The Colorado Twin Registry: 2019 Update

Corley, Robin P.; Reynolds, Chandra A.; Wadsworth, Sally J.; Rhea, Sally Ann; Hewitt, John K.

doi:10.1017/thg.2019.50

Cited by 29 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 34 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Analyses were based on 1,238 individuals ( M = 33.15 years, SD = 4.96) who completed measures of EF and intelligence as part of the ongoing Colorado Longitudinal Twin study (LTS) EF-MRI (Corley et al, 2019) and CATSLife projects (Wadsworth et al, 2019). This total included 700 individuals from same-sex twin pairs from the LTS ( M = 29.33 years, SD = 1.27) and 538 individuals from the Colorado Adoption Project (CAP; M = 38.12 years, SD = 3.27), and included EF data collected for LTS EF-MRI study or CATSLife between 2014 and 2020 and intelligence data collected in CATSLife between 2015 and 2020.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic associations between executive functions and intelligence: A combined twin and adoption study.

Gustavson¹,

Reynolds²,

Corley³

et al. 2022

Journal of Experimental Psychology: General

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Much debate has concerned the separability of executive function abilities and intelligence, with some evidence that the 2 constructs are genetically indistinguishable in children and adolescents but phenotypically and genetically distinct in older adolescents and adults. The current study leveraged data from twin and adoption studies to examine executive function's genetic structure in adulthood (M = 33.15 years, SD = 4.96) and its overlap with intelligence. 1,238 individuals (170 MZ twin pairs, 154 DZ twin pairs, 95 biological sibling pairs, 80 adoptive sibling pairs, and 240 unpaired individuals) completed 6 executive function tasks as well as the Weschler Adult Intelligence Scale-III as part of the Colorado Adoption/Twin study of Life span behavioral development and cognitive aging (CATSLife). Results replicated the unity/diversity model of executive function that distinguishes general executive function abilities (Common EF) from abilities specific to working memory updating (Updating-specific) and mental set shifting (Shifting-specific). In the final model, broad-sense heritability was high for Common EF (h 2 = .72), Updating-specific (h 2 = 1.0), and Shifting-specific (h 2 = .60) factors, as well as for fullscale intelligence (h 2 = .74). Intelligence was phenotypically and genetically correlated with Common EF (r = .49, broad-sense r g = .44) and Updating-specific (r = .60, r g = .69) abilities. This study represents the first executive function study to apply the adoption design. Leveraging the combined twin and adoptive design allowed us to estimate both additive and nonadditive genetic effects underlying these associations. These findings highlight the commonality and separability of executive function and intelligence. Common EF abilities are distinct from intelligence in adulthood, with intelligence also strongly associated with Updating-specific abilities.

show abstract

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic associations between executive functions and intelligence: A combined twin and adoption study.

Gustavson¹,

Reynolds²,

Corley³

et al. 2022

Journal of Experimental Psychology: General

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Analyses were based on a total of 1,684 individuals (830 female participants, 854 male participants) from the CATSLife project (Wadsworth et al, 2019). CATSLife comprises two samples with similar measures: the Colorado Longitudinal Twin Sample (LTS; Corley et al, 2019) and the Colorado Adoption Project (CAP; Wadsworth et al, 2019). LTS participants included same-sex twin pairs (232 full monozygotic [MZ] twin pairs, 203 full dizygotic [DZ] twin pairs, and two unpaired twins) and CAP participants included 177 biological sibling pairs, 176 adoptive sibling pairs, and 106 unpaired individuals.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Musical instrument engagement in adolescence predicts verbal ability 4 years later: A twin and adoption study.

Gustavson¹,

Friedman²,

Stallings³

et al. 2021

Developmental Psychology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Individual differences in music traits are heritable and correlated with the development of cognitive and communication skills, but little is known about whether diverse modes of music engagement (e.g., playing instruments vs. singing) reflect similar underlying genetic/environmental influences. Moreover, the biological etiology underlying the relationship between musicality and childhood language development is poorly understood. Here we explored genetic and environmental associations between music engagement and verbal ability in the Colorado Adoption/Twin Study of Lifespan behavioral development & cognitive aging (CATSLife). Adolescents (N = 1,684) completed measures of music engagement and intelligence at approximately age 12 and/or multiple tests of verbal ability at age 16. Structural equation models revealed that instrument engagement was highly heritable (a 2 = .78), with moderate heritability of singing (a 2 = .43) and dance engagement (a 2 = .66). Adolescent self-reported instrument engagement (but not singing or dance engagement) was genetically correlated with age 12 verbal intelligence and still was associated with age 16 verbal ability, even when controlling for age 12 full-scale intelligence, providing evidence for a longitudinal relationship between music engagement and language beyond shared general cognitive processes. Together, these novel findings suggest that shared genetic influences in part accounts for phenotypic associations between music engagement and language, but there may also be some (weak) direct benefits of music engagement on later language abilities.

show abstract

“…The 2013 special issue also featured an update of the Colorado Twin Registry (CTR; Rhea, Gross et al, 2013), describing registry enrollment, sample characteristics, and several studies which contribute to and utilize the data from the CTR, including the LTS, which has served as a comparison sample to clinical samples in studies such as the CADD, and as the primary sample to studies such as the Executive Cognitive Function-LTS (ECF-LTS). The recent CTR follow-up in this special issue (Corley et al, in press) takes a more general look at the multiple samples of CTR twins and other research involving LTS. The LTS has largely followed the same testing schedule as that of the CAP and has the following main attributes: (1) prospective, longitudinal structure assessing traits from infancy into early adulthood; (2) multivariate format (with measures nearly parallel to those of the CAP) and (3) 483 twin pairs and their parents.…”

Section: The Longitudinal Twin Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

CATSLife: A Study of Lifespan Behavioral Development and Cognitive Functioning

et al. 2019

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The purpose of this update is to provide the most current information about both the Colorado Adoption Project (CAP) and the Longitudinal Twin Study (LTS) and to introduce the Colorado Adoption/Twin Study of Lifespan behavioral development and cognitive aging (CATSLife), a product of their merger and a unique study of lifespan behavioral development and cognitive aging. The primary objective of CATSLife is to assess the unique saliency of early childhood genetic and environmental factors to adult cognitive maintenance and change, as well as proximal influences and innovations that emerge across development. CATSLife is currently assessing up to 1600 individuals on the cusp of middle age, targeting those between 30 and 40 years of age. The ongoing CATSLife data collection is described as well as the longitudinal data available from the earlier CAP and LTS assessments. We illustrate CATSLife via current projects and publications, highlighting the measurement of genetic, biochemical, social, sociodemographic and environmental indices, including geospatial features, and their impact on cognitive maintenance in middle adulthood. CATSLife provides an unparalleled opportunity to assess prospectively the etiologies of cognitive change and test the saliency of early childhood versus proximal influences on the genesis of cognitive decline.

show abstract

The Colorado Twin Registry: 2019 Update

Cited by 29 publications

References 34 publications

Genetic associations between executive functions and intelligence: A combined twin and adoption study.

Genetic associations between executive functions and intelligence: A combined twin and adoption study.

Musical instrument engagement in adolescence predicts verbal ability 4 years later: A twin and adoption study.

CATSLife: A Study of Lifespan Behavioral Development and Cognitive Functioning

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About