Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 29, 2026

Handwriting Analysis Indicates Spontaneous Dyskinesias in Neuroleptic Naïve Adolescents at High Risk for Psychosis
Published on: November 21, 2013
Prodromal psychosis screening in adolescent psychiatry clinics
Rachel L Loewy1, Sebastian Therman, Marko Manninen
1Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0984, USA. rloewy@lppi.ucsf.edu
Background:
Research has identified a syndrome conferring ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis, although UHR interviews require intensive staff training, time and patient burden. Previously, we developed the Prodromal Questionnaire (PQ) to screen more efficiently for UHR syndromes.
Aims:
This study examined the concurrent validity of the PQ against UHR status and preliminary predictive validity for later psychotic disorder.
Method:
We assessed a consecutive patient sample of 408 adolescents who presented to psychiatry clinics in Helsinki, Finland, seeking mental health treatment, including 80 participants who completed the Structured Interview for Prodromal Syndromes (SIPS).
Results:
A cut-off score of 18 or more positive symptoms on the PQ predicted UHR diagnoses on the SIPS with 82% sensitivity and 49% specificity. Three of 14 (21%) participants with high PQ scores and SIPS UHR diagnoses developed full psychotic disorders within 1 year.
Conclusions:
Using the PQ and SIPS together can be an efficient two-stage screening process for prodromal psychosis in mental health clinics.
More Related Videos
07:31Implementation of a Real-Time Psychosis Risk Detection and Alerting System Based on Electronic Health Records using CogStack
Published on: May 15, 2020
13:08Measurement of Fronto-limbic Activity Using an Emotional Oddball Task in Children with Familial High Risk for Schizophrenia
Published on: December 2, 2015
Related Concept Videos
Psychosis and Antipsychotic Drugs: Overview
Psychosis: Goals of Pharmacotherapy
Psychosis: Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
Researchers have identified genetic factors that increase susceptibility to schizophrenia, underscoring the intricate interplay between genetics and environment in disease development. At the core of schizophrenia's pathophysiology is excessive dopaminergic neurotransmission within the...
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings.
Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia