Kennedy Krieger Institute announced today new study results from the largest ever twin study that confirm the role genetics plays in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), but also suggest that environmental factors play a role. Published in the October issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, the study examined concordance rates between identical and fraternal twins, or the likelihood that if one twin has a certain genetic characteristic, the other twin will possess the same characteristic. Utilizing data obtained from the Interactive Autism Network (IAN) Project (http://www.ianproject.org/), the largest pool of autism data in the world, the study builds upon nationwide research contributions made by the IAN Project.
By registering with the IAN Project, individuals affected by ASDs and their families provide valuable data to researchers in a secure online setting from the comfort of their home or office. Furthermore, the IAN Project connects individuals with ASDs to researchers by matching them with local and national research studies for which they qualify in order to speed recruitment. The online autism registry was specially designed to lead researchers to study twin sets, as twin studies can determine possible genetic and environmental contributions to autism, which is widely thought to be the neuro-psychiatric disorder most influenced by genetics.
"Within just two years of launch the IAN Project has collected the largest group of autism twin sets in the world, which is a tremendous step forward for autism research," said Dr. Paul Law, Director of the Interactive Autism Network Project at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland and lead author of the study. "Twin studies are a leading contributor to our understanding of autism, and the findings from this particular study show us that both genetic and environmental factors play a role in the disorder."
Study highlights air pollution as key environmental factor in autism risk