Abstract
Many twin registers hold information on flat file systems such as those provided by statistical packages or spreadsheets. Demographic details may be maintained separately from data collected in multiple different studies, leading to considerable problems with data consistency, redundancy, and integration. Ad hoc requests may be difficult. Implementation of a relational database system permits storage and maintenance of all records, simple data entry and validation procedures, linking of information from different projects with security of access, and the flexibility to provide rapid answers to ad hoc enquiries using standard Structured Query Language (SQL). Twin data provide a challenge for relational database design which rests on the technique of normalization and the use of unique identifiers to access associated groups of variables; for twins, “uniqueness” must preserve identification of both the pair and the individual twin subjects in the data structure to enable flexible access to and analysts of the data. An application on the Institute of Psychiatry Volunteer Twin Register (IOPVTR) database is described, through reference to one study of a sample of the twins, with simulated data. We show how a balance of adherence to database design principles and attention to ongoing clerical and research procedures has been used to produce an integrated, flexible, and open-ended system.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Barak, Y., Macdonald, A. M., and Levy, R. (1996). Surveying elderly in the community for Alzheimer's disease: Application of a telephone interview (manuscript in preparation).
Brandt, J., Spencer, M., and Folstein, M. (1988). The Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status. Neuropsychiat. Neuropsychol Behav. Neural. 1(2): 111-117.
Codd, E. F. (1970), A relational model of data for large shared data banks. Comm. Assoc. Comput, Mach. 13:377-387.
Date, C. J. (1981). Introduction to Database Systems, 3rd ed., Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA.
Johnson, S., Friedmane, C., Cimino, J. J., Clark, T., Hripsoak, G., and Clayton, P. D. (1992). Conceptual data model for a central patient database. Proc. Ann. Symp. Comput. Appi Med. Care. 381-385.
Joreskog, K. G., and Sorbom, D. (1988). Prelis I: A Preprocessor for Lisrel, Scientific Software, Mooresville, IN.
Kasriel, J., and Eaves, L. J. (1976). The zygosity of twins: Further evidence on the agreement between diagnosis by blood groups and written questionnaires. J. Biosoc. Sci. 8:263-266.
Love, D. J., Schalk, D. C., and Morgan, M. C. (1993). Computerized relational database for monitoring clozapine therapy. Am. J. Hosp. Phann. 50:1657-1662.
Lykken, D. T., Tellegen, A., and DeRubeis, R. (1978). Volunteer bias in twin research: The rule of two thirds. Soc. Biol. 25:1-9.
Macdonald, A. M., and Thornton, J. (1995). A twin study of proteinuric preeclampsia: Sample characteristics and preliminary results. Paper presented at the Meeting of the International Society for Twin Studies, Richmond, VA, May 1995 (abstract in press, Ada Genet. Med. Gemellot.).
McFadden, F. R., and Hoffer, J. A. (1988). Data Base Management, Benjamiri/Cummings, Menlo Park, CA.
Neale, M. C. (1991). Statistical Modelling with Mr, Department of Human Genetics, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond.
Newman, T. B., Brown, A., and Easterling, M. J. (1994). Obstacles and approaches to Clinical Database Research: Experience at the University of California, San Francisco. Proc. Ann. Symp. Comptit. Appl. Med. Care 568-572.
Reina, S., and Miozza, F. (1994). Knowledge data base system for twins study. Ada Genet. Med. Gemeilot. 43:83-88.
SAS (1990). User's Guide. Version 6. Vol. 1, 4th ed., SAS Institute, Gary, NC.
SPSS (1988). SPSS-X User's Guide, 3rd ed., SPSS, Chicago.
Technical Committee X3H2-Database. (1986). Database Language SQL (January), American National Standards Institute.
Westland, J. C. (1992). Economic incentives for database normalization. Inform. Process. Manage. 28(5):647-662.
Yount, E. A. (1987). The use of relational database commands in retrieval of pedigree information. J. Med. Syst. 11(213): 169-175.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Macdonald, A.M., Hamer, S.A. Development of Computerized Storage Facilities for Twin Data: A Relational Database System for a Twin Register. Behav Genet 27, 1–13 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025655023496
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025655023496