Abstract
Childhood developmental abnormalities have been previously described in schizophrenia. However it has not yet been established which domain of development is most affected or whether childhood developmental abnormalities are specific to schizophrenia. The Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study is a longitudinal investigation of a birth cohort of 1037 children born between April 1972 and March 1973 in Dunedin, New Zealand. The cohort has been assessed 10 times between ages 3 and 26. At age 26, psychiatric status was ascertained using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule. Thirty-six subjects fulfilled DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for schizophreniform disorder, 20 for mania and 275 for neurotic depression or anxiety disorders. Longitudinal data analysis showed that the children who later developed schizophreniform disorder were significantly impaired in all domains of development assessed: motor development, cognitive development (IQ and receptive language), and emotional/interpersonal development. Children with adult mania or neurotic disorders exhibited problems with emotional/interpersonal development but no problems in the other domains. These results provide evidence for an early childhood 'pandevelopmental' impairment that may be specific to schizophrenia.