A Prospective Observational Study of Facial Aging in Identical Twins Using Three-Dimensional Imaging
试验速览
- 阶段
- 不适用
- 状态
- 尚未招募
- 发起方
- 入组人数
- 200
- 试验地点
- 1
- 主要终点
- Within-pair difference in quantitative three-dimensional facial surface measurements
研究概览
简要总结
Identical twins share the same genes, which makes them a powerful way to study how lifestyle and environment - rather than genetics - affect how faces age. This study builds on a landmark 2009 twin study by using modern three-dimensional (3D) facial imaging, which measures facial shape and volume precisely instead of relying on regular photographs. The study will also look at whether use of GLP-1 weight-loss medications (such as semaglutide or tirzepatide), sometimes associated with facial changes informally called "Ozempic face," is related to measurable differences in facial aging.
The study will enroll adult identical twin pairs attending the Twins Days Festival in Twinsburg, Ohio, in August 2026. Participation takes about 30 minutes and happens in a single visit at the festival study booth. Each twin will complete a questionnaire about lifestyle, environment, and medical history (such as sun exposure, smoking, sleep, and medication use) and have a 3D image of their face taken with a non-contact camera system. There is no treatment, no medication, no blood draw or biological sample, and no follow-up visit. Researchers will then compare facial measurements within each twin pair to learn which lifestyle and environmental factors are linked to visible facial aging.
详细描述
This is a prospective, observational, single-site study conducted at the Twins Days Festival, Twinsburg, Ohio (August 8-9, 2026). The design revisits the 2009 identical-twin facial aging study of Guyuron and colleagues with two methodological advances: replacement of standardized two-dimensional photography with three-dimensional facial surface imaging, permitting objective quantitative measurement of volumetric and topographic facial differences, and inclusion of GLP-1 receptor agonist and other rapid weight-loss medication exposure as a facial-aging variable that did not exist as a widespread exposure at the time of the original study.
Participation is completed in a single session. After eligibility screening and written informed consent, each twin independently completes a structured questionnaire covering demographic, lifestyle, environmental, and medical-history domains, and undergoes standardized 3D facial surface imaging using a non-contact, non-ionizing optical system (approximately 1-2 minutes per participant). A staff member records Fitzpatrick skin type by brief visual assessment. No intervention is administered, no biological specimens are collected, no genetic testing is performed, and no individual results are returned. Zygosity is established by participant self-report, supported where available by prior DNA testing or physician confirmation; self-reported dizygotic or zygosity-uncertain pairs are recorded as such and analyzed separately from the confirmed monozygotic cohort.
All data are recorded against coded participant identifiers. Because each monozygotic pair serves as its own genetic control, the primary analysis is of within-pair differences in quantitative 3D facial measurements, correlated with discordance in self-reported exposures. For the secondary objective, twin pairs discordant for self-reported GLP-1 receptor agonist use are compared with respect to midface and lower-face volume and contour. All measurement, extraction, and analysis of study data are performed by the study team on coded data.
研究设计
- 研究类型
- Observational
- 观察模型
- Family Based
- 时间视角
- Prospective
入排标准
- 年龄范围
- 18 Years 至 —（Adult, Older Adult）
- 性别
- All
- 接受健康志愿者
- 是
入选标准
- •Adults aged 18 years or older
- •Members of a monozygotic (identical) twin pair, with both twins present and willing to participate
- •Able to provide written informed consent in English
排除标准
- •Age under 18 years
- •Inability or unwillingness to provide informed consent
- •Facial conditions or recent facial surgery that, in the investigator's judgment, would prevent standardized imaging
- •Pregnancy, by self-report
- •Note: Zygosity is established by participant self-report, supported where available by prior DNA testing or physician confirmation. No genetic testing is performed and no biological specimens are collected. Pairs who self-report as dizygotic or are uncertain of their zygosity are recorded as such and analyzed separately from the confirmed monozygotic cohort.
研究组 & 干预措施
Adult twin pairs
Adult (18+) twin pairs attending the Twins Days Festival, Twinsburg, Ohio, with both members present and consenting. Each participant completes a lifestyle and medical-history questionnaire and undergoes standardized three-dimensional facial surface imaging in a single session. Zygosity is established by self-report; pairs self-reporting as dizygotic or unsure are recorded as such and analyzed separately from the confirmed monozygotic cohort.
干预措施: GLP-1 Receptor Agonists (Drug)
结局指标
主要结局
Within-pair difference in quantitative three-dimensional facial surface measurements
时间窗: Day 1 (single study visit; all data collected at enrollment)
Description: Volumetric and topographic facial measurements (facial volume and surface contour) derived from standardized 3D facial surface images, compared within each monozygotic twin pair. Within-pair differences are correlated with within-pair discordance in self-reported lifestyle, environmental, and medical exposures recorded by questionnaire.
次要结局
- Within-pair difference in midface and lower-face volume and contour among twin pairs discordant for GLP-1 receptor agonist use(Day 1 (single study visit; all data collected at enrollment))