Results and promises of genetics of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia: Epigenetic approaches

Abstract

To date, numerous data about the genetic variants associated with cognitive impairments in schizophrenia have been accumulated. However, there is still a long way to establishing the genetic basis of the deasease-related cognitive deficit, which will shed light on the biological mechanisms of this syndrome and contribute to the personification of health and social care of patients in the early stages of schizophrenia. It seems that epigenetics will play an important role in achieving these goals. Although epigenetics and epigenetic medicine are in their infancy and only approaching research on the cognitive deficit in schizophrenia, they have already provided a number of interesting data that evidence the role of epigenetic modifications in the development of the disease and expand our understanding of the mechanisms of genotype-environment interactions determining the development and functioning of the brain that underlie cognition. We can expect that for such a complex multifactorial trait as the cognitive deficit in schizophrenia epigenetic markers will be more accurate predictors than genetic ones.