The prodrome and clinical risk for psychotic disorders

Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2013 Oct;22(4):557-67. doi: 10.1016/j.chc.2013.04.002. Epub 2013 Jun 18.

Abstract

The psychosis prodrome offers great promise for identifying neural mechanisms involved in psychotic disorders and offers an opportunity to implement empirical interventions to delay, and ultimately ameliorate, illness onset. This article summarizes the literature on individuals in the putatively prodromal phase of psychosis/deemed at clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis onset. Standardized measurement and manifestation of the CHR syndromes are discussed, followed by empirical findings that highlight the psychological deficits and biological abnormalities seen in CHR syndromes and psychotic disorders. Current controversies surrounding the diagnosis of CHR syndromes and issues related to the treatment of CHR individuals are also presented.

Keywords: Clinical high risk; Prodrome; Psychosis; Schizophrenia.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Brain / pathology
  • Brain / physiopathology
  • Cognition Disorders / epidemiology
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
  • Disease Progression*
  • Disease Susceptibility
  • Evoked Potentials / physiology
  • Humans
  • Interview, Psychological
  • Male
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Prodromal Symptoms*
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
  • Psychotic Disorders* / diagnosis
  • Psychotic Disorders* / epidemiology
  • Psychotic Disorders* / pathology
  • Risk Factors
  • Severity of Illness Index