The Developmental Processes in Schizophrenic Disorders project involves studies focused on identifying variables that are """"""""vulnerability indicators"""""""" and """"""""episode indicators"""""""" for the development and return of schizophrenic episodes. A parallel aim is to determine whether certain intrapersonal and external environmental factors are predictive of the developmental course of relapse in schizophrenic disorders and of changes in symptomatology in persons at predicted risk for psychosis. The intrapersonal substantive areas that are assessed include psychopathology, attention and information processing, psychophysiology, neuropsychology, social and instrumental skills, and nonverbal overt behavior. Assessments of possible external environmental factors are completed in the areas of family attitudes and behavior, the social network, and potentially stressful life events. The proposal involves three major interconnected studies. The first study consists of a currently ongoing prospective, longitudinal, follow-through study of recent-onset schizophrenic patients and normal comparison subjects during the patients' index hospitalization and the first post-discharge year. The second study is the continuation of the first study into the patients' second and third post-discharge year, examining the effects of antipsychotic-medication/placebo crossover for 24 weeks and subsequent medication withdrawal for 18 months. The third study employs the remitted schizophrenic patients from the first two studies, students at predicted risk for psychosis, and low-risk comparison groups to examine certain intrapersonal variables that may be indicators of vulnerability to psychosis.
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