Current Projects of the UW Twin Registry
Currently several research projects use the UW Twin Registry as their base of participants. Most of the projects are funded by the National Institutes of Health. Many more proposals are currently under review and others are in the planning stages. The projects outlined below are currently recruiting twins for participation.
Sleep Duration and Metabolism in Twins
To investigate the impact of sleep restriction on metabolic function, Dr. Nathaniel F. Watson of the University of Washington Department of Neurology is leading a two-phase twin study. In the first phase he will analyze survey data from the Twin Registry in regards to the relationship between habitual sleep duration and obesity. He will also identify pairs with different sleep patterns to invite to participate in phase 2. During this phase twin pairs will come to the University of Washington General Clinical Research Center to participate in research that examines the relationship between sleep duration and metabolism, appetite-regulating hormones, and insulin sensitivity.
Host Variability in Innate Inflammatory Responses
Three related studies funded by the National Institutes of Health are designed
to help determine the genetic and environmental factors that control inflammation caused by infection from various agents. Drs. Thomas Martin
and Mark Wurfel of the University of Washington Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine lead these projects, in which laboratory
tests examine how normal human white blood cells react to bacteria. Information learned from this study may eventually help in the
development of new ways to diagnose and treat various infections.
View Innate Inflammatory Responses Abstract.
The Twin Study of Chronic Widespread Pain (2004-2006)
Another project funded by the National Institutes of Health is focused on
determining the possibility of examining twins for an intensive study of chronic widespread pain, and to refine strategies and measurements.
Dr. Niloo Afari of the University of Washington Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences leads this project, in which identical
and fraternal twin pairs are examined for their degree of pain and how pain relates to physical fitness and psychosocial factors.
Information from this study can help determine the genetic and environmental contributions to chronic widespread pain and its associated symptoms.
View Twin Study of Chronic Widespread Pain Abstract.
The Twin Study of Chronic Widespread Pain (2005-2010)
The 2-year twin study of chronic widespread pain, described
above, has led to a 5-year project also funded by the National Institutes of Health. In this study, Dr. Afari and her colleagues examine identical
and fraternal twin pairs who are discordant for chronic widespread pain and control twin pairs who are both healthy. Twins will undergo an intensive
evaluation of the autonomic nervous system function, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function, exercise capacity, sleep and activity levels,
evoked pain processing, and psychiatric and psychosocial factors involved in chronic widespread pain. The goals of the project are to examine the
similarities and differences between twins with chronic widespread pain and twins without pain, and to determine if the association between chronic
widespread pain and illness characteristics is due to genetics or to common environmental factors. Investigating the pattern of differences between
twin groups can help to distinguish factors that are predisposing to chronic widespread pain and those that occur after the onset of the illness.
View New Twin Study of Chronic Widespread Pain Abstract.
An Interdisciplinary Study in Twins: Taste Perception, Hormonal and Brain Response to Food
This study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, is led by Dr. Ellen Schur of the University of Washington, Division of General Internal Medicine. The purpose is to find out more about how genes and environment may influence eating habits, taste perception, food preferences, and the hormones that regulate body weight and appetite. Selected twin pairs are invited to the University of Washington for an overnight study and/or a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) examination. This is an important area of research and may eventually help in finding new ways to help people avoid obesity or lose weight. As a twin and a member of the University of Washington Twin Registry, you can make a unique contribution to understanding the genetics of appetite and weight regulation.
Inflammation and Obesity in Twins
Another recently funded pilot study collects data on inflammatory markers and other risk factors for
obesity and diabetes, with a focus on examining the genetic and environmental impact on the relationship between obesity and inflammation.
Dr. Annette Fitzpatrick of the University of Washington Department of Epidemiology leads this project with funding from the Diabetes Endocrinology
Research Center at the University of Washington.
View Inflammation and Obesity in Twins Abstract.
