The Australian Twin ADHD Project: current status and future directions

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Genetics
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• The Australian Twin Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Project (ATAP) database has been actively collecting information from Australian families with twin children since 1991.
• The study emphasizes the value of assessing siblings alongside twins for comprehensive data.
• Maintaining family involvement over time, especially as twins mature, presents a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the Australian Twin Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Project (ATAP).
• To present research findings from the ATAP database.
• To outline future research directions and collaborations.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal data collection from twin families since 1991.
• Focus on Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescents.
• Inclusion of comorbid conditions such as conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder.

Main Results:

• The project has established a valuable resource for ADHD research.
• Challenges in maintaining assessment continuity across evolving psychiatric classifications (e.g., DSM-IV) have been addressed.
• Twins involved in ATAP have participated in other twin studies, facilitating future database linkage.

Conclusions:

• The ATAP project provides a significant resource for studying ADHD and related disorders in twins.
• Future plans involve linking ATAP with other twin databases to explore childhood behavior and adult conditions.
• The commitment to family recruitment, assessment, and retention creates a valuable collaborative resource beyond the initial scope.