A major limitation of the current study is its small sample size of 21, which included only 3 CHR patients who later developed psychosis. Although these three patients showed striking abnormalities in electrophysiologic, behavioral and standardized test measures of olfactory function, no meaningful statistical comparisons were possible. Thus, our observations should be considered preliminary, at best, and treated with great caution. However, the findings underscore the importance of further research with larger samples as to whether and how electrophysiological and behavioral correlates of odor detection may be helpful in predicting transition to psychosis in adolescents and young adults with subclinical positive symptoms.
