Neurobehavioral deficits in offspring of schizophrenic parents: Liability indicators and predictors of illness

High-risk research in schizophrenia incorporates several different strategi es for studying individuals who are defined by different criteria as being at risk for future development of schizophrenia. Variables from a wide rang e of domains have been included in these studies. Several reviews of high-r isk research have attempted to cover the field broadly, whereas others have been more sharply focused on research subjects defined by specific criteri a or on particular classes of variables. Among the review articles and coll ections of project reports on high-risk research in the past two decades ar e: Watt et al. [1984: Children at risk for schizophrenia: a longitudinal pe rspective]; Nuechterlein and Dawson [1984: Schizophr Bull 10:160-203]; Nuec hterlein [1986: J Child Psychol Psychiatr 27:133-144]; Erlenmeyer-Kimling a nd Cornblatt [1987: J Psychiatr Res 26:405-426]; Goldstein and Tuma [1987: Schizophr Bull 13:369-371]; Asarnow [1988: Schizophr Bull 14:613-631]; Mold in and Erlenmeyer-Kimling [1994: Schizophr Bull 20:25-29]; Mirsky [1995: Sc hizophr Bull 21:179-182]; Gooding and lacono [1995: Manual of developmental psychopathology] McNeil [1995: Epidemiol Rev 17:107-112] Olin and Mednick [1996. Schizophr Bull 22:223-240]; Cornblatt and Obuchowski [1997: Intl Rev Psychiatry 9:437-447]. This paper presents an overview of findings from re cent (the past decade and a half) prospective studies of children of schizo phrenic parents, with a focus on neurobehavioral (neurocognitive, neuromoto r, and neurophysiological) variables that may reflect aspects of the geneti c liability to schizophrenia and related disorders. The few neuroimaging st udies on children of schizophrenic parents are also briefly mentioned. Beca use of space limitations, the overview is not intended as a comprehensive o r detailed review of this area of high-risk research. 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.