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Genetic and Environmental Influences on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test Performance in Healthy Adolescents: A Twin/Sibling Study

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Abstract

This study aimed to estimate the relative contributions from genetic and environmental factors to the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) performance, a widely used measurement for assessing frontal lobe function. Participants included 350 pairs of twins (257 MZ and 93 DZ) and 47 same-sex sib-pairs, aged 12–16 years, systematically recruited from junior high schools in Taipei. A computerized version of the WCST was administered for each participant and its nine indexes were used for subsequent analysis. Univariate analysis in structural equation modeling was performed for each WCST index using Mx program. The ACE model for each WCST index indicated no significant genetic influence, whereas the shared environmental influence ranged from 30 to 38% for four indexes (Perseverative Errors, Perseverative Responses, Categories Achieved, and Conceptual Level Responses). We concluded that WCST performance might be an indicator more for environmental insult than for genetic influences on frontal lobe function.

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Acknowledgments

Supported by grants from the National Science Council, Taiwan (NSC86-2314-B002-328, NSC87-2314-B002-290, NSC88-2314-B002-247, NSC89-2320-B002-106, NSC 94-2314-B-002 -099, and NSC 94-2314-B-002 -306 -MY2), NTU 97HP0023, and MJ Preventive Medicine Research Foundation. The authors thank the Twin Association in Taipei City and principals and teachers of the participating schools for administrative supports. We would also like to acknowledge the hard work of Chang-Ning Chiang and Hao-Jan Yang in collecting data and Huai-Wen Chang in laboratory work for DNA typing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, 17 Xu-Zhou Road, Taipei, 10020, Taiwan ROC

    Lin-Na Chou & Wei J. Chen

  2. Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan ROC

    Wei J. Chen

  3. Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan ROC

    Wei J. Chen

  4. Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan ROC

    Po-Hsiu Kuo

  5. Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Richmond, VA, USA

    Po-Hsiu Kuo

  6. Medical Division, Eli Lilly and Company [Taiwan], Taipei, Taiwan ROC

    Chaucer C. H. Lin

  7. Department of Psychiatry, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital and University, Hualien, Taiwan ROC

    Chaucer C. H. Lin

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  1. Lin-Na Chou
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  2. Po-Hsiu Kuo
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  3. Chaucer C. H. Lin
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  4. Wei J. Chen
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Correspondence to Wei J. Chen.

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Edited by Michael Lyons.

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Chou, LN., Kuo, PH., Lin, C.C.H. et al. Genetic and Environmental Influences on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test Performance in Healthy Adolescents: A Twin/Sibling Study. Behav Genet 40, 22–30 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10519-009-9299-3

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