The association of schizotypal personality traits with cognitive and emotional functioning in groups at increased risk for schizophrenia-spectrum disorders

The study focuses on the exploration of the effects of schizotypal personality traits on cognitive and emotional functioning in groups at increased risk for schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. The central aim is to investigate the associations between cognitive-perceptual, paranoid, negative and disorganized schizotypy with endophenotypic markers of the schizophrenia-spectrum in certain groups (i.e. different groups with increased schizotypal traits in exclusively one of the aforementioned schizotypal dimensions). The study has one longitudinal and one cross-sectional perspective. For the longitudinal perspective, we will conduct follow-up assessments (4 years after the initial assessment) of individuals included in schizotypal groups during their participation in a previous study. Our aim is to explore the stability of effects of the different schizotypal traits on cognitive deficits and sensorimotor gating impairments across time. For the cross-sectional perspective, we will recruit a new sample with high schizotypal traits (in exclusively one of the aforementioned schizotypal dimensions) in order to (a) explore the effects of the different schizotypal dimensions on emotion recognition and laterality of function, (b) directly compare potential impairments in analogous hot and cold cognitive functions and (c) run a thorough investigation of our hypothesis that cognitive-perceptual schizotypy resembles “healthy” schizotypy. In the long run, the findings of the present study could prove useful in early intervention programmes for schizophrenia-spectrum disorders as well as in the individualization of therapeutic approaches, which is a high priority in modern clinical practice.