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Does reactivity to stress cosegregate with subclinical psychosis? A general population twin study
T Lataster1, M Wichers, N Jacobs
1Maastricht University-Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht 6200MD, The Netherlands.
Objective:
This study assessed the relationship between stress reactivity (trait 1) and psychosis (trait 2) across genetically related persons (cross-twin, cross-trait design) to examine whether stress reactivity is an uncontaminated and unconfounded familial marker of psychosis risk.
Method:
Reactivity to stress and subclinical psychotic experiences were assessed in 289 female, general population twin-pairs. Cross-trait, within-twin associations investigating the association between stress reactivity and subclinical psychotic experiences in each person, were calculated. In addition, cross-trait, cross-twin associations were calculated to assess whether stress reactivity in one twin was moderated by subclinical psychotic experiences in the co-twin.
Results:
Cross-trait, within-twin analyses showed significant associations between stress reactivity and subclinical psychotic experiences in each person. In addition, the cross-trait cross-twin analyses showed that stress reactivity in twin 1 was significantly moderated by subclinical experiences in the co-twin.
Conclusion:
The results suggest that the psychosis phenotype cosegregates with increased emotional reactivity to stress in daily life.
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