Adjudicating Neurocognitive Endophenotypes for Schizophrenia

Abstract

Although genetic influences on schizophrenia are well established, localization of the genes responsible for this illness has proven extremely difficult. Given evidence that genes predisposing to schizophrenia may be transmitted without expression of the clinical phenotype, efforts have focused on developing endophenotypes. While several neuropsychological measures have been proposed to be endophenotypes, few studies have systematically assessed batteries of neurocognitive tests to determine which tests are most sensitive to liability for the illness. Two hundred sixty-nine Latino individualswere administered a standard neuropsychological battery.Neurocognitive measures found to be heritable were entered into analyses designed to determine which tests covary with the degree of genetic relationship to affected individuals