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Open Access 01-12-2018 | Letter to the Editor

EU-AIMS Longitudinal European Autism Project (LEAP): the autism twin cohort

Authors: Johan Isaksson, Kristiina Tammimies, Janina Neufeld, Élodie Cauvet, Karl Lundin, Jan K. Buitelaar, Eva Loth, Declan G. M. Murphy, Will Spooren, Sven Bölte, the EU-AIMS LEAP group

Published in: Molecular Autism | Issue 1/2018

Abstract

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EU-AIMS is the largest European research program aiming to identify stratification biomarkers and novel interventions for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Within the program, the Longitudinal European Autism Project (LEAP) has recruited and comprehensively phenotyped a rare sample of 76 monozygotic and dizygotic twins, discordant, or concordant for ASD plus 30 typically developing twins. The aim of this letter is to complete previous descriptions of the LEAP case-control sample, clinically characterize, and investigate the suitability of the sample for ASD twin-control analyses purposes and share some ‘lessons learnt.’ Among the twins, a diagnosis of ASD is associated with increased symptom levels of ADHD, higher rates of intellectual disability, and lower family income. For the future, we conclude that the LEAP twin cohort offers multiple options for analyses of genetic and shared and non-shared environmental factors to generate new hypotheses for the larger cohort of LEAP singletons, but particularly cross-validate and refine evidence from it.

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Title: EU-AIMS Longitudinal European Autism Project (LEAP): the autism twin cohort
Authors: Johan Isaksson
Kristiina Tammimies
Janina Neufeld
Élodie Cauvet
Karl Lundin
Jan K. Buitelaar
Eva Loth
Declan G. M. Murphy
Will Spooren
Sven Bölte
the EU-AIMS LEAP group
Publication date: 01-12-2018
Publisher: BioMed Central
Published in: Molecular Autism / Issue 1/2018
Electronic ISSN: 2040-2392
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13229-018-0212-x

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on sleep in brain health

Springer Medicine

EU-AIMS Longitudinal European Autism Project (LEAP): the autism twin cohort

Abstract

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Keynote webinar | Spotlight on sleep in brain health

Springer Medicine

Abstract

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