Prodrome
also known as Prodromal phase, prodromal symptoms
Medically reviewed by the Shrinkopedia editorial team, led by Shariq Refai, MD, MBA, FAPA.
1 min read · 141 words
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A prodrome is the earliest, often subtle phase of an illness before its full form appears. In psychiatry it usually refers to the pre-onset period of a psychotic disorder, where subtle changes in perception, thinking, or function precede a first episode by weeks to years. It's clinically meaningful because early intervention in first-episode psychosis produces measurably better outcomes than late intervention.
Where this term appears in Shrinkopedia
- The schizotypal personality disorder entry discusses the small subset who progress to schizophrenia and the concept of clinical high-risk (CHR) states.
- The schizoaffective disorder entry references early-warning-signs monitoring as part of relapse prevention.
- The postpartum psychosis entry covers the very short prodrome typical of that condition (days).
For the plain-language definition of the word itself, see prodrome on Shrinktionary, the network's canonical language layer.
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Prodrome. Shrinkopedia, medically reviewed by Shariq Refai, MD, MBA. https://shrinkopedia.com/terms/prodrome/- APA
Shrinkopedia. (2026, July 11). Prodrome. Medically reviewed by Shariq Refai, MD, MBA. https://shrinkopedia.com/terms/prodrome/- MLA
"Prodrome." Shrinkopedia, 11 July 2026, https://shrinkopedia.com/terms/prodrome/.
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