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Young Netherlands Twin Register (Y-NTR): A Longitudinal Multiple Informant Study of Problem Behavior

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2012

Meike Bartels*
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Univerisiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. m.bartels@psy.vu.nl
C. E. M. (Toos) van Beijsterveldt
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Univerisiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Eske M. Derks
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Univerisiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Therese M. Stroet
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Univerisiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Tinca J. C. Polderman
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Univerisiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
James J. Hudziak
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychiatry and Medicine (Division of Human Genetics), Center for Children, Youth and Families, University of Vermont, College of Medicine Burlington, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America.
Dorret I. Boomsma
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Univerisiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
*
*Address for correspondence: Meike Bartels, Department of Biological Psychology, Room 2B-47, Vrije Universiteit, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Abstract

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The Netherlands Twin Register (NTR) was established around 1987 at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The current article summarizes the longitudinal genetic analyses of maternal and paternal ratings of twins' behavior as a function of the sex of the children for the traits of aggression (AGG), attention problems (AP), anxious/depression (ANX), internalizing behavior (INT) and externalizing behavior (EXT). We found that genetic influences are the most important factor in explaining individual differences in these traits. For most phenotypes, influences of genetic factors fluctuate throughout development, with the exception of AP, for which genetic influences remain of similar magnitude. Changes in genetic influences parallel those in shared environmental influences, while nonshared environmental influences remain relatively constant. Around 10% to 20% of the variance is accounted for by parent-specific shared environment, which includes rater bias. For all phenotypes, stability throughout childhood is accounted for by genetic and shared environmental factors, while nonshared environmental influences are mainly age/measurement specific. About 15% of the phenotypic stability is accounted for by rater-specific shared environmental influences, which include rater bias. In conclusion, between ages 3 and 12 genetic factors are the most important cause of individual differences in emotional and behavioral problems.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007