title: Neuropsychological correlates of schizotypy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cognitive deficits can precede the onset of psychotic episodes and predict the onset of the illness in individuals with schizotypy traits. In some studies, high levels of schizotypy were associated with impairments in memory, attention, executive functions, and verbal fluency. This review provides a more comprehensive understanding of cognitive impairments related to schizoytpy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A systematic review of "schizotypy and neuropsychological measures" was conducted, and it retrieved 67 studies. All papers with case-control design showing means and standard deviations from neuropsychological measures were included in a meta-analysis (n = 40). A comparison between our finding and another metaanalysis with patients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders [Fatouros-Bergman, H., Cervenka, S., Flyckt, L., Edman, G., & Farde, L. (2014). Meta-analysis of cognitive performance in drugnaive patients with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2014.06.034 ] was performed to study the similarities on the MATRICS domains between the two disorders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found evidence of worse functioning of verbal and visual-spatial working memory, and of language in people with schizotypy or with schizotypal traits. Working memory deficit is present in both schizotypy and schizophrenia with larger effect sizes compared to other domains.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Working memory deficit might be a cognitive marker of the risk of psychosis. Interventions targeting cognitive deficits early may be crucial to the prevention of psychosis.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Education, Psychology, Philosophy , University of Cagliari , Cagliari , Italy.|b Unit of Research and Development , CIBERSAM, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat , Barcelona , Spain.|c Faculty of Medicine , Universitat de Barcelona , Barcelona , Spain.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Siddi
authors.affiliation: a Department of Education, Psychology, Philosophy , University of Cagliari , Cagliari , Italy.
authors.forename: Donatella Rita
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Petretto
authors.affiliation: d Genneruxi Medical Center , Cagliari , Italy.|e Center for Liaison Psychiatry and Psychosomatics , University Hospital, University of Cagliari , Cagliari , Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Preti
mesh_terms: D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012569:Schizotypal Personality Disorder / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Psychosis-proneness; language; schizophrenia; working memory