Although premorbid cognitive deficits are well-described in individuals with schizophrenia, less is known about the cognitive developmental trajectories of children who develop schizophrenia as adults. This reflects, in part, the financial and methodological challenges inherent in implementing a prospective study that can follow, at multiple timepoints, a large, representative cohort of individuals from early childhood through young adulthood. Studies of youth at genetic high-risk for schizophrenia have provided valuable insights into the cognitive and neuropsychological antecedents of conversion to schizophrenia (1-3). However, genetic high-risk studies are not necessarily generalizable to the entire population of individuals with schizophrenia, most of whom do not have a first-degree relative with the disorder. Studies of military conscripts encompass a more representative, population-based sample, but are often limited in the number of timepoints at which participants are assessed, and may be further limited to male records.
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