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Heritability of Head Size in Dutch and Australian Twin Families at Ages 0–50 Years

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2012

Dirk J. A. Smit ,
Michelle Luciano ,
Meike Bartels ,
Catharine E. M. van Beijsterveldt ,
Margaret J. Wright ,
Narelle K. Hansell ,
Han G. Brunner ,
G. Frederiek Estourgie-van Burk ,
Eco J. C. de Geus  and
Nicholas G. Martin
...Show all authors
Dirk J. A. Smit*
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychology, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. [email protected]
Michelle Luciano
Affiliation:
Queensland Institute Medical Research & University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
Meike Bartels
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychology, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Catharine E. M. van Beijsterveldt
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychology, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Margaret J. Wright
Affiliation:
Queensland Institute Medical Research & University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Narelle K. Hansell
Affiliation:
Queensland Institute Medical Research & University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Han G. Brunner
Affiliation:
Radboud University, Medical Center Department of Human Genetics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
G. Frederiek Estourgie-van Burk
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychology, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Pediatrics, VU Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Eco J. C. de Geus
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychology, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Nicholas G. Martin
Affiliation:
Queensland Institute Medical Research & University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
Dorret I. Boomsma
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychology, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
*
*Address for correspondence: Dirk J.A. Smit, van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Abstract

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We assessed the heritability of head circumference, an approximation of brain size, in twin-sib families of different ages. Data from the youngest participants were collected a few weeks after birth and from the oldest participants around age 50 years. In nearly all age groups the largest part of the variation in head circumference was explained by genetic differences. Heritability estimates were 90% in young infants (4 to 5 months), 85–88% in early childhood, 83–87% in adolescence, 75% in young and mid adulthood. In infants younger than 3 months, heritability was very low or absent. Quantitative sex differences in heritability were observed in 15- and 18-year-olds, but there was no evidence for qualitative sex differences, that is, the same genes were expressed in both males and females. Longitudinal analysis of the data between 5, 7, and 18 years of age showed high genetic stability (.78 > RG > .98). These results indicate that head circumference is a highly heritable biometric trait and a valid target for future GWA studies.

Keywords

twin studybrain sizehead circumferenceinfant growth
Type
Articles
Information
Twin Research and Human Genetics , Volume 13 , Issue 4 , 01 August 2010 , pp. 370 - 380
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010