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Evidence of a genetic factor in migraine with aura: A population‐based Danish twin study
Author(s) -
Ulrich Vibeke,
Gervil Morten,
Kyvik Kirsten O.,
Olesen Jes,
Russell Michael B.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/1531-8249(199902)45:2<242::aid-ana15>3.0.co;2-1
Subject(s) - zygosity , concordance , danish , dizygotic twin , aura , monozygotic twin , twin study , migraine , population , demography , heritability , medicine , psychology , psychiatry , genetics , biology , linguistics , philosophy , sociology
We studied the genetic influence on cause of migraine with aura (MA) by analyzing a twin population. The twin sample consisted of 2,026 monozygotic (MZ) twins and 3,334 same‐sex dizygotic (DZ) twins, born from 1953 to 1960, from the population‐based New Danish Twin Register. A validated questionnaire was used to screen for migraine, the response rate being 87%, and similar among MZ and DZ twins. All twin pairs with at least 1 twin with possible MA were interviewed by a physician experienced in headache diagnoses. The answers from the questionnaire as well as the zygosity of the twins were blinded for the interviewer. A total of 211 twin pairs were identified, of whom 77 pairs were MZ and 134 pairs were DZ. The lifetime prevalence of MA was 7% and with a male‐to‐female ratio of 1:1.1. The pairwise concordance rates were significantly higher in MZ (34%) than in DZ twin pairs (12%), emphasizing the importance of genetic factors in MA. However, environmental factors are also important, as the pairwise concordance rate was less than 100% in MZ twin pairs. The recurrence risk of MA was 50% in MZ and 21% in DZ twin pairs. In nontwin siblings, the recurrence risk of MA is 27%, which is similar to the recurrence risk in DZ twins. This indicates that MA is not developed due to specific environmental factors shared by the twins. Ann Neurol 1999;45:242–246