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.