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The Application of a Random Effects Model to Censored Twin Data

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Abstract

The authors propose a random effects model to analyze the latent genetic and environmental effects on determining censored outcomes in twin studies. In this model, six normally distributed random effects are used to describe the correlation within twin pairs. The authors employ a Monte Carlo Expectation-Maximization approach for obtaining maximum likelihood estimates of fixed effects and the variances of random effects. The variances of the random effects are reparameterized to be equivalent to genetic and environmental effects in traditional twin models. The authors illustrate this model using data from the Vietnam Era Twin Registry to explore the magnitude of the genetic influence on twin similarity for the age of onset of alcohol abuse. Our results show genetic factors contribute about one third of twin similarity in the age of onset of alcohol abuse in male twins. The application of this model to twin data is discussed.

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Abbreviations

DZ:

dizygotic twins

EM:

Expectation-Maximization

MCEM:

Monte Carlo Expectation-Maximization

MZ:

monozygotic twins

VET:

Vietnam Era Twin

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Cardinal Tien Hospital and Fu Jen Medical School, No. 5, Alley 20, Ln 790, Sec 5, Chunghsiao E Road, Taipei, Taiwan

    I-Chao Liu

  2. Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health, USA

    Ronghui Xu & Garrett Fitzmaurice

  3. Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, USA

    Deborah L. Blacker & Ming T. Tsuang

  4. Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, USA

    Deborah L. Blacker & Ming T. Tsuang

  5. Department of Psychology, Boston University, USA

    Michael J. Lyons

Authors
  1. I-Chao Liu
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  2. Ronghui Xu
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  3. Deborah L. Blacker
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  4. Garrett Fitzmaurice
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  5. Michael J. Lyons
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  6. Ming T. Tsuang
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Correspondence to I-Chao Liu.

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Liu, IC., Xu, R., Blacker, D.L. et al. The Application of a Random Effects Model to Censored Twin Data. Behav Genet 35, 781–789 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10519-005-7285-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10519-005-7285-y

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