Epigenesis of Cerebral Asymmetry in Twins

描述（由申请人提供）：大脑不对称的生物学变化与语言功能的行为变化相关。确定大脑不对称性正态分布的相对环境和遗传贡献是确定促进或限制语言能力的特定因果因素的关键一步。可以通过研究双胞胎来确定大脑不对称性和语言能力的相关性是否归因于遗传因素、环境因素或这些影响的组合。本研究将探讨添加剂的遗传，共享和独特的环境贡献的结构和功能相关的一套大脑不对称。这些大脑不对称与口头和书面语言表现有关，包括：韦尼克区的颞平面不对称，布罗卡区的三角部不对称和小脑前叶不对称。中央沟不对称将作为非语言控制措施进行研究。单卵双胞胎也可以通过研究来确定产生表型不一致的变量。初步观察表明，围产期危险因素影响双胞胎的神经解剖和行为相似性的程度。这项纵向研究还将确定大脑的不对称性是否随年龄而变化，以及表型不一致性是否随年龄而夸大或减少。这项研究的结果将指导旨在阐明大脑不对称性和语言能力之间的关系对遗传和/或环境来源的研究，可以确定围产期对大脑发育和行为的影响，将提供有关大脑不对称性的分子研究的可行性信息，并为临床医生，患者和家庭提供更好的认知能力的生物学起源的理解。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Biological variation in cerebral asymmetry is associated with behavioral variation in linguistic function. Identifying the relative environmental and genetic contributions to the normal distribution of cerebral asymmetry is a critical step in identifying specific causal factors that facilitate or limit verbal ability. Twins can be studied to determine whether the cerebral asymmetry and verbal ability correlation is attributable to genetic factors, environmental factors, or a combination of these influences. This study will examine the additive genetic, shared and unique environmental contributions to a structurally and functionally related set of brain asymmetries. These brain asymmetries have been associated with oral and written language performance and include: planum temporale asymmetry in Wernicke's area, pars triangularis asymmetry in Broca's area, and cerebellar anterior lobe asymmetry. Central sulcus asymmetry will be studied as a non-language control measure. Monozygotic twins can also be studied to identify variables that produce phenotypic discordance. Preliminary observations suggest that perinatal risk factors affect the degree of neuroanatomical and behavioral similarity in twins. This longitudinal study will also determine if cerebral asymmetry changes with age and whether phenotypic discordance is exaggerated or diminishes with age. Results from this study will guide research designed to elucidate the relation between cerebral asymmetry and verbal ability towards genetic and/or environmental sources, may identify perinatal influences on brain development and behavior, will provide information regarding feasibility of molecular studies of cerebral asymmetry, and provide clinicians, patients and families a greater understanding of the biological origins for cognitive ability.