Neurodevelopmental schizophrenia: Obstetric complications, birth weight, premorbid social withdrawal and learning disabilities

Neurodevelopmental schizophrenia seems to be caused by impaired cerebral development and is supposed to be associated with obstetric complications (OCs), poor premorbid adjustment, schizotypal or schizoid personality traits and negative symptoms. In the present study, 36 schizophrenic and schizoaffective patients and their same-sex, healthy siblings were recruited. They were diagnosed according to DSM-III-R, using structured psychiatric interviews and a consensus of 2 psychiatrists. Information on OCs, birth weight, premorbid social and learning functioning was obtained from their mothers. The main results show significant differences in OCs, birth weight, premorbid social and learning functioning between patients and their same-sex, healthy siblings. Using multivariate analyses, both premorbid variables were again identified to discriminate well between affected and unaffected siblings. Our findings seem to confirm the concept of schizophrenia as a neurodevelopmental process. Copyright Π2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.