Associations Between Schizophrenia Polygenic Liability, Symptom Dimensions, and Cognitive Ability in Schizophrenia

Question Are phenotypic dimensions in schizophrenia associated with genetic liability to schizophrenia, other neuropsychiatric disorders, and intelligence? Findings In this cross-sectional genetic association study of 1220 individuals with schizophrenia, analyses indicated that higher levels of disorganized symptoms, but not other symptom dimensions, and lower levels of current cognitive ability were significantly associated with schizophrenia polygenic risk scores. Current cognitive ability was also associated with intelligence polygenic risk scores. Meaning The findings of this study suggest that variation in disorganized symptoms and cognitive ability in schizophrenia are markers of schizophrenia common genetic liability; cognitive performance in schizophrenia may reflect distinct contributions from genetic liabilities to both intelligence and schizophrenia. IMPORTANCE Schizophrenia is a clinically heterogeneous disorder. It is currently unclear how variability in symptom dimensions and cognitive ability is associated with genetic liability for schizophrenia. OBJECTIVE To determine whether phenotypic dimensions within schizophrenia are associated with genetic liability to schizophrenia, other neuropsychiatric disorders, and intelligence. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In a genetic association study, 3 cross-sectional samples of 1220 individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia were recruited from community, inpatient, and voluntary sector mental health services across the UK. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to create phenotypic dimensions from lifetime ratings of the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms, Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms, and the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery. Analyses of polygenic risk scores (PRSs) were used to assess whether genetic liability to schizophrenia, other neuropsychiatric disorders, and intelligence were associated with these phenotypic dimensions. Data collection for the cross-sectional studies occurred between 1993 and 2016. Data analysis for this study occurred between January 2019 and March 2021. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Outcome measures included phenotypic dimensions defined from confirmatory factor analysis relating to positive symptoms, negative symptoms of diminished expressivity, negative symptoms of motivation and pleasure, disorganized symptoms, and current cognitive ability. Exposure measures included PRSs for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and intelligence. RESULTS Of the 1220 study participants, 817 were men (67.0%). Participants' mean (SD) age at interview was 43.10 (12.74) years. Schizophrenia PRS was associated with increased disorganized symptom dimension scores in both a 5-factor model (beta = 0.14; 95% CI, 0.07-0.22; P = 2.80 x 10(-4)) and a 3-factor model across all samples (beta = 0.10; 95% CI, 0.05-0.15; P = 2.80 x 10(-4)). Current cognitive ability was associated with genetic liability to schizophrenia (beta = -0.11; 95% CI, -0.19 to -0.04; P = 1.63 x 10(-3)) and intelligence (beta = 0.23; 95% CI, 0.16-0.30; P = 1.52 x 10(-10)). After controlling for estimated premorbid IQ, current cognitive performance was associated with schizophrenia PRS (beta = -0.08; 95% CI, -0.14 to -0.02; P = 8.50 x 10(-3)) but not intelligence PRS. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE The findings of this study suggest that genetic liability for schizophrenia is associated with higher disorganized dimension scores but not other symptom dimensions. Cognitive performance in schizophrenia appears to reflect distinct contributions from genetic liabilities to both intelligence and schizophrenia. This genetic association study examines the associations between phenotypic dimensions in schizophrenia and genetic liability to schizophrenia, other neuropsychiatric disorders, and intelligence in patients with schizophrenia.