Early Detection of Psychosis/Schizophrenia   

The true onset of schizophrenic disorders is often to be found a long time before the first frank manifestation of full-blown psychotic symptoms. It is characterized by very unspecific changes in patients' lives, and it often has deleterious consequences for them. Our study intends to establish an empirical basis for a very early detection of beginning psychosis.  Patients potentially at risk for developing a schizophrenic psychosis are identified by a screening procedure which is based on different risk factors and indicators of a beginning psychosis as described in literature so far. In contrast to prior studies, which were retrospective and have concentrated on single measures each, our study uses a prospective, multilevel-approach. Patients at risk are examined cross-sectionally on different levels: 

-        genetic risk;

-        psychopathological changes;

-        psychosocial changes; 

-        neuropsychological status;

-        neurophysiological investigations (hand movements, eye movements, prepulse inhibition, EEG);

-        MRI (functional and structural).

Each individual is followed up over a period of at least five years. By comparing those patients who in fact develop manifest psychosis during the period of observation to those who do not, the study seeks to find a post - hoc - validation of the risk factors and indicators assumed at the beginning based on literature and to develop a "risk index'' which will allow to identify patients at risk on an accurate empirical basis. This index will hopefully offer clinical practitioners a guideline for predicting the risk of psychotic decompensation and thereby for early intervention.