Abnormal neurologic maturation in adolescents with early-onset schizophrenia

Objective: This study evaluated neurologic functioning in adolescents with schizophrenia with onset of psychosis before age 13. Method: The authors administered a structured neurologic examination to 21 adolescents with early-onset schizophrenia and 27 healthy age- and sex-matc hed comparison subjects. Results: The adolescents with schizophrenia had a high frequency of neurolo gic abnormalities. Neurologic signs decreased with age in the healthy compa rison subjects but not in the subjects with schizophrenia. Conclusions: The adolescents with schizophrenia had a high burden of neurol ogic impairment and a pattern of abnormalities similar to that of adults wi th schizophrenia. The persistence of neurologic signs in the adolescents wi th schizophrenia, which faded with age in the healthy comparison adolescent s, supports earlier evidence of a delay in or failure of normal brain devel opment during adolescence.