Effects of environmental enrichment at ages 3-5 years on schizotypal personality and antisocial behavior at ages 17 and 23 years.

Objective: Methods to prevent two major mental disorders, schizophrenia and conduct disorder, have been elusive. This study assessed the effects of an early nutritional, educational, and physical exercise enrichment program on adult outcome for schizotypal personality, conduct disorder, and criminal behavior.

Method: Eighty-three children were assigned to an experimental enrichment program from ages 3 to 5 years and matched on temperament, nutritional, cognitive, autonomic, and demographic variables with 355 children who experienced usual community conditions (control group).

Increased psychophysiological arousal and orienting at ages 3 and 11 years in persistently schizotypal adults.

Abnormalities of psychophysiological arousal and orienting are thought to predispose to schizophrenia, but there have been no prior studies of early psychophysiological functioning in "persistent schizotypals" who remain stably schizotypal across time. This study assessed skin conductance (SC) arousal and orienting at ages 3 and 11 years, electroencephalography (EEG) at age 11 years, and behavior problems at age 17 years in 52 individuals who were stably schizotypal from ages 17 to 23 years, and 104 normal controls. Schizotypy was assessed at age 17 with the Schizophrenism scale, and at age 23 with the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ).