 The
study on twins on the autism spectrum is a population-based
twin study of autism. The project aims to identify
nearly all of the twin pairs aged 2-21 years in the
state of Wisconsin, in which one or both twins have
an autism spectrum diagnosis. The project includes
primary screening during toddlerhood, secondary screening
after age four, and a full diagnostic and behavioral
assessment of both co-twins to confirm or rule out
the presence of an ASD diagnosis. A section of the
project is also dedicated to conducting structural
and functional MRI on twin pairs over age seven.
A main goal of the project is to estimate the degree
of genetic influence on autism. Inferences about the
heritability of the autism spectrum depend on the
differential concordance of monozygotic versus dizygotic
co-twins. The project also assesses whether twins
are more likely than singletons to receive an autism
spectrum diagnosis. The neuroimaging component investigates
twins’ concordance for neural activation and
brain structure, with particular attention paid to
the discordant monozygotic pairs.
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