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Genetic and Environmental Influences of Twins in Posttraumatic Stress

Genetic and Environmental Influences of Twins in Posttraumatic Stress Abstract True et al,1 in their twin study on genetic and environmental contributions to the liability for posttraumatic stress symptoms in Vietnam veterans, use a bivariate model to postulate significant genetic influences on symptom liability and state that there is no evidence that shared environment contributes to the development of posttraumatic stress symptoms. This model is erroneous, however, since it is based on the assumption that noncombat environmental influences are not more highly correlated in monozygotic (MZ) twins than in dizygotic (DZ) twins. The authors' own data indicate that the MZ twins have a higher concordance for combat exposure than do DZ twins (0.34 vs 0.17). To assume that their environments previous to this are somehow no more concordant seems obviously false. In addition, the fact that MZ twins are so much more alike in appearance, tend to play together, and have other childhood similarities, seems to guarantee that their References 1. True WR, Rice J, Eisen SA, Heath AC, Goldeberg J, Lyons MJ, Nowac J. A twin study of genetic and environmental contributions to liability for post-traumatic stress symptoms . Arch Gen Psychiatry . 1993;50:257-264.Crossref 2. Slater E. Psychotic and Neurotic Illnesses in Twins . London, England: Her Majesty's Stationery Office; 1953. Special Report Series 278. 3. Fischer M. Genetic and environmental factors in schizophrenia: a study of schizophrenic twins and their families . Acta Psychiatr Scand . 1973;238( (suppl) ):9-142. 4. Rosanoff AJ, Handy LM, Plesset IR, Brush S. The etiology of so-called schizophrenic psychoses with special reference to their occurrence in twins . Am J Psychiatry . 1934;91:247-286. 5. Kallmann FJ. The genetic theory of schizophrenia: an analysis of 691 schizophrenic twin index families . Am J Psychiatry . 1946;103:309-322. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Archives of General Psychiatry American Medical Association

Genetic and Environmental Influences of Twins in Posttraumatic Stress

Lurie, Scott; Geyer, Pleas
Archives of General Psychiatry , Volume 51 (10) – Oct 1, 1994
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Genetic and Environmental Influences of Twins in Posttraumatic Stress

Abstract

Abstract True et al,1 in their twin study on genetic and environmental contributions to the liability for posttraumatic stress symptoms in Vietnam veterans, use a bivariate model to postulate significant genetic influences on symptom liability and state that there is no evidence that shared environment contributes to the development of posttraumatic stress symptoms. This model is erroneous, however, since it is based on the assumption that noncombat environmental influences are not more...
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Publisher
American Medical Association
Copyright
Copyright © 1994 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.
ISSN
0003-990X
eISSN
1598-3636
DOI
10.1001/archpsyc.1994.03950100086008
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Abstract True et al,1 in their twin study on genetic and environmental contributions to the liability for posttraumatic stress symptoms in Vietnam veterans, use a bivariate model to postulate significant genetic influences on symptom liability and state that there is no evidence that shared environment contributes to the development of posttraumatic stress symptoms. This model is erroneous, however, since it is based on the assumption that noncombat environmental influences are not more highly correlated in monozygotic (MZ) twins than in dizygotic (DZ) twins. The authors' own data indicate that the MZ twins have a higher concordance for combat exposure than do DZ twins (0.34 vs 0.17). To assume that their environments previous to this are somehow no more concordant seems obviously false. In addition, the fact that MZ twins are so much more alike in appearance, tend to play together, and have other childhood similarities, seems to guarantee that their References 1. True WR, Rice J, Eisen SA, Heath AC, Goldeberg J, Lyons MJ, Nowac J. A twin study of genetic and environmental contributions to liability for post-traumatic stress symptoms . Arch Gen Psychiatry . 1993;50:257-264.Crossref 2. Slater E. Psychotic and Neurotic Illnesses in Twins . London, England: Her Majesty's Stationery Office; 1953. Special Report Series 278. 3. Fischer M. Genetic and environmental factors in schizophrenia: a study of schizophrenic twins and their families . Acta Psychiatr Scand . 1973;238( (suppl) ):9-142. 4. Rosanoff AJ, Handy LM, Plesset IR, Brush S. The etiology of so-called schizophrenic psychoses with special reference to their occurrence in twins . Am J Psychiatry . 1934;91:247-286. 5. Kallmann FJ. The genetic theory of schizophrenia: an analysis of 691 schizophrenic twin index families . Am J Psychiatry . 1946;103:309-322.

Journal

Archives of General Psychiatry – American Medical Association

Published: Oct 1, 1994

References

  • A twin study of genetic and environmental contributions to liability for post-traumatic stress symptoms
    True WR, Rice J, Eisen SA, Heath AC, Goldeberg J, Lyons MJ, Nowac J
  • Psychotic and Neurotic Illnesses in Twins
    Slater E
  • Genetic and environmental factors in schizophrenia: a study of schizophrenic twins and their families
    Fischer M
  • The etiology of so-called schizophrenic psychoses with special reference to their occurrence in twins
    Rosanoff AJ, Handy LM, Plesset IR, Brush S
  • The genetic theory of schizophrenia: an analysis of 691 schizophrenic twin index families
    Kallmann FJ