Attenuated psychotic symptoms in children and adolescent offspring of patients with schizophrenia

Objective To compare the offspring of patients with SZ (SZoff) with those of a community control group (CC-off) to determine the variables associated with attenuated psychotic symptoms (APS), general symptomatology and functioning that may help to differentiate those at genetic risk for SZ. Methods 41 SZ-off and 107 CC-off aged 6–17 years were included. The Structured Interview for Prodromal Symptoms (SIPS), scored on the Scale of Prodromal Symptoms (SOPS), was administered by a child psychiatrist blinded to parental diagnoses, together with other clinical and functional scales. Results The SZ-off group presented higher scores in positive (p = 0.000), negative (p = 0.012), and disorganized (p = 0.009) subscale scores, as well as in the total score (p = 0.001) on the SOPS when compared with the CC-off group. Other scales indicated significant emotional (p = 0.028), behavioral (p = 0.000) and peer-related problems (p = 0.025), lower performance at school (p = 0.025) and increased dysfunction score (p = 0.005) in the SZ-off group. Logistic regression analysis revealed lower socioeconomic statuses (OR: 0.92, 95%CI: 0.87–0.97) and higher SOPS positive subscale scores (OR: 2.41, 95%CI: 1.31–4.42) in the SZ-off group. Conclusions SZ-off presented significantly more APS and higher mean scores in psychopathological scales than CC-off, together with increased dysfunction scores. These early warning signs and follow-up for those at genetic high risk for schizophrenia will provide useful information about symptom progression, facilitating early intervention to improve short and long-term outcomes in youths with a positive family history.