Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging
The major focus of the primary VETSA project is to elucidate factors affecting cognitive aging starting in midlife. To that end, it seeks to understand aging processes by clarifying the relationships between cognition, health, personality, and psychosocial factors, and by quantifying the relative influences of genetic and environmental factors in these major domains of adult development and aging.
- Start Year
- 2003
- Supplementary Information
-
DNA has already been extracted; biological samples are only available through the VETR, per registry guidelines.
Kremen, W. S., Franz, C. E., & Lyons, M. J. (2013a). VETSA: the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging. Twin Res Hum Genet, 16(1), 399-402. PMID: 23110957
Kremen, W. S., Franz, C. E., & Lyons, M. J. (2013b). VETSA: the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging - ADDENDUM. Twin Res Hum Genet, 16(1), 403. PMID: 23394194
Visit VETSA
| Investigators | Contacts |
|---|---|
|
|
Design
- Study design
- Cohort
- Follow Up
-
The study design calls for follow-up every 5 years. The first follow-up (VETSA 2) was conducted 2009-2013: 1014/1237 twins participated in the follow-up. VETSA 2 also assessed 247 attrition replacements (ages 51 to 65). VETSA 3 follow-up is scheduled to start in Fall 2015.
- Supplementary Information
-
Data are collected at an individual level for each twin.
Marker Paper
Kremen WS, Thompson-Brenner H, Leung YM, Grant MD, Franz CE, Eisen SA, Jacobson KC, Boake C, Lyons MJ. Genes, environment, and time: the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging (VETSA). 2006; 9(6): 1009-22.
PUBMED 17254445
Recruitment
- Recruitment Target
-
- Families
Number of Participants
- Number of Participants
- 1,237
- Number of Participants with Biological Samples
- 1,237
- Supplementary Information
-
Biological samples were collected from the attrition replacement participants
Access
Availability of data and biosamples
| Possible Access to Data | |
| Possible Access to Biosamples | |
| Other |
VETSA 2 data are not yet publicly available—contact the PIs |
Timeline
VETSA population
VETSA participants are members of male-male twin pairs (both monozygotic and dizygotic) ranging in age from 51 to 60 years (birth year between 1943 and 1954) at the baseline assessment. These twins are all members of the VET Registry and both served in the American military between 1965-1975. Only men are in the VET Registry. Data include questionnaires, in-person cognitive testing, medical history and health functioning. Subsets of the sample participated in the VETSA MRI longitudinal studies (depending on eligibility for scanning N=515 at baseline) in which structural MRI data were procured; and in the VETSA Neuroendocrine study (2004--2008) in which cortisol, DHEAS, and testosterone were assayed and detailed logs kept (N=783). The VETSA 2 follow-up paralleled the VETSA 1 data collection but did not include neuroendocrine data.
Selection Criteria
- Sex
-
Men
- Minimum age
-
51
- Maximum age
-
60
- Newborns
- Twins
- Countries
-
- United States of America
- Territory
- Ethnic Origin
-
- Primarily non-Hispanic White
- Health Status
-
- Good health
- Other Criteria
-
At baseline, must be age 51-60 when recruited and both twins agreed to participate.
Recruitment
- Sources of recruitment
-
- Specific population
- Specific Population
-
-
Other specific population :
Middle aged twins
-
Other specific population :
Number of Participants
- Number of Participants
- 1,237
- Number of Participants with Biological Samples
- 1,237
- Supplementary Information about selection criteria
-
VETSA 1/baseline: 1237 participants
VETSA 2: 1014 follow-up of VETSA 1 participants; 247 attrition replacements
VETSA Cortisol/Neuroendocrine study (Subset of VETSA 1): 783 participants who also have complete data from VETSA 1 baseline
VETSA MRI 1: (subset of VETSA 1) 515 participants who also have complete data from VETSA 1 baseline
VETSA MRI 2: xxx follow-up participants plus attrition replacements; all have VETSA 2 cognitive and questionnaire data
Data Collection Events
| # | Name | Description | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 |
VETSA - Baseline
|
The domains of assessment for VETSA include an extensive neuropsychological test battery, as well as health, personality, and psychosocial indicators, and APOE genotype. Blood and, in ... |
2002 | 2008 |
| 1 |
VETSA - First follow-up
|
The domains of assessment for VETSA 2 include an extensive neuropsychological test battery, as well as health, personality, psychosocial indicators. Fasting blood was collected for clinical ... |
2009 | 2013 |
Classifications
- Socio-demographic and economic characteristics
- Lifestyle and behaviours
- Birth, pregnancy and reproductive health history
- Perception of health, quality of life, development and functional limitations
- Diseases
- Symptoms and signs
- Medication and supplements
- Non-pharmacological interventions
- Health and community care services utilization
- Death
- Physical measures and assessments
- Laboratory measures
- Cognition, personality and psychological measures and assessments
- Life events, life plans, beliefs and values
- Preschool, school and work life
- Social environment and relationships
- Physical environment
- Administrative information
- Cognitive functioning
- Personality
- Psychological distress and emotions
- Other psychological measures and assessments
- Life events
- Beliefs and values
- Perception of health
- Quality of life
- Life course development
- Functional limitations
- Other perception of health, quality of life and functional limitation-related information
- Tobacco
- Alcohol
- Drugs
- Nutrition
- Breastfeeding
- Physical activity
- Sleep
- Sexual behaviours and orientation
- Technological devices
- Misbehaviour and criminality
- Other and unspecified lifestyle information
Socio-demographic and economic characteristics
Lifestyle and behaviours
Perception of health, quality of life, development and functional limitations
Diseases
Symptoms and signs
Medication and supplements
Non-pharmacological interventions
Health and community care services utilization
Death
Physical measures and assessments
Laboratory measures
Cognition, personality and psychological measures and assessments
Life events, life plans, beliefs and values
Preschool, school and work life
Social environment and relationships
Physical environment
Administrative information
Cognitive functioning
Personality
Psychological distress and emotions
Life events
Quality of life
Sleep