SCZ-PRS have unequivocally established a link between genetic susceptibility to SCZ and cognitive deficits during the lifespan. SCZ-PRS are predictive of IQ at ages 7–9 (Riglin et al., 2017, Hubbard et al., 2016) and also to cognitive decline in later life (Liebers et al., 2016). One study suggests stronger effects on Wechsler IQ at age 70 but not age 11, with SCZ-PRS predicting 0.8% of the variance in this developmental decline. Collectively, this research suggests that cognition deficits observed in schizophrenia are attributable in part to common genetic variation, that can also be observed in the population.
