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Long-term effect of placental type on anthropometrical and psychological traits among monozygotic twins: a follow up study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2012

Lise Gutknecht*
Affiliation:
UPR 9074 CNRS Genetics Neurogenetics Behavior Transg´enose Institute, Orleans, France. gutknecht@cnrs-orleans.fr.
Elizabeth Spitz
Affiliation:
UPR 9074 CNRS Genetics Neurogenetics Behavior Transg´enose Institute, Orleans, France.
Michele Carlier
Affiliation:
UPR 9074 CNRS Genetics Neurogenetics Behavior Transgéenose Institute, Orleans, France.
*
*Correspondence: Lise Gutknecht, UPR 9074 CNRS Génétique Neurogénétique Comportement Institut de Transgénose, 3b rue de la Férollerie, 45071 Orleans Cedex 2, France. Tel: (33) 02 38 25 79 73; Fax: (33) 02 38 25 79 79;

Abstract

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The long-term effect of differences in placentation in MZ twins is a controversial subject. An effect has been clearly established for birth weight but data on psychological traits are still under debate. We studied 20 pairs of monochorionic MZ (MCMZ) and 24 pairs of dichorionic MZ (DCMZ) twins. A chorion effect was observed for Block Design (WISC-R) confirming a previous report: MC MZ co-twins were more similar that DC MZ co-twins. For anthropometrical measures, an expected effect in the opposite direction was found. No chorion effect was significant for the other variables. A follow up was undertaken 3 years later using cognitive, national academic evaluations, and personality variables. The sample included 16 pairs of MC MZ and 22 pairs of DC MZ twins. Again a chorion effect was observed on anthropometrical variables but results on the Block Design were not replicated. However, the MC MZ co-twins were more similar than the DC MZ co-twins for two other cognitive variables: Perceptual Organization Index from the WISC-R and Global Visualisation from a Belgian reasoning test. Among the personality variables only one was sensitive to a chorion effect. The discussion focuses on the need for larger samples to achieve adequate power in statistical comparisons.

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Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1999