Articles

Design and Implementation of a Twin-Family Database for Behavior Genetics and Genomics Studies

Dorret I. Boomsma^a1 c1, Gonneke Willemsen^a2, Jacqueline M. Vink^a3, Meike Bartels^a4, Paul Groot^a5, Jouke Jan Hottenga^a6, C. E. M. Toos van Beijsterveldt^a7, Therese Stroet^a8, Rob van Dijk^a9, Rien Wertheim^a10, Marco Visser^a11 and Frank van der Kleij^a12

^a1 Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. dorret@psy.vu.nl

^a2 Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

^a3 Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

^a4 Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

^a5 Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

^a6 Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

^a7 Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

^a8 Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

^a9 Furore Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

^a10 Furore Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

^a11 Furore Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

^a12 Furore Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Abstract

In this article we describe the design and implementation of a database for extended twin families. The database does not focus on probands or on index twins, as this approach becomes problematic when larger multigenerational families are included, when more than one set of multiples is present within a family, or when families turn out to be part of a larger pedigree. Instead, we present an alternative approach that uses a highly flexible notion of persons and relations. The relations among the subjects in the database have a one-to-many structure, are user-definable and extendible and support arbitrarily complicated pedigrees. Some additional characteristics of the database are highlighted, such as the storage of historical data, predefined expressions for advanced queries, output facilities for individuals and relations among individuals and an easy-to-use multi-step wizard for contacting participants. This solution presents a flexible approach to accommodate pedigrees of arbitrary size, multiple biological and nonbiological relationships among participants and dynamic changes in these relations that occur over time, which can be implemented for any type of multigenerational family study.

(Received March 24 2008)

(Accepted April 01 2008)

Correspondence:

^c1 Address for correspondence: Dorret Boomsma, Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, the Netherlands.