The prodromal phase of psychosis

• The definition, measurement, and clinical management of the psychosis high-risk state are outlined.
• Key findings from neurocognitive, social cognition, and neuroimaging studies are described.
• We discuss how biomarkers may be used for individual outcome prediction in people at high risk for psychosis.
• We highlight the outstanding research issues and future research directions in this area.

The onset of frank psychosis is usually preceded by a prodromal phase characterized by attenuated psychotic symptoms and a marked deterioration in psychosocial functioning. The last two decades have seen an enormous increase in research work in this area, generating a series of new findings that have significantly advanced out understanding of the neurobiology of psychosis. A key challenge for research in this field is to translate these findings into improvements in the clinical management of the early phase of psychosis.