TY - JOUR
T1 - The contribution of twins to the study of cognitive ageing and dementia
T2 - The Older Australian Twins Study
AU - Sachdev, Perminder S.
AU - Lee, Teresa
AU - Wen, Wei
AU - Ames, David
AU - Batouli, Amir H.
AU - Bowden, Jocelyn
AU - Brodaty, Henry
AU - Chong, Elizabeth
AU - Crawford, John
AU - Kang, Kristan
AU - Mather, Karen
AU - Lammel, Andrea
AU - Slavin, Melissa J.
AU - Thalamuthu, Anbupalam
AU - Trollor, Julian
AU - Wright, Margie J.
PY - 2013/12
Y1 - 2013/12
N2 - The Older Australian Twins Study (OATS) is a major longitudinal study of twins, aged ≥ 65 years, to investigate genetic and environmental factors and their interactions in healthy brain ageing and neurocognitive disorders. The study collects psychiatric, neuropsychological, cardiovascular, metabolic, biochemical, neuroimaging, genomic and proteomic data, with two-yearly assessments, and is currently in its third wave. The initial cohort comprises 623 individuals (161 monozygotic and 124 dizygotic twin pairs; 1 MZ triplets; 27 single twins and 23 non-twin siblings), of whom 426 have had wave 2 assessment. A number of salient findings have emerged thus far which assist in the understanding of genetic contributions to cognitive functions such as processing speed, executive ability and episodic memory, and which support the brain reserve hypothesis. The heritability of brain structures, both cortical and subcortical, brain spectroscopic metabolites and markers of small vessel disease, such as lacunar infarction and white matter hyperintensities, have been examined and can inform future genetic investigations. Work on amyloid imaging and functional magnetic resonance imaging is proceeding and epigenetic studies are progressing. This internationally important study has the potential to inform research into cognitive ageing in the future, and offers an excellent resource for collaborative work.
AB - The Older Australian Twins Study (OATS) is a major longitudinal study of twins, aged ≥ 65 years, to investigate genetic and environmental factors and their interactions in healthy brain ageing and neurocognitive disorders. The study collects psychiatric, neuropsychological, cardiovascular, metabolic, biochemical, neuroimaging, genomic and proteomic data, with two-yearly assessments, and is currently in its third wave. The initial cohort comprises 623 individuals (161 monozygotic and 124 dizygotic twin pairs; 1 MZ triplets; 27 single twins and 23 non-twin siblings), of whom 426 have had wave 2 assessment. A number of salient findings have emerged thus far which assist in the understanding of genetic contributions to cognitive functions such as processing speed, executive ability and episodic memory, and which support the brain reserve hypothesis. The heritability of brain structures, both cortical and subcortical, brain spectroscopic metabolites and markers of small vessel disease, such as lacunar infarction and white matter hyperintensities, have been examined and can inform future genetic investigations. Work on amyloid imaging and functional magnetic resonance imaging is proceeding and epigenetic studies are progressing. This internationally important study has the potential to inform research into cognitive ageing in the future, and offers an excellent resource for collaborative work.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84892687869&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3109/09540261.2013.870137
DO - 10.3109/09540261.2013.870137
M3 - Article
C2 - 24423226
AN - SCOPUS:84892687869
SN - 0954-0261
VL - 25
SP - 738
EP - 747
JO - International Review of Psychiatry
JF - International Review of Psychiatry
IS - 6
ER -