Pre-morbid psychopathology in schizophrenia spectrum.

In a prospective, longitudinal study of high-risk offspring of schizophrenic mothers, of several dimensions of pre-morbid behaviour 'peculiarity' predicted subsequent schizophrenia or schizotypy. Peculiarity/eccentricity may represent a subtle marker of the schizophrenic genotype. 'Pre-schizophrenics', as compared with 'pre-schizotypes', were characterised by affective dyscontrol, reflected in less introverted and more disturbed behaviour.