Chandra Reynolds - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Chandra Reynolds

Research paper thumbnail of Three-Factor Model of Schizotypal Personality: Invariance Across Culture, Gender, Religious Affiliation, Family Adversity, and Psychopathology

Schizophrenia Bulletin, 2000

Whilst the syndrome approach to schizotypy has recently demonstrated differential correlates of a... more Whilst the syndrome approach to schizotypy has recently demonstrated differential correlates of a three-factor model of schizotypal personality, variations in the nature of these factors question a basic assumption of this approach. This study tested competing models of the factor structure of schizotypal personality using the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) in a sample of 1,201 Mauritians. Factor invariance across gender,

Research paper thumbnail of Understanding Associations among Family Support, Friend Support, and Psychological Distress

Personal Relationships, 2015

Emotional support from family and friends is associated with lower psychological distress. This s... more Emotional support from family and friends is associated with lower psychological distress. This study examined whether genetic and environmental influences explain associations among family support, friend support, and psychological distress. Data were drawn from the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) study and included 947 pairs of MZ, same-sex DZ, and opposite-sex DZ twins. Results showed that a genetic factor explains the relationship between friend support and psychological distress, independent of family support. Alternatively, a nonshared environmental factor accounts for an association among family support, friend support, and psychological distress. Thus, heritable factors shape a distinct relationship between friend support and psychological distress, but unique experiences contribute to a link among family support, friend support, and psychological distress.

Research paper thumbnail of Multifactorial analysis of changes in body mass index across the adult life course: a study with 65 years of follow-up

International journal of obesity (2005), 2014

Although the negative consequences on health of being obese are well known, most adults gain weig... more Although the negative consequences on health of being obese are well known, most adults gain weight across the lifespan. The general increase in body mass index (BMI) is mainly considered to originate from behavioral and environmental changes; however, few studies have evaluated the influence of these factors on change in BMI in the presence of genetic risk. We aimed to study the influence of multifactorial causes of change in BMI, over 65 years. Totally, 6130 participants from TwinGene, who had up to five assessments, and 536 from the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging, who had up to 12 assessments, ranging over 65 years were included. The influence of lifestyle factors, birth cohort, cardiometabolic diseases and an individual obesity genetic risk score (OGRS) based on 32 single nucleotide polymorphisms on change in BMI was evaluated with a growth model. For both sexes, BMI increased from early adulthood to age of 65 years, after which the increase leveled off; BMI declined after...

Research paper thumbnail of Factors associated with grip strength decline in older adults

Age and Ageing, 2014

few studies have examined associations of multi-faceted demographic, health and lifestyle factors... more few studies have examined associations of multi-faceted demographic, health and lifestyle factors with long-term change in grip strength performance across the adult lifespan. The aim of this study was to examine the associations of risk factors in specific parts of the adult lifespan (e.g. in early midlife, in late midlife and in old adulthood) separately for women and men. data came from the longitudinal Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging (SATSA). Grip strength performance was followed in 849 participants who were 50-88 years of age at baseline. The follow-up period with seven waves of data of grip strength was 22 years, and the risk factors were measured up to 20 years before the assessment of grip strength. Latent growth modelling was used for the longitudinal analyses. a gender difference in the type of factors associated with grip strength performance and development across the adult lifespan was found. Significant factors for the age slopes for women were stress, smoking and dementia. For men, marital status, mean arterial pressure, physical activity at work and having a chronic disorder were of importance. These factors varied in their associations with grip strength across the adult lifespan. factors measured earlier in adulthood were associated with grip strength decline in late midlife and old adulthood. Gender-specific patterns of risk factors suggest that it may be worthwhile to conduct research on grip and muscle strength (and biological vitality) separately for men and women.

Research paper thumbnail of Genetic Variants from Lipid-Related Pathways and Risk for Incident Myocardial Infarction

Background: Circulating lipids levels, as well as several familial lipid metabolism disorders, ar... more Background: Circulating lipids levels, as well as several familial lipid metabolism disorders, are strongly associated with initiation and progression of atherosclerosis and incidence of myocardial infarction (MI).

Research paper thumbnail of Biometrical analysis of individual growth curves

Behavior Genetics, 1992

Longitudinal data for height (length) between birth and 2 years of age were examined for 690 Dutc... more Longitudinal data for height (length) between birth and 2 years of age were examined for 690 Dutch Registry twin pairs. A two-stage analysis was performed, where individual growth curves were first fit to available data for each subject using a linear multiple regression procedure and estimated individual growth curve parameters were then subjected to multivariate biometrical analysis. Quadratic polynomial curves

Research paper thumbnail of Resting heart rate and the development of antisocial behavior from age 9 to 14: Genetic and environmental influences

Development and Psychopathology, 2009

The genetic and environmental basis of a well-replicated association between antisocial behavior ... more The genetic and environmental basis of a well-replicated association between antisocial behavior (ASB) and resting heart rate was investigated in a longitudinal twin study, based on two measurements between the ages of 9 and 14 years. ASB was defined as a broad continuum of externalizing behavior problems, assessed at each occasion through a composite measure based on parent ratings of trait aggression, delinquent behaviors, and psychopathic traits in their children. Parent ratings of ASB significantly decreased across age from childhood to early adolescence, although latent growth models indicated significant variation and twin similarity in the growth patterns, which were explained almost entirely by genetic influences. Resting heart rate at age 9-10 years old was inversely related to levels of ASB but not change patterns of ASB across age or occasions. Biometrical analyses indicated significant genetic influences on heart rate during childhood, as well as ASB throughout development from age 9 to 14. Both level and slope variation were significantly influenced by genetic factors. Of importance, the low resting heart rate and ASB association was significantly and entirely explained by their genetic covariation, although the heritable component of heart rate explained only a small portion (1-4%) of the substantial genetic variance in ASB. Although the effect size is small, children with low resting heart rate appear to be genetically predisposed toward externalizing behavior problems as early as age 9 years old.

Research paper thumbnail of Spatial but not verbal cognitive deficits at age 3 years in persistently antisocial individuals

Development and Psychopathology, 2002

Previous studies have repeatedly shown verbal intelligence deficits in adolescent antisocial indi... more Previous studies have repeatedly shown verbal intelligence deficits in adolescent antisocial individuals, but it is not known whether these deficits are in place prior to kindergarten or, alternatively, whether they are acquired throughout childhood. This study assesses whether cognitive deficits occur as early as age 3 years and whether they are specific to persistently antisocial individuals. Verbal and spatial abilities

Research paper thumbnail of Stability of Physical Activity across the Lifespan

Journal of Health Psychology - J HEALTH PSYCHOL, 2008

Physical activity is associated with various health-relevant psychosocial and physiological proce... more Physical activity is associated with various health-relevant psychosocial and physiological processes, but activity stability across extended time periods is inadequately understood. This lifespan longitudinal cohort study examined activity levels of 723 males and 554 females. Associations across time were computed and structural equation modeling compared a one factor model and a simplex model. Results showed activity levels are somewhat stable from childhood through middle and late adulthood. Further, a simplex model provided a better fit than a one factor model. Successful models and interventions to improve health will likely require a more nuanced, pattern-sensitive understanding of physical activity across time.

Research paper thumbnail of Early educational and health enrichment at age 3-5 years is associated with increased autonomic and central nervous system arousal and orienting at age 11 years: Evidence from the Mauritius Child Health Project

Psychophysiology, 2001

Little is known about the effects of environmental enrichment on psychophysiological measures of ... more Little is known about the effects of environmental enrichment on psychophysiological measures of arousal and orienting in humans. This study tests the hypothesis that early educational and health enrichment is associated with long-term increases in psychophysiological orienting and arousal. One hundred children were experimentally assigned to a two-year enriched nursery school intervention at ages 3-5 years and matched at age 3 years on psychophysiological measures, gender, and ethnicity to 100 comparisons who received the normal educational experience. Children were retested 6-8 years later at age 11 years on skin conductance~SC! and electroencephalogram~EEG! measures of arousal and attention during pre-and postexperimental rest periods and during the continuous performance task. Nursery enrichment was associated with increased SC amplitudes, faster SC rise times, faster SC recovery times, and less slow-wave EEG during both rest and CPT conditions. This is believed to be the first study to show that early environmental enrichment is associated with long-term increases in psychophysiological orienting and arousal in humans. Results draw attention to the important influence of the early environment in shaping later psychophysiological functioning.

Research paper thumbnail of Importance of genetic effects for monoamine oxidase activity in thrombocytes in twins reared apart and twins reared together

Psychiatry Research, 1993

The relative importance of shared genes, shared environments, and individual specific environment... more The relative importance of shared genes, shared environments, and individual specific environmental effects for monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity in thrombocytes was assessed in the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging. The sample consists of identical twins separated at an early age and reared apart (30 pairs), identical twins reared together (60 pairs), fraternal twins reared apart (66 pairs), and fraternal twins reared together (68 pairs), whose average age was 63.5 years; 49% were female. Consistent with the literature, the heritability of MAO activity was 0.77 and did not differ across cohort (under or over 63 years of age) or gender. Sharing rearing environments or similar experiences later in life does not result in familial similarity for MAO activity.

Research paper thumbnail of Complete ascertainment of dementia in the Swedish Twin Registry: the HARMONY study

Neurobiology of Aging, 2005

The purpose of this report is to describe the Study of Dementia in Swedish Twins (known as HARMON... more The purpose of this report is to describe the Study of Dementia in Swedish Twins (known as HARMONY), including procedures for complete ascertainment of all cases of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other dementias in 14,435 individuals aged 65 and older from the national Swedish twin registry. Telephone cognitive screening identified 11.5% as positive for cognitive dysfunction. Clinical diagnoses were completed for 1557 individuals, including individuals who screened positive, their twin partners, and a sample of normal controls. Estimated prevalence of dementia ranged from 1.4% for age 65-69 to 29.2% for age 90 and older. Concordance rates for Alzheimer's disease were 59% for monozygotic twins, 32% for like-sexed, and 24% for unlike-sexed dizygotic twins. Among monozygotic twins where both twins had Alzheimer's disease, the within pair difference in age of onset ranged from both becoming demented in the same year to 7 years difference in onset.

Research paper thumbnail of A genome-wide association study implicates the APOE locus in nonpathological cognitive ageing

Molecular Psychiatry, 2014

Cognitive decline is a feared aspect of growing old. It is a major contributor to lower quality o... more Cognitive decline is a feared aspect of growing old. It is a major contributor to lower quality of life and loss of independence in old age. We investigated the genetic contribution to individual differences in nonpathological cognitive ageing in five cohorts of older adults. We undertook a genome-wide association analysis using 549 692 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 3511 unrelated adults in the Cognitive Ageing Genetics in England and Scotland (CAGES) project. These individuals have detailed longitudinal cognitive data from which phenotypes measuring each individual's cognitive changes were constructed. One SNP-rs2075650, located in TOMM40 (translocase of the outer mitochondrial membrane 40 homolog)-had a genome-wide significant association with cognitive ageing (P ¼ 2.5 Â 10 À 8 ). This result was replicated in a meta-analysis of three independent Swedish cohorts (P ¼ 2.41 Â 10 À 6 ). An Apolipoprotein E (APOE) haplotype (adjacent to TOMM40), previously associated with cognitive ageing, had a significant effect on cognitive ageing in the CAGES sample (P ¼ 2.18 Â 10 À 8 ; females, P ¼ 1.66 Â 10 À 11 ; males, P ¼ 0.01). Fine SNP mapping of the TOMM40/APOE region identified both APOE (rs429358; P ¼ 3.66 Â 10 À 11 ) and TOMM40 (rs11556505; P ¼ 2.45 Â 10 À 8 ) as loci that were associated with cognitive ageing. Imputation and conditional analyses in the discovery and replication cohorts strongly suggest that this effect is due to APOE (rs429358). Functional genomic analysis indicated that SNPs in the TOMM40/APOE region have a functional, regulatory non-protein-coding effect. The APOE region is significantly associated with nonpathological cognitive ageing. The identity and mechanism of one or multiple causal variants remain unclear.

Research paper thumbnail of Stimulation seeking and intelligence: A prospective longitudinal study

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2002

The prediction that high stimulation seeking 3-year-olds would have higher IQs by 11 years old wa... more The prediction that high stimulation seeking 3-year-olds would have higher IQs by 11 years old was tested in 1,795 children on whom behavioral measures of stimulation seeking were taken at 3 years, together with cognitive ability at 11 years. High 3-year-old stimulation seekers scored 12 points higher on total IQ at age 11 compared with low stimulation seekers and also had superior scholastic and reading ability. Results replicated across independent samples and were found for all gender and ethnic groups. Effect sizes for the relationship between age 3 stimulation seeking and age 11 IQ ranged from 0.52 to 0.87. Findings appear to be the first to show a prospective link between stimulation seeking and intelligence. It is hypothesized that young stimulation seekers create for themselves an enriched environment that stimulates cognitive development.

Research paper thumbnail of The Genetics of Children's Oral Reading Performance

Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 1996

Measures of reading achievement and verbal ability have been shown to be heritable. Additionally,... more Measures of reading achievement and verbal ability have been shown to be heritable. Additionally, recent evidence has been suggestive of a major gene effect on reading disability and for problem reading in a sample of normal readers. We report on the etiology of individual differences in oral reading performance, the Slosson Oral Reading Test (SORT), for which biometrical analyses have not been reported in the literature previously. Oral reading performance was measured in a large population-based sample of twins of the Virginia Twin Study of Adolescent Behavioral Development. Biometrical analyses of the SORT suggested that, in both males and females, 69% of the phenotypic variation was due to heritable influences and 13% of the variation due to shared environmental effects. While the relative importance of genetic and environmental influences is equivalent for males and females, males showed greater phenotypic variability than females.

Research paper thumbnail of Genetics and Developmental Psychopathology: 2. The Main Effects of Genes and Environment on Behavioral Problems in the Virginia Twin Study of Adolescent Behavioral Development

Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 1997

Research paper thumbnail of BIOSOCIAL BASES OF AGGRESSIVE BEHA VIOR IN CHILDHOOD Resting Heart Rate, Skin Conductance Orienting, and Physique

Research paper thumbnail of A Cross-National Self-Report Measure of Depressive Symptomatology

International Psychogeriatrics, 1993

The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (CES-D) was administered in Swedish to tw... more The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (CES-D) was administered in Swedish to two representative samples, one aged 84 to 90 (mean = 87), the second aged 29 to 95 (mean = 61). There were both linear and quadratic differences with age: the oldest individuals were highest on depressive symptoms, but younger adults were higher than middle-aged. Dimensions or subscales identified by previous studies were generally replicated, including a sadness and depressed mood factor, a psychomotor retardation and loss of energy factor, and a well-being factor (on which items are reverse-scored to indicate depression). The findings support cross-national use of the CES-D to assess self-reported symptoms of depression in adults and older adults.

Research paper thumbnail of Towards compendia of negative genetic association studies: an example for Alzheimer disease

Human Genetics, 2006

Most genetic sequence variants that contribute to variability in complex human traits will have s... more Most genetic sequence variants that contribute to variability in complex human traits will have small effects that are not readily detectable with population samples typically used in genetic association studies. A potentially valuable tool in the gene discovery process is meta-analysis of the accumulated published data, but in order to be valid these require a sample of studies representative of the true genetic effect and thus hypothetically should include some positive and an abundance of negative reports. A survey of the literature on association studies for Alzheimer disease (AD) from January 2004-April 2005, identified 138 studies, 86 of which reported positive findings other than for apolipoprotein E (APOE), strongly indicative of publication bias. We report here an analysis of 62 genetic markers, tested for association with AD risk as well as for possible effects upon quantitative indices of AD severity (mini-mental state examination scores, age-at-onset, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) beta-amyloid (Abeta) and CSF tau proteins). Within this set, only modest signals were present that, with the exception of APOE are easily lost when corrections for multiple hypotheses are applied. In isolation, results are thus broadly negative. Genes studied encompass both novel candidates as well as several recently claimed to be associated with AD (e.g. urokinase plasminogen activator (PLAU) and acetyl-coenzyme A acetyltransferase 1 (ACAT1)). By reporting these data we hope to encourage the publication of gene compendia to guide further studies and aid future meta-analyses aimed at resolving the involvement of genes in complex human traits.

Research paper thumbnail of Childhood Sleep Duration and Lifelong Mortality Risk

Health Psychology, 2014

Sleep duration is known to significantly affect health in adults and children, but little is unde... more Sleep duration is known to significantly affect health in adults and children, but little is understood about long-term associations. This prospective cohort study is the first to examine whether childhood sleep duration is associated with lifelong mortality risk. Data from childhood were refined and mortality data collected for 1,145 participants from the Terman Life Cycle Study. Participants were born between 1904 and 1915, lived to at least 1940, and had complete age, bedtime, and waketime data at initial data collection (1917-1926). Homogeneity of the cohort sample (intelligent, mostly White) limits generality but provides natural control of common confounds. Through 2009, 1,039 participants had confirmed deaths. Sleep duration was calculated as the difference between each child's bed and wake times. Age-adjusted sleep (deviation from that predicted by age) was computed. Cox proportional hazards survival models evaluated childhood sleep duration as a predictor of mortality separately by sex, controlling for baseline age. For males, a quadratic relation emerged: Male children who underslept or overslept compared with peers were at increased risk of lifelong all-cause mortality (HR = 1.15, CIs [1.05, 1.27]). Effect sizes were smaller and nonsignificant in females (HR = 1.02, CIs [0.91, 1.14]). Male children with shorter or longer sleep durations than expected for their age were at increased risk of death at any given age in adulthood. The findings suggest that sleep may be a core biobehavioral trait, with implications for new models of sleep and health throughout the entire life span.

Research paper thumbnail of Three-Factor Model of Schizotypal Personality: Invariance Across Culture, Gender, Religious Affiliation, Family Adversity, and Psychopathology

Schizophrenia Bulletin, 2000

Whilst the syndrome approach to schizotypy has recently demonstrated differential correlates of a... more Whilst the syndrome approach to schizotypy has recently demonstrated differential correlates of a three-factor model of schizotypal personality, variations in the nature of these factors question a basic assumption of this approach. This study tested competing models of the factor structure of schizotypal personality using the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ) in a sample of 1,201 Mauritians. Factor invariance across gender,

Research paper thumbnail of Understanding Associations among Family Support, Friend Support, and Psychological Distress

Personal Relationships, 2015

Emotional support from family and friends is associated with lower psychological distress. This s... more Emotional support from family and friends is associated with lower psychological distress. This study examined whether genetic and environmental influences explain associations among family support, friend support, and psychological distress. Data were drawn from the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) study and included 947 pairs of MZ, same-sex DZ, and opposite-sex DZ twins. Results showed that a genetic factor explains the relationship between friend support and psychological distress, independent of family support. Alternatively, a nonshared environmental factor accounts for an association among family support, friend support, and psychological distress. Thus, heritable factors shape a distinct relationship between friend support and psychological distress, but unique experiences contribute to a link among family support, friend support, and psychological distress.

Research paper thumbnail of Multifactorial analysis of changes in body mass index across the adult life course: a study with 65 years of follow-up

International journal of obesity (2005), 2014

Although the negative consequences on health of being obese are well known, most adults gain weig... more Although the negative consequences on health of being obese are well known, most adults gain weight across the lifespan. The general increase in body mass index (BMI) is mainly considered to originate from behavioral and environmental changes; however, few studies have evaluated the influence of these factors on change in BMI in the presence of genetic risk. We aimed to study the influence of multifactorial causes of change in BMI, over 65 years. Totally, 6130 participants from TwinGene, who had up to five assessments, and 536 from the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging, who had up to 12 assessments, ranging over 65 years were included. The influence of lifestyle factors, birth cohort, cardiometabolic diseases and an individual obesity genetic risk score (OGRS) based on 32 single nucleotide polymorphisms on change in BMI was evaluated with a growth model. For both sexes, BMI increased from early adulthood to age of 65 years, after which the increase leveled off; BMI declined after...

Research paper thumbnail of Factors associated with grip strength decline in older adults

Age and Ageing, 2014

few studies have examined associations of multi-faceted demographic, health and lifestyle factors... more few studies have examined associations of multi-faceted demographic, health and lifestyle factors with long-term change in grip strength performance across the adult lifespan. The aim of this study was to examine the associations of risk factors in specific parts of the adult lifespan (e.g. in early midlife, in late midlife and in old adulthood) separately for women and men. data came from the longitudinal Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging (SATSA). Grip strength performance was followed in 849 participants who were 50-88 years of age at baseline. The follow-up period with seven waves of data of grip strength was 22 years, and the risk factors were measured up to 20 years before the assessment of grip strength. Latent growth modelling was used for the longitudinal analyses. a gender difference in the type of factors associated with grip strength performance and development across the adult lifespan was found. Significant factors for the age slopes for women were stress, smoking and dementia. For men, marital status, mean arterial pressure, physical activity at work and having a chronic disorder were of importance. These factors varied in their associations with grip strength across the adult lifespan. factors measured earlier in adulthood were associated with grip strength decline in late midlife and old adulthood. Gender-specific patterns of risk factors suggest that it may be worthwhile to conduct research on grip and muscle strength (and biological vitality) separately for men and women.

Research paper thumbnail of Genetic Variants from Lipid-Related Pathways and Risk for Incident Myocardial Infarction

Background: Circulating lipids levels, as well as several familial lipid metabolism disorders, ar... more Background: Circulating lipids levels, as well as several familial lipid metabolism disorders, are strongly associated with initiation and progression of atherosclerosis and incidence of myocardial infarction (MI).

Research paper thumbnail of Biometrical analysis of individual growth curves

Behavior Genetics, 1992

Longitudinal data for height (length) between birth and 2 years of age were examined for 690 Dutc... more Longitudinal data for height (length) between birth and 2 years of age were examined for 690 Dutch Registry twin pairs. A two-stage analysis was performed, where individual growth curves were first fit to available data for each subject using a linear multiple regression procedure and estimated individual growth curve parameters were then subjected to multivariate biometrical analysis. Quadratic polynomial curves

Research paper thumbnail of Resting heart rate and the development of antisocial behavior from age 9 to 14: Genetic and environmental influences

Development and Psychopathology, 2009

The genetic and environmental basis of a well-replicated association between antisocial behavior ... more The genetic and environmental basis of a well-replicated association between antisocial behavior (ASB) and resting heart rate was investigated in a longitudinal twin study, based on two measurements between the ages of 9 and 14 years. ASB was defined as a broad continuum of externalizing behavior problems, assessed at each occasion through a composite measure based on parent ratings of trait aggression, delinquent behaviors, and psychopathic traits in their children. Parent ratings of ASB significantly decreased across age from childhood to early adolescence, although latent growth models indicated significant variation and twin similarity in the growth patterns, which were explained almost entirely by genetic influences. Resting heart rate at age 9-10 years old was inversely related to levels of ASB but not change patterns of ASB across age or occasions. Biometrical analyses indicated significant genetic influences on heart rate during childhood, as well as ASB throughout development from age 9 to 14. Both level and slope variation were significantly influenced by genetic factors. Of importance, the low resting heart rate and ASB association was significantly and entirely explained by their genetic covariation, although the heritable component of heart rate explained only a small portion (1-4%) of the substantial genetic variance in ASB. Although the effect size is small, children with low resting heart rate appear to be genetically predisposed toward externalizing behavior problems as early as age 9 years old.

Research paper thumbnail of Spatial but not verbal cognitive deficits at age 3 years in persistently antisocial individuals

Development and Psychopathology, 2002

Previous studies have repeatedly shown verbal intelligence deficits in adolescent antisocial indi... more Previous studies have repeatedly shown verbal intelligence deficits in adolescent antisocial individuals, but it is not known whether these deficits are in place prior to kindergarten or, alternatively, whether they are acquired throughout childhood. This study assesses whether cognitive deficits occur as early as age 3 years and whether they are specific to persistently antisocial individuals. Verbal and spatial abilities

Research paper thumbnail of Stability of Physical Activity across the Lifespan

Journal of Health Psychology - J HEALTH PSYCHOL, 2008

Physical activity is associated with various health-relevant psychosocial and physiological proce... more Physical activity is associated with various health-relevant psychosocial and physiological processes, but activity stability across extended time periods is inadequately understood. This lifespan longitudinal cohort study examined activity levels of 723 males and 554 females. Associations across time were computed and structural equation modeling compared a one factor model and a simplex model. Results showed activity levels are somewhat stable from childhood through middle and late adulthood. Further, a simplex model provided a better fit than a one factor model. Successful models and interventions to improve health will likely require a more nuanced, pattern-sensitive understanding of physical activity across time.

Research paper thumbnail of Early educational and health enrichment at age 3-5 years is associated with increased autonomic and central nervous system arousal and orienting at age 11 years: Evidence from the Mauritius Child Health Project

Psychophysiology, 2001

Little is known about the effects of environmental enrichment on psychophysiological measures of ... more Little is known about the effects of environmental enrichment on psychophysiological measures of arousal and orienting in humans. This study tests the hypothesis that early educational and health enrichment is associated with long-term increases in psychophysiological orienting and arousal. One hundred children were experimentally assigned to a two-year enriched nursery school intervention at ages 3-5 years and matched at age 3 years on psychophysiological measures, gender, and ethnicity to 100 comparisons who received the normal educational experience. Children were retested 6-8 years later at age 11 years on skin conductance~SC! and electroencephalogram~EEG! measures of arousal and attention during pre-and postexperimental rest periods and during the continuous performance task. Nursery enrichment was associated with increased SC amplitudes, faster SC rise times, faster SC recovery times, and less slow-wave EEG during both rest and CPT conditions. This is believed to be the first study to show that early environmental enrichment is associated with long-term increases in psychophysiological orienting and arousal in humans. Results draw attention to the important influence of the early environment in shaping later psychophysiological functioning.

Research paper thumbnail of Importance of genetic effects for monoamine oxidase activity in thrombocytes in twins reared apart and twins reared together

Psychiatry Research, 1993

The relative importance of shared genes, shared environments, and individual specific environment... more The relative importance of shared genes, shared environments, and individual specific environmental effects for monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity in thrombocytes was assessed in the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging. The sample consists of identical twins separated at an early age and reared apart (30 pairs), identical twins reared together (60 pairs), fraternal twins reared apart (66 pairs), and fraternal twins reared together (68 pairs), whose average age was 63.5 years; 49% were female. Consistent with the literature, the heritability of MAO activity was 0.77 and did not differ across cohort (under or over 63 years of age) or gender. Sharing rearing environments or similar experiences later in life does not result in familial similarity for MAO activity.

Research paper thumbnail of Complete ascertainment of dementia in the Swedish Twin Registry: the HARMONY study

Neurobiology of Aging, 2005

The purpose of this report is to describe the Study of Dementia in Swedish Twins (known as HARMON... more The purpose of this report is to describe the Study of Dementia in Swedish Twins (known as HARMONY), including procedures for complete ascertainment of all cases of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other dementias in 14,435 individuals aged 65 and older from the national Swedish twin registry. Telephone cognitive screening identified 11.5% as positive for cognitive dysfunction. Clinical diagnoses were completed for 1557 individuals, including individuals who screened positive, their twin partners, and a sample of normal controls. Estimated prevalence of dementia ranged from 1.4% for age 65-69 to 29.2% for age 90 and older. Concordance rates for Alzheimer's disease were 59% for monozygotic twins, 32% for like-sexed, and 24% for unlike-sexed dizygotic twins. Among monozygotic twins where both twins had Alzheimer's disease, the within pair difference in age of onset ranged from both becoming demented in the same year to 7 years difference in onset.

Research paper thumbnail of A genome-wide association study implicates the APOE locus in nonpathological cognitive ageing

Molecular Psychiatry, 2014

Cognitive decline is a feared aspect of growing old. It is a major contributor to lower quality o... more Cognitive decline is a feared aspect of growing old. It is a major contributor to lower quality of life and loss of independence in old age. We investigated the genetic contribution to individual differences in nonpathological cognitive ageing in five cohorts of older adults. We undertook a genome-wide association analysis using 549 692 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 3511 unrelated adults in the Cognitive Ageing Genetics in England and Scotland (CAGES) project. These individuals have detailed longitudinal cognitive data from which phenotypes measuring each individual's cognitive changes were constructed. One SNP-rs2075650, located in TOMM40 (translocase of the outer mitochondrial membrane 40 homolog)-had a genome-wide significant association with cognitive ageing (P ¼ 2.5 Â 10 À 8 ). This result was replicated in a meta-analysis of three independent Swedish cohorts (P ¼ 2.41 Â 10 À 6 ). An Apolipoprotein E (APOE) haplotype (adjacent to TOMM40), previously associated with cognitive ageing, had a significant effect on cognitive ageing in the CAGES sample (P ¼ 2.18 Â 10 À 8 ; females, P ¼ 1.66 Â 10 À 11 ; males, P ¼ 0.01). Fine SNP mapping of the TOMM40/APOE region identified both APOE (rs429358; P ¼ 3.66 Â 10 À 11 ) and TOMM40 (rs11556505; P ¼ 2.45 Â 10 À 8 ) as loci that were associated with cognitive ageing. Imputation and conditional analyses in the discovery and replication cohorts strongly suggest that this effect is due to APOE (rs429358). Functional genomic analysis indicated that SNPs in the TOMM40/APOE region have a functional, regulatory non-protein-coding effect. The APOE region is significantly associated with nonpathological cognitive ageing. The identity and mechanism of one or multiple causal variants remain unclear.

Research paper thumbnail of Stimulation seeking and intelligence: A prospective longitudinal study

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2002

The prediction that high stimulation seeking 3-year-olds would have higher IQs by 11 years old wa... more The prediction that high stimulation seeking 3-year-olds would have higher IQs by 11 years old was tested in 1,795 children on whom behavioral measures of stimulation seeking were taken at 3 years, together with cognitive ability at 11 years. High 3-year-old stimulation seekers scored 12 points higher on total IQ at age 11 compared with low stimulation seekers and also had superior scholastic and reading ability. Results replicated across independent samples and were found for all gender and ethnic groups. Effect sizes for the relationship between age 3 stimulation seeking and age 11 IQ ranged from 0.52 to 0.87. Findings appear to be the first to show a prospective link between stimulation seeking and intelligence. It is hypothesized that young stimulation seekers create for themselves an enriched environment that stimulates cognitive development.

Research paper thumbnail of The Genetics of Children's Oral Reading Performance

Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 1996

Measures of reading achievement and verbal ability have been shown to be heritable. Additionally,... more Measures of reading achievement and verbal ability have been shown to be heritable. Additionally, recent evidence has been suggestive of a major gene effect on reading disability and for problem reading in a sample of normal readers. We report on the etiology of individual differences in oral reading performance, the Slosson Oral Reading Test (SORT), for which biometrical analyses have not been reported in the literature previously. Oral reading performance was measured in a large population-based sample of twins of the Virginia Twin Study of Adolescent Behavioral Development. Biometrical analyses of the SORT suggested that, in both males and females, 69% of the phenotypic variation was due to heritable influences and 13% of the variation due to shared environmental effects. While the relative importance of genetic and environmental influences is equivalent for males and females, males showed greater phenotypic variability than females.

Research paper thumbnail of Genetics and Developmental Psychopathology: 2. The Main Effects of Genes and Environment on Behavioral Problems in the Virginia Twin Study of Adolescent Behavioral Development

Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 1997

Research paper thumbnail of BIOSOCIAL BASES OF AGGRESSIVE BEHA VIOR IN CHILDHOOD Resting Heart Rate, Skin Conductance Orienting, and Physique

Research paper thumbnail of A Cross-National Self-Report Measure of Depressive Symptomatology

International Psychogeriatrics, 1993

The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (CES-D) was administered in Swedish to tw... more The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (CES-D) was administered in Swedish to two representative samples, one aged 84 to 90 (mean = 87), the second aged 29 to 95 (mean = 61). There were both linear and quadratic differences with age: the oldest individuals were highest on depressive symptoms, but younger adults were higher than middle-aged. Dimensions or subscales identified by previous studies were generally replicated, including a sadness and depressed mood factor, a psychomotor retardation and loss of energy factor, and a well-being factor (on which items are reverse-scored to indicate depression). The findings support cross-national use of the CES-D to assess self-reported symptoms of depression in adults and older adults.

Research paper thumbnail of Towards compendia of negative genetic association studies: an example for Alzheimer disease

Human Genetics, 2006

Most genetic sequence variants that contribute to variability in complex human traits will have s... more Most genetic sequence variants that contribute to variability in complex human traits will have small effects that are not readily detectable with population samples typically used in genetic association studies. A potentially valuable tool in the gene discovery process is meta-analysis of the accumulated published data, but in order to be valid these require a sample of studies representative of the true genetic effect and thus hypothetically should include some positive and an abundance of negative reports. A survey of the literature on association studies for Alzheimer disease (AD) from January 2004-April 2005, identified 138 studies, 86 of which reported positive findings other than for apolipoprotein E (APOE), strongly indicative of publication bias. We report here an analysis of 62 genetic markers, tested for association with AD risk as well as for possible effects upon quantitative indices of AD severity (mini-mental state examination scores, age-at-onset, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) beta-amyloid (Abeta) and CSF tau proteins). Within this set, only modest signals were present that, with the exception of APOE are easily lost when corrections for multiple hypotheses are applied. In isolation, results are thus broadly negative. Genes studied encompass both novel candidates as well as several recently claimed to be associated with AD (e.g. urokinase plasminogen activator (PLAU) and acetyl-coenzyme A acetyltransferase 1 (ACAT1)). By reporting these data we hope to encourage the publication of gene compendia to guide further studies and aid future meta-analyses aimed at resolving the involvement of genes in complex human traits.

Research paper thumbnail of Childhood Sleep Duration and Lifelong Mortality Risk

Health Psychology, 2014

Sleep duration is known to significantly affect health in adults and children, but little is unde... more Sleep duration is known to significantly affect health in adults and children, but little is understood about long-term associations. This prospective cohort study is the first to examine whether childhood sleep duration is associated with lifelong mortality risk. Data from childhood were refined and mortality data collected for 1,145 participants from the Terman Life Cycle Study. Participants were born between 1904 and 1915, lived to at least 1940, and had complete age, bedtime, and waketime data at initial data collection (1917-1926). Homogeneity of the cohort sample (intelligent, mostly White) limits generality but provides natural control of common confounds. Through 2009, 1,039 participants had confirmed deaths. Sleep duration was calculated as the difference between each child's bed and wake times. Age-adjusted sleep (deviation from that predicted by age) was computed. Cox proportional hazards survival models evaluated childhood sleep duration as a predictor of mortality separately by sex, controlling for baseline age. For males, a quadratic relation emerged: Male children who underslept or overslept compared with peers were at increased risk of lifelong all-cause mortality (HR = 1.15, CIs [1.05, 1.27]). Effect sizes were smaller and nonsignificant in females (HR = 1.02, CIs [0.91, 1.14]). Male children with shorter or longer sleep durations than expected for their age were at increased risk of death at any given age in adulthood. The findings suggest that sleep may be a core biobehavioral trait, with implications for new models of sleep and health throughout the entire life span.