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Genetic Factors in Seizures: A Population-Based Study of 47,626 US, Norwegian and Danish Twin Pairs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2012

Marianne J. Kjeldsen ,
Linda A. Corey ,
Marit H. Solaas ,
Mogens L. Friis ,
Jennifer R. Harris ,
Kirsten O. Kyvik ,
Kaare Christensen  and
John M. Pellock
Marianne J. Kjeldsen*
Affiliation:
The Danish Twin Registry, Epidemiology, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Department of Neurology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark. mjk@dadlnet.dk
Linda A. Corey
Affiliation:
Department of Human Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America.
Marit H. Solaas
Affiliation:
Institute of Medical Genetics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Mogens L. Friis
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
Jennifer R. Harris
Affiliation:
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Division of Epidemiology, Oslo, Norway.
Kirsten O. Kyvik
Affiliation:
The Danish Twin Registry, Epidemiology, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
Kaare Christensen
Affiliation:
The Danish Twin Registry, Epidemiology, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
John M. Pellock
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America.
*
*Address for correspondence: Marianne J. Kjeldsen, MD, Department of Neurology, Odense University Hospital, Sdr. Boulevard 29, DK-5000 Odense C, Denmark.

Abstract

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The purpose of the study was to describe a large sample of twins reporting a history of seizures, to characterize seizures in the three subpopulations, and to estimate the relative importance of genetic and environmental factors in seizure occurrence. Seizure history was determined by questionnaires completed by twins in population-based twin registries in the United States, Norway and Denmark. Concordance rates were calculated for all seizure categories within and across twin populations. Of 47,626 twin pairs evaluated, 6234 reported a history of seizures in one or both twins. Concordance rates were significantly higher for monozygotic (MZ) versus dizygotic (DZ) pairs for all seizure categories within and across populations. The results of this study involving the largest unselected, population-based sample of twins with seizures assembled to date confirm the importance of genetic factors in determining risk for epilepsy, febrile seizures, other seizures and staring spells. This sample is likely to provide an important resource for studying the genetics of epilepsy subtypes and febrile seizures.

Type
Articles
Information
Twin Research and Human Genetics , Volume 8 , Issue 2 , 01 April 2005 , pp. 138 - 147
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2005