title: IQ stabilization in childhood-onset schizophrenia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the long term IQ trajectory for childhood-onset schizophrenia (COS) in an expanded, prospective longitudinal study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy children meeting DSM criteria for schizophrenia were tested at 2 year intervals with age appropriate Wechsler intelligence tests and repeated administration of information and comprehension WISC subtests even after age 18. For a subgroup with 31 patients, pre-NIH IQ test administrations were available including 18 pre-psychotic and 13 post-psychotic subjects. The pattern of IQ performance over time was determined using mixed model regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No progressive cognitive decline was seen up to 13+ years post psychosis onset. For the subgroup of subjects with pre-illness scores, there had been an initial steep decline in IQ, from about 2 years prior to 1.7 years after onset of psychotic symptoms, as reported for adult patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The level long-term trajectory of IQ measures in COS appears stable, similar to that reported for adult onset patients. For COS, level cognitive functioning extends up to 13+ years post psychosis onset, in spite of chronic illness and concomitant, progressive loss of cortical gray matter.
authors.affiliation: Child Psychiatry Branch, NIMH Bldg 10, Rm. 3N202 Bethesda, MD 20892-1600, USA. peterg@codon.nih.gov
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Gochman
authors.forename: Deanna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Greenstein
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sporn
authors.forename: Nitin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gogtay
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Judith L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Rapoport
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012561:Schizophrenia, Childhood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014888:Wechsler Scales