HERITABILITY OF SPECIFIC COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS AND ASSOCIATIONS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA SPECTRUM DISORDERS USING CANTAB: A NATION-WIDE TWIN STUDY

Abstract

Many cognitive functions are under strong genetic control and especially measures of intelligence (IQ) have shown high heritability estimates. Schizophrenia is a highly heritable illness associated with widespread cognitive deficits. Twin studies have reported genetic overlap between schizophrenia and intelligence as well as some aspects of memory and executive functioning. How the genetic relationship between specific cognitive functions and schizophrenia is influenced by IQ is currently unknown. Twin pairs concordant or discordant for a diagnosis in the schizophrenia spectrum were recruited by linking The Danish Twin Register and The Danish Psychiatric Central Research Register. For the pr..