captures change from baseline to a rewarded or fast condition, specifically measures ‘state regulation’. By contrast, the interpretation of RTV baseline (slow, unrewarded) scores is debated. We aimed to investigate directly…

Harsh times: do stressors lead to labor market losses?

2018

This paper examines the links between stressful life events and labor market outcomes. We use twin data for Finnish men and women combined with register-based individual information on earnings, employment and social income transfers. The twin data allow us to account for shared environmental and genetic confounders. We measure the exposure to stressful life events in 1990. The labor market outcomes are measured during a 20-year follow-up over the period 1990–2009. Three findings stand out. First, stressors lead to worse labor market outcomes. Second, both men and women are distressed by labor market shocks, but they respond differently to marital problems and health shocks within the famil…

Is diversity of leisure-time sport activities associated with low back and neck–shoulder region pain? A Finnish twin cohort study

2019

This study investigates cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between the diversity of leisure-time sport activities and the frequencies of low back pain (LBP) and neck-shoulder region pain (NSP) in twins, including a cross-sectional within-pair design to adjust for potential familial confounding. Finnish twins born in 1975–79 (FinnTwin16 study) reported participation in leisure-time sport activities at the mean ages of 17 (1992–96) (n = 5096, 54% females) and 34 years (2010−12) (n = 3731, 57% females). Diversity assessed as the number of sport activities was categorized as 1, 2, 3, 4, and ≥ 5, excluding inactive individuals. The frequencies of LBP (n = 3201) and NSP (n = 3207), rep…

The Association Between Epigenetic Clocks and Physical Functioning in Older Women: A 3-Year Follow-up

2021

Abstract Background Epigenetic clocks are composite markers developed to predict chronological age or mortality risk from DNA methylation (DNAm) data. The present study investigated the associations between 4 epigenetic clocks (Horvath’s and Hannum’s DNAmAge and DNAm GrimAge and PhenoAge) and physical functioning during a 3-year follow-up. Method We studied 63- to 76-year-old women (N = 413) from the Finnish Twin Study on Aging. DNAm was measured from blood samples at baseline. Age acceleration (AgeAccel), that is, discrepancy between chronological age and DNAm age, was determined as residuals from linear model. Physical functioning was assessed under standardized laboratory conditions at b…

Blood and skeletal muscle ageing determined by epigenetic clocks and their associations with physical activity and functioning

2021

AbstractThe aim of this study was to investigate the correspondence of different biological ageing estimates (i.e. epigenetic age) in blood and muscle tissue and their associations with physical activity (PA), physical function and body composition. Two independent cohorts (N = 139 and N = 47) were included, whose age span covered adulthood (23–69 years). Whole blood and m. vastus lateralis samples were collected, and DNA methylation was analysed. Four different DNA methylation age (DNAmAge) estimates were calculated using genome-wide methylation data and publicly available online tools. A novel muscle-specific methylation age was estimated using the R-package ‘MEAT’. PA was measured with q…

A Critical Review of Statistical Methods for Twin Studies Relating Exposure to Early Life Health Conditions

2021

International audience; When investigating disease etiology, twin data provide a unique opportunity to control for confounding and disentangling the role of the human genome and exposome. However, using appropriate statistical methods is fundamental for exploiting such potential. We aimed to critically review the statistical approaches used in twin studies relating exposure to early life health conditions. We searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase (2011–2021). We identified 32 studies and nine classes of methods. Five were conditional approaches (within-pair analyses): additive-common-erratic (ACE) models (11 studies), generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs, five studies), gene…

Evidence for shared environmental contributions to attention-deficit/hyperactivity traits. A twin study

2019

Background and objectives: Behavior-genetic analyses have shown that measurements of inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity are genetically-influenced. In view of limited studies on ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) in Spanish samples, this study aims to explore the genetic architecture of ADHD symptoms; inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity in a Spanish twin schoolchildren sample. Methods: Participants were 258 pairs of adolescent Spanish twins. Symptoms of ADHD, inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity were assessed by means of a sub-scale of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Univariate twin models, according to sex, were run to assess the heritability of…

Heritability of Spherical Equivalent

2010

Purpose To examine the heritability of spherical equivalent (SE) in older women. Design Population-based twin study. Participants Ninety monozygotic (MZ) and 86 dizygotic (DZ) female twin pairs aged 63 to 76 years who were born from 1924 through 1937. Methods Ocular refraction was measured using an autorefractor and controlled by the subjective method. The contributions of genetic and environmental factors to individual differences in SE were estimated by applying an independent pathway model to twin data. Main Outcome Measures Contribution of genetic and environmental effects to the variation in SE. Results Mean SE of the study population was 1.68 (standard deviation, ±1.82) with no differ…

Genetics in restless legs syndrome

2004

Several studies on Restless leas syndrome (RLS) have suggested a substantial genetic contribution in the etiology of this sleep disorder. Clinical surveys of idiopathic RLS patients have shown that up to 60% report a positive family history. Investigations of single families with RLS have suggested an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance with variable expressivity, and some families show possible anticipation. At present, only one twin study is available, showing a high concordance rate (83.3%) between identical twins. Despite several reports suggesting a genetic contribution to the etiology of idiopathic RLS, few molecular genetic studies have been carried out attempting to identify gene…