Paternal age alters social development in offspring
Janecka, M. and Haworth, C.M.A. and Ronald, Angelica and Krapohl, E. and Happé, F. and Mill, J. and Schalkwyk, L.C. and Fernandes, C. and Reichenberg, A. and Rijsdijk, F. (2017) Paternal age alters social development in offspring. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 56 (5), pp. 383-390. ISSN 0890-8567.
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Abstract
Objective: Advanced paternal age (APA) at conception has been linked with autism and schizophrenia in offspring, neurodevelopmental disorders that affect social functioning. The current study explored the effects of paternal age on social development in the general population. Method: We used multilevel growth modeling to investigate APA effects on socioemotional development from early childhood until adolescence, as measured by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) in the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS) sample. We also investigated genetic and environmental underpinnings of the paternal age effects on development, using the Additive genetics, Common environment, unique Environment (ACE) and gene–environment (GxE) models. Results: In the general population, both very young and advanced paternal ages were associated with altered trajectory of social development (intercept: p = .01; slope: p = .03). No other behavioral domain was affected by either young or advanced age at fatherhood, suggesting specificity of paternal age effects. Increased importance of genetic factors in social development was recorded in the offspring of older but not very young fathers, suggesting distinct underpinnings of the paternal age effects at these two extremes. Conclusion: Our findings highlight that the APA-related deficits that lead to autism and schizophrenia are likely continuously distributed in the population.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Keyword(s) / Subject(s): | advanced paternal age, social development, autism, schizophrenia, neurodevelopment |
School: | Birkbeck Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Science > School of Psychological Sciences |
Depositing User: | Administrator |
Date Deposited: | 05 Jul 2017 14:21 |
Last Modified: | 02 Aug 2023 17:33 |
URI: | https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/19068 |
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