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Estimating heritability from twin studies. 2012

Karin J H Verweij, and Miriam A Mosing, and Brendan P Zietsch, and Sarah E Medland
Genetic Epidemiology Unit, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.

This chapter describes how the heritability of a trait can be estimated using data collected from pairs of twins. The principles of the classical twin design are described, followed by the assumptions and possible extensions of the design. In the second part of this chapter, two example scripts are presented and described, explaining the basic steps for estimating heritability using the statistical program OpenMx. OpenMx and the scripts used for this chapter can be downloaded so that readers can adapt and use the scripts for their own purposes.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008957 Models, Genetic Theoretical representations that simulate the behavior or activity of genetic processes or phenomena. They include the use of mathematical equations, computers, and other electronic equipment. Genetic Models,Genetic Model,Model, Genetic
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D014427 Twins Two individuals derived from two FETUSES that were fertilized at or about the same time, developed in the UTERUS simultaneously, and born to the same mother. Twins are either monozygotic (TWINS, MONOZYGOTIC) or dizygotic (TWINS, DIZYGOTIC). Twin
D018433 Twin Studies as Topic Works about methods of detecting genetic etiology in human traits. The basic premise of twin studies is that monozygotic twins carry identical genes, while zygotic twins are genetically no more similar than two siblings born after separate pregnancies. (Last, J.M., A Dictionary of Epidemiology, 2d ed)

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