PRODROMAL SYMPTOMS OF RELAPSE IN SCHIZOPHRENIA - A REVIEW

It is often stated that there are identifiable prodromal symptoms of p sychosis in patients suffering from schizophrenia. In this article, we review the evidence for the existence of such prodromal symptoms. Com puterized and direct searches of the psychiatric literature were condu cted to identify relevant reports. The methods and findings of the stu dies were then examined for their relevance to several issues concerni ng prodromal symptoms. We found that very few studies have directly as sessed the relationship between putative prodromal symptoms and the ex acerbation of psychosis. The research that has been reported suggests that prodromal symptoms have only modest power as predictors of relaps e. It appears that while some individual schizophrenia patients may sh ow reasonably consistent patterns of prodromal symptoms, such symptoms are probably of limited general value in predicting psychosis. Two pa rticular issues that warrant further investigation are individual diff erences in patterns of prodromal symptoms and the extent to which such symptoms actually precede changes in level of psychosis.