Longitudinal Study of Language and Speech of Twins at 4 and 6 Years: Twinning Effects Decrease, Zygosity Effects Disappear, and Heritability Increases

Mabel L Rice; Stephen R Zubrick; Catherine L Taylor; Lesa Hoffman; Javier Gayán

doi:10.1044/2017_JSLHR-L-16-0366

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Longitudinal Study of Language and Speech of Twins at 4 and 6 Years: Twinning Effects Decrease, Zygosity Effects Disappear, and Heritability Increases

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Longitudinal Study of Language and Speech of Twins at 4 and 6 Years: Twinning Effects Decrease, Zygosity Effects Disappear, and Heritability Increases

Mabel L Rice, Stephen R Zubrick, Catherine L Taylor, Lesa Hoffman and Javier Gayán

Journal of speech, language, and hearing research, Vol.61(1), pp.79-93

01/22/2018

DOI: 10.1044/2017_JSLHR-L-16-0366

PMCID: PMC6105080

PMID: 29255901

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Abstract

This study investigates the heritability of language, speech, and nonverbal cognitive development of twins at 4 and 6 years of age. Possible confounding effects of twinning and zygosity, evident at 2 years, were investigated among other possible predictors of outcomes. The population-based twin sample included 627 twin pairs and 1 twin without a co-twin (197 monozygotic and 431 dizygotic), 610 boys and 645 girls, 1,255 children in total. Nine phenotypes from the same comprehensive direct behavioral assessment protocol were investigated at 4 and 6 years of age. Twinning effects were estimated for each phenotype at each age using general linear mixed models using maximum likelihood. Twinning effects decreased from 4 to 6 years; zygosity effects disappeared by 6 years. Heritability increased from 4 to 6 years across all 9 phenotypes, and the heritability estimates were higher than reported previously, in the range of .44-.92 at 6 years. The highest estimate, .92, was for the clinical grammar marker. Across multiple dimensions of speech, language, and nonverbal cognition, heritability estimates are robust. A finiteness marker of grammar shows the highest inherited influences in this early period of children's language acquisition.

Twins, Dizygotic - psychology

Prospective Studies

Twins, Monozygotic - genetics

Humans

Child, Preschool

Male

Twins, Dizygotic - genetics

Twins, Monozygotic - psychology

Phenotype

Child Language

Female

Speech

Models, Genetic

Child

Longitudinal Studies

Details

Title: Subtitle: Longitudinal Study of Language and Speech of Twins at 4 and 6 Years: Twinning Effects Decrease, Zygosity Effects Disappear, and Heritability Increases
Creators: Mabel L Rice - Child Language Doctoral Program, University of Kansas, Lawrence
Stephen R Zubrick - The Telethon Kids Institute, Subiaco, Australia
Catherine L Taylor - Centre for Child Health Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth
Lesa Hoffman - Child Language Doctoral Program, University of Kansas, Lawrence
Javier Gayán - Bioinfosol, Seville, Spain
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Journal of speech, language, and hearing research, Vol.61(1), pp.79-93
DOI: 10.1044/2017_JSLHR-L-16-0366
PMID: 29255901
PMCID: PMC6105080
NLM abbreviation: J Speech Lang Hear Res
ISSN: 1092-4388
eISSN: 1558-9102
Publisher: United States
Grant note: R01 DC001803 / NIDCD NIH HHS P30 HD002528 / NICHD NIH HHS U54 HD090216 / NICHD NIH HHS R01 DC005226 / NIDCD NIH HHS R42 DC013749 / NIDCD NIH HHS
Language: English
Date published: 01/22/2018
Academic Unit: Psychological and Quantitative Foundations
Record Identifier: 9983993489202771

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