Parental Education Predicts Longitudinal IQ Trajectories in 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome: A Three-Cohort European Study.

The study did not measure parental IQ or determine if the genetic deletion was inherited or spontaneous, making it impossible to separate genetic influences from environmental effects of parental education. There was no control group, so it is unclear if the observed IQ decline is specific to 22q11.2 deletion syndrome or reflects broader aging patterns in this population. Data were merged from three different sites using different instruments for sleep and stress, which may have introduced variability and reduced the sensitivity of these measures. Participants were not excluded for taking medication or having psychiatric diagnoses, both of which can significantly impact cognitive performance and were not adjusted for in the analysis. The study is observational and cannot establish causation; the association with parental education may reflect socioeconomic barriers to care rather than a direct effect of education on brain development.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, the Medical Research Council, and other UK research councils.

Do not interpret the association with parental education as evidence that increasing parental education would prevent IQ decline. The study could not control for genetic factors, meaning parents with higher education may also pass on different genetic backgrounds, and the observed effect likely reflects a mix of environmental and inherited influences.