{{primary sources, date=March 2009 The Michigan State University Twin Registry (or MSUTR) is a

registry Registry may refer to: Computing * Container registry, an operating-system-level virtualization registry * Domain name registry, a database of top-level internet domain names * Local Internet registry * Metadata registry, information system for re ...

twin Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of TwinLast Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two em ...

s produced by researchers at Michigan State University. The MSUTR has a lifespan perspective focused on understanding

risk factor In epidemiology, a risk factor or determinant is a variable associated with an increased risk of disease or infection. Due to a lack of harmonization across disciplines, determinant, in its more widely accepted scientific meaning, is often ...

s for internalizing and externalizing disorders.

Projects

The principal investigators of the MSUTR are Kelly L. Klump, Ph.D. and S. Alexandra Burt, Ph.D. The MSUTR involves several independent but related projects, each of which is described below: *Adolescent Twin Study *Adult Twin Study of

Personality Personality is the characteristic sets of behaviors, cognitions, and emotional patterns that are formed from biological and environmental factors, and which change over time. While there is no generally agreed-upon definition of personality, m ...

and Behavioral Adjustment *Michigan Twins Project *Hormones and Behavior Across the Menstrual Cycle *Twin Study of Emotional and Behavioral Development – Child (TBED-C)

Adolescent Twin Study

The MSUTR Adolescent Twin Study of Behavioral Adjustment and Development is a study of 206 same-sex male, 312 same-sex female, and 120 opposite-sex twins between the ages of 10 and 16 years old. The primary purpose of the study was to investigate genetic, environmental (e.g.,

teasing Teasing has multiple meanings and uses. In human interactions, teasing exists in three major forms: ''playful'', ''hurtful'', and ''educative''. Teasing can have a variety of effects, depending on how it is used and its intended effect. When teas ...

by peers, parent-adolescent relationships), and neurobiological (i.e., gonadal hormones) risk factors for

disordered eating Disordered eating describes a variety of abnormal eating behaviors that, by themselves, do not warrant diagnosis of an eating disorder. Disordered eating includes behaviors that are common features of eating disorders, such as: * Chronic restrai ...

, antisocial behavior, mood, attention/

hyperactivity Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by excessive amounts of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that are pervasive, impairing in multiple contexts, and otherwise age-inappr ...

problems, and temperament during early adolescence. In particular, this study aimed to understand whether these psychological characteristics are related to gonadal hormone levels during

puberty Puberty is the process of physical changes through which a child's body matures into an adult body capable of sexual reproduction. It is initiated by hormonal signals from the brain to the gonads: the ovaries in a girl, the testes in a bo ...

, whether relationships amongst these factors are influenced by genes, and whether gene x environment interactions influence their development.Klump KL, Burt SA. The Michigan State University Twin Registry (MSUTR): Genetic, environmental, and neurobiological influences on behavior across development. Twin Res Hum Genet 2006;9:971-977.

Adult Twin Study of Personality and Behavioral Adjustment

The MSUTR Adult Twin Study of Personality and Behavioral Adjustment is a study of 168 same-sex male, 294 same-sex female, and 270 opposite-sex twins between the ages of 18 and 30 years old. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which genetic and environmental influences on eating pathology, ADHD, depressive symptoms,

anxiety Anxiety is an emotion which is characterized by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil and includes feelings of dread over anticipated events. Anxiety is different than fear in that the former is defined as the anticipation of a future threat wh ...

, personality characteristics, and substance use differ between men and women in young adulthood.

Michigan Twins Project

The Michigan Twins Project (MTP) is an ongoing, population-based study of roughly 20,000 same-sex male, same-sex female, and opposite sex twins between the ages of 3 and 25 years old. The primary purpose of this study is to investigate genetic and environmental influences on a range of physical and

mental health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental hea ...

variables, as well as to compile a database of twin families in

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

interested in participating in future twin research.

Hormones and Behavior Across the Menstrual Cycle

The MSUTR study of Hormones and Behavior across the Menstrual Cycle is an ongoing study that will include a total of 590 same-sex female twins between the ages of 16 and 22 years old. This study aims to investigate associations between ovarian hormone levels and several psychological characteristics, including mood,

personality Personality is the characteristic sets of behaviors, cognitions, and emotional patterns that are formed from biological and environmental factors, and which change over time. While there is no generally agreed-upon definition of personality, m ...

, disordered eating, pubertal development, impulsivity and risk taking behaviors. The extent to which genes influence relationships amongst these variables will also be examined.

Twin Study of Emotional and Behavioral Development – Child (TBED-C)

The MSUTR Child Twin Study is an ongoing study that will ultimately result in a sample of approximately 500 same-sex female twins and 500 same-sex male twins between the ages of 6 and 10 years old. This study aims to examine the ways in which genes and risk experiences (e.g.,

peer pressure Peer pressure is the direct or indirect influence on peers, i.e., members of social groups with similar interests, experiences, or social statuses. Members of a peer group are more likely to influence a person's beliefs, values, and behavior. A g ...

) interact in the development of acting-out behaviors, depressed mood, anxiety, and other problems in childhood.

References

Michigan State University Twin registries