This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Research in the last 30 years has underscored the fact that behavioral and emotional problems begin much earlier in life than was once supposed. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), many anxiety disorders, and persistent conduct problems are already well established by middle childhood. What is not clear is how early these problems begin. Because the complex genetic and social processes that lead to serious behavioral and emotional problems in children likely start as early as conception, an understanding of these processes requires that studies begin very early in life. The current proposal seeks funds for the continued support of a large population-based study of infant identical and non-identical male and female twins ascertained from the Puerto Rican Neonatal Twin Registry (PRNTR). Apart from the obvious opportunity to study behavioral development in an under-represented population, this sample offers a unique opportunity for beginning the study of the complex interplay of genetic and environmental influences that underlie the development of psychiatric problems in preschool children. The major part of this initiative has already begun, all twins born in Puerto Rico can be identified from records very shortly after birth, and 83% of the their mothers can be traced and interviewed within the first year, typically within the first six months. Already we have interviewed 898 twin families born in 2001 and 2002. Now these families are participating in a second wave of assessment. Puerto Rico offers several practical advantages for population-based twin studies not shared with the North American mainland. The island is relatively small, well populated, and has excellent systems of communication. Ascertaining twins systematically from birth records in the earliest months of life has proved relatively easy, and participation rates are far higher than currently common on the mainland U.S. where the convenience of electronic ascertainment is offset by lengthy delays in record consolidation. This current application seeks support for the ascertainment of an additional birth cohort and a follow-up of all twins recruited from the PRNTR when they are preschool age. A significant portion of these twin families will be administered an in-depth clinical psychiatric interview (Follow-Up Pre - School Telephone Interview and the Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment (PAPA).
Showing the most recent 10 out of 189 publications
