The pillars of health: influence of multiple lifestyle behaviors on body mass index and depressive symptoms in adult twins
Duncan GE, Avery AR, Tsang S, Watson NF, Williams BD, Turkheimer E.
Category Archives: For Twins
Reassessing relationships between appetite and adiposity in people at risk of obesity: a twin study using fMRI
Sewaybricker LE, Melhorn SJ, Rosenbaum JL, Askren MK, Tyagi V, Webb MF, De Leon MRB, Grabowski TJ, Schur EA
Measurement of neighborhood-based physical activity bouts
Duncan GE, Hurvitz PM, Moudon AV, Avery AR, Tsang S.
GPS-based built environment measures associated with adult
physical activity
Boakye KA, Amram O, Schuna JM, Duncan GE, Hystad P.
Genetic and environmental influences on posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and disinhibited eating behaviors
Afari N, Gasperi M, Dochat C, Wooldridge JS, Herbert MS, Schur EA, Buchwald DS.
Central and Peripheral Symptoms in Network Analysis are Differentially Heritable A Twin Study of Anxious Misery
Olatunji BO, Christian C, Strachan E, Levinson CA.
Affectionate Communication findings
We are happy to share that a manuscript using data from the affectionate communication study has been published. Within twin pairs, identical twins were more highly correlated for expressed and received affection than fraternal twins, suggesting genetic influences play a role in affection. Using an ACE model, which is used in twin studies to estimate the contribution of genetics and the environment to a given phenotype such as affection, the study authors determined that 45% of the variance in expressed affectionate communication is heritable (due to genetics), and 0% is explained by the common environment. This means that shared influences such as being raised by the same parents in the same households had no impact on expressed affection. Only 21% of the variance in received affection was heritable. Given that received affection largely depends on others, it is not surprising to see that heritability is lower for this trait. These findings suggest that greater attention should be given to communicative behaviors by considering genetic and biological influences, and not just environmental influences.
If you would like to read the full article, click here.
Associations between changes in resilient coping and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms.
Sinclair VG, Adams SM, Dietrich M.
Insomnia and posttraumatic stress symptoms: Evidence of shared etiology.
Cox RC, Taylor S, Strachan E, Olatunji BO.
Global metabolic profiling to model biological processes of aging in twins.
Bunning BJ, Contrepois K, Lee-McMullen B, Dhondalay GKR, Zhang W, Tupa D, Raeber O, Desai M, Nadeau KC, Snyder MP, Andorf S.
Genome-wide profiling of DNA methylome and transcriptome in peripheral blood monocytes for major depression: A Monozygotic Discordant Twin Study.
Zhu Y, Strachan E, Fowler E, Bacus T, Roy-Byrne P, Zhao J.
Cohort Profile: TWINS study of environment, lifestyle behaviours and health.
Duncan GE, Avery A, Hurvitz PM, Moudon AV, Tsang S, Turkheimer E.
Sleep Duration and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms: A Twin Study.
McCall CA, Turkheimer E, Tsang S, Avery A, Duncan GE, Watson NF.
Probabilistic walking models using built environment and sociodemographic predictors
Moudon AV, Huang R, Stewart OT, Cohen-Cline H, Noonan C, Hurvitz PM, Duncan GE.
Salience network connectivity is reduced by a meal and influenced by genetic background and hypothalamic gliosis.
Sewaybricker LE, Melhorn SJ, Askren MK, Webb MF, Tyagi V, De Leon MRB, Grabowski TJ, Seeley WW, Schur EA.
Heritability of Type 2 Diabetes in the Washington State Twin Registry
Avery AR, Duncan GE
A twin study of genetic influences on nephrolithiasis in women and men.
Goldfarb DS, Avery AR, Beara-Lasic L, Duncan GE, Goldberg J.
Viral genetics modulate orolabial HSV-1 shedding in humans.
Ramchandani MS, Jing L, Russell RM, Tran T, Laing KJ, Magaret AS, Selke S, Cheng A, Huang ML, Xie H, Strachan E, Greninger AL, Roychoudhury P, Jerome KR, Wald A, Koelle DM.
The Genetics and Epigenetics of Healthy Aging in Twins
Aging is complex process, involving both genetic and non-genetic factors. Genetics contribute to the rate of change for bodily functions and risk of disease, but these changes can also be influenced by the environment. The goal of this study was to learn more about the genes that are related to healthy aging, and how the aging process is influenced by environmental factors. By looking at genetic information, physical condition, family history, medical history, and life experiences across participants, researchers may be able to determine how these factors work together to create the overall aging experience.
This study collected data from 2013 to 2014. 275 same-sex twins 65 and older participated, with more of a focus on fraternal twins. The average age of participants in this study was 75, and the oldest participants were 91. All data collection was completed at home. Twins completed a packet of questionnaires, provided a saliva sample, and provided a small sample of blood collected by a finger stick.