Skip to main content
Log in

Genetic Influences on Four Measures of Executive Functions and Their Covariation with General Cognitive Ability: The Older Australian Twins Study

  • Original Research
  • Published:
Behavior Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

An Erratum to this article was published on 20 March 2012

Abstract

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arbuthnott K, Frank J (2000) Trail making test, part B as a measure of executive control: validation using a set-switching paradigm. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 22(4):518–528

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ardila A, Pineda D, Rosselli M (2000) Correlation between intelligence test scores and executive function measures. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 15:495–513

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Baddeley A (1986) Working memory. Clarendon Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Baddeley A (1990) Human memory: theory and practice. Erlbaum, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Benton AL, Hamsher KS (1976) Multilingual aphasia examination: manual of instruction. University of Iowa, Iowa City

  • Bryan J, Luszcz MA (2000) Measurement of executive function: consideration for detecting adult age differences. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 22(1):40–55

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bugaiska A, Clarys D, Jarry, C, Taconnat L, Tapia G, Vanneste S, Isingrini M (2006) The effect of aging in recollective experience: the processing speed and executive functioning hypothesis. Conscious Cogn 16:797–808

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bunce D, Macready A (2005) Processing speed, executive, and age difference in remembering and knowing. Quart J Exp Psychol 58A(1):155–168

    Google Scholar 

  • Cirulli ET, Kasperavičiūtė D, Attix DK, Need AC, Ge D, Gibson G, Goldstein DB (2010) Common genetic variation and performance on standardized cognitive tests. Eur J Hum Genet 18(7):815–820

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Delis DC, Kaplan E, Kramer JH (2001) Executive function system: examiner’s manual. The Psychological Corporation, San Antonio, pp 91–103

  • Finkel D, Pedersen NL, McGue M, McClearn GE (1995a) Heritability of cognitive abilities in adult twins: comparison of Minnesota and Swedish data. Behav Genet 25:421–431

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Finkel D, Pedersen NL, McGue M (1995b) Genetic influence on memory performance in adulthood: comparison of Minnesota and Swedish data. Psychol Aging 10:437–446

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fjell AM, Westlye LT, Amlien E, Espeseth T, Reinvang I, Raz N, Agartz I, Salat DH, Greve DN, Fischl B, Dale AM, Walhovd KB (2009) High consistency of regional cortical thinning in aging across multiple samples. Cereb Cortex 19:2001–2012

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Folstein MF, Folstein SE, McHugh PR (1975) “Mini-mental state” a practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. J Psychiatr Res 12:189–198

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Friedman NP, Miyake A, Corley RP, Young SE, DeFries JC, Hewitt JK (2006) Not all executive functions are related to intelligence. Psychol Sci 17(2):172–179

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Friedman NP, Miyake A, Young SE, DeFries JC, Corley RP, Hewitt JK (2008) Individual differences in executive functions are almost entirely genetic in origin. J Exp Psychol Gen 137(2):201–225

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Giubilei F, Medda E, Fagnani C, Bianchi V, De Carolis A, Salvetti M, Sepe-Monti M, Stazi MA (2008) Heritability of neurocognitive functioning in the elderly: evidence from an Italian twin study. Age Aging. doi:10.1093/ing/afn132

    Google Scholar 

  • Head D, Rodrigue KM, Kennedy KM, Raz N (2008) Neuroanantomical and cognitive mediators of -related differences in episodic memory. Neuropsychology 22(4):491–507

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Henry JD, von Hippel W, Baynes K (2009) Social inappropriateness, executive control, and aging. Psychol Aging 24(1):239–244

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Huizinga M, Dolan CV, van der Molan MW (2006) Related change in executive function: developmental trends and a latent variable analysis. Neuropsychologia 44(11):2017–2036

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson W, Bouchard TJJr, Segal NL, Keyes M, Samuels J. (2003) The Stroop Color-Word Test: genetic and environmental influences: Reading, mental ability, and personality correlates. Journal of Educational Psychology 95:58-65

  • Kimberg DY, Farah MJ (1993) A unified account of cognitive impairments following frontal lobe dam: the role of working memory in complex, organised behavior. J Exp Psychol Gen 122(4):411–428

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lansbergen MM, Kenemans JL, van Engeland H (2007) Stroop interference and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a review and meta-analysis. Neuropsychology 21(2):251–262

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lee T, Mosing MA, Henry JD, Trollor JN, Lammel A, Ames A, Martin NG, Wright MJ, Sachdev PS (2011) Genetic influences on five measures of processing speed and their covariation with general cognitive ability in the elderly: the older Australian twin study. Behav Genet. doi:10.1007/s10519-011-9474-1

    Google Scholar 

  • Lessov-Schlaggar CN, Swan GE, Reed T, Wolf PA, Carmelli D (2007) Longitudinal genetic analysis of executive function in elderly men. Neurobiol Aging 28:1759–1768

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lezak MD, Howieson DB, Loring DW (2004) Neuropsychological assessment (4th edn). Oxford University Press Inc., New York

  • Luciano M, Gow AJ, Harris SE, Hayward C, Allerhand M, Starr JM, Visscher PM (2009) Cognitive ability at 11 and 70 years, information processing speed, and APOE variation: the Lothian birth cohort 1936 study. Psychol Aging 24(1):129–138

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McClearn GE, Johansson B, Berg S, Pedersen NL, Ahern F, Petrill SA, Plomin R (1997) Substantial genetic influence on cognitive abilities in twins 80 or more years old. Science 276:1560–1563

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McGue M, Christensen K (2001) The heritability of cognitive functioning in very old adults: evidence from Danish twins d 75 years and older. Psychol Aging 16(2):272–280

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Miyake A, Friedman NP, Emerson MJ, Witzki AH, Howerter A, Wr TD (2000) The unity and diversity of executive functions and their contributions to complex “frontal lobe” tasks: a latent variable analysis. Cogn Psychol 41:49–100

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mosocovitch M, Winocur G. (1992) The neuropsychology of memory and aging. In FIM Craik, TA Salthouse (eds), The handbook of aging and cognition, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Hillsdale, pp 315–372

  • Neale MC (2005) Twin studies: software and algorithms. Encyclopedia of life sciences. Wiley. www.els.net

  • Neale MC, Boker SM, Xie G, Maes HH (2002) Mx: statistical modeling. VA 23298: Department of Psychiatry VCU Box 900126, Richmond

  • Nelson HE, Willison JR (1991). National adult reading test (NART): Test manual, 2nd edn. NFER-Nelson, Windsor

  • Pedersen NL, Plomin R, Nesselroade J, McClearn GE (1992) A quantitative genetic analysis of cognitive abilities during the second half of the life span. Psychol Sci 3:346–352

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peper JS, Brouwer RM, Boomsma DI, Kahn RS, Hulshoff Pol (2001) Genetic influences on human brain structure: a review of brain imaging studies in twins. Human Brain Mapping 28:464–473

    Google Scholar 

  • Plomin R, Pedersen NL, Lichtenstein P, Mcclearn GE (1994) Variability and stability in cognitive abilities are largely genetic later in life. Behav Genet 24:207–215

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Purcell S (2008) Statistical methods in behavioral genetics. In: Plomin R, Defries JC, McClearn GE, McGuffin P. Behavioral Genetics, 5th edn. Worth Publishers and WH Freeman & Co, New York

  • Raz N, Gunning-Dixon FM, Head D, Dupuis JH, Acker JD (1998) Neuroanatomical correlates of cognitive aging: evidence from structural magnetic resonance imaging. Neuropsychology 12:95–114

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reitan RM, Wolfson D (1985) The Halstead-Reitan neuropsychological test battery: theory and interpretation. Neuropsychology Press, Tucson

    Google Scholar 

  • Rey A (1964) L’examen clinique en psychologie. Presses Universitaires de France, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  • Sachdev PS, Brodaty H, Reppermund S, Kochan NA, Trollor JN, Draper B, Memory and Aging Study Team (2010) Methodology and baseline medical and neuropsychiatric characteristics of an elderly epidemiological non-demented cohort of Australians aged 70–90 years. Int Psychogeriatr 22(8):1248–1264

    Google Scholar 

  • Sachdev PS, Lammel A, Trollor JN, Lee T, Wright MJ, Ames D, Wen W, Martin NG, Brodaty H, Schofield PR, The OATS research team (2009) A comprehensive neuropsychiatric study of elderly twins: the older Australian Twins study. Twin Res Hum Genet 12(6):573–582

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Salthouse TA (1996) The processing-speed theory of adult age differences in cognition. Psychol Bull 103:403–428

    Google Scholar 

  • Salthouse TA (2005) Relations between cognitive abilities and measures of executive functioning. Neuropsychology 19(4):532–545

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shallice T (1988) From neuropsychology to mental structure. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Sivan AB, Spreen O (1996) Der Benton-Test, 7th edn. Hans Huber, Berne

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith EE, Jonides J (1999) Storage and executive processes in the frontal lobes. Science 283:1657–1661

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Snow WG, Weinstock J (1990) Sex differences among non-brain-damaged adults on the Spinath Weschsler audlt intelligence scales: a review of the literature. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 12(6):873–886

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stins JF, van Baal GCM, Polderman TJC, Verhulst FC, Boomsma DI (2004) Heritability of Stroop and flanker performance in 12-year old children. BMC Neuroscience 5:49

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Swan GE, Carmelli D (2002) Evidence of genetic mediation of executive control: a study of aging male twins. J Gerontol 57B(2):133–143

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor J (2007) Heritability of Wisconsin card sorting test (WCST) and stroop color-word test performance in normal individuals: implications for the search for endophenotypes. Twin Res Hum Genet 10(6):829–834

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Walsh KW (1985) Understanding brain damage: a primer of neuropsychological evaluation. Churchill Livingstone, Longman Group Limited

  • Wechsler (1981) Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised. The Psychological Corporation, San Antonio

    Google Scholar 

  • Wechsler D (1987) Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised manual. The Psychological Corporation, San Antonio

    Google Scholar 

  • Wechsler D (1997) Adult intelligence scale, 3rd edn. The Psychological Corporation, San Antonio

    Google Scholar 

  • West RL (1996) An application of prefrontal cortex function theory to cognitive aging. Psychol Bull 120:272–292

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council (ID 401162), and facilitated with access to the Australian Twin Registry, a national research resource supported by an Enabling Grant (ID 310667) from the National Health and Medical Research Council, and administered by The University of Melbourne. We would like to thank the OATS Research Team (www.brainage.med.unsw.edu.au) for their contribution to this study, and most of all, we would like to thank the twins and the informants for their participation in the OATS.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Consortia

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Teresa Lee.

Additional information

Edited by Michael Lyons.

Appendix

Appendix

See Tables 5 and 6.

Table 5 Cholesky AE decomposition showing genetic (A) and environmental (E) influences on the relationship between GCA, WorkMem, fluency, inhibition, and flexibility
Table 6 Best fitting Cholesky decomposition showing genetic (A) and environmental (E) influences on the relationship between NART-IQ, WorkMem, fluency, inhibition, and flexibility

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Lee, T., Mosing, M.A., Henry, J.D. et al. Genetic Influences on Four Measures of Executive Functions and Their Covariation with General Cognitive Ability: The Older Australian Twins Study. Behav Genet 42, 528–538 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10519-012-9526-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10519-012-9526-1

Keywords

Navigation