title: Early self-experienced neuropsychological deficits and subsequent schizophrenic diseases: an 8-year average follow-up prospective study.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential predictive value of early self-experienced neuropsychological deficits for the subsequent development of schizophrenia. A total of 96 patients with DSM-III-R diagnoses of personality disorders (formerly called 'neurotic disorders') who had been examined for the presence of such subjective experiences of deficits with standardized instruments were re-examined for the possible development of schizophrenic symptoms. After an average follow-up period of about 8 years, more than 50% of the patients had developed schizophrenia according to DSM-III-R criteria. In 77% of cases the outcome 'schizophrenia vs. no schizophrenia' was correctly predicted by the earlier presence or absence of self-experienced disturbances of thought, speech, memory, perception and action. These findings suggest that certain self-experienced neuropsychological deficits are able to indicate susceptibility to psychosis.
authors.affiliation: Psychiatric Department, University of Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klosterkötter
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schultze-Lutter
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Steinmeyer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D018450:Disease Progression; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008875:Middle Aged; D009497:Neurotic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012647:Self-Assessment