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Premorbid characterization in schizophrenia: the Pittsburgh High Risk Study
Matcheri S Keshavan1, Vaibhav A Diwadkar, Debra M Montrose
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3811 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
Summary
Young relatives at high risk for schizophrenia show early neurodevelopmental deficits. New research indicates altered sleep patterns may also be an early indicator of schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Genetics
Background:
- Schizophrenia research increasingly focuses on identifying premorbid precursors in at-risk individuals.
- Early identification of neurobiological markers may aid in predicting disease onset.
- Young relatives of individuals with schizophrenia represent a high-risk group for studying early disease development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate potential premorbid precursors of schizophrenia in young, high-risk relatives.
- To summarize existing neurobehavioral, structural, physiological, and neurochemical findings in this population.
- To present new data on sleep architecture alterations in at-risk youth.
Main Methods:
- Prospective studies of young relatives at risk for schizophrenia.
- Review of existing literature on premorbid schizophrenia research.
- Analysis of sleep architecture in high-risk youth.
Main Results:
- High-risk relatives exhibit neurobehavioral, brain structural, physiological, and neurochemical deficits.
- These deficits may originate in childhood or earlier.
- Preliminary data suggest alterations in sleep architecture in at-risk youth.
Conclusions:
- Early-appearing neurobiological deficits are present in young relatives at risk for schizophrenia.
- Sleep architecture alterations may represent a novel premorbid marker.
- These findings contribute to predicting the emergence of schizophrenia and related psychopathology.