Early neurobehavioral deficits as phenotypic indicators of the schizophrenia genotype and predictors of later psychosis

Schizophrenia is a genetically complex disorder that requires sharper delin eation of its phenotypic boundaries. Considerable attention has been devote d in recent family and high-risk studies to the identification of both subc linical and other phenotypes, such as neurobehavioral deficits, that may be indicators of the genetic liability to schizophrenia, In high-risk studies , candidate liability indicators that are evident by young ages are also ev aluated for their ability to predict future schizophrenia or spectrum disor ders. We report on assessments of verbal short-term memory, gross motor ski lls, and global attention administered in mid-childhood to offspring of sch izophrenic, affectively ill, and normal parents as predictors of adult psyc hoses and as possible indicators of schizophrenia-susceptibility genes. Am. J. Med, Genet, (Neuropsychiatr. Genet.) 105:23-24, 2001, (C) 2001 Wiley-Li ss, Inc.