Sustained Attention and Interference Control Among 7-Year-Old Children With a Familial High Risk of Schizophrenia or Bipolar Disorder: A Nationwide Observational Cohort Study

TY - JOUR

T1 - Sustained Attention and Interference Control Among 7-Year-Old Children With a Familial High Risk of Schizophrenia or Bipolar Disorder

T2 - A Nationwide Observational Cohort Study

AU - Burton, Birgitte Klee

AU - Vangkilde, Signe

AU - Petersen, Anders

AU - Skovgaard, Lene Theil

AU - Jepsen, Jens Richardt

AU - Hemager, Nicoline

AU - Christiani, Camilla Jerlang

AU - Spang, Katrine Soeborg

AU - Ellersgaard, Ditte

AU - Greve, Aja

AU - Gantriis, Ditte

AU - Eichele, Heike

AU - Mors, Ole

AU - Nordentoft, Merete

AU - Thorup, Anne Amalie Elgaard

AU - Plessen, Kerstin Jessica

PY - 2018/8

Y1 - 2018/8

N2 - Background: Given the partially shared genetic liability between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, we aimed to assess whether 7-year-old children with a familial high risk of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder display specific deficits of sustained attention and interference control compared with each other and with control children. Methods: An observational cohort was identified through Danish registries and consisted of 522 children 7 years of age with no, one, or two parents with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Control subjects were matched based on age, sex, and municipality. Sustained attention and interference control were assessed using Conners’ Continuous Performance Test II and a modified Eriksen flanker task. Assessors were blinded to group membership of participants. The effect of higher genetic loading was not considered in the statistical models owing to low numbers. Results: At 7 years of age, children with a familial high risk of schizophrenia displayed deficits of sustained attention and subtle deficits in interference control compared with control children and children with a familial high risk of bipolar disorder. Children with a familial high risk of bipolar disorder displayed similar abilities of sustained attention and interference control as control children except in terms of a lower accuracy. Conclusions: Our findings suggest distinct neurodevelopmental characteristics in middle childhood of sustained attention and interference control for children of parents with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

AB - Background: Given the partially shared genetic liability between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, we aimed to assess whether 7-year-old children with a familial high risk of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder display specific deficits of sustained attention and interference control compared with each other and with control children. Methods: An observational cohort was identified through Danish registries and consisted of 522 children 7 years of age with no, one, or two parents with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Control subjects were matched based on age, sex, and municipality. Sustained attention and interference control were assessed using Conners’ Continuous Performance Test II and a modified Eriksen flanker task. Assessors were blinded to group membership of participants. The effect of higher genetic loading was not considered in the statistical models owing to low numbers. Results: At 7 years of age, children with a familial high risk of schizophrenia displayed deficits of sustained attention and subtle deficits in interference control compared with control children and children with a familial high risk of bipolar disorder. Children with a familial high risk of bipolar disorder displayed similar abilities of sustained attention and interference control as control children except in terms of a lower accuracy. Conclusions: Our findings suggest distinct neurodevelopmental characteristics in middle childhood of sustained attention and interference control for children of parents with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

KW - Attention

KW - Bipolar disorder

KW - Endophenotypes

KW - First-degree relatives

KW - Interference control

KW - Schizophrenia

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85048932323&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.bpsc.2018.04.012

DO - 10.1016/j.bpsc.2018.04.012

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 29909148

AN - SCOPUS:85048932323

SN - 2451-9022

VL - 3

SP - 704

EP - 712

JO - Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging

JF - Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging

IS - 8

ER -