title: Childhood dyspraxia predicts adult-onset nonaffective-psychosis-spectrum disorder.
abstract: Several neurological variables have been investigated as premorbid biomarkers of vulnerability for schizophrenia and other related disorders. The current study examined whether childhood dyspraxia predicted later adult nonaffective-psychosis-spectrum disorders. From a standardized neurological examination performed with children (aged 10-13) at genetic high risk of schizophrenia and controls, several measures of dyspraxia were used to create a scale composed of face/head dyspraxia, oral articulation, ideomotor dyspraxia (clumsiness), and dressing dyspraxia (n = 244). Multinomial logistic regression showed higher scores on the dyspraxia scale predict nonaffective-psychosis-spectrum disorders relative to other psychiatric disorders and no mental illness outcomes, even after controlling for genetic risk, χ2 (4, 244) = 18.61, p < .001. Findings that symptoms of dyspraxia in childhood (reflecting abnormalities spanning functionally distinct brain networks) specifically predict adult nonaffective-psychosis-spectrum disorders are consistent with a theory of abnormal connectivity, and they highlight a marked early-stage vulnerability in the pathophysiology of nonaffective-psychosis-spectrum disorders.
authors.affiliation: University of Maryland,Baltimore County.
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schiffman
authors.affiliation: University of Colorado.
authors.forename: Vijay
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mittal
authors.affiliation: University of Maryland,Baltimore County.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kline
authors.affiliation: University of Copenhagen.
authors.forename: Erik L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Mortensen
authors.affiliation: University of Copenhagen.
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Michelsen
authors.affiliation: Copenhagen University Hospital.
authors.forename: Morten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ekstrøm
authors.affiliation: University of Maryland,Baltimore County.
authors.forename: Zachary B
authors.initials: ZB
authors.lastname: Millman
authors.affiliation: Copenhagen University Hospital.
authors.forename: Sarnoff A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Mednick
authors.affiliation: Copenhagen University Hospital.
authors.forename: Holger J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Sørensen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001072:Apraxias / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D013223:Statistics as Topic