Origin of Variances in the Oldest-Old: Octogenarian Twins (OCTO-Twin)

GENERAL
Year
1991
Country
Sweden
STUDY DETAILS
Waves

Baseline: 1991 (February) – 1994 (March)
First follow-up: 1993 (May) – 1996 (May)
Second follow-up: 1995 (April) – 1998 (May)
Third follow-up: 1997 (April) – 2000 (May)
Fourth follow-up: 1999 (December) – 2002 (March)

Sample size

702 (552 with biological samples)

Wave 1: 351 twin pairs
Wave 2: 235 pairs (568 individuals)
Wave 3: 144 pairs (430 individuals)
Wave 4: 315
Wave 5: 43 pairs (222 individuals)

Sample population

79-98

Sample residence

79-98

Survey mode

Questionnaires, physical measures, biosamples (blood)

Longitudinal or cross-section study

Longitudinal

Data sources

Questionnaires, physical measures, biosamples (blood)

Health and functional ability, cognitive functioning, personality, personal control and mental health, interpersonal relationships, and functional ratings.

Main topics

Etiology of individual differences among twin-pairs age 80 and older:
Health and functional capacity
Cognitive functioning
Psychological well-being
Personality
Personal control

Goals

To examine whether the relative impact of genetic influences decreases, increases, or remains at the same magnitude for various aspects of bio-behavioral functioning in the old-old.

Scientific domain

Social Science, Psychology, Medicine

Age studies subcategories
Age Study (79+)
INSTITUTION
Institution

University of Gothenburg, Department of Psychology

Contact

Porf. Linda Hassing
Professor, PI of OCTO-Twin
Department of Psychology
University of Gothenburg
Tel: +46 31 786 4258
linda.hassing@psy.gu.se

LINKS / PUBLICATIONS
Links

https://www.gu.se/forskning/octo-twin-studien-en-studie-av-tvillingpar-80-ar-och-aldre-i-sverige

Publications

McClearn, G. E., Johansson, B., Berg, S., Pedersen, N. L., Ahern, F., Petrill, S. A., et al. (1997). Substantial genetic influence on cognitive abilities in twins 80 or more years old. Science, 276, 1560-1563.

Johansson B, Whitfield K, Pedersen NL, Hofer SM, Ahern F, McClearn GE. Origins of individual differences in episodic memory in the oldest-old: a population-based study of identical and same-sex fraternal twins aged 80 and older. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 1999 May;54(3):P173-9. doi: 10.1093/geronb/54b.3.p173. PMID: 10363039