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November 1970, Vol 23, No. 5 >
Article | November 1970

Schizophrenia in the NAS-NRC Panel of 15,909 Veteran Twin Pairs

Axel Hoffer, MD; William Pollin, MD
[+] Author Affiliations

Accepted for publication Feb 5, 1970.

Reprint requests to Section on Twin and Sibling Studies, Adult Psychiatrv Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Building 10, Room 2S-239, Bethesda. Md 20014 (Dr. Pollin).


Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1970;23(5):469-477. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.1970.01750050085012
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THE CLASSICAL twin method has played a major role in influencing the direction of psychiatric thought on the relative importance of heredity and environment in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Fundamentally, this method is a comparison of a group of monozygotic or "identical" twins with a group of dizygotic or "fraternal" twins. The percentage of pairs where both twins are affected by a particular disease is compared in the two groups. This percentage is called the pairwise concordance rate. Since monozygotic twins are assumed to be genetically identical, while dizygotic twins no more so than nontwin siblings, comparisons of concordance rates between these two groups have been used to estimate the genetic contribution to a given illness.

In the past, studies showing a high concordance rate for schizophrenia in monozygotic twins and a much lower one in dizygotic twins have been accepted as

REFERENCES

1 +
Luxenburger H:  Vorläufiger Bericht über Psychiatrische Serienuntersuchungen an Zwillingen . Zbl Ges Neurol Psychiat 116:297-326, 1928;.
2 +
Luxenburger H:  Psychiatrisch-neurologische Zwillingspathologie . Zbl Ges Neurol Psychiat 56:145-180, 1930;.
3 +
Luxenburger H:  Die Manifestationswahrscheinlichkeit der Schizophrenie im Lichte der Zwillingsforschung . Z Psych Hyg 7:174-184, 1934;.
4 +
Rosanoff AJ, et al:  The etiology of so-called schizophrenic psychoses with special reference to their occurrence in twins . Amer J Psychiat 91:247-286, 1934;.
5 +
Essen-Möller E;  Psychiatrische Unter-suchungen in einer Serie von Zwillingen . Acta Psychiat Scand 16( (suppl 23) ):1-30, 1941;.
6 +
Kallmann FJ:  The genetic theory of schizophrenia: An analysis of 691 schizophrenic twin index families . Amer J Psychiat 103:309-322, 1946;.
7 +
Slater E: Psychotic and Neurotic Illness in Twins , Medical Research Council Special Report Series No. 278. London, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1953;.
8 +
Tienari P:  Schizophrenia in monozygotic male twins , in Rosenthal D, Kety SS (eds): The Transmission of Schizophrenia . London, Pergamon Press, 1968;.
9 +
Tienari P:  Psychiatric illnesses in identical twins . Acta Psychiat Scand 39( (suppl 171) ):9-195, 1963;.
10 +
Kringles E: Heredity and Environment in the Functional Psychosis: An Epidemiological-Clinical Twin Study . Oslo, Universitsforlaget, 1967;.
11 +
Harvald B, Hauge M:  Heredity factors elucidated by twin studies , in Neel JV (ed): Genetics and the Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases . Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Public Health Service, publication No. 1163, 1965;.
12 +
Price B:  Primary biases in twin studies: A review of prenatal and natal difference-producing factors in monozygotic pairs . Amer J Hum Genet 2:293, 1950;.
13 +
Pollin W, Stabenau J, Tupin J:  Family studies with identical twins discordant for schizophrenia . Psychiatry 28:60-78, 1965;.
14 +
Pollin W, et al:  Life history differences in identical twins discordant for schizophrenia . Amer J Orthopsychiat 36:492-509, 1966;.
15 +
Stabenau J:  Heredity and environment in schizophrenia: The contribution of twin studies . Arch Gen Psychiat 18:458-463, 1968;.
16 +
Rosenthal D:  Problems of sampling and diagnosis in the major twin studies of schizophrenia . J Psychiat Res 1:116-134, 1967;.
17 +
Jablon S, Neel JV, Gershowitz H, et al:  The NAS-NRC twin panel: Methods of construction of the panel, zygosity diagnosis and proposed use . Amer J Hum Genet 19:133-161, 1967;.
18 +
Stouffer SA, et al: The American Soldier . Princeton, NJ, Princeton University Press, 1950;, vol 4.
19 +
Anderson RS (ed): Neuropsychiatry in World War II . Office of the Surgeon General, Department of the Army, 1966;, vol 1.
20 +
Kallmann F, Roth B:  Genetic aspects of pre-adolescent schizophrenia . Amer J Psychiat 112:599-606, 1956;.
21 +
Pollin W, Allen M, Hoffer A, et al:  Psychopathology in 15,909 pairs of veteran twins: Evidence for a genetic factor in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and its relative absence in psychoneurosis . Amer J Psychiat 126:597-609, 1969;.
22 +
Brill NQ, Beebe GW: A Follow-up Study of War Neurosis . Washington, DC, VA Medical Monograph Series, 1955;.
23 +
Rosenthal D:  Sex distribution and the severity of illness among samples of schizophrenic twins . J Psychiat Res 1:26-36, 1961;.
24 +
Kringlen E:  Schizophrenia in twins: An epidemiological-clinical study . Psychiatry 29:172-184, 1966;.
25 +
Shields J, Gottesman I, Slater E:  Kallmann's 1946 schizophrenic twin study in the light of new information . Acta Psychiat Scand 43:385-396, 1967;.
26 +
Kety S, Rosenthal D, Wender P, et al:  The types and prevalence of mental illness in the biological and adoptive families of adopted schizophrenics . J Psychiat Res 6( (suppl 1) ):345-362, 1968;.
27 +
Heston LL:  Psychiatric disorders in fosterhome reared children of schizophrenic mothers . Brit J Psychiat 112:819-825, 1966;.
28 +
Wilson PT:  A study of twins with special reference to heredity as a factor determining differences in environment . Hum Biol 6:324-354, 1934;.
29 +
Rosenthal D:  Confusion of identity and the frequency of schizophrenia in twins . Arch Gen Psychiat 3:297-304, 1960;.
30 +
Jackson DD:  A critique of the literature on the genetics of schizophrenia , in Jackson DD (ed): The Study of Schizophrenia . New York, Basic Books Inc Publishers, 1959;.

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1 +
Luxenburger H:  Vorläufiger Bericht über Psychiatrische Serienuntersuchungen an Zwillingen . Zbl Ges Neurol Psychiat 116:297-326, 1928;.
2 +
Luxenburger H:  Psychiatrisch-neurologische Zwillingspathologie . Zbl Ges Neurol Psychiat 56:145-180, 1930;.
3 +
Luxenburger H:  Die Manifestationswahrscheinlichkeit der Schizophrenie im Lichte der Zwillingsforschung . Z Psych Hyg 7:174-184, 1934;.
4 +
Rosanoff AJ, et al:  The etiology of so-called schizophrenic psychoses with special reference to their occurrence in twins . Amer J Psychiat 91:247-286, 1934;.
5 +
Essen-Möller E;  Psychiatrische Unter-suchungen in einer Serie von Zwillingen . Acta Psychiat Scand 16( (suppl 23) ):1-30, 1941;.
6 +
Kallmann FJ:  The genetic theory of schizophrenia: An analysis of 691 schizophrenic twin index families . Amer J Psychiat 103:309-322, 1946;.
7 +
Slater E: Psychotic and Neurotic Illness in Twins , Medical Research Council Special Report Series No. 278. London, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1953;.
8 +
Tienari P:  Schizophrenia in monozygotic male twins , in Rosenthal D, Kety SS (eds): The Transmission of Schizophrenia . London, Pergamon Press, 1968;.
9 +
Tienari P:  Psychiatric illnesses in identical twins . Acta Psychiat Scand 39( (suppl 171) ):9-195, 1963;.
10 +
Kringles E: Heredity and Environment in the Functional Psychosis: An Epidemiological-Clinical Twin Study . Oslo, Universitsforlaget, 1967;.
11 +
Harvald B, Hauge M:  Heredity factors elucidated by twin studies , in Neel JV (ed): Genetics and the Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases . Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Public Health Service, publication No. 1163, 1965;.
12 +
Price B:  Primary biases in twin studies: A review of prenatal and natal difference-producing factors in monozygotic pairs . Amer J Hum Genet 2:293, 1950;.
13 +
Pollin W, Stabenau J, Tupin J:  Family studies with identical twins discordant for schizophrenia . Psychiatry 28:60-78, 1965;.
14 +
Pollin W, et al:  Life history differences in identical twins discordant for schizophrenia . Amer J Orthopsychiat 36:492-509, 1966;.
15 +
Stabenau J:  Heredity and environment in schizophrenia: The contribution of twin studies . Arch Gen Psychiat 18:458-463, 1968;.
16 +
Rosenthal D:  Problems of sampling and diagnosis in the major twin studies of schizophrenia . J Psychiat Res 1:116-134, 1967;.
17 +
Jablon S, Neel JV, Gershowitz H, et al:  The NAS-NRC twin panel: Methods of construction of the panel, zygosity diagnosis and proposed use . Amer J Hum Genet 19:133-161, 1967;.
18 +
Stouffer SA, et al: The American Soldier . Princeton, NJ, Princeton University Press, 1950;, vol 4.
19 +
Anderson RS (ed): Neuropsychiatry in World War II . Office of the Surgeon General, Department of the Army, 1966;, vol 1.
20 +
Kallmann F, Roth B:  Genetic aspects of pre-adolescent schizophrenia . Amer J Psychiat 112:599-606, 1956;.
21 +
Pollin W, Allen M, Hoffer A, et al:  Psychopathology in 15,909 pairs of veteran twins: Evidence for a genetic factor in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and its relative absence in psychoneurosis . Amer J Psychiat 126:597-609, 1969;.
22 +
Brill NQ, Beebe GW: A Follow-up Study of War Neurosis . Washington, DC, VA Medical Monograph Series, 1955;.
23 +
Rosenthal D:  Sex distribution and the severity of illness among samples of schizophrenic twins . J Psychiat Res 1:26-36, 1961;.
24 +
Kringlen E:  Schizophrenia in twins: An epidemiological-clinical study . Psychiatry 29:172-184, 1966;.
25 +
Shields J, Gottesman I, Slater E:  Kallmann's 1946 schizophrenic twin study in the light of new information . Acta Psychiat Scand 43:385-396, 1967;.
26 +
Kety S, Rosenthal D, Wender P, et al:  The types and prevalence of mental illness in the biological and adoptive families of adopted schizophrenics . J Psychiat Res 6( (suppl 1) ):345-362, 1968;.
27 +
Heston LL:  Psychiatric disorders in fosterhome reared children of schizophrenic mothers . Brit J Psychiat 112:819-825, 1966;.
28 +
Wilson PT:  A study of twins with special reference to heredity as a factor determining differences in environment . Hum Biol 6:324-354, 1934;.
29 +
Rosenthal D:  Confusion of identity and the frequency of schizophrenia in twins . Arch Gen Psychiat 3:297-304, 1960;.
30 +
Jackson DD:  A critique of the literature on the genetics of schizophrenia , in Jackson DD (ed): The Study of Schizophrenia . New York, Basic Books Inc Publishers, 1959;.

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