A PRELIMINARY-STUDY OF THE NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL HETEROGENEITY OF FAMILIAL SCHIZOPHRENIA

This exploratory study describes the heterogeneity of the neuropsychol ogical deficits that characterize familial schizophrenia. Forty-six fa milial schizophrenics showed significantly more variability in abstrac tion and problem-solving and motor control than 39 non-familial schizo phrenics. Cluster analyses of these two neuropsychological parameters indicate that while the non-familial schizophrenics fall into one homo geneous cluster, the familial schizophrenics fall into three relativel y distinct dusters which differ significantly in their morbid risk for schizophrenic-spectrum disorder. These preliminary data suggest that frontal lobe deficits are associated with an increased familial risk f or schizophrenia.