Schizotypy: phenotypic marker as risk factor

Objective: To evaluate measures of schizotypy as familial risk factors for schizophrenia with the aim of making recommendations for assessing schizoty py as part of screening procedures for identifying people at risk of schizo phrenia. Method: Published studies using self-report and interview-based measures of schizotypy to assess relatives of patients with schizophrenia are reviewed . A parent study is reported evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of parental schizotypy as assessed by three questionnaire-based measures: the Chapman Perceptual Aberration and Physical Anhedonia Scales, and the Eysenck Psycho ticism Scale. Group scores for these self-report ratings of 23 parent-pairs of patients with schizophrenia, 20 parent-pairs of patients with chronic n onpsychotic psychiatric disorder, and 19 parent-pairs of healthy comparison subjects are compared. Results: Consistent with published evidence that self-report measures of ps ychosis-proneness and schizotypy do not consistently reflect familial risk factors that are specific for schizophrenia, scores on questionnaire measur es of schizotypy did not distinguish the parents of patients with schizophr enia from the parents in the other two groups. Conclusions: Interview-based assessments of schizotypy better assess famili al risk factors than self-report measures of schizotypy. Questionnaire meas ures of schizotypy should be supplemented by interview-based assessments wh en screening for individuals at risk of schizophrenia.