North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study: a collaborative multisite approach to prodromal schizophrenia research.
This article presents the rationale, design, and preliminary findings of the North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study (NAPLS), a collaborative, multisite investigation into the earliest phase of psychotic illness. We describe how 8 independently conceived research projects were integrated methodologically, how diagnostic reliability was achieved across sites on the Structured Interview for Prodromal Syndromes, and how baseline and follow-up data were aggregated for 888 at risk and comparison subjects. Data are presented describing the demographic, academic/work, and diagnostic characteristics of 3 relevant subgroups: persons at heightened clinical risk for psychosis, help-seeking comparison subjects, and nonpsychiatric controls. The NAPLS data set will be used to explore a series of questions related to prodromal psychosis, including the descriptive phenomenology of currently accepted diagnostic criteria, conversion rates over a 30-month period, predictors of psychosis onset and functional disability, and the impact of early treatment on the course of prodromal symptoms.
Addington
Jean
J
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 1R8, Canada. jean_addington@camh.net
Cadenhead
Kristin S
KS
Cannon
Tyrone D
TD
Cornblatt
Barbara
B
McGlashan
Thomas H
TH
Perkins
Diana O
DO
Seidman
Larry J
LJ
Tsuang
Ming
M
Walker
Elaine F
EF
Woods
Scott W
SW
Heinssen
Robert
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D009656:North America; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D012106:Research; D012107:Research Design; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012569:Schizotypal Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy