Behavioural childhood precursors of schizophrenia spectrum disorders: schizophrenia and schizotypal personality disorder

Abstract

Given the wide and growing appearance of studies on biobehavioural markers of schizophrenia spectrum disorders, we have pursued to synthesise the data focusing on the possible differences in such markers as precursors of development towards schizotypal disorder and schizophrenia. Following a conceptual setting of high-risk studies we first outline classic and recent works about psychobiological markers from the genetic risk paradigm for schizophrenia and, secondly, we present findings coming from studies that have used other than genetic markers and have focused on the analysis of the soft conditions of the spectrum (i.e., schizotypy and schizotypal personality disorder). Lastly, limitations and theoretical and applied implications of these studies are discussed