Substantial genetic link between iq and working memory: Implications for molecular genetic studies on schizophrenia. the european twin study of schizophrenia (EUTwinsS)

TY - JOUR

T1 - Substantial genetic link between iq and working memory: Implications for molecular genetic studies on schizophrenia. the european twin study of schizophrenia (EUTwinsS)

AU - Goldberg, Ximena

AU - Alemany, Silvia

AU - Rosa, Araceli

AU - Picchioni, Marco

AU - Nenadic, Igor

AU - Owens, Sheena F.

AU - Rijsdijk, Fruhling

AU - Rebollo, Irene

AU - Sauer, Heinrich

AU - Murray, Robin M.

AU - Fananas, Lourdes

AU - Toulopoulou, Timothea

PY - 2013/6

Y1 - 2013/6

N2 - While evidence is accumulating to support specific neurocognitive deficits as putative endophenotypes for schizophrenia, the heritability of these deficits in healthy subjects and whether they share common genetic influences, is not well established. In the present study, 529 healthy adult twins from two centers within the European Twin Study Network on Schizophrenia (EUTwinsS) were assessed on two domains that are consistently found to be particularly compromised in schizophrenia. Specifically, Intellectual Quotient Score (IQ) and the LetterNumber Sequencing Test (LNS), a measure of working memory, were measured in all twins. Latent variable components were explored through structural equation modeling, and common genetic underpinnings were examined using bivariate analyses. Results showed that the phenotypic correlation between IQ and working memory was almost entirely attributed to shared genetic variance (95.5%). We discuss the potential use of a combined measure of IQ and working memory to improve the power of molecular studies in detecting the genetic mechanisms underlying schizophrenia. (c) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (c) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

AB - While evidence is accumulating to support specific neurocognitive deficits as putative endophenotypes for schizophrenia, the heritability of these deficits in healthy subjects and whether they share common genetic influences, is not well established. In the present study, 529 healthy adult twins from two centers within the European Twin Study Network on Schizophrenia (EUTwinsS) were assessed on two domains that are consistently found to be particularly compromised in schizophrenia. Specifically, Intellectual Quotient Score (IQ) and the LetterNumber Sequencing Test (LNS), a measure of working memory, were measured in all twins. Latent variable components were explored through structural equation modeling, and common genetic underpinnings were examined using bivariate analyses. Results showed that the phenotypic correlation between IQ and working memory was almost entirely attributed to shared genetic variance (95.5%). We discuss the potential use of a combined measure of IQ and working memory to improve the power of molecular studies in detecting the genetic mechanisms underlying schizophrenia. (c) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (c) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

KW - cognition

KW - heritability

KW - endophenotypes

KW - healthy population

KW - etiology

KW - CLASSICAL TWIN

KW - ENDOPHENOTYPE CONCEPT

KW - HUMAN INTELLIGENCE

KW - PROCESSING SPEED

KW - CONSORTIUM

KW - OVERLAP

KW - RISK

KW - HERITABILITY

KW - ASSOCIATIONS

KW - POPULATION

U2 - 10.1002/ajmg.b.32158

DO - 10.1002/ajmg.b.32158

M3 - Article

SN - 1552-4841

VL - 162

SP - 413

EP - 418

JO - American Journal of Medical Genetics. Part B: Neuropsychiatric Genetics

JF - American Journal of Medical Genetics. Part B: Neuropsychiatric Genetics

IS - 4

ER -