OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to present descriptive results from an audiometric examination of a male twin sample, compare the values with normative databases, and explore whether there are age differences in genetic and environmental contributions to variation in hearing. DESIGN: Audiometric and questionnaire data were collected on a subsample of male twins who were identified through the population-based Swedish Twin Registry. Hearing examinations were completed for a total of 557 intact pairs, comprised of 250 identical (monozygotic [MZ] pairs and 307 fraternal (dizygotic [DZ] pairs aged 36 to 80 yr. A scale measuring hearing in the high-tone ranges was constructed by calculating the mean for the hearing threshold values obtained for both ears combined at 3000, 4000, 6000, and 8000 Hz for air conduction. RESULTS: To assess whether the twin values are representative of genera hearing function, the hearing thresholds were compared with values from two normative databases. Results suggest that these twin data provide a valid representation of hearing function in a cross-section of the Swedish male population, aged 35 and older. The mean values for hearing ability decreased across age, and variation increased. Twin similarity, estimated across four age groups using intraclass correlations, decreased from 0.716 to 0.516 for the MZ pairs and increased from 0.131 to 0.279 for the DZ pairs. These results suggest that variation in hearing ability in the high ranges is due to genetic and environmental factors and that environmental effects become more important with age. CONCLUSIONS: These data reflect typical age-related deterioration in hearing ability accompanied by greater individual differences in hearing function with age. Across all ages, genetic and environmental effects are important sources of variation in hearing. However, preliminary analyses suggest that the relative influence of environment increases with age. These environmental effects are of the nonshared type that are not associated with shared family environments but rather are explained by unique exposures.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to present descriptive results from an audiometric examination of a male twin sample, compare the values with normative databases, and explore whether there are age differences in genetic and environmental contributions to variation in hearing. DESIGN: Audiometric and questionnaire data were collected on a subsample of male twins who were identified through the population-based Swedish Twin Registry. Hearing examinations were completed for a total of 557 intact pairs, comprised of 250 identical (monozygotic [MZ] pairs and 307 fraternal (dizygotic [DZ] pairs aged 36 to 80 yr. A scale measuring hearing in the high-tone ranges was constructed by calculating the mean for the hearing threshold values obtained for both ears combined at 3000, 4000, 6000, and 8000 Hz for air conduction. RESULTS: To assess whether the twin values are representative of genera hearing function, the hearing thresholds were compared with values from two normative databases. Results suggest that these twin data provide a valid representation of hearing function in a cross-section of the Swedish male population, aged 35 and older. The mean values for hearing ability decreased across age, and variation increased. Twin similarity, estimated across four age groups using intraclass correlations, decreased from 0.716 to 0.516 for the MZ pairs and increased from 0.131 to 0.279 for the DZ pairs. These results suggest that variation in hearing ability in the high ranges is due to genetic and environmental factors and that environmental effects become more important with age. CONCLUSIONS: These data reflect typical age-related deterioration in hearing ability accompanied by greater individual differences in hearing function with age. Across all ages, genetic and environmental effects are important sources of variation in hearing. However, preliminary analyses suggest that the relative influence of environment increases with age. These environmental effects are of the nonshared type that are not associated with shared family environments but rather are explained by unique exposures.
Authors: Arthur Wingfield; Mathew Panizzon; Michael D Grant; Rosemary Toomey; William S Kremen; Carol E Franz; Kristen C Jacobson; Seth A Eisen; Michael Lyons Journal: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci Date: 2007-11 Impact factor: 6.053
Authors: Rick A Friedman; Lut Van Laer; Matthew J Huentelman; Sonal S Sheth; Els Van Eyken; Jason J Corneveaux; Waibhav D Tembe; Rebecca F Halperin; Ashley Q Thorburn; Sofie Thys; Sarah Bonneux; Erik Fransen; Jeroen Huyghe; Ilmari Pyykkö; Cor W R J Cremers; Hannie Kremer; Ingeborg Dhooge; Dafydd Stephens; Eva Orzan; Markus Pfister; Michael Bille; Agnete Parving; Martti Sorri; Paul H Van de Heyning; Linna Makmura; Jeffrey D Ohmen; Frederick H Linthicum; Jose N Fayad; John V Pearson; David W Craig; Dietrich A Stephan; Guy Van Camp Journal: Hum Mol Genet Date: 2008-12-01 Impact factor: 6.150
Authors: Jeroen R Huyghe; Lut Van Laer; Jan-Jaap Hendrickx; Erik Fransen; Kelly Demeester; Vedat Topsakal; Sylvia Kunst; Minna Manninen; Mona Jensen; Amanda Bonaconsa; Manuela Mazzoli; Manuela Baur; Samuli Hannula; Elina Mäki-Torkko; Angeles Espeso; Els Van Eyken; Antonia Flaquer; Christian Becker; Dafydd Stephens; Martti Sorri; Eva Orzan; Michael Bille; Agnete Parving; Ilmari Pyykkö; Cor W R J Cremers; Hannie Kremer; Paul H Van de Heyning; Thomas F Wienker; Peter Nürnberg; Markus Pfister; Guy Van Camp Journal: Am J Hum Genet Date: 2008-08-28 Impact factor: 11.025
Authors: M Zhu; T Yang; S Wei; A T DeWan; R J Morell; J L Elfenbein; R A Fisher; S M Leal; R J H Smith; K H Friderici Journal: Am J Hum Genet Date: 2003-09-16 Impact factor: 11.025
Authors: Dina L Newman; Laurel M Fisher; Jeffrey Ohmen; Robert Parody; Chin-To Fong; Susan T Frisina; Frances Mapes; David A Eddins; D Robert Frisina; Robert D Frisina; Rick A Friedman Journal: Hear Res Date: 2012-10-25 Impact factor: 3.208
Authors: Lut Van Laer; Jeroen R Huyghe; Samuli Hannula; Els Van Eyken; Dietrich A Stephan; Elina Mäki-Torkko; Pekka Aikio; Erik Fransen; Alana Lysholm-Bernacchi; Martti Sorri; Matthew J Huentelman; Guy Van Camp Journal: Eur J Hum Genet Date: 2010-01-13 Impact factor: 4.246