Etiological heterogeneity in the development of antisocial behavior: the Virginia Twin Study of Adolescent Behavioral Development and the Young Adult Follow-Up.

Full Abstract

BACKGROUND:
Longitudinal, genetically informed, prospective data collected on a large population of male twins (n=1037) were used to examine developmental differences in the etiology of antisocial behavior.

METHOD:
Analyses were carried out on both mother- and child-reported symptoms of conduct disorder (CD) in 10- to 17-year-old twins from the Virginia Twin Study of Adolescent Behavioral Development (VTSABD) and self-reported antisocial behavior by the twins as young adults from the Young Adult Follow-Up (YAFU) study.

RESULTS:
The following trends were identified:
(1) a single genetic factor influencing antisocial behavior beginning at age 10 through young adulthood ('life-course persistent'); (2) a shared-environmental effect beginning in adolescence ('adolescent-onset'); (3) a transient genetic effect at puberty; and (4) a genetic influence specific to adult antisocial behavior.

CONCLUSIONS:
Overall, these etiological findings are consistent with predictions from Moffitt's developmental theory of antisocial behavior. The genetic effect at puberty at ages 12-15 is also consistent with a genetically mediated influence on the timing of puberty affecting the expression of genetic differences in antisocial outcomes.

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Author information

Author/s: Silberg, Judy L (JL); Rutter, Michael (M); Tracy, Kelly (K); Maes, Hermine H (HH); Eaves, Lindon (L);

Affiliation: Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Department of Human Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0003, USA. jsilberg(-atsign-)hsc.vcu.edu

Grants: DA-016977 (Agency:NIDA NIH HHS) ; DA-018673 (Agency:NIDA NIH HHS) ; MH-068521 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; MH-55557 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; MH-62368 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Twin Study

Journal: Psychological medicine (Psychol Med), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-Aug; vol 37 (issue 8) : pp 1193-202

Dates: Created 2007/07/19; Completed 2007/10/16; Revised 2007/12/03;

PMID: 17376258, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adolescent
Adult
Antisocial Personality Disorder - genetics; psychology
Child
Conduct Disorder - genetics; psychology
Diseases in Twins - genetics; psychology
Female
Gene Expression - physiology
Humans
Longitudinal Studies

Longitudinal Studies
Male
Personality Assessment
Phenotype
Prospective Studies
Puberty
Social Environment
Twins, Dizygotic - genetics; psychology
Twins, Monozygotic - genetics; psychology
Virginia

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