Special feature: Childhood personality characteristics of schizophrenia: Manifestations of, or risk factors for, the disorder?

Many retrospective stuies, and an increasing number of prospective studies, have identified subtle abnormalities in preschizophrenics from as early as the first year of life. Premorbid characteristics include developmental delays, cognitive deficits, and abnormal social interactions. Schizoid personality traits have been a particularly well documented finding, and show some specificity in their association with schizophrenia. Information about the premorbid characteristics of schizophrenia has played a major role in the reorientation of the field, from regarding schizophrenia as an adult onset degenerative disorder, to considering it, at least in part, as a neurodevelopmental condition. However, whether the childhood personality traits are a reflection of an underlying brain lesion, or whether they are independent risk factors for the disorder, is uncertain. In the future, the identification of childhood characteristics may enable us to predict those who are at high risk of developing schizophrenia, and may even be useful in formulating preventive policies. However, at present, the powers of prediction are inadequate for such purposes.