Impairment of Olfactory Identification Ability in Individuals at Ultra-High Risk for Psychosis Who Later Develop Schizophrenia

• DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.160.10.1790
• Publication Date: 2003-09-26T21:41:55Z
• Authors: Warrick J. Brewer; Stephen J. Wood; Patrick D. McGorry; Shona M. Francey; Lisa J. Phillips; Alison R. Yung; Vicki Anderson; David L. Copolov; Bruce Singh; Dennis Velakoulis; Christos Pantelis
• Keywords: Adult; Male; Adolescent; *Schizophrenia; *Psychosis; Schizophrenia & Psychotic States [3213].; Risk Assessment; Smell; Olfaction Disorders; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Psychotic Disorders; Risk Factors; *Olfactory Perception; Human. Male. Female. Adolescence (13-17 yrs). Adulthood (18 yrs & older). Young Adulthood (18-29 yrs). Thirties (30-39 yrs).; Sense Organ Disorders; Schizophrenia; Humans; *At Risk Populations; Female; Schizophrenic Psychology

Previous investigation has revealed stable olfactory identification deficits in neuroleptic-naive patients experiencing a first episode of psychosis, but it is unknown if these deficits predate illness onset.The olfactory identification ability of 81 patients at ultra-high risk for psychosis was examined in relation to that of 31 healthy comparison subjects. Twenty-two of the ultra-high-risk patients (27.2%) later became psychotic, and 12 of these were diagnosed with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder.There was a significant impairment in olfactory identification ability in the ultra-high-risk group that later developed a schizophrenia spectrum disorder but not in any other group.These findings suggest that impairment of olfactory identification is a premorbid marker of transition to schizophrenia, but it is not predictive of psychotic illness more generally.