Heritability of Memory Functions and Related Brain Volumes: A Schizophrenia Spectrum Study of 214 Twins
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Standard
Heritability of Memory Functions and Related Brain Volumes: A Schizophrenia Spectrum Study of 214 Twins. / Lemvigh, Cecilie; Brouwer, Rachel M; Sahakian, Barbara J; Robbins, Trevor W; Johansen, Louise; Legind, Christian; Anhøj, Simon; Hilker, Rikke Warming; Hulshoff Pol, Hilleke E; Ebdrup, Bjørn; Pantelis, Christos; Glenthøj, Birte Yding; Fagerlund, Birgitte.
In: Schizophrenia Bulletin Open, Vol. 1, No. 1, sgaa066, 21.11.2020.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Harvard
APA
Vancouver
Author
Bibtex
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
T1 - Heritability of Memory Functions and Related Brain Volumes: A Schizophrenia Spectrum Study of 214 Twins
AU - Lemvigh, Cecilie
AU - Brouwer, Rachel M
AU - Sahakian, Barbara J
AU - Robbins, Trevor W
AU - Johansen, Louise
AU - Legind, Christian
AU - Anhøj, Simon
AU - Hilker, Rikke Warming
AU - Hulshoff Pol, Hilleke E
AU - Ebdrup, Bjørn
AU - Pantelis, Christos
AU - Glenthøj, Birte Yding
AU - Fagerlund, Birgitte
PY - 2020/11/21
Y1 - 2020/11/21
N2 - BackgroundMemory performance is heritable and shares partial genetic etiology with schizophrenia. How the genetic overlap between memory and schizophrenia is related to intelligence (IQ) and brain volumes has not been formally tested using twin modeling.MethodsA total of 214 twins were recruited nationwide by utilization of the Danish registers, including monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs concordant or discordant for a schizophrenia spectrum disorder and healthy control pairs. Memory/IQ assessments and MRI scans were performed and structural equation modeling was applied to examine the genetic and environmental effects and to quantify associations with schizophrenia liability.ResultsSignificant heritability estimates were found for verbal, visual and working memory. Verbal and visual memory were associated with schizophrenia, and for visual memory the association was due to overlapping genetics. IQ was highly heritable, but only performance IQ was associated with schizophrenia. Genetic factors also contributed to total brain, right superior frontal, left rostral middle frontal and hippocampal volumes. Smaller total brain and hippocampal volumes were associated with schizophrenia, and for the left hippocampus this association was due to overlapping genetic factors. All 3 memory measures were associated with IQ, but only visual memory was associated with total brain and hippocampal volumes.DiscussionSpecific memory measures and brain volumes were moderately heritable and showed overlap with schizophrenia liability, suggesting partially shared etiological influences. Our findings further suggest that factors impacting IQ also influence memory, whereas memory impairments and brain volume abnormalities appear to represent separate pathological processes in the pathway to schizophrenia.
AB - BackgroundMemory performance is heritable and shares partial genetic etiology with schizophrenia. How the genetic overlap between memory and schizophrenia is related to intelligence (IQ) and brain volumes has not been formally tested using twin modeling.MethodsA total of 214 twins were recruited nationwide by utilization of the Danish registers, including monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs concordant or discordant for a schizophrenia spectrum disorder and healthy control pairs. Memory/IQ assessments and MRI scans were performed and structural equation modeling was applied to examine the genetic and environmental effects and to quantify associations with schizophrenia liability.ResultsSignificant heritability estimates were found for verbal, visual and working memory. Verbal and visual memory were associated with schizophrenia, and for visual memory the association was due to overlapping genetics. IQ was highly heritable, but only performance IQ was associated with schizophrenia. Genetic factors also contributed to total brain, right superior frontal, left rostral middle frontal and hippocampal volumes. Smaller total brain and hippocampal volumes were associated with schizophrenia, and for the left hippocampus this association was due to overlapping genetic factors. All 3 memory measures were associated with IQ, but only visual memory was associated with total brain and hippocampal volumes.DiscussionSpecific memory measures and brain volumes were moderately heritable and showed overlap with schizophrenia liability, suggesting partially shared etiological influences. Our findings further suggest that factors impacting IQ also influence memory, whereas memory impairments and brain volume abnormalities appear to represent separate pathological processes in the pathway to schizophrenia.
KW - Faculty of Social Sciences
KW - Heritability
KW - twin-study
KW - cognition
KW - memory
KW - brain volumes
KW - psychosis
U2 - 10.1093/schizbullopen/sgaa066
DO - 10.1093/schizbullopen/sgaa066
M3 - Journal article
VL - 1
JO - Schizophrenia Bulletin Open
JF - Schizophrenia Bulletin Open
SN - 2632-7899
IS - 1
M1 - sgaa066
ER -
ID: 255787890