[Developing a combined predictor measure for early detection of psychosis proneness]

This study falls within research on neurocognitive risk markers of schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and its usefulness for early prevention strategies.

Two samples of 60 adults and 65 children and adolescents, with some schizophrenia high-risk individuals among them, were studied with the aim of harmonizing different strategies for early detection. One of the most practical aspects of this study was the design of a combined and straightforward measure (different in adults and adolescents) of vulnerability to schizophrenia spectrum disorders (schizotaxia), in contrast to the high availability of neuropsychological measures. For that purpose, several psychometric analyses were made exploring schizotypy prodromes, as well as neurocognitive functions (prefrontal, attentional, working memory and general cognitive functioning tasks) or external markers of these disorders.

In keeping with previous research, our results indicate that the more accurate measure of schizotaxia or vulnerability to schizophrenia combines, on the one hand, negative symptoms of schizotypy and, on the other hand, neuropsychological deficits in cognitive frontal functions such as memory, attention and executive functions.

Therefore, the findings suggest that it must be possible to identify normal subjects vulnerable to squizophrenia spectrum disorders, adults o adolescents, because some of them show early neurocognitive deficits and schizotipic symptoms similar to those observed in clinical samples. Actas Esp Psiquiatr 2003;31(5):244-251