Why does age of onset predict clinical severity in schizophrenia? A multiplex extended pedigree study.

ABSTRACT: Schizophrenia has substantial variation in symptom severity, course of illness, and overall functioning. Earlier age of onset (AOO) is consistently associated with negative outcomes and yet the causes of this association are still unknown. We used a multiplex, extended pedigree design (total N = 771; 636 relatives from 43 multigenerational families with at least 2 relatives diagnosed with schizophrenia and 135 matched controls) to examine among the schizophrenia relatives (N = 103) the relationship between AOO and negative and positive symptom severity, cognition, and community functioning. Most importantly, we assessed whether there are shared genetic effects between AOO and negative symptoms, positive symptoms, cognition, and community functioning. As expected, earlier AOO was significan

SUBMITTER: Musket CW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8728945 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature