title: Working memory impairment in probands with schizoaffective disorder and first degree relatives of schizophrenia probands extend beyond deficits predicted by generalized neuropsychological impairment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Working memory impairment is well established in psychotic disorders. However, the relative magnitude, diagnostic specificity, familiality pattern, and degree of independence from generalized cognitive deficits across psychotic disorders remain unclear.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants from the Bipolar and Schizophrenia Network on Intermediate Phenotypes (B-SNIP) study included probands with schizophrenia (N=289), psychotic bipolar disorder (N=227), schizoaffective disorder (N=165), their first-degree relatives (N=315, N=259, N=193, respectively), and healthy controls (N=289). All were administered the WMS-III Spatial Span working memory test and the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS) battery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All proband groups displayed significant deficits for both forward and backward span compared to controls. However, after covarying for generalized cognitive impairments (BACS composite), all proband groups showed a 74% or greater effect size reduction with only schizoaffective probands showing residual backward span deficits compared to controls. Significant familiality was seen in schizophrenia and bipolar pedigrees. In relatives, both forward and backward span deficits were again attenuated after covarying BACS scores and residual backward span deficits were seen in relatives of schizophrenia patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, both probands and relatives showed a similar pattern of robust working memory deficits that were largely attenuated when controlling for generalized cognitive deficits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States. Electronic address: scot.hill@rosalindfranklin.edu.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kristian Hill
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States.
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buchholz
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States.
authors.forename: Hayley
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Amsbaugh
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States.
authors.forename: James L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Reilly
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States.
authors.forename: Leah H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Rubin
authors.affiliation: Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, United States.
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Gold
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States.
authors.forename: Richard S E
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Keefe
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, Yale University, United States; Olin Neuropsychiatry Research Center, Hartford, CT, United States.
authors.forename: Godfrey D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Pearlson
authors.affiliation: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.
authors.forename: Matcheri S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Keshavan
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX, United States.
authors.forename: Carol A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Tamminga
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX, United States.
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sweeney
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010641:Phenotype; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D014481:United States
keywords: B-SNIP; Bipolar disorder; Familiality; Generalized cognitive deficit; Schizoaffective disorder; Schizophrenia; Working memory