Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-89wxm Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-05T04:22:47.570Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Twin-Singleton Differences in Neonatal Brain Structure

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2012

Rebecca C. Knickmeyer*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, United States of America. [email protected]
Chaeryon Kang
Affiliation:
Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina, United States of America.
Sandra Woolson
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, United States of America.
J. Keith Smith
Affiliation:
Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina, United States of America.
Robert M. Hamer
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, United States of America; Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina, United States of America.
Weili Lin
Affiliation:
Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina, United States of America.
Guido Gerig
Affiliation:
Scientific Computing and Imaging Institute, University of Utah, United States of America.
Martin Styner
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, United States of America; Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina, United States of America.
John H. Gilmore
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, United States of America.
*
*ADDRESS FOR CORRESPONDENCE: Rebecca Knickmeyer, Department of Psychiatry, 343 Medical Wings C, Campus Box #7160, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill NC 27599– 7160.

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Twin studies suggest that global and regional brain volumes are highly heritable. However, estimates of heritability vary across development. Given that all twin studies are open to the potential criticism of non-generalizability due to differences in intrauterine environment between twins and singletons, these age effects may reflect the influence of perinatal environmental factors, which are unique to twins and which may be especially evident early in life. To address this question, we compared brain volumes and the relationship of brain volumes to gestational age in 136 singletons (67 male, 69 female) and 154 twins (75 male, 79 female; 82 DZ, 72 MZ) who had received high resolution MRI scans of the brain in the first month of life. Intracranial volume, total white matter, and ventricle volumes did not differ between twins and singletons. However, cerebrospinal fluid and frontal white matter volume was greater in twins compared to singletons. While gray matter volumes at MRI did not differ between groups, the slope of the relationship between total and cortical gray matter and gestational age at the MRI scan was steeper in MZ twins compared to DZ twins. Post-hoc analyses suggested that gray matter development is delayed in MZ twins in utero and that they experience ‘catch-up’ growth in the first month of life. These differences should be taken into account when interpreting and designing studies in the early postnatal period.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011