Neurohormones, Neurodevelopment, and the Prodrome of Psychosis in Adolescence

It has been suggested that the neural systems governing the response to stress, especially the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, may function to augment the expression of the core vulnerability to psychosis. This chapter reviews research findings that bear on adolescent vulnerability for psychosis and neurodevelopment of the HPA-hippocampal system, with an emphasis on implications for preventive intervention. The chapter presents preliminary data from recent research that suggests how psychopharmacologic interventions might alter HPA function, and thereby modify the transition to psychosis in at-risk adolescents.