| 1 | Acta Psychiatr Scand 2000 Apr 101: 307-11 |
|---|---|
| PMID | 10782551 |
| Title | Quantitative EEG in 'positive' and 'negative' schizophrenia. |
| Abstract | Quantitative EEG has yielded different results in schizophrenia. The method of quantitative EEG has been relatively poorly used in the studies of the dichotomy into positive and negative schizophrenia. Amplitude values of any particular frequency band (after fast Fourier transformation, FFT) were observed in 47 schizophrenic patients (25 patients with positive and 22 patients with negative schizophrenia) and in 50 normal subjects. The frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital regions (F3, F4, C3, C4, T3, T4, P3, P4, O1 and O2) were observed. Positive and negative schizophrenia were found to differ only in the delta and theta bands over frontal regions. Positive and negative schizophrenic patients were found to differ from normal subjects in delta, theta, alpha and beta 2 bands. Delta and theta activity may play a role as a marker in differentiating between positive and negative schizophrenia. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 2 | Acta Psychiatr Scand 2000 Apr 101: 307-11 |
| PMID | 10782551 |
| Title | Quantitative EEG in 'positive' and 'negative' schizophrenia. |
| Abstract | Quantitative EEG has yielded different results in schizophrenia. The method of quantitative EEG has been relatively poorly used in the studies of the dichotomy into positive and negative schizophrenia. Amplitude values of any particular frequency band (after fast Fourier transformation, FFT) were observed in 47 schizophrenic patients (25 patients with positive and 22 patients with negative schizophrenia) and in 50 normal subjects. The frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital regions (F3, F4, C3, C4, T3, T4, P3, P4, O1 and O2) were observed. Positive and negative schizophrenia were found to differ only in the delta and theta bands over frontal regions. Positive and negative schizophrenic patients were found to differ from normal subjects in delta, theta, alpha and beta 2 bands. Delta and theta activity may play a role as a marker in differentiating between positive and negative schizophrenia. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 3 | Neuropsychobiology 2000 -1 41: 166-70 |
| PMID | 10754432 |
| Title | Quantitative EEG in schizophrenic patients before and during pharmacotherapy. |
| Abstract | The aim of the study was to determine the possible differences in quantitative EEG parameters of schizophrenic patients before and during therapy with neuroleptics. First EEG recordings were obtained from schizophrenic patients (n = 50) who had not been taking any medicaments during the preceding 2 months. Second EEG recordings were obtained during the administration of neuroleptic therapy. Amplitude values of particular spectral segment, i.e. delta, theta, alpha 1, alpha 2, beta 1 and beta 2 (after fast Fourier transformation) were analyzed. The F3, F4, C3, C4, T3, T4, P3, P4, O1 and O2 regions were observed. The effect of pharmacotherapy manifested as a decrease in delta and beta 2 activities. The alterations of the delta spectrum were recorded in each patient subgroup (regardless of the neuroleptic used). The changes in beta 2 activity were registered in patients on haloperidol and fluphenazine. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 4 | Fortschr Neurol Psychiatr 2000 Aug 68: 357-62 |
| PMID | 11006863 |
| Title | [The effect of the menstruation cycle on manifestations of pychiatric diseases]. |
| Abstract | In the present study we investigated whether a correlation exists between menstrual cycle phase on the day of an acute psychiatric admission and diagnostic entities. Therefore we assessed the menstrual cycle phase in 155 women at the time of acute admission for any non-organic psychiatric disorder. A specific diagnosis according to ICD-10-criteria and to Leonhard's nosology was established without knowledge of the menstrual cycle phase. Independent of diagnosis and classification, the majority of patients (57%) was admitted during the pre-menstrual/menstrual period. Comparing the frequencies of admission before (increasing blood-estrogen-level) and after ovulation (decreasing blood-estrogen-level) we found using ICD-10 criteria there were no significant differences between affective psychoses (F3), acute polymorphous psychotic disorder (F23), schizophrenia/schizoaffective psychoses (F20 and F25) and patients suffering from neuroses or personality disorders (F4-F6). Applying Leonhard's criteria we found no significant differences between endogeneous psychoses and personality disorders and no significant differences between cycloid psychoses and affective psychoses or affective psychoses and schizophrenias as well. However, patients with cycloid psychoses were significantly more frequently admitted to hospital during the luteal-/menstrual phase than patients with schizophrenia (chi 2-Test, p = 0.02). These findings do not confirm a specificity of a pre-menstrual exacerbation of psychotic symptoms for schizophrenia. Rather we found cycloid psychoses to be significantly more frequently associated with premenstrual exacerbation of symptoms. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 5 | Fortschr Neurol Psychiatr 2000 Aug 68: 357-62 |
| PMID | 11006863 |
| Title | [The effect of the menstruation cycle on manifestations of pychiatric diseases]. |
| Abstract | In the present study we investigated whether a correlation exists between menstrual cycle phase on the day of an acute psychiatric admission and diagnostic entities. Therefore we assessed the menstrual cycle phase in 155 women at the time of acute admission for any non-organic psychiatric disorder. A specific diagnosis according to ICD-10-criteria and to Leonhard's nosology was established without knowledge of the menstrual cycle phase. Independent of diagnosis and classification, the majority of patients (57%) was admitted during the pre-menstrual/menstrual period. Comparing the frequencies of admission before (increasing blood-estrogen-level) and after ovulation (decreasing blood-estrogen-level) we found using ICD-10 criteria there were no significant differences between affective psychoses (F3), acute polymorphous psychotic disorder (F23), schizophrenia/schizoaffective psychoses (F20 and F25) and patients suffering from neuroses or personality disorders (F4-F6). Applying Leonhard's criteria we found no significant differences between endogeneous psychoses and personality disorders and no significant differences between cycloid psychoses and affective psychoses or affective psychoses and schizophrenias as well. However, patients with cycloid psychoses were significantly more frequently admitted to hospital during the luteal-/menstrual phase than patients with schizophrenia (chi 2-Test, p = 0.02). These findings do not confirm a specificity of a pre-menstrual exacerbation of psychotic symptoms for schizophrenia. Rather we found cycloid psychoses to be significantly more frequently associated with premenstrual exacerbation of symptoms. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 6 | Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi 2003 -1 105: 1254-64 |
| PMID | 14679782 |
| Title | [Suicide among psychiatric patients in Fukuoka Prefecture]. |
| Abstract | To investigate suicide among psychiatric patients in Japan (mainly Fukuoka prefecture), a questionnaire survey was submitted to psychiatrists from departments of psychiatry of university hospitals in Japan, departments of psychiatry of Rosai Hospitals in Japan, psychiatric hospitals in Fukuoka prefecture, psychiatric clinics in Fukuoka prefecture, and departments of psychiatry of general hospitals in Fukuoka prefecture regarding their psychiatric patients who died from suicide (266 females and 267 males). A large proportion of the patients at completed suicide was aged within the thirties to fifties. The majority of patients suffered from either F3 (mood disorders) or F2 (schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders) categories of the ICD-10 classification. Approximately one-fifth of the patients in Fukuoka prefecture had jobs at the time of completed suicide. The main "occupational risk factors" that were found to be risks for suicide were "failure or overloaded responsibilities in their jobs" and "worsening business situation". The main "other risk factors", i.e., risk factors other than "occupational risk factors" were "worsening psychiatric conditions", "personal life events (e.g., somatic illness or marital discord)" and "life events in other family members (e.g., familial discord or familial problems)". Over 50% of all cases had both "occupational risk factors" and "other risk factors", suggestive of the necessity for multidimensional evaluation and care in the treatment of suicidal patients. Given that numerous males that suffer from psychiatric disorders commit suicide without seeing a psychiatrist, it is important to establish a system to treat them appropriately in order to prevent unnecessary deaths. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 7 | Seishin Shinkeigaku Zasshi 2003 -1 105: 1254-64 |
| PMID | 14679782 |
| Title | [Suicide among psychiatric patients in Fukuoka Prefecture]. |
| Abstract | To investigate suicide among psychiatric patients in Japan (mainly Fukuoka prefecture), a questionnaire survey was submitted to psychiatrists from departments of psychiatry of university hospitals in Japan, departments of psychiatry of Rosai Hospitals in Japan, psychiatric hospitals in Fukuoka prefecture, psychiatric clinics in Fukuoka prefecture, and departments of psychiatry of general hospitals in Fukuoka prefecture regarding their psychiatric patients who died from suicide (266 females and 267 males). A large proportion of the patients at completed suicide was aged within the thirties to fifties. The majority of patients suffered from either F3 (mood disorders) or F2 (schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders) categories of the ICD-10 classification. Approximately one-fifth of the patients in Fukuoka prefecture had jobs at the time of completed suicide. The main "occupational risk factors" that were found to be risks for suicide were "failure or overloaded responsibilities in their jobs" and "worsening business situation". The main "other risk factors", i.e., risk factors other than "occupational risk factors" were "worsening psychiatric conditions", "personal life events (e.g., somatic illness or marital discord)" and "life events in other family members (e.g., familial discord or familial problems)". Over 50% of all cases had both "occupational risk factors" and "other risk factors", suggestive of the necessity for multidimensional evaluation and care in the treatment of suicidal patients. Given that numerous males that suffer from psychiatric disorders commit suicide without seeing a psychiatrist, it is important to establish a system to treat them appropriately in order to prevent unnecessary deaths. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 8 | Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 2003 Dec 312: 1123-31 |
| PMID | 14651989 |
| Title | Cloning and cell type-specific regulation of the human tyrosine hydroxylase gene promoter. |
| Abstract | Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate-limiting enzyme of catecholamine biosynthesis, is predominantly expressed in several cell groups within the brain, including the dopaminergic (DA) neurons of the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area, and the noradrenergic neurons of the locus coeruleus. To investigate the regulation of cell type-specific TH expression, we cloned and sequenced a 5.5kb fragment of human genomic DNA immediately 5(') of the TH coding region. This 5(')-flanking region does not contain either a CAAT box or a GC-rich region, but does contain a TATA box and consensus binding sequences for basal (TATA and CRE), and DA neuron-specific (NBRE, Gli, and BBE) transcription factors. Sequence analysis showed low overall homology with the rat and mouse TH promoter regions, with the exception of two high-homology domains, which encompassed -2384 to -2323 and -123 to -65, respectively. Interestingly, these distal and proximal domains contained NBRE, BBE, CRE, and TATA boxes, which are known to play important roles in DA neurogenesis. To further localize the TH promoter region responsible for transcriptional activity, we fused a 3301-bp human TH promoter fragment (-3174 to +127) to a luciferase reporter gene, and used this to assess promoter activity in neuronal and non-neuronal cell lines. Consistent with endogenous TH expression, this promoter construct was active in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells but not F3 human neural stem cells (NSCs). Deletion analysis of TH promoter/luciferase constructs revealed the presence of the repressor element in -1232 to -1210 upstream of transcription initiation site. While this region repressed 85% of promoter activity when transfected into F3 cells, it was not active in SH-SY5Y cells. These data suggest that the repressor element may play an important role in neuron cell-specific expression of the TH gene. Our results may provide insight into neuronal cell-specific expression of the human TH gene and allow a better understanding of catecholaminergic neuron disorders such as Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 9 | Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2004 May 14: 227-36 |
| PMID | 15056482 |
| Title | P300 alterations in schizophrenic patients experiencing auditory hallucinations. |
| Abstract | Attentional deficits have been implicated in the pathophysiology of auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia. Since the latency of the P300 component of event-related potentials (ERPs) is considered to be a sensitive measure of stimulus classification speed, while its amplitude-a measure of attentional resource allocation when memory updating is engaged, the present study focuses on the comparison of P300 between healthy subjects and schizophrenic patients experiencing auditory hallucinations and treated with clozapine and olanzapine. The auditory P300 was assessed during the anticipatory period of a short memory test, in 16 male hallucinated schizophrenic patients and 13 male normal subjects matched for age and educational level. The patients were reexamined under identical conditions when their hallucinations had resolved following treatment with clozapine (8 patients) and olanzapine (8 patients). The patients with hallucinations exhibited significantly reduced P300 amplitude at leads Fp1, F3, (C3-T5)/2, F4, Cz and Fz, when compared to the normal controls and at leads Fp1, F3, F4, (C4-T6)/2, C4, P4, Cz and Fz when compared to themselves during the remission phase. However logistic regression models revealed that the most important leads, differentiating the patient group before treatment either with the healthy controls, or with itself after treatment, were that at the left temporoparietal and at the left prefrontal area. Memory performance of the patient group, even after treatment and in spite of its significant improvement, remained significantly less than that of healthy controls. both antipsychotic agents had similar effects on the p300 amplitude and memory performance. These findings indicate that auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia manifest abnormal aspects of attention, mediated by a distributed network involving or affecting the left temporoparietal and left prefrontal area. Additionally, the present study points to an improvement of attentional function in schizophrenic patients experiencing auditory hallucinations, both in the clozapine group but also in the olanzapine group. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 10 | Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2004 May 14: 227-36 |
| PMID | 15056482 |
| Title | P300 alterations in schizophrenic patients experiencing auditory hallucinations. |
| Abstract | Attentional deficits have been implicated in the pathophysiology of auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia. Since the latency of the P300 component of event-related potentials (ERPs) is considered to be a sensitive measure of stimulus classification speed, while its amplitude-a measure of attentional resource allocation when memory updating is engaged, the present study focuses on the comparison of P300 between healthy subjects and schizophrenic patients experiencing auditory hallucinations and treated with clozapine and olanzapine. The auditory P300 was assessed during the anticipatory period of a short memory test, in 16 male hallucinated schizophrenic patients and 13 male normal subjects matched for age and educational level. The patients were reexamined under identical conditions when their hallucinations had resolved following treatment with clozapine (8 patients) and olanzapine (8 patients). The patients with hallucinations exhibited significantly reduced P300 amplitude at leads Fp1, F3, (C3-T5)/2, F4, Cz and Fz, when compared to the normal controls and at leads Fp1, F3, F4, (C4-T6)/2, C4, P4, Cz and Fz when compared to themselves during the remission phase. However logistic regression models revealed that the most important leads, differentiating the patient group before treatment either with the healthy controls, or with itself after treatment, were that at the left temporoparietal and at the left prefrontal area. Memory performance of the patient group, even after treatment and in spite of its significant improvement, remained significantly less than that of healthy controls. both antipsychotic agents had similar effects on the p300 amplitude and memory performance. These findings indicate that auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia manifest abnormal aspects of attention, mediated by a distributed network involving or affecting the left temporoparietal and left prefrontal area. Additionally, the present study points to an improvement of attentional function in schizophrenic patients experiencing auditory hallucinations, both in the clozapine group but also in the olanzapine group. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 11 | Schizophr. Res. 2004 Mar 67: 1-10 |
| PMID | 14741319 |
| Title | Mismatch negativity in schizophrenia: a family study. |
| Abstract | Mismatch negativity (MMN) is a measure of cortical activity that occurs in response to a change in auditory stimuli. We investigated whether MMN is a potential marker of genetic vulnerability to schizophrenia by comparing MMN in a group of patients with schizophrenia, their unaffected relatives, and controls. There are 25 schizophrenic patients, 37 of their unaffected first-degree relatives, and 20 unrelated controls that performed the MMN task. Linear regression with robust standard errors, and accounting for correlations within families, was employed to test for differences in MMN amplitude between the groups. Patients had significantly smaller MMN amplitudes compared to both their unaffected relatives and controls at FZ (P<0.01) and at F3 (P=0.01), whereas relatives and controls did not differ at FZ or at F3. No differences were found between any of the groups at F4. Furthermore, we found no strong evidence that the MMN amplitude is a familial trait. Our results confirm that the MMN amplitude is reduced in schizophrenia. However, the MMN does not show a significant familial influence and is normal among the unaffected relatives. We conclude that while the MMN is abnormal in patients with schizophrenia, it is a weak or unreliable marker of vulnerability when applied to subclinical populations, and therefore is unlikely to be an endophenotype for the disorder. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 12 | Schizophr. Res. 2004 Mar 67: 1-10 |
| PMID | 14741319 |
| Title | Mismatch negativity in schizophrenia: a family study. |
| Abstract | Mismatch negativity (MMN) is a measure of cortical activity that occurs in response to a change in auditory stimuli. We investigated whether MMN is a potential marker of genetic vulnerability to schizophrenia by comparing MMN in a group of patients with schizophrenia, their unaffected relatives, and controls. There are 25 schizophrenic patients, 37 of their unaffected first-degree relatives, and 20 unrelated controls that performed the MMN task. Linear regression with robust standard errors, and accounting for correlations within families, was employed to test for differences in MMN amplitude between the groups. Patients had significantly smaller MMN amplitudes compared to both their unaffected relatives and controls at FZ (P<0.01) and at F3 (P=0.01), whereas relatives and controls did not differ at FZ or at F3. No differences were found between any of the groups at F4. Furthermore, we found no strong evidence that the MMN amplitude is a familial trait. Our results confirm that the MMN amplitude is reduced in schizophrenia. However, the MMN does not show a significant familial influence and is normal among the unaffected relatives. We conclude that while the MMN is abnormal in patients with schizophrenia, it is a weak or unreliable marker of vulnerability when applied to subclinical populations, and therefore is unlikely to be an endophenotype for the disorder. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 13 | Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2004 Sep 39: 686-94 |
| PMID | 15672288 |
| Title | Occupation, social support and quality of life in persons with schizophrenic or affective disorders. |
| Abstract | Most people suffering from severe mental illness (SMI) lack paid employment. This study investigates the relationship between work status and objective as well as subjective quality of life (QoL) in people with SMI. The sample consists of 261 subjects (102 women, 159 men) aged 35 (men) and 38 (women) years on average, of whom 158 suffer from a schizophrenic disorder (ICD-10: F2) and 103 were diagnosed as having an affective disorder (ICD-10: F3). Subjective QoL was assessed with the WHOQOL-BREF scale. Subjects with an occupation in general have a larger social network at their disposal and receive more social support. With regard to income, few (12%) of the subjects with a job on the open labour market live below the poverty level, but many (28-38%) of those engaged in sheltered or other work-like activities do. Occupation ameliorates satisfaction with life domains referring to social integration (social relationships, environment), whereas the individual's well-being (psychological, physical) is hardly affected. Social support is an important mediator of the relationship between occupation and subjective QoL. Income is weakly and negatively related to subjective QoL. Supportive relationships to colleagues at the workplace mainly explain the better subjective QoL of SMI people with an occupation. When designing specific employment possibilities for people with SMI, we should take notice of the social support dimension at the workplace. Mentally ill people have a substantial poverty risk, even when they are working. In particular, payment for sheltered work should be ameliorated. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 14 | Psychiatry Res 2007 May 151: 11-20 |
| PMID | 17292483 |
| Title | Early and late auditory sensory gating: moderating influences from schizotypal personality, tobacco smoking status, and acute smoking. |
| Abstract | Early (P50) and late (P200) auditory sensory gating were assessed in low and high schizotypal personality groups using Raine's schizotypal Personality Questionnaire. We also assessed the impact of smoking as it relates to low and high schizotypal personalities. Low and high schizoptypal personality groups were divided into subgroups of participants who either smoked or did not smoke tobacco cigarettes. Participants were 39 (18 men) right-handed undergraduates. Using a paired-tone paradigm (40 pairs, 70 dB, 1000 Hz), smokers were tested while abstaining from smoking, and 5 min after smoking. Non-smokers were tested similarly without smoking. Midline and hemispheric sites were evaluated at frontal (F3/Fz/F4), fronto-central (FC3/FCz/FC4), central (C3/Cz/C4), centro-parietal (CP3/CPz/CP4), and parietal (P3/Pz/P4) regions. P50 sensory gating was better at midline sites than left/right hemispheric sites, whereas there was no difference in activation with respect to location for P200 sensory gating. Cz had better P50 sensory gating than other midline regions, whereas Fz, FCz and Cz had better P200 sensory gating than CPz and Pz. Hemispheric comparisons were made. At the central region for non-smokers, high schizotypys showed poorer P50 sensory gating than low schizotypys. Among low schizotypys, smokers showed poorer P50 sensory gating than non-smokers at the fronto-central and central regions smokers showed better P200 sensory gating than non-smokers at the central region. Smoking had no acute impact on either early (P50) or late (P200) sensory gating. Our data support the notion that early sensory gating and late sensory gating represent different sensory gating mechanisms with respect to low and high schizotypy personalities. Individual differences in early and late sensory gating need further investigation. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 15 | Psychiatry Res 2007 May 151: 11-20 |
| PMID | 17292483 |
| Title | Early and late auditory sensory gating: moderating influences from schizotypal personality, tobacco smoking status, and acute smoking. |
| Abstract | Early (P50) and late (P200) auditory sensory gating were assessed in low and high schizotypal personality groups using Raine's schizotypal Personality Questionnaire. We also assessed the impact of smoking as it relates to low and high schizotypal personalities. Low and high schizoptypal personality groups were divided into subgroups of participants who either smoked or did not smoke tobacco cigarettes. Participants were 39 (18 men) right-handed undergraduates. Using a paired-tone paradigm (40 pairs, 70 dB, 1000 Hz), smokers were tested while abstaining from smoking, and 5 min after smoking. Non-smokers were tested similarly without smoking. Midline and hemispheric sites were evaluated at frontal (F3/Fz/F4), fronto-central (FC3/FCz/FC4), central (C3/Cz/C4), centro-parietal (CP3/CPz/CP4), and parietal (P3/Pz/P4) regions. P50 sensory gating was better at midline sites than left/right hemispheric sites, whereas there was no difference in activation with respect to location for P200 sensory gating. Cz had better P50 sensory gating than other midline regions, whereas Fz, FCz and Cz had better P200 sensory gating than CPz and Pz. Hemispheric comparisons were made. At the central region for non-smokers, high schizotypys showed poorer P50 sensory gating than low schizotypys. Among low schizotypys, smokers showed poorer P50 sensory gating than non-smokers at the fronto-central and central regions smokers showed better P200 sensory gating than non-smokers at the central region. Smoking had no acute impact on either early (P50) or late (P200) sensory gating. Our data support the notion that early sensory gating and late sensory gating represent different sensory gating mechanisms with respect to low and high schizotypy personalities. Individual differences in early and late sensory gating need further investigation. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 16 | Eur. Psychiatry 2007 Apr 22: 160-6 |
| PMID | 17227704 |
| Title | Social disability in different mental disorders. |
| Abstract | To assess the social disability of people with different psychiatric disorders. Cross-site survey in five psychiatric hospitals (Dresden, Wroc?aw, London, Michalovce and Prague). Working-aged patients diagnosed (ICD-10) with schizophrenia and related disorders (F2), affective disorders (F3), anxiety disorders (F4), eating disorders (F5) and personality disorders (F6), were assessed at admission (n=969) and 3 months after discharge (n=753) using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and the Groningen Social Disability Schedule. The main outcome measure was Interviewer-rated social disability. During acute episodes patients with personality, eating and schizophrenic disorders functioned less effectively than those with affective or anxiety disorders. After controlling for age and severity of psychopathology, there was no significant effect of the diagnosis (during remission), sex, education and history of disorder on disability. Site, employment and partnership were significant factors for the level of social disability in both measure points. Severity of psychopathological symptoms, not the diagnosis of a mental disorder, was the most significant factor in determining the level of social functioning, particularly during the remission period. Site, employment and partnership appeared as significant factors influencing the level of social disability. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 17 | Eur. Psychiatry 2007 Apr 22: 160-6 |
| PMID | 17227704 |
| Title | Social disability in different mental disorders. |
| Abstract | To assess the social disability of people with different psychiatric disorders. Cross-site survey in five psychiatric hospitals (Dresden, Wroc?aw, London, Michalovce and Prague). Working-aged patients diagnosed (ICD-10) with schizophrenia and related disorders (F2), affective disorders (F3), anxiety disorders (F4), eating disorders (F5) and personality disorders (F6), were assessed at admission (n=969) and 3 months after discharge (n=753) using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and the Groningen Social Disability Schedule. The main outcome measure was Interviewer-rated social disability. During acute episodes patients with personality, eating and schizophrenic disorders functioned less effectively than those with affective or anxiety disorders. After controlling for age and severity of psychopathology, there was no significant effect of the diagnosis (during remission), sex, education and history of disorder on disability. Site, employment and partnership were significant factors for the level of social disability in both measure points. Severity of psychopathological symptoms, not the diagnosis of a mental disorder, was the most significant factor in determining the level of social functioning, particularly during the remission period. Site, employment and partnership appeared as significant factors influencing the level of social disability. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 18 | Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2007 May 22: 401-4 |
| PMID | 17096460 |
| Title | Quetiapine indication shift in the elderly: diagnosis and dosage in 208 psychogeriatric patients from 2000 to 2006. |
| Abstract | Quetiapine was approved in Germany as an atypical antipsychotic for treatment of schizophrenia in 2000, followed by the approval as an antipsychotic for treatment of bipolar mania in 2003. The approval of quetiapine for treatment of bipolar depression is expected. We hypothesized that the psychogeriatric prescription pattern for quetiapine shifts from the psychotic to the affective spectrum. Retrospectively we screened discharge reports of all geriatric inpatients of the psychiatric department of the Ruhr-University of Bochum in the period from January 2001 until March 2006 and identified 208 individual patients aged over 60 years, who had received quetiapine as final medication. Age, gender, daily drug dose, year of treatment and diagnosis (according to ICD-10) were recorded and analyzed. Over the six-year time span, the proportion of affective disorders (F3) as indication for quetiapine in the elderly increased, whereas the proportion of dementia (F0) as indication for quetiapine decreased significantly. The proportion of schizophrenic disorders (F2) treated with quetiapine did not change significantly. Since the decision of the German Federal Court in 2002 'off label' use goes to the expenses of the prescriber. So the decrease of quetiapine in dementia is probably due to its 'off label' status in dementia. The psychogeriatric indication shift for quetiapine towards affective disorders could be the consequence of good clinical experiences with the drug and growing evidence for its antidepressant effect. In addition to controlled pharmacological trials prospective clinical research is needed to evaluate the prescription attitudes of clinicians. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 19 | Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2007 May 22: 401-4 |
| PMID | 17096460 |
| Title | Quetiapine indication shift in the elderly: diagnosis and dosage in 208 psychogeriatric patients from 2000 to 2006. |
| Abstract | Quetiapine was approved in Germany as an atypical antipsychotic for treatment of schizophrenia in 2000, followed by the approval as an antipsychotic for treatment of bipolar mania in 2003. The approval of quetiapine for treatment of bipolar depression is expected. We hypothesized that the psychogeriatric prescription pattern for quetiapine shifts from the psychotic to the affective spectrum. Retrospectively we screened discharge reports of all geriatric inpatients of the psychiatric department of the Ruhr-University of Bochum in the period from January 2001 until March 2006 and identified 208 individual patients aged over 60 years, who had received quetiapine as final medication. Age, gender, daily drug dose, year of treatment and diagnosis (according to ICD-10) were recorded and analyzed. Over the six-year time span, the proportion of affective disorders (F3) as indication for quetiapine in the elderly increased, whereas the proportion of dementia (F0) as indication for quetiapine decreased significantly. The proportion of schizophrenic disorders (F2) treated with quetiapine did not change significantly. Since the decision of the German Federal Court in 2002 'off label' use goes to the expenses of the prescriber. So the decrease of quetiapine in dementia is probably due to its 'off label' status in dementia. The psychogeriatric indication shift for quetiapine towards affective disorders could be the consequence of good clinical experiences with the drug and growing evidence for its antidepressant effect. In addition to controlled pharmacological trials prospective clinical research is needed to evaluate the prescription attitudes of clinicians. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 20 | Psychopathology 2007 -1 40: 47-53 |
| PMID | 17065837 |
| Title | The relationship of reactive psychosis and ICD-10 acute and transient psychotic disorders: evidence from a case register-based comparison. |
| Abstract | ICD-10 introduced a new diagnostic category, F23 'acute and transient psychotic disorders' (ATPD), to embrace clinical concepts such as bouffée délirante, cycloid psychosis, psychogenic (reactive) psychosis and schizophreniform psychosis. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the concept of reactive psychosis (RP), equivalent to the ICD-8 298 category of 'other psychoses', and ATPD. Since January 1, 1994, ICD-10 has replaced ICD-8 as official classification in Denmark. Patients given an ICD-8 298 diagnosis on their last admission in 1992-1993 were identified from the Danish Psychiatric Central Register, and the ICD-8 diagnoses assigned were compared with their ICD-10 diagnoses when readmitted in 1994-1995. Diagnosis of RP was recorded in 19.2% of patients with functional psychoses in 1992-1993, whereas ATPD overall prevalence accounted for 8.7% of those with non-organic psychotic and affective disorders in 1994-1995. Thirty-eight per cent of patients with an ICD-8 298 diagnosis were readmitted during the years 1994-1995. schizophrenia and related disorders (F2) and affective disorders (F3) accounted for three quarters of ICD-10 diagnoses. The most frequently used ATPD subcategories were F23.3 'other acute delusional psychotic disorders', F23.0 'acute polymorphic psychotic disorder without symptoms of schizophrenia' and F23.9 'acute and transient psychotic disorder unspecified'. A significant majority were female and associated acute stress was recorded only in 5.3% of cases. ICD-8 298 register diagnosis of RP showed little empirical continuity to ATPD and conformed more to F23.3 acute delusional disorder among ATPD subtypes. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 21 | Biol. Psychiatry 2007 Mar 61: 688-93 |
| PMID | 16920078 |
| Title | Toxoplasma gondii as a risk factor for early-onset schizophrenia: analysis of filter paper blood samples obtained at birth. |
| Abstract | Infections during fetal life or neonatal period, including infections with Toxoplasma gondii, may be associated with a risk for schizophrenia and other mental disorders. The objectives of this study were to study the association between serological markers for maternal and neonatal infection and the risk for schizophrenia, related psychoses, and affective disorders in a national cohort of newborns. This study was a cohort-based, case-control study combining data from national population registers and patient registers and a national neonatal screening biobank in Denmark. Patients included persons born in Denmark in 1981 or later followed up through 1999 with respect to inpatient or outpatient treatment for schizophrenia or related disorders (ICD-10 F2) or affective disorders (ICD-10 F3). Toxoplasma gondii immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels corresponding to the upper quartile among control subjects were significantly associated with schizophrenia risk (odds ratio [OR] = 1.79, p = .045) after adjustment for urbanicity of place of birth, year of birth, gender, and psychiatric diagnoses among first-degree relatives. There was no significant association between any marker of infection and other schizophrenia-like disorders or affective disorders. Our study supports an association between Toxoplasma gondii and early-onset schizophrenia. Further studies are needed to establish if the association is causal and if it generalizes to cases with onset after age 18. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 22 | BMC Psychiatry 2007 -1 7: 44 |
| PMID | 17760978 |
| Title | Abnormal oscillatory brain dynamics in schizophrenia: a sign of deviant communication in neural network? |
| Abstract | Slow waves in the delta (0.5-4 Hz) frequency range are indications of normal activity in sleep. In neurological disorders, focal electric and magnetic slow wave activity is generated in the vicinity of structural brain lesions. Initial studies, including our own, suggest that the distribution of the focal concentration of generators of slow waves (dipole density in the delta frequency band) also distinguishes patients with psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, affective disorders, and posttraumatic stress disorder. The present study examined the distribution of focal slow wave activity (ASWA: abnormal slow wave activity) in 116 healthy subjects, 76 inpatients with schizophrenic or schizoaffective diagnoses and 42 inpatients with affective (ICD-10: F3) or neurotic/reactive (F4) diagnoses using a newly refined measure of dipole density. Based on 5-min resting magnetoencephalogram (MEG), sources of activity in the 1-4 Hz frequency band were determined by equivalent dipole fitting in anatomically defined cortical regions. Compared to healthy subjects the schizophrenia sample was characterized by significantly more intense slow wave activity, with maxima in frontal and central areas. In contrast, affective disorder patients exhibited less slow wave generators mainly in frontal and central regions when compared to healthy subjects and schizophrenia patients. In both samples, frontal ASWA were related to affective symptoms. In schizophrenic patients, the regions of ASWA correspond to those identified for gray matter loss. This suggests that ASWA might be evaluated as a measure of altered neuronal network architecture and communication, which may mediate psychopathological signs. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 23 | BMC Psychiatry 2007 -1 7: 44 |
| PMID | 17760978 |
| Title | Abnormal oscillatory brain dynamics in schizophrenia: a sign of deviant communication in neural network? |
| Abstract | Slow waves in the delta (0.5-4 Hz) frequency range are indications of normal activity in sleep. In neurological disorders, focal electric and magnetic slow wave activity is generated in the vicinity of structural brain lesions. Initial studies, including our own, suggest that the distribution of the focal concentration of generators of slow waves (dipole density in the delta frequency band) also distinguishes patients with psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, affective disorders, and posttraumatic stress disorder. The present study examined the distribution of focal slow wave activity (ASWA: abnormal slow wave activity) in 116 healthy subjects, 76 inpatients with schizophrenic or schizoaffective diagnoses and 42 inpatients with affective (ICD-10: F3) or neurotic/reactive (F4) diagnoses using a newly refined measure of dipole density. Based on 5-min resting magnetoencephalogram (MEG), sources of activity in the 1-4 Hz frequency band were determined by equivalent dipole fitting in anatomically defined cortical regions. Compared to healthy subjects the schizophrenia sample was characterized by significantly more intense slow wave activity, with maxima in frontal and central areas. In contrast, affective disorder patients exhibited less slow wave generators mainly in frontal and central regions when compared to healthy subjects and schizophrenia patients. In both samples, frontal ASWA were related to affective symptoms. In schizophrenic patients, the regions of ASWA correspond to those identified for gray matter loss. This suggests that ASWA might be evaluated as a measure of altered neuronal network architecture and communication, which may mediate psychopathological signs. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 24 | Psychiatr Prax 2008 Sep 35: 279-85 |
| PMID | 18773374 |
| Title | [The regional psychiatry budget: costs and effects of a new multisector financing model for psychiatric care]. |
| Abstract | To evaluate a new multi-sector financing model for psychiatric care based on the capitation principle (Regional Psychiatry Budget, RPB). Patients with a diagnosis according to ICD-10 F10, F2, and F3 were interviewed in the model region (MR, N=258) and a control region (CR, N=244) financed according to the fee-for-service principle. Effectiveness of care was assessed before RPB-introduction and after 1.5 years. Use of care was determined semi-annually. Costs of inpatient psychiatric treatment decreased more strongly in the MR, while hospital based outpatient care and day clinic treatment were intensified in comparison to the CR. Quality of life, severity of illness and illness-specific symptoms in patients improved similarly in MR and CR. The functional level improved more in the MR than in the CR, which was especially evident in schizophrenia patients. Inpatient psychiatric care costs can be reduced with the RPB without compromising the quality of care. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 25 | Psychiatr Danub 2009 Dec 21: 579-84 |
| PMID | 19935497 |
| Title | EEG characteristics in depression, "negative" and "positive" schizophrena. |
| Abstract | qEEG investigations present differences in the comparison of schizophrenic patients and healthy examinees, as well as of depressive patients and healthy controls. The comparison of "positive" and "negative" schizophrenia also presents differences in the qEEG parameters. Changes in qEEG are various in these studies, but not always consistent. In this research we wanted to compare "positive" schizophrenia, "negative" schizophrenia and depression. The sample comprised 55 examinees (all women): 20 patients with "positive" schizophrenia, 15 patients with "negative" schizophrenia and 20 patients with depression. The standard EEG registration was done in all of them. From the recorded material, the 20-second period without artifacts was analyzed by the FFT method. The results were presented as absolute special power values (muV(2)) for individual segments of the spectrum: delta (0.5-4.0), theta (4.0-8.0), alpha (8.0-13.0) and beta (13.0-30.0). The observed regions included Fp1, Fp2, F3, F4, F7, F8, T3, T4, P3, P4, O1 and O2. The "positive" type schizophrenia differs from the "negative" in the increase in both delta and theta activities, and in the decline of beta activity over frontal regions. The "positive" type of schizophrenia differs from depression in the increase in delta activity over frontal regions, while the "negative" form of schizophrenia differs from it in the decrease in beta activity over frontal regions. qEEG parameters differ in the comparison of "positive" and "negative" types of schizophrenia. These differences are more numerous and more significant than those obtained in the comparison of each of these types of schizophrenia with depression. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 26 | Psychiatr Danub 2009 Dec 21: 579-84 |
| PMID | 19935497 |
| Title | EEG characteristics in depression, "negative" and "positive" schizophrena. |
| Abstract | qEEG investigations present differences in the comparison of schizophrenic patients and healthy examinees, as well as of depressive patients and healthy controls. The comparison of "positive" and "negative" schizophrenia also presents differences in the qEEG parameters. Changes in qEEG are various in these studies, but not always consistent. In this research we wanted to compare "positive" schizophrenia, "negative" schizophrenia and depression. The sample comprised 55 examinees (all women): 20 patients with "positive" schizophrenia, 15 patients with "negative" schizophrenia and 20 patients with depression. The standard EEG registration was done in all of them. From the recorded material, the 20-second period without artifacts was analyzed by the FFT method. The results were presented as absolute special power values (muV(2)) for individual segments of the spectrum: delta (0.5-4.0), theta (4.0-8.0), alpha (8.0-13.0) and beta (13.0-30.0). The observed regions included Fp1, Fp2, F3, F4, F7, F8, T3, T4, P3, P4, O1 and O2. The "positive" type schizophrenia differs from the "negative" in the increase in both delta and theta activities, and in the decline of beta activity over frontal regions. The "positive" type of schizophrenia differs from depression in the increase in delta activity over frontal regions, while the "negative" form of schizophrenia differs from it in the decrease in beta activity over frontal regions. qEEG parameters differ in the comparison of "positive" and "negative" types of schizophrenia. These differences are more numerous and more significant than those obtained in the comparison of each of these types of schizophrenia with depression. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 27 | Psychiatr Prax 2010 Jan 37: 34-42 |
| PMID | 20072988 |
| Title | [The regional psychiatry budget (RPB): a model for a new payment system of hospital based mental health care services]. |
| Abstract | To analyze the impact of a capitated multi-sector-financing model for psychiatric care (RPB) on costs and effectiveness of care. Patients with a diagnosis according to ICD-10 F10, F2 or F3 were interviewed in the model region (MR, n = 258) and a control region (CR, n = 244) financed according to the fee-for-service principle. At baseline, 1.5 years and 3.5 years follow-up patients were interviewed using measures of psychopathology (CGI-S, HoNOS, SCL-90R, PANSS, BRMAS / BRMES), functioning (GAF, SOFAS) and quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF, EQ-5D). Use of care was determined semi-annually. There were no significant differences in the development of psychopathology and quality of life between MR and CR. In the MR, functioning of patients with schizophrenia and affective disorders improved significantly more strongly. The development of total mental health care costs was not different between MR and CR. However, the costs of office based mental health care increased slightly more strongly in the MR, indicating a small cost-shift from the RPB to extrabudgetary financed services. The RPB showed slight advantages regarding the effectiveness of care and did not significantly change the total mental health care costs. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 28 | Acta Neuropsychiatr 2010 Dec 22: 284-91 |
| PMID | 25385215 |
| Title | Prematurity and low birth weight as risk factors for the development of affective disorder, especially depression and schizophrenia: a register study. |
| Abstract | Larsen JK, Bendsen BB, Foldager L, Munk-Jørgensen P. Prematurity and low birth weight as risk factors for the development of affective disorder, especially depression and schizophrenia: a register study. The present study examined whether low birth weight, prematurity or low birth weight adjusted for gestational age are risk factors for the subsequent development of affective disorder, especially depression. A population-based case-control design was applied to the Danish Medical Birth Register and the Danish Psychiatric Central Register to identify all individuals born between 1 January 1974 and 31 December 1990 and diagnosed prior to 29 August 2003 with affective disorder alone (ICD-10 F3; 4297 females, 1861 males), schizophrenia alone (ICD-10 F2; 1364 females, 2292 males) or both disorders (ICD-10 F3 + F2; 450 females, 405 males). The association between low birth weight and the risk of developing affective disorder and/or schizophrenia was analysed by conditional logistic regression analysis. Low birth weight was found to be associated with a significantly elevated risk of developing schizophrenia alone (p = 0.021) and both affective disorder and schizophrenia (p = 0.024), and a non-significantly elevated risk of developing affective disorder alone (p = 0.063). The effect remained significant in the affective disorder and schizophrenia groups (p = 0.039) when correcting for gestational age (premature birth), but was lost in the group with both disorders. Premature birth per se was found to be associated with a significantly elevated risk of developing both affective disorder and schizophrenia (p = 0.00018), an effect that remained significant after adjustment for low birth weight. Prematurity and low birth weight were found to be risk factors for subsequent development of affective disorder (especially depression) and schizophrenia. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 29 | Neuropsychiatr 2010 -1 24: 195-9 |
| PMID | 20926058 |
| Title | [Quality assurance of take-over from in-patient to out-patient care: experiences in Lower Austria]. |
| Abstract | Community mental health teams (CMHT) provide support for severely disabled, chronic mentally ill patients. In this study, referrals to CMHT by a psychiatric hospital in Lower Austria were analysed, as were the first few weeks of care for referred patients. Referrals to CMHT of a catchment area (pop 250.000) were analysed for 2002- 2006. In the first 6 months of each year, 124 to 189 patients were referred to CMHT. Between 2002 and 2006, the percentage of affective disorders (ICD-10: F3: 40.0 %), and substance use disorders (F1: 38.9 %) within the referrals diminished, as compared to patients suffering from schizophrenia (F2 initially 25.4 % of referrals vs. 49.7 %) and personality disorders (F6 initially 6.4 % of referrals vs. 22.4 %). In 30.7 % vs. 56.6 % of patients, CMHT workers managed to establish contact to patients after discharge from hospital. They actively sought contact with 39.9 to 74.6 % of referred patients (by means of telephone calls, letters, home visits, etc.). In 26.5 to 46.9 % of the referrals, continuous care was planned. This study emphasizes the advantage of specific referrals to CMHT, if care for severely disabled individuals is needed and should be provided. Furthermore, a description of outreach activities, which are intended to maintain contact with patients characterized by poor compliance, is presented. These activities are not yet part of routine care in German speaking countries. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 30 | Hum Brain Mapp 2010 Nov 31: 1643-52 |
| PMID | 20162598 |
| Title | Optimal transcranial magnetic stimulation coil placement for targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex using novel magnetic resonance image-guided neuronavigation. |
| Abstract | The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) has been implicated in the pathophysiology of several psychiatric illnesses including major depressive disorder and schizophrenia. In this regard, the DLPFC has been targeted in repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) studies as a form of treatment to those patients who are resistant to medications. The '5-cm method' and the '10-20 method' for positioning the transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) coil over DLPFC have been scrutinised due to poor targeting accuracies attributed to inter-subject variability. We evaluated the accuracy of such methods to localise the DLPFC on the scalp in 15 healthy subjects and compared them with our novel neuronavigational method, which first estimates the DLPFC position in the cortex based on a standard template and then determines the most appropriate position on the scalp in which to place the TMS coil. Our neuronavigational method yielded a scalp position for the left DLPFC between electrodes F3 and F5 in standard space and was closest to electrode F5 in individual space. Further, we found that there was significantly less inter-subject variability using our neuronavigational method for localising the DLPFC on the scalp compared with the '5-cm method' and the '10-20 method'. Our findings also suggest that the '10-20 method' is superior to the '5-cm method' in reducing inter-subject variability and that electrode F5 should be the stimulation location of choice when MRI co-registration is not available. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 31 | Brain Res. 2011 Mar 1377: 21-31 |
| PMID | 21195697 |
| Title | The effects of catechol-O-methyl-transferase polymorphism Val158Met on functional connectivity in healthy young females: a resting EEG study. |
| Abstract | The catechol-O-methyl-transferase (COMT) gene has been linked to a wide spectrum of human phenotypes, including cognition, affective response, pain sensitivity, anxiety and psychosis. This study examined the modulatory effects of COMT Val158Met on neural interactions, indicated by connectivity strengths. Blood samples and resting state eyes-closed EEG signals were collected in 254 healthy young females. The COMT Val158Met polymorphism was decoded into 3 groups: Val/Val, Val/Met and Met/Met. The values of mutual information of 20 frontal-related channel pairs across delta, theta, alpha and beta frequencies were analyzed based on the time-frequency mutual information method. Our one-way ANOVA analyses revealed that the significant connection-frequency pairs were relatively left lateralized (P<0.01) and included F7-T3 and F7-C3 at delta frequency, and F3-F4, F7-T3, F7-C3, F7-P3, F3-C3, F3-F7 and F4-F8 at theta frequency. The F-test at F7-T3 and F7-C3 theta surpassed the statistical threshold of P<0.003 (after Bonferroni correction). For all the above connection-frequency pairs, there was a dose-dependent trend in the connectivity strengths of the alleles as follows: Val/Val>Val/Met>Met/Met. Our analyses complemented previous literature regarding neural modulation by the COMT Val158Met polymorphism. The implication to the pathogenesis in schizophrenia was also discussed. Further studies are needed to clarify whether there is gender difference on this gene-brain interaction. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 32 | Psychiatry Res 2011 Jan 185: 261-8 |
| PMID | 20537717 |
| Title | Accuracy of self-reports of mental health care utilization and calculated costs compared to hospital records. |
| Abstract | Assessments of service utilization is often based on self-reports. Concerns regarding the accuracy of self-reports are raised especially in mental health care. The purpose of this study was to analyze the accuracy of self-reports and calculated costs of mental health services. In a prospective cohort study in Germany, self-reports regarding psychiatric inpatient and day-care use collected by telephone interviews based on the Client Socio-Demographic and Service Receipt Inventory (CSSRI) as well as calculated costs were compared to computerized hospital records. The sample consisted of patients with mental and behavioral disorders resulting from alcohol (ICD-10 F10, n=84), schizophrenia, schizophrenic and delusional disturbances (F2, n=122) and affective disorders (F3, n=124). Agreement was assessed using the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC), mean difference (95% confidence intervals (CI)) and the 95% limits of agreement. Predictors for disagreement were derived. Overall agreement of mean total costs was excellent (CCC=0.8432). Costs calculated based on self-reports were higher than costs calculated based on hospital records (15 EUR (95% CI -434 to 405)). Overall agreement of total costs for F2 patients was CCC=0.8651, for F3 CCC=0.7850 and for F10 CCC=0.6180. Depending on type of service, measure of service utilization and costs agreement ranged from excellent to poor and varied substantially between individuals. The number of admissions documented in hospital records was significantly associated with disagreement. Telephone interviews can be an accurate data collection method for calculating mean total costs in mental health care. In the future more standardization is needed. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 33 | Psychiatry Res 2011 Jan 185: 261-8 |
| PMID | 20537717 |
| Title | Accuracy of self-reports of mental health care utilization and calculated costs compared to hospital records. |
| Abstract | Assessments of service utilization is often based on self-reports. Concerns regarding the accuracy of self-reports are raised especially in mental health care. The purpose of this study was to analyze the accuracy of self-reports and calculated costs of mental health services. In a prospective cohort study in Germany, self-reports regarding psychiatric inpatient and day-care use collected by telephone interviews based on the Client Socio-Demographic and Service Receipt Inventory (CSSRI) as well as calculated costs were compared to computerized hospital records. The sample consisted of patients with mental and behavioral disorders resulting from alcohol (ICD-10 F10, n=84), schizophrenia, schizophrenic and delusional disturbances (F2, n=122) and affective disorders (F3, n=124). Agreement was assessed using the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC), mean difference (95% confidence intervals (CI)) and the 95% limits of agreement. Predictors for disagreement were derived. Overall agreement of mean total costs was excellent (CCC=0.8432). Costs calculated based on self-reports were higher than costs calculated based on hospital records (15 EUR (95% CI -434 to 405)). Overall agreement of total costs for F2 patients was CCC=0.8651, for F3 CCC=0.7850 and for F10 CCC=0.6180. Depending on type of service, measure of service utilization and costs agreement ranged from excellent to poor and varied substantially between individuals. The number of admissions documented in hospital records was significantly associated with disagreement. Telephone interviews can be an accurate data collection method for calculating mean total costs in mental health care. In the future more standardization is needed. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 34 | Psychiatr Danub 2011 Dec 23: 355-62 |
| PMID | 22075736 |
| Title | Quantitative electroencephalography in schizophrenia and depression. |
| Abstract | Standard (qualitative) electroencephalography (EEG) is routinely used in the diagnostic evaluation of psychiatric patients. Quantitative EEG (qEEG) findings differ between patients with schizophrenia, patients with depression, but results are not consistent. The aim of our study was to determine the differences in qEEG parameters between patients with schizophrenia, patients with depression, and healthy subjects. The study included 30 patients with schizophrenia, 33 patients with depression, and 30 healthy subjects. All study participants underwent standard EEG. Artifact-free 100-second epochs were selected from the recorded material and analyzed with Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT) analysis. The results are presented as absolute spectral power values (?V2) of delta, theta, alpha, and beta components of the EEG spectrum. EEGs were recorded from 12 locations including Fp1, Fp2, F3, F4, F7, F8, T3, T4, P3, P4, O1, and O2. In comparison with healthy subjects, patients with schizophrenia showed increased delta, theta, and beta activity and decreased alpha activity. Similar results were obtained in patients with depression, but in fewer regions. In patients with schizophrenia, delta power over Fp1, Fp2, F4, and F8 regions was increased in comparison with those in patients with depression. Interhemispheric asymmetry was found in patients with schizophrenia and healthy subjects, but not in patients with depression. The finding that patients with schizophrenia differed from patients with depression in delta power values could be potentially used in differential diagnosis between schizophrenia and depression. The role of qEEG in clinical differentiation between these two mental disorders may be especially important in cases of negative-symptom schizophrenia. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 35 | Schizophr. Res. 2011 Aug 130: 187-94 |
| PMID | 21696922 |
| Title | Frontal areas contribute to reduced global coordination of resting-state gamma activities in drug-naïve patients with schizophrenia. |
| Abstract | schizophrenia has been postulated to involve impaired neuronal cooperation in large-scale neural networks, including cortico-cortical circuitry. Alterations in gamma band oscillations have attracted a great deal of interest as they appear to represent a pathophysiological process of cortical dysfunction in schizophrenia. Gamma band oscillations reflect local cortical activities, and the synchronization of these activities among spatially distributed cortical areas has been suggested to play a central role in the formation of networks. To assess global coordination across spatially distributed brain regions, Omega complexity (OC) in multichannel EEG was proposed. Using OC, we investigated global coordination of resting-state EEG activities in both gamma (30-50 Hz) and below-gamma (1.5-30 Hz) bands in drug-naïve patients with schizophrenia and investigated the effects of neuroleptic treatment. We found that gamma band OC was significantly higher in drug-naïve patients with schizophrenia compared to control subjects and that a right frontal electrode (F3) contributed significantly to the higher OC. After neuroleptic treatment, reductions in the contribution of frontal electrodes to global OC in both bands correlated with the improvement of schizophrenia symptomatology. The present study suggests that frontal brain processes in schizophrenia were less coordinated with activity in the remaining brain. In addition, beneficial effects of neuroleptic treatment were accompanied by improvement of brain coordination predominantly due to changes in frontal regions. Our study provides new evidence of improper intrinsic brain integration in schizophrenia by investigating the resting-state gamma band activity. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 36 | Schizophr. Res. 2012 Dec 142: 31-9 |
| PMID | 23127379 |
| Title | Characteristics of suicide attempts in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia in comparison with depression: a study of emergency room visit cases in Japan. |
| Abstract | We worked on characterizing suicide attempts in patients with schizophrenia in comparison with mood disorders. This study population comprised 260 patients with F2 disorders (ICD-10), i.e., "schizophrenic group" and 705 patients with F3 disorders, i.e., "depressive group" who presented at the psychiatric emergency department of our hospital for 8 years. They were compared in three age groups: young (?24 years), middle-aged (25-44 years), and elderly (?45 years). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified factors associated with the seriousness of the suicide attempt method. The schizophrenic group (?25 years) had a younger mean age and higher prevalences of "within-1-year suicide attempts" and "past suicide attempts" than the depressive group. The schizophrenic group tended to use serious methods, such as "jumping from high places," "throwing oneself in front of an oncoming train," and "burning oneself," in their suicide attempts, with "hallucination-delusion" accounting for an overwhelmingly large percentage of suicide attempt motives, irrespective of the age group. In the elderly group, the ratio of "no-housemate" patients was high. In all age groups, jobless individuals were prevalent, and the schizophrenic group had lower LCU (Life Change Unit) scores than did the depressive group. The middle-aged cases of schizophrenic group had higher BPRS (Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale) scores and lower GAS (Global Assessment Scale) scores. Regarding factors influencing the seriousness of the methods, a history of within-1-year suicide attempts increased the method seriousness in the schizophrenic group. Years of education correlated with the method seriousness in the schizophrenic group. Low scores of overall health on the GAS increased the method seriousness in both groups. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 37 | Schizophr. Res. 2012 Dec 142: 31-9 |
| PMID | 23127379 |
| Title | Characteristics of suicide attempts in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia in comparison with depression: a study of emergency room visit cases in Japan. |
| Abstract | We worked on characterizing suicide attempts in patients with schizophrenia in comparison with mood disorders. This study population comprised 260 patients with F2 disorders (ICD-10), i.e., "schizophrenic group" and 705 patients with F3 disorders, i.e., "depressive group" who presented at the psychiatric emergency department of our hospital for 8 years. They were compared in three age groups: young (?24 years), middle-aged (25-44 years), and elderly (?45 years). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified factors associated with the seriousness of the suicide attempt method. The schizophrenic group (?25 years) had a younger mean age and higher prevalences of "within-1-year suicide attempts" and "past suicide attempts" than the depressive group. The schizophrenic group tended to use serious methods, such as "jumping from high places," "throwing oneself in front of an oncoming train," and "burning oneself," in their suicide attempts, with "hallucination-delusion" accounting for an overwhelmingly large percentage of suicide attempt motives, irrespective of the age group. In the elderly group, the ratio of "no-housemate" patients was high. In all age groups, jobless individuals were prevalent, and the schizophrenic group had lower LCU (Life Change Unit) scores than did the depressive group. The middle-aged cases of schizophrenic group had higher BPRS (Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale) scores and lower GAS (Global Assessment Scale) scores. Regarding factors influencing the seriousness of the methods, a history of within-1-year suicide attempts increased the method seriousness in the schizophrenic group. Years of education correlated with the method seriousness in the schizophrenic group. Low scores of overall health on the GAS increased the method seriousness in both groups. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 38 | Neuropsychology 2012 Jul 26: 451-8 |
| PMID | 22612578 |
| Title | Revised associative inference paradigm confirms relational memory impairment in schizophrenia. |
| Abstract | Patients with schizophrenia have widespread cognitive impairments, with selective deficits in relational memory. We previously reported a differential relational memory deficit in schizophrenia using the Associative Inference Paradigm (AIP), a task suggested by the Cognitive Neuroscience Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in schizophrenia (CNTRICS) initiative to examine relational memory. However, the AIP had limited feasibility for testing in schizophrenia because of high attrition of schizophrenia patients during training. Here we developed and tested a revised version of the AIP to improve feasibility. 30 healthy control and 37 schizophrenia subjects received 3 study-test sessions on 3 sets of paired associates: H-F1 (house paired with face), H-F2 (same house paired with new face), and F3-F4 (two novel faces). After training, subjects were tested on the trained, noninferential Face-Face pairs (F3-F4) and novel, inferential Face-Face pairs (F1-F2), constructed from the faces of the trained House-Face pairs. schizophrenia patients were significantly more impaired on the inferential F1-F2 pairs than the noninferential F3-F4 pairs, providing evidence for a differential relational memory deficit. Only 8% of schizophrenia patients were excluded from testing because of poor training performance. The revised AIP confirmed the previous finding of a relational memory deficit in a larger and more representative sample of schizophrenia patients. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 39 | Schizophr Bull 2012 May 38: 622-9 |
| PMID | 21134974 |
| Title | Impaired associative inference in patients with schizophrenia. |
| Abstract | The ability to learn, store, and retrieve information about relationships is impaired in schizophrenia. Here, we tested 38 control and 61 schizophrenia subjects for their ability to identify the novel pairing of stimuli, based on associations learned during training. Subjects were trained on 3 sets of paired associates: 30 face-house pairs (H-F1), 30 face-house pairs (H-F2, same house with new face), and 30 face-face pairs (F3-F4). After training, participants were tested on the 3 explicitly trained pair types, as well as 30 new face-face pairs (F1-F2), which could only be linked together via the same house during the H-F1/H-F2 training blocks. Of 99 subjects tested, 37 patients with schizophrenia and 36 age-matched healthy control subjects learned the premise pairs and performed the relational memory test. Healthy control subjects were significantly more accurate in identifying the inferential (F1-F2) pairs than the noninferential (F3-F4) pairs. In contrast, schizophrenia patients were equally accurate on inferential and noninferential pairs, providing evidence for a relational memory deficit in schizophrenia. However, the current version of the associative inference paradigm, suggested by the Cognitive Neuroscience Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in schizophrenia initiative, has limited feasibility, calling into question the generalizability of the findings for the larger schizophrenia population. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 40 | Psychiatr Prax 2013 Jan 40: 43-8 |
| PMID | 23319283 |
| Title | [Religious and spiritual attitudes of patients with schizophrenic or affective disorders]. |
| Abstract | In psychiatry and psychotherapy religion and spirituality were for a long time mainly considered as a pathological and neurotic phenomenon. Nowadays they are increasingly accepted as an independent dimension and resource. By means of a questionnaire, inpatients of 3 hospitals with schizophrenic (F2) or affective (F3) disorders were interviewed shortly before discharge about their religious and spiritual attitude with regard to therapy, coping with psychiatric disorder and hospital based pastoral care. General religiousness of the participants was measured using the centrality scale of the Structure of Religiosity Test. Of the 216 participants 25% rated themselves as not religious, 61% as religious, and 14% as highly religious. Diagnosis, education, sex, duration of illness and self-evaluation of current mental health status had no significant statistical impact on the importance of religion. Higher age and importance of religion were positively correlated. Hospital based pastoral services were perceived as very helpful. Results indicate positive effects of religiousness on coping with the psychiatric disorder. For three of four patients religion and spirituality play a more or less important role in their life. In a clinical as well as in a scientific context this dimension should be paid more regard in psychiatry and psychotherapy. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 41 | Mol. Psychiatry 2013 Apr 18: 443-50 |
| PMID | 23459466 |
| Title | The genome-wide supported microRNA-137 variant predicts phenotypic heterogeneity within schizophrenia. |
| Abstract | We examined the influence of the genome-wide significant schizophrenia risk variant rs1625579 near the microRNA (miRNA)-137 (MIR137) gene on well-established sources of phenotypic variability in schizophrenia: age-at-onset of psychosis and brain structure. We found that the MIR137 risk genotype strongly predicts an earlier age-at-onset of psychosis across four independently collected samples of patients with schizophrenia (n=510; F1,506=17.7, P=3.1 × 10(-5)). In an imaging-genetics subsample that included additional matched controls (n=213), patients with schizophrenia who had the MIR137 risk genotype had reduced white matter integrity (F3,209=13.6, P=3.88 × 10(-8)) throughout the brain as well as smaller hippocampi and larger lateral ventricles; the brain structure of patients who were carriers of the protective allele was no different from healthy control subjects on these neuroimaging measures. Our findings suggest that MIR137 substantially influences variation in phenotypes that are thought to have an important role in clinical outcome and treatment response. Finally, the possible consequences of genetic risk factors may be distinct in patients with schizophrenia compared with healthy controls. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 42 | J Abnorm Psychol 2013 Nov 122: 1179-88 |
| PMID | 24364619 |
| Title | Neuropsychological functioning and severity of ADHD in early childhood: a four-year cross-lagged study. |
| Abstract | Children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have poorer neuropsychological functioning relative to their typically developing peers. However, it is unclear whether early neuropsychological functioning predicts later ADHD severity and/or the latter is longitudinally associated with subsequent neuropsychological functioning; and whether these relations are different in children with and without early symptoms of ADHD. This study aimed to examine the longitudinal associations between ADHD severity and neuropsychological functioning among children at high and low risk of developing ADHD. Hyperactive/Inattentive (H/I; n = 140) and Typically developing (TD; n = 76) preschoolers (age 3-4 years) were recruited (BL) and followed annually for 3 years (F1, F2, and F3). Teachers rated the children's ADHD severity and impairment using the Behavior Assessment System for Children-2 and the Children's Problem Checklist, respectively. Parent reports of children's ADHD severity were obtained using the Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and schizophrenia - Present and Lifetime version. Neuropsychological functioning was assessed using the NEPSY. In the full sample, there were bidirectional longitudinal associations between neuropsychological functioning and ADHD severity between F1 and F3. Among H/I children, neuropsychological functioning at F1 and F2 predicted ADHD severity at F2 and F3, respectively. In contrast, among TD children the only significant relationship observed was that elevated ADHD symptoms at F2 were associated with poorer neuropsychological functioning at F3. Improved neuropsychological functioning may attenuate ADHD symptoms and associated impairment among H/I children during the early school years. Interventions designed to improve neuropsychological functioning among young H/I children may be beneficial in reducing their ADHD severity. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 43 | Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2013 Mar 47: 250-8 |
| PMID | 23076547 |
| Title | Cultural diversity in physical diseases among patients with mental illnesses. |
| Abstract | People with psychiatric diseases have a severely increased risk for physical morbidity and premature death from physical diseases. The aims of the study were to investigate the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), diabetes (DM) and obesity in schizophrenia and depression in three different geographical areas - Asia (Japan), Africa (Nigeria) and Western Europe (Switzerland, Germany and Denmark) - and to search for possible transcultural differences in these correlations, which would also reflect the differences between low-income areas in Africa (Nigeria) and high-income areas in Europe and Japan. Patients with International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) F2 diseases (schizophrenia spectrum disorders) and F3 diseases (affective disorders) admitted to one Nigerian, one Japanese, two Swiss, two German and six Danish centres during 1 year were included. Physical diseases in accordance with ICD-10 were also registered. Psychiatric and physical comorbidity were calculated and standardized rate ratio incidences of background populations were our primary measures. Incidence rate ratios were increased for both CVD, DM and overweight in both F2 and F3 in all cultures (Western Europe, Nigeria and Japan) within the same ranges (however, the Japanese results should be interpreted conservatively owing to the limited sample size). Overweight among the mentally ill were marked in Nigeria. A parallelism of the incidence of overweight, CVD and diabetes with the occurrence in background populations was seen and was most marked in overweight. Overweight, CVD and DM were increased in schizophrenia spectrum disorders and affective disorders in all three cultures investigated (Western Europe, Nigeria and Japan). Lifestyle diseases were also seen in Nigeria and Japan. The results from this study indicate that cultural background might be seen as an important factor in dealing with lifestyle diseases among people with a severe mental illness, as it is in the general population. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 44 | Nervenarzt 2013 Mar 84: 315-25 |
| PMID | 22476511 |
| Title | [Substance use associated disorders: frequency in patients with schizophrenic and affective psychoses]. |
| Abstract | Alcohol and substance use disorders (ASUD) are considered to be among the most frequent comorbidities in schizophrenic and affective psychoses and have a significant negative influence on their course and prognosis. In the present study patients with diagnosis from the ICD-10 category F2 or F3 were examined regarding a substance use disorder in a multicentre cross-section evaluation at nine psychiatric hospitals in Baden-Württemberg. The aim of this study is to discuss the current research on substance use disorders and psychosis comorbidity regarding the theoretical models by means of collected data. The examination of 50 consecutive admissions per centre is based on a shortened version of the European Severity Index (Europ ASI). An initial urine drug screening was carried out with all patients after admission. Statistical assessment was based on percentage distributions, mean values, standard deviations and suitable correlation analysis. The representative sample included 448 patients. A proportion of 169 patients (37.7%) had a dual diagnosis F2 and F1 and a proportion of 144 patients (32.1%) had a dual diagnosis F3 and F1; 64 patients (14.3%) had an F2 diagnosis and 71 patients (15.8%) had an F3 diagnosis without ASUD. Apart from lifetime use of alcohol (n?=?268) and tobacco (n?=?325) hypnotics/tranquilizers (n?=?214), cannabis (n?=?156), opioids (n?=?71), stimulants (n?=?96) and hallucinogens (n?=?36) were consumed. The most frequent combination and long-term intake consisted of tobacco, alcohol, hypnotics/tranquilizer, cannabis and psychostimulants especially in men with schizophrenic disorders. Regarding motivation before first substance use general psychological adjustment disorders (51%), peer impact (42%) and unspecific affective symptoms were predominant. Altogether the present study clearly demonstrates that patients suffering from schizophrenia, affective disorders and ASUD have significantly higher rates of more severe substance use disorders in their psychosocial environment and more suicidal behaviour than patients without substance misuse. The high rate in the cross-sectional prevalence of tobacco, alcohol, cannabis and psychostimulant use calls for more effective drug prevention. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 45 | Nervenarzt 2013 Mar 84: 315-25 |
| PMID | 22476511 |
| Title | [Substance use associated disorders: frequency in patients with schizophrenic and affective psychoses]. |
| Abstract | Alcohol and substance use disorders (ASUD) are considered to be among the most frequent comorbidities in schizophrenic and affective psychoses and have a significant negative influence on their course and prognosis. In the present study patients with diagnosis from the ICD-10 category F2 or F3 were examined regarding a substance use disorder in a multicentre cross-section evaluation at nine psychiatric hospitals in Baden-Württemberg. The aim of this study is to discuss the current research on substance use disorders and psychosis comorbidity regarding the theoretical models by means of collected data. The examination of 50 consecutive admissions per centre is based on a shortened version of the European Severity Index (Europ ASI). An initial urine drug screening was carried out with all patients after admission. Statistical assessment was based on percentage distributions, mean values, standard deviations and suitable correlation analysis. The representative sample included 448 patients. A proportion of 169 patients (37.7%) had a dual diagnosis F2 and F1 and a proportion of 144 patients (32.1%) had a dual diagnosis F3 and F1; 64 patients (14.3%) had an F2 diagnosis and 71 patients (15.8%) had an F3 diagnosis without ASUD. Apart from lifetime use of alcohol (n?=?268) and tobacco (n?=?325) hypnotics/tranquilizers (n?=?214), cannabis (n?=?156), opioids (n?=?71), stimulants (n?=?96) and hallucinogens (n?=?36) were consumed. The most frequent combination and long-term intake consisted of tobacco, alcohol, hypnotics/tranquilizer, cannabis and psychostimulants especially in men with schizophrenic disorders. Regarding motivation before first substance use general psychological adjustment disorders (51%), peer impact (42%) and unspecific affective symptoms were predominant. Altogether the present study clearly demonstrates that patients suffering from schizophrenia, affective disorders and ASUD have significantly higher rates of more severe substance use disorders in their psychosocial environment and more suicidal behaviour than patients without substance misuse. The high rate in the cross-sectional prevalence of tobacco, alcohol, cannabis and psychostimulant use calls for more effective drug prevention. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 46 | J ECT 2013 Sep 29: 239-42 |
| PMID | 23377748 |
| Title | Once- to twice-daily, 3-year domiciliary maintenance transcranial direct current stimulation for severe, disabling, clozapine-refractory continuous auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia. |
| Abstract | Some patients with schizophrenia suffer from continuous auditory hallucinations that are refractory to antipsychotic medications. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) was used to treat a 24-year-old female schizophrenia patient who had severe, clozapine-refractory, continuous, psychosocially and cognitively disabling auditory hallucinations. The tDCS cathode was placed midway between T3 and P3, and the anode over F3, in the 10-20 electroencephalogram electrode positioning system. Once daily, 20-minute tDCS sessions at 1-mA intensity produced noticeable improvement within a week: cognitive and psychosocial functioning improved, followed by attenuation in the experience of hallucinations. There was greater than 90% self-reported improvement within 2 months. Benefits accelerated when the current was raised to 3 mA; treatment duration was increased to 30-minute sessions, and session frequency was increased to twice daily. The patient improved from a psychosocially vegetative state to near-normal functioning. Once- to twice-daily domiciliary tDCS was continued across nearly 3 years and is still ongoing. Benefits attenuated or were even lost when alternate day session spacing was attempted, or when electrode positioning was changed; benefits were regained when the original stimulation protocol was reintroduced. There was confirmation of benefit in 2 separate on-off-on situations, which occurred inadvertently and under blinded conditions. There were no adverse events attributable to tDCS. This is the first report in literature of the safe and effective use of daily to twice-daily, domiciliary, 30-min, 1- to 3-mA tDCS sessions across nearly 3 years for the treatment of continuous, disabling, clozapine-refractory auditory hallucinations in schizophrenia. Key learning points emerging from this case are presented and discussed. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 47 | Behav. Brain Res. 2013 Jan 237: 300-7 |
| PMID | 23022750 |
| Title | The effect of long-term high frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on working memory in schizophrenia and healthy controls--a randomized placebo-controlled, double-blind fMRI study. |
| Abstract | In schizophrenia patients negative symptoms and cognitive impairment often persist despite treatment with second generation antipsychotics leading to reduced quality of life and psychosocial functioning. One core cognitive deficit is impaired working memory (WM) suggesting malfunctioning of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. High frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been used to transiently facilitate or consolidate neuronal processes. Pilot studies using rTMS have demonstrated improvement of psychopathology in other psychiatric disorders, but a systematic investigation of working memory effects outlasting the stimulation procedure has not been performed so far. The aim of our study was to explore the effect of a 3-week high frequency active or sham 10 Hz rTMS on cognition, specifically on working memory, in schizophrenia patients (n=25) in addition to antipsychotic therapy and in healthy controls (n=22). We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to compare activation patterns during verbal WM (letter 2-back task) before and after 3-weeks treatment with rTMS. Additionally, other cognitive tasks were conducted. 10 Hz rTMS was applied over the left posterior middle frontal gyrus (EEG electrode location F3) with an intensity of 110% of the individual resting motor threshold (RMT) over a total of 15 sessions. Participants recruited the common fronto- parietal and subcortical WM network. Multiple regression analyses revealed no significant activation differences over time in any contrast or sample. According to the ANOVAs for repeated measures performance remained without alterations in all groups. This is the first fMRI study that has systematically investigated this topic within a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind design, contrasting the effects in schizophrenia patients and healthy controls. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 48 | PLoS ONE 2014 -1 9: e96272 |
| PMID | 24809694 |
| Title | Characteristics of attempted suicide by patients with schizophrenia compared with those with mood disorders: a case-controlled study in northern Japan. |
| Abstract | Recent reports suggest a lifetime suicide risk for schizophrenia patients of approximately 5%. This figure is significantly higher than the general population suicide risk consequently, detection of those at risk is clinically important. This study was undertaken to define the characteristics of suicide attempts by schizophrenia patients compared with attempts by patients with mood disorders. All patients were diagnosed using the ICD-10 criteria. The study population comprised 65 patients with F2 disorders (schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders), i.e., "the F2 group", and 94 patients with F3 disorders (mood disorders), i.e., "the F3 group", who presented in the clinical setting of consultation-liaison psychiatry. The F2 group had a significantly younger mean age and significantly higher ratios of 'past/present psychiatric treatment' and 'more than 3 months interruption of psychiatric treatment'. In contrast, the ratios of 'physical disorder comorbidity', 'alcohol intake at suicide attempt' and 'suicide note left behind' were significantly higher in the F3 group. The F2 group attempted suicide by significantly more serious methods. Furthermore, 'hallucination-delusion' was the most prevalent motive in the F2 group and was the only factor that showed a significant association with the seriousness of the method of suicide attempt (OR?=?3.36, 95% CI: 1.05-11.33). |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 49 | PLoS ONE 2014 -1 9: e96272 |
| PMID | 24809694 |
| Title | Characteristics of attempted suicide by patients with schizophrenia compared with those with mood disorders: a case-controlled study in northern Japan. |
| Abstract | Recent reports suggest a lifetime suicide risk for schizophrenia patients of approximately 5%. This figure is significantly higher than the general population suicide risk consequently, detection of those at risk is clinically important. This study was undertaken to define the characteristics of suicide attempts by schizophrenia patients compared with attempts by patients with mood disorders. All patients were diagnosed using the ICD-10 criteria. The study population comprised 65 patients with F2 disorders (schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders), i.e., "the F2 group", and 94 patients with F3 disorders (mood disorders), i.e., "the F3 group", who presented in the clinical setting of consultation-liaison psychiatry. The F2 group had a significantly younger mean age and significantly higher ratios of 'past/present psychiatric treatment' and 'more than 3 months interruption of psychiatric treatment'. In contrast, the ratios of 'physical disorder comorbidity', 'alcohol intake at suicide attempt' and 'suicide note left behind' were significantly higher in the F3 group. The F2 group attempted suicide by significantly more serious methods. Furthermore, 'hallucination-delusion' was the most prevalent motive in the F2 group and was the only factor that showed a significant association with the seriousness of the method of suicide attempt (OR?=?3.36, 95% CI: 1.05-11.33). |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 50 | J Psychiatry Neurosci 2014 Jul 39: 276-85 |
| PMID | 24485387 |
| Title | Oxidation and nitration in dopaminergic areas of the prefrontal cortex from patients with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. |
| Abstract | Increased oxidative stress is strongly implicated in bipolar disorder (BD), where protein oxidation, lipid peroxidation and oxidative damage to DNA have been consistently reported. High levels of dopamine (DA) in mania are also well-recognized in patients with BD, and DA produces reactive oxygen species and electron-deficient quinones that can oxidize proteins when it is metabolized. Using immunohistochemistry and acceptor photobleaching Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), we examined oxidation and nitration of areas immunoreactive for the DA transporter (DAT) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the postmortem prefrontal cortex from patients with BD, schizophrenia and major depression as well as nonpsychiatric controls. We found increased oxidation of DAT-immunoreactive regions in patients with BD (F3,48 = 6.76, p = 0.001; Dunnett post hoc test p = 0.001) and decreased nitration of TH-immunoreactive regions in both patients with BD (F3,45 = 3.10, p = 0.036; Dunnett post hoc test p = 0.011) and schizophrenia (p = 0.027). On the other hand, we found increased global levels of oxidation in patients with BD (F3,44 = 6.74, p = 0.001; Dunnett post hoc test p = 0.001) and schizophrenia (p = 0.020), although nitration levels did not differ between the groups (F3,46 = 1.75; p = 0.17). Limitations of this study include the use of postmortem brain sections, which may have been affected by factors such as postmortem interval and antemortem agonal states, although demographic factors and postmortem interval were accounted for in our statistical analysis. These findings suggest alterations in levels of protein oxidation and nitration in DA-rich regions of the prefrontal cortex in patients with BD and schizophrenia, but more markedly in those with BD. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 51 | Int J Soc Psychiatry 2015 Aug 61: 456-64 |
| PMID | 25300671 |
| Title | Where are patients who have co-occurring mental and physical diseases located? |
| Abstract | Patients with a psychiatric illness have a higher prevalence of physical diseases and thus a higher morbidity and mortality. The main aim was to investigate where patients with co-occurring physical diseases and mental disorders (psychotic spectrum or mood) in the health and social service system are identified most frequently before admission into psychiatry. The second aim was to compare the differences in the treatment routes taken by the patients before entry into psychiatric services in all the participating countries (Denmark, Germany, Japan, Nigeria and Switzerland). On admission to a psychiatric service, patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizotypal or delusional disorders (International Classification of Diseases-10 (ICD-10) group F2) or mood (affective) disorders (ICD-10 group F3) and a co-morbid physical condition (cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus and overweight) were asked with which institutions or persons they had been in contact with in the previous 6 months. Patients from Denmark, Germany and Switzerland with mental disorders had almost the same contact pattern. Their primary contact was to public or private psychiatry, with a contact percentage of 46%-91%; in addition, general practice was a common contact, with a margin of 41%-93%. Similar tendencies are seen in Japan despite the small sample size. With regard to general practice, this is also the case with Nigerian patients. However, religious guidance or healing was rarely sought by patients in Europe and Japan, while in Nigeria about 80% of patients with mental disorders had contacted this type of service. Promoting prophylactic work between psychiatry and the general practice sector may be beneficial in diminishing physical conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus and overweight in patients with mental disorders in European countries and Japan. In Nigeria (a low-to-middle-income country), religious guides or healers, along with general practitioners, are the most frequently contacted, and they therefore seem to be the most obvious partner to collaborate with. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 52 | Int J Soc Psychiatry 2015 Aug 61: 456-64 |
| PMID | 25300671 |
| Title | Where are patients who have co-occurring mental and physical diseases located? |
| Abstract | Patients with a psychiatric illness have a higher prevalence of physical diseases and thus a higher morbidity and mortality. The main aim was to investigate where patients with co-occurring physical diseases and mental disorders (psychotic spectrum or mood) in the health and social service system are identified most frequently before admission into psychiatry. The second aim was to compare the differences in the treatment routes taken by the patients before entry into psychiatric services in all the participating countries (Denmark, Germany, Japan, Nigeria and Switzerland). On admission to a psychiatric service, patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizotypal or delusional disorders (International Classification of Diseases-10 (ICD-10) group F2) or mood (affective) disorders (ICD-10 group F3) and a co-morbid physical condition (cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus and overweight) were asked with which institutions or persons they had been in contact with in the previous 6 months. Patients from Denmark, Germany and Switzerland with mental disorders had almost the same contact pattern. Their primary contact was to public or private psychiatry, with a contact percentage of 46%-91%; in addition, general practice was a common contact, with a margin of 41%-93%. Similar tendencies are seen in Japan despite the small sample size. With regard to general practice, this is also the case with Nigerian patients. However, religious guidance or healing was rarely sought by patients in Europe and Japan, while in Nigeria about 80% of patients with mental disorders had contacted this type of service. Promoting prophylactic work between psychiatry and the general practice sector may be beneficial in diminishing physical conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus and overweight in patients with mental disorders in European countries and Japan. In Nigeria (a low-to-middle-income country), religious guides or healers, along with general practitioners, are the most frequently contacted, and they therefore seem to be the most obvious partner to collaborate with. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 53 | Psychiatry Clin. Neurosci. 2015 Sep 69: 587-95 |
| PMID | 25708877 |
| Title | Differences in vulnerability to traumatic stress among patients with psychiatric disorders: One-year follow-up study after the Great East Japan Earthquake. |
| Abstract | The aim of this study was to evaluate differences in vulnerability to traumatic stress and the 1-year course of post-traumatic stress symptoms among patients with pre-existing psychiatric disorders after the Great East Japan Earthquake. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) was used to assess post-traumatic stress symptoms in 612 patients with schizophrenic (ICD-10 F2; n?=?163), mood (F3; n?=?299), or neurotic disorders (F4; n?=?150) at 1-4 months and again at 13-16 months after the disaster (retention rate: 68%). The mean IES-R total score for all diagnostic groups was 18.6 at index and 13.4 at follow up. The mean IES-R total score for patients with neurotic disorders (22.5) was significantly higher than that of patients with mood disorders (18.1) and schizophrenic disorders (15.9). At follow up, these scores decreased for all groups and inter-group differences were not observed. Vulnerability to traumatic stress after a disaster was most severe in patients with neurotic disorders, followed by mood disorders, and, lastly, schizophrenic disorders. This difference among the three diagnostic groups was not found 1 year after the disaster. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 54 | Schizophr. Res. 2015 Aug 166: 231-4 |
| PMID | 26004691 |
| Title | Specificity and sensitivity of visual evoked potentials in the diagnosis of schizophrenia: rethinking VEPs. |
| Abstract | Alterations of the visual evoked potential (VEP) component P1 at the occipital region represent the most extended functional references of early visual dysfunctions in schizophrenia (SZ). However, P1 deficits are not reliable enough to be accepted as standard susceptibility markers for use in clinical psychiatry. We have previously reported a novel approach combining a standard checkerboard pattern-reversal stimulus, spectral resolution VEP, source detection techniques and statistical procedures which allowed the correct classification of all patients as SZ compared to controls. Here, we applied the same statistical approach but to a single surface VEP - in contrast to the complex EEG source analyses in our previous report. P1 and N1 amplitude differences among spectral resolution VEPs from a POz-F3 bipolar montage were computed for each component. The resulting F-values were then Z-transformed. Individual comparisons of each component of P1 and N1 showed that in 72% of patients, their individual Z-score deviated from the normal distribution of controls for at least one of the two components. Crossvalidation against the distribution in the SZ-group improved the detection rate to 93%. In all, six patients were misclassified. Clinical validation yielded striking positive (78.13%) and negative (92.69%) predictive values. The here presented procedure offers a potential clinical screening method for increased susceptibility to SZ which should then be followed by high density electrode array and source detection analyses. The most important aspect of this work is represented by the fact that this diagnostic technique is low-cost and involves equipment that is feasible to use in typical community clinics. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 55 | Transl Psychiatry 2015 -1 5: e550 |
| PMID | 25871975 |
| Title | DEGS2 polymorphism associated with cognition in schizophrenia is associated with gene expression in brain. |
| Abstract | A genome-wide association study of cognitive deficits in patients with schizophrenia in Japan found association with a missense genetic variant (rs7157599, Asn8Ser) in the delta(4)-desaturase, sphingolipid 2 (DEGS2) gene. A replication analysis using Caucasian samples showed a directionally consistent trend for cognitive association of a proxy single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs3783332. Although the DEGS2 gene is expressed in human brain, it is unknown how DEGS2 expression varies during human life and whether it is affected by psychiatric disorders and genetic variants. To address these questions, we examined DEGS2 messenger RNA using next-generation sequencing in postmortem dorsolateral prefrontal cortical tissue from a total of 418 Caucasian samples including patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder. DEGS2 is expressed at very low levels prenatally and increases gradually from birth to adolescence and consistently expressed across adulthood. Rs3783332 genotype was significantly associated with the expression across all subjects (F3,348=10.79, P=1.12 × 10(-)(3)), particularly in control subjects (F1,87=13.14, P=4.86 × 10(-4)). Similar results were found with rs715799 genotype. The carriers of the risk-associated minor allele at both loci showed significantly lower expression compared with subjects homozygous for the non-risk major allele and this was a consistent finding across all diagnostic groups. DEGS2 expression showed no association with diagnostic status after correcting for multiple testing (P>0.05). Our findings demonstrate that a SNP showing genome-wide association study significant association with cognition in schizophrenia is also associated with regulation of DEGS2 expression, implicating a molecular mechanism for the clinical association. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 56 | Neuropsychopharmacology 2016 Jan 41: 477-86 |
| PMID | 26068729 |
| Title | Schizophrenia-Like Phenotype Inherited by the F2 Generation of a Gestational Disruption Model of Schizophrenia. |
| Abstract | Both environmental and genetic factors contribute to schizophrenia; however, the exact etiology of this disorder is not known. Animal models are utilized to better understand the mechanisms associated with neuropsychiatric diseases, including schizophrenia. One of these involves gestational administration of methylazoxymethanol acetate (MAM) to induce a developmental disruption, which in turn produces a schizophrenia-like phenotype in post-pubertal rats. The mechanisms by which MAM produces this phenotype are not clear; however, we now demonstrate that MAM induces differential DNA methylation, which may be heritable. Here we demonstrate that a subset of both second (F2) and third (F3) filial generations of MAM-treated rats displays a schizophrenia-like phenotype and hypermethylation of the transcription factor, Sp5. Specifically, ventral tegmental area of dopamine neuron activity was examined using electrophysiology as a correlate for the dopamine hyperfunction thought to underlie psychosis in patients. Interestingly, only a subset of F2 and F3 MAM rats exhibited increases in dopamine neuron population activity, indicating that this may be a unique model with a susceptibility to develop a schizophrenia-like phenotype. An increase in dopamine system function in rodent models has been previously associated with decreases in hippocampal GABAergic transmission. In line with these observations, we found a significant correlation between hippocampal parvalbumin expression and dopamine neuron activity in F2 rats. These data therefore provide evidence that offspring born from MAM-treated rats possess a susceptibility to develop aspects of a schizophrenia-like phenotype and may provide a useful tool to investigate gene-environment interactions. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 57 | Schizophr Bull 2016 Apr -1: -1 |
| PMID | 27098066 |
| Title | Prefrontal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation for Treatment of Schizophrenia With Predominant Negative Symptoms: A Double-Blind, Sham-Controlled Proof-of-Concept Study. |
| Abstract | Negative symptoms are highly relevant in the long-term course of schizophrenia and are an important target domain for the development of novel interventions. Recently, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the prefrontal cortex has been investigated as a treatment option in schizophrenia. In this proof-of-concept study, 20 schizophrenia patients with predominantly negative symptoms were randomized to either 10 sessions of add-on active (2 mA, 20min) or sham tDCS (anode: left DLPFC/F3; cathode: right supraorbital/F4). Primary outcome measure was the change in the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) sum score; secondary outcomes included reduction in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) scores and improvement of depressive symptoms, cognitive processing speed, and executive functioning. Sixteen patients underwent 4 functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (fcMRI) scans (pre and post 1st and pre and post 10th tDCS) to investigate changes in resting state network connectivity after tDCS. Per-protocol analysis showed a significantly greater decrease in SANS score after active (-36.1%) than after sham tDCS (-0.7%). PANSS sum scores decreased significantly more with active (-23.4%) than with sham stimulation (-2.2%). Explorative analysis of fcMRI data indicated changes in subgenual cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) connectivity within frontal-thalamic-temporo-parietal networks. The results of this first proof-of-concept study indicate that prefrontal tDCS may be a promising intervention for treatment of schizophrenia with predominant negative symptoms. Large-scale randomized controlled studies are needed to further establish prefrontal tDCS as novel treatment for negative symptoms in schizophrenia. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 58 | Int J Neural Syst 2016 Mar 26: 1650008 |
| PMID | 26762866 |
| Title | Analysis of the Complexity Measures in the EEG of Schizophrenia Patients. |
| Abstract | Complexity measures have been enormously used in schizophrenia patients to estimate brain dynamics. However, the conflicting results in terms of both increased and reduced complexity values have been reported in these studies depending on the patients' clinical status or symptom severity or medication and age status. The objective of this study is to investigate the nonlinear brain dynamics of chronic and medicated schizophrenia patients using distinct complexity estimators. EEG data were collected from 22 relaxed eyes-closed patients and age-matched healthy controls. A single-trial EEG series of 2[Formula: see text]min was partitioned into identical epochs of 20[Formula: see text]s intervals. The EEG complexity of participants were investigated and compared using approximate entropy (ApEn), Shannon entropy (ShEn), Kolmogorov complexity (KC) and Lempel-Ziv complexity (LZC). Lower complexity values were obtained in schizophrenia patients. The most significant complexity differences between patients and controls were obtained in especially left frontal (F3) and parietal (P3) regions of the brain when all complexity measures were applied individually. Significantly, we found that KC was more sensitive for detecting EEG complexity of patients than other estimators in all investigated brain regions. Moreover, significant inter-hemispheric complexity differences were found in the frontal and parietal areas of schizophrenics' brain. Our findings demonstrate that the utilizing of sensitive complexity estimators to analyze brain dynamics of patients might be a useful discriminative tool for diagnostic purposes. Therefore, we expect that nonlinear analysis will give us deeper understanding of schizophrenics' brain. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |
| 59 | Int J Neural Syst 2016 Mar 26: 1650008 |
| PMID | 26762866 |
| Title | Analysis of the Complexity Measures in the EEG of Schizophrenia Patients. |
| Abstract | Complexity measures have been enormously used in schizophrenia patients to estimate brain dynamics. However, the conflicting results in terms of both increased and reduced complexity values have been reported in these studies depending on the patients' clinical status or symptom severity or medication and age status. The objective of this study is to investigate the nonlinear brain dynamics of chronic and medicated schizophrenia patients using distinct complexity estimators. EEG data were collected from 22 relaxed eyes-closed patients and age-matched healthy controls. A single-trial EEG series of 2[Formula: see text]min was partitioned into identical epochs of 20[Formula: see text]s intervals. The EEG complexity of participants were investigated and compared using approximate entropy (ApEn), Shannon entropy (ShEn), Kolmogorov complexity (KC) and Lempel-Ziv complexity (LZC). Lower complexity values were obtained in schizophrenia patients. The most significant complexity differences between patients and controls were obtained in especially left frontal (F3) and parietal (P3) regions of the brain when all complexity measures were applied individually. Significantly, we found that KC was more sensitive for detecting EEG complexity of patients than other estimators in all investigated brain regions. Moreover, significant inter-hemispheric complexity differences were found in the frontal and parietal areas of schizophrenics' brain. Our findings demonstrate that the utilizing of sensitive complexity estimators to analyze brain dynamics of patients might be a useful discriminative tool for diagnostic purposes. Therefore, we expect that nonlinear analysis will give us deeper understanding of schizophrenics' brain. |
| SCZ Keywords | schizophrenia, schizophrenic, schizophrenics, schizotypy, schizophrenias, schizotypal |