Neuropsychological deficits in probands from multiply-affected schizophrenic families.

This study was designed to determine if schizophrenics from families with more than one psychotic relative show more severe neuropsychological deficits than schizophrenics with only one psychotic relative, non-familial schizophrenics, and a group of matched normal controls. Eighty-one schizophrenic-spectrum patients were divided into three groups on the basis of the presence of psychotic disorder among first- and second-degree relatives. The three groups of schizophrenics and the normal controls were compared for differences on a brief neuropsychological testing battery. The four groups showed significant multivariate differences. Patients from multiply-affected families showed significantly greater neuropsychological dysfunction on measures of abstract concept formation, visuomotor-coordination, and attention than patients from families that had only one psychotic relative. Schizophrenics from low-density families showed more severe deficits in fine motor-control than non-familial schizophrenics. These data suggest that abnormalities in those frontal systems that are likely to mediate fine motor control and abstract concept formation may be related to the degree of familial loading for psychotic disorder.