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Change in IQ in schizophrenia patients and their siblings: a controlled longitudinal study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 January 2019

N. E. M. Van Haren Open the ORCID record for N. E. M. Van Haren [Opens in a new window] ,
D. S. Van Dam ,
R. K. Stellato  and
Genetic Risk and Outcome of Psychosis (GROUP) investigators
N. E. M. Van Haren*
Affiliation:
Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
D. S. Van Dam
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
R. K. Stellato
Affiliation:
Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
*
Author for correspondence: N. E. M. Van Haren, E-mail: n.vanharen@erasmusmc.nl
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Abstract

Background

Lower intelligence quotient (IQ) has frequently been reported in patients with schizophrenia. However, it is unclear whether IQ declines (further) after illness onset and what the familial contribution is to this change. Therefore, we investigate IQ changes during the course of illness in patients with non-affective psychosis, their siblings and controls.

Methods

Data are part of the longitudinal Genetic Risk and Outcome of Psychosis (GROUP) study in the Netherlands and Belgium. Participants underwent three measurements, each approximately 3 years apart. A total of 1022 patients with non-affective psychosis [illness duration: 4.34 (s.d. = 4.50) years], 977 of their siblings, and 565 controls had at least one measure of IQ (estimated from four subtests of the WAIS-III).

Results

At baseline, IQ was significantly lower in patients (IQ = 97.8) and siblings (IQ = 108.2; p < 0.0001) than in controls (IQ = 113.0; p < 0.0001), and in patients as compared with siblings (p < 0.0001). Over time, IQ increased in all groups. In siblings, improvement in IQ was significantly more pronounced (+0.7 points/year) than in patients (+0.5 points/year; p < 0.0001) and controls (+0.3 points/year; p < 0.0001). IQ increase was not significantly correlated with improvement in (sub)clinical outcome in any of the groups.

Conclusions

During the first 10 years of the illness, IQ increases to a similar (and subtle) extent in a relatively high-functioning group of schizophrenia patients and controls, despite the lower IQ in patients at baseline. In addition, the siblings’ IQ was intermediate at baseline, but over time the increase in IQ was more pronounced.

Keywords

Intelligencelongitudinaloutcomeschizophreniasiblings
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 49 , Issue 15 , November 2019 , pp. 2573 - 2581
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019 

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Footnotes

*

Contributed equally.

†

Genetic Risk and Outcome of Psychosis (GROUP) Investigators.

GROUP investigators are: Behrooz Z. Alizadeha,b, Therese van Amelsvoortc, Agna A. Bartels-Velthuisa, Nico J. van Beverend,e,f, Richard Bruggemana,g, Wiepke Cahnh,i, Lieuwe de Haanj,k, Philippe Delespaulc, Carin J. Meijerk, Inez Myin-Germeysl, Rene S. Kahnh,m, Frederike Schirmbeckk,n, Claudia J. P. Simonsc,o, Jim van Osc,h,p, Ruud van Winkell,c, Jurjen J. Luykxq,r

aUniversity of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, University Center for Psychiatry, Rob Giel Research center, Groningen, The Netherlands;

bUniversity of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Epidemiology, Groningen, The Netherlands;

cMaastricht University Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht, The Netherlands;

dAntes Center for Mental Health Care, Rotterdam, The Netherlands;

eErasmus MC, Department of Psychiatry, Rotterdam, The Netherlands;

fErasmus MC, Department of Neuroscience, Rotterdam, The Netherlands;

gUniversity of Groningen, Department of Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, Groningen, The Netherlands;

hUniversity Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Psychiatry, Brain Centre Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht, The Netherlands;

iAltrecht, Mental Health Care, Utrecht, The Netherlands;

jAmsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam, The Netherlands;

kArkin, Institute for Mental Health, Amsterdam, The Netherlands;

lKU Leuven, Department of Neuroscience, Research Group Psychiatry, Center for Contextual Psychiatry, Leuven, Belgium;

mDepartment of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY

nAcademic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam, The Netherlands;

oGGzE, Institute for Mental Health Care Eindhoven, Eindhoven, The Netherlands;

pKing's College London, King's Health Partners, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK;

qUniversity Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Psychiatry, Brain Centre Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands;

rUniversity Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Utrecht, The Netherlands

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