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Peer-reviewedCC BYBMC Psychiatry

Accelerated brain aging associated with executive deficits in adolescence and early adulthood among individuals with schizophrenia and genetic high risk

  • Caijiu Deng1
  • Peiyi Wu1
  • Lingtao Kong1
  • Yifang Zhou1
  • Ziyi Wang1
  • Yuning Zhou1
  • Qikun Sun2
  • Ting Sun1
  • Zhengjiao Tuo1
  • Lei Wang1
  • Yuang Liu1
  • Yuxin Shen1
1 more authors
  • Yanqing Tang1
  1. 1Department of Psychiatry, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University
  2. 2Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Hospital of China Medical University
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Abstract

Introduction Abnormal brain development and cognitive function are present in adolescence and early adulthood of schizophrenia (SZ). However, it is still unclear whether these developmental abnormalities and cognitive deficits occur in adolescence and early adulthood in individuals at genetic high risk (GHR). This study aims to examine brain age gap differences during adolescence and early adulthood in individuals with SZ, GHR, and healthy control (HC), as well as their associations with cognitive function. Methods This study recruited a total of 240 subjects aged between 12 and 25, comprising 83 SZ, 48 GHR, and 109 HC. We calculated all participants’ brain age gap using their structural MRI. The subtests of Wisconsin Card Sorting Test were utilized to evaluate executive function. Results Compared to HC group, both GHR group (P = .021) and SZ (P < .001) group showed greater brain age gap (brain age > chronological age). Notably, within GHR group, greater brain age gap was associated with higher non-perseverative errors in executive function (r=.39, P FDR =0.035), whereas in SZ group, it was correlated with higher perseverative errors (r=.35, P FDR =0.005). Conclusions This study suggests that changes in brain age during adolescence and early adulthood in SZ and GHR individuals may reflect disease’s genetic susceptibility. A greater brain age gap may be associated with the onset and progression of executive deficits in SZ.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{deng2026accelerated,
  title = {{Accelerated brain aging associated with executive deficits in adolescence and early adulthood among individuals with schizophrenia and genetic high risk}},
  author = {Caijiu Deng and Peiyi Wu and Lingtao Kong and Yifang Zhou and Ziyi Wang and Yuning Zhou and Qikun Sun and Ting Sun and Zhengjiao Tuo and Lei Wang and Yuang Liu and Yuxin Shen and Yanqing Tang},
  journal = {BMC Psychiatry},
  year = {2026},
  month = jul,
  doi = {10.1186/s12888-026-08455-6},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-026-08455-6},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Accelerated brain aging associated with executive deficits in adolescence and early adulthood among individuals with schizophrenia and genetic high risk
AU  - Caijiu Deng
AU  - Peiyi Wu
AU  - Lingtao Kong
AU  - Yifang Zhou
AU  - Ziyi Wang
AU  - Yuning Zhou
AU  - Qikun Sun
AU  - Ting Sun
AU  - Zhengjiao Tuo
AU  - Lei Wang
AU  - Yuang Liu
AU  - Yuxin Shen
AU  - Yanqing Tang
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/07/01
JO  - BMC Psychiatry
DO  - 10.1186/s12888-026-08455-6
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-026-08455-6
AB  - Introduction Abnormal brain development and cognitive function are present in adolescence and early adulthood of schizophrenia (SZ). However, it is still unclear whether these developmental abnormalities and cognitive deficits occur in adolescence and early adulthood in individuals at genetic high risk (GHR). This study aims to examine brain age gap differences during adolescence and early adulthood in individuals with SZ, GHR, and healthy control (HC), as well as their associations with cognitive function. Methods This study recruited a total of 240 subjects aged between 12 and 25, comprising 83 SZ, 48 GHR, and 109 HC. We calculated all participants’ brain age gap using their structural MRI. The subtests of Wisconsin Card Sorting Test were utilized to evaluate executive function. Results Compared to HC group, both GHR group (P = .021) and SZ (P < .001) group showed greater brain age gap (brain age > chronological age). Notably, within GHR group, greater brain age gap was associated with higher non-perseverative errors in executive function (r=.39, P FDR =0.035), whereas in SZ group, it was correlated with higher perseverative errors (r=.35, P FDR =0.005). Conclusions This study suggests that changes in brain age during adolescence and early adulthood in SZ and GHR individuals may reflect disease’s genetic susceptibility. A greater brain age gap may be associated with the onset and progression of executive deficits in SZ.
SN  - 1471-244X
ER  -