Sustained attention in young people at high risk for schizophrenia

2002 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 277-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. COSWAY ◽  
M. BYRNE ◽  
R. CLAFFERTY ◽  
A. HODGES ◽  
E. GRANT ◽  
...  

Background. Sustained attention has been found to be impaired in individuals suffering from schizophrenia and their close relatives. This has led to the hypothesis that impaired sustained attention is an indicator of vulnerability to schizophrenia.Methods. The Edinburgh High Risk Study used the Continuous Performance Test-Identical Pairs version (CPT-IP) to assess sustained attention in 127 high risk participants, 30 controls and 15 first-episode schizophrenic patients. A second assessment was completed by 59 high risk and 18 control participants 18 months to 2 years after the first.Results. No differences in attentional capacity were found between the high risk and control groups and there was no association between genetic liability to schizophrenia and poor performance on the CPT-IP. Additionally, no association between occurrence of psychotic symptoms in the high risk group and impaired attentional capacity was found.Conclusions. The results suggest that deficits in sustained attention are not indicative of a genetic vulnerability to schizophrenia, and are not associated with the occurrence of psychotic symptoms.

BJPsych Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 165-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arsime Demjaha ◽  
Sara Weinstein ◽  
Daniel Stahl ◽  
Fern Day ◽  
Lucia Valmaggia ◽  
...  

BackgroundFormal thought disorder is a cardinal feature of psychosis. However, the extent to which formal thought disorder is evident in ultra-high-risk individuals and whether it is linked to the progression to psychosis remains unclear.AimsExamine the severity of formal thought disorder in ultra-high-risk participants and its association with future psychosis.MethodThe Thought and Language Index (TLI) was used to assess 24 ultra-high-risk participants, 16 people with first-episode psychosis and 13 healthy controls. Ultra-high-risk individuals were followed up for a mean duration of 7 years (s.d.=1.5) to determine the relationship between formal thought disorder at baseline and transition to psychosis.ResultsTLI scores were significantly greater in the ultra-high-risk group compared with the healthy control group (effect size (ES)=1.2), but lower than in people with first-episode psychosis (ES=0.8). Total and negative TLI scores were higher in ultra-high-risk individuals who developed psychosis, but this was not significant. Combining negative TLI scores with attenuated psychotic symptoms and basic symptoms predicted transition to psychosis (P=0.04; ES=1.04).ConclusionsTLI is beneficial in evaluating formal thought disorder in ultra-high-risk participants, and complements existing instruments for the evaluation of psychopathology in this group.


2002 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 800-806 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa J Phillips ◽  
Christina Curry ◽  
Alison R Yung ◽  
Hok Pan Yuen ◽  
Steven Adlard ◽  
...  

Background: The association between cannabis use and the development of a first psychotic episode was studied in a group of 100 young people identified as being at very high risk for the onset of psychosis. Method: The ‘ultra’ high risk cohort was identified by the presence of subthreshold psychotic symptoms, or a combination of first-degree relative with a psychotic disorder and recent functional decline. Thirty-two per cent of the cohort developed an acute psychotic episode over the 12-month period after recruitment. As a component of a larger research study, the level of cannabis use by participants in the year prior to enrolment in the study was assessed at intake. Results: Cannabis use or dependence in the year prior to recruitment to this study was not associated with a heightened risk of developing psychosis over the following 12-month period and therefore did not appear to contribute to the onset of a psychotic disorder. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that cannabis use may not play an integral role in the development of psychosis in a high-risk group. While this study does not support a role for cannabis in the development of first-episode psychosis, we cannot conclude that cannabis use should be completely ignored as a candidate risk factor for onset of psychosis. A number of weaknesses of the study (the low level of cannabis use in the current sample, the lack of monitoring of cannabis use after intake) suggest that it may be premature to dismiss cannabis use as a risk factor for the development of psychosis and further research is urged in this area.


2002 ◽  
Vol 181 (6) ◽  
pp. 520-525 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. M. McIntosh ◽  
S. Holmes ◽  
S. Gleeson ◽  
J. K. Burns ◽  
A. K. Hodges ◽  
...  

BackgroundThis study sought to clarify the role of obstetric complications (OCs) and maternal recall bias for patients with first episodes of schizophrenia and those at increased risk of the disorder.MethodSubjects at high risk of schizophrenia were compared with people with first-episode schizophrenia and with healthy volunteers. Consenting mothers of subjects were interviewed using a standardised questionnaire for the recall of OCs, and OCs were also measured from records collected at the time of pregnancy and delivery.ResultsHigh-risk subjects and first-episode patients had higher rates of OCs recalled by their mother than controls, but hospital records showed no differences in OCs between groups. The number of OCs recalled by mothers of the high-risk group was not related to whether the mother had schizophrenia or not, but was related to the maternally rated abnormal childhood behaviour as measured by the Child Behaviour Checklist.ConclusionsThese results suggest that studies that rely on maternal recall alone are susceptible to bias. The excess of OCs recalled by the mother could be related to abnormal behaviour in their child rather than maternal illness, family history or psychotic symptoms.


2016 ◽  
Vol 115 (8) ◽  
pp. 1470-1480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farideh Shiraseb ◽  
Fereydoun Siassi ◽  
Mostafa Qorbani ◽  
Gity Sotoudeh ◽  
Reza Rostami ◽  
...  

AbstractAttention is a complex cognitive function that is necessary for learning, for following social norms of behaviour and for effective performance of responsibilities and duties. It is especially important in sensitive occupations requiring sustained attention. Improvement of dietary diversity (DD) is recognised as an important factor in health promotion, but its association with sustained attention is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the association between auditory and visual sustained attention and DD. A cross-sectional study was carried out on 400 women aged 20–50 years who attended sports clubs at Tehran Municipality. Sustained attention was evaluated on the basis of the Integrated Visual and Auditory Continuous Performance Test using Integrated Visual and Auditory software. A single 24-h dietary recall questionnaire was used for DD assessment. Dietary diversity scores (DDS) were determined using the FAO guidelines. The mean visual and auditory sustained attention scores were 40·2 (sd35·2) and 42·5 (sd38), respectively. The mean DDS was 4·7 (sd1·5). After adjusting for age, education years, physical activity, energy intake and BMI, mean visual and auditory sustained attention showed a significant increase as the quartiles of DDS increased (P=0·001). In addition, the mean subscales of attention, including auditory consistency and vigilance, visual persistence, visual and auditory focus, speed, comprehension and full attention, increased significantly with increasing DDS (P<0·05). In conclusion, higher DDS is associated with better visual and auditory sustained attention.


1970 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 317-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter A. Campanelli

This study explored sustained attention in children with convulsive disorders diagnosed as having cortical and subcortical lesions by means of the Continuous Performance Test (CPT). Significant differences were found between and within these 2 groups and a control group. Results support other findings concerning specific site of lesion on sustained attention in brain damaged children when measured by the CPT. Implications for learning are discussed.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. e57417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiannong Shi ◽  
Ting Tao ◽  
Wei Chen ◽  
Li Cheng ◽  
Long Wang ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Nafiseh Mohammadkhani ◽  
Ramin Balouchy ◽  
Mohammadreza Ghasemian

Introduction: In examining the factors affecting sports injuries, the emphasis is always on physical variables, while cognitive and psychological characteristics can also be effective. Hence, the present study aimed to investigate the relationship between sustained attention as  a neurocognitive function and landing error as a mechanical factor associated with lower limb injuries. Materials and Methods: 44 female basketball players aged 18-25 years at the national league level participated in this study. The participants were assessed using the continuous performance test, and their landing-jumping was evaluated by the landing error scoring system in two conditions of high and low cognitive load. Results:  The results showed that people’s  landing errors increased significantly as a result  of increased cognitive needs (P=0.0001). Also, the findings revealed a positive correlation between omission and commission errors with landing error scores in both low and high cognitive load conditions (P<0.05). Conclusion: Sustained attention could predict the landing error score that is considered a  key risk factor of lower limb injuries. It is recommended that multiple cognitive and physical assessments be used to identify athletes at risk of injury. Hence, cognitive enhancement protocols may be effective along with physical preparation programs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 868-868
Author(s):  
S Sarkissians ◽  
A Hauson ◽  
N Stelmach ◽  
A Walker ◽  
A Pollard ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective Heroin dependent individuals appear to have significant deficits in attention which can be assessed using digit span forward (DSF) or the continuous performance test (CPT). The current meta-analysis examined differences between DSF and CPT results in studies of heroin dependent participants. Data selection Two researchers independently searched nine databases (e.g., PsycINFO, Pubmed, ProceedingsFirst), extracted required data, and calculated effect sizes. Inclusion criteria identified studies that had (a) compared heroin-dependent groups to healthy controls and (b) matched groups on either age, education, or IQ (at least 2 out of 3). Studies were excluded if participants were reported to have Axis I diagnoses (other than heroin dependence) or comorbidities known to impact neuropsychological functioning. Ten articles were coded and analyzed for the current study. Data synthesis When examined together, DSF and CPT evidenced a moderate and statistically significant effect size estimate (g = 0.614, p = .002). Subgroup analysis did not reveal statistically significant differences between the two groups (Q-Between = 0.228, p = 0.633). The effect size for DSF was g = 0.535 (p = 0.001) and for CPT was g = 0.774 (p = 0.104). The heterogeneity of DSF was in the moderate range, I2 = 71.291%, p = 0.002 while the heterogeneity of CPT was in the large range I2 = 97.863%, p = 0.001. Conclusion Heroin dependent individuals appear to demonstrate similarly poor performance on DSF and CPT. Assuming that both tests measure the same construct, both appear to be sensitive to the effect of Heroin on attention.


2008 ◽  
Vol 193 (5) ◽  
pp. 378-382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Kelleher ◽  
Michelle Harley ◽  
Fionnuala Lynch ◽  
Louise Arseneault ◽  
Carol Fitzpatrick ◽  
...  

BackgroundChildren and adolescents who report psychotic symptoms appear to be at increased risk for psychotic disorders in adulthood – a putative ‘symptomatic’ high-risk group. However, little research has investigated whether those in this high-risk population have increased rates of exposure to traumatic events in childhood, as seen in patients who have a psychotic illness.AimsTo examine whether adolescents with psychotic symptoms have an increased rate of traumatic experiences.MethodPsychiatric interviews were carried out with 211 adolescents aged between 12 and 15 years and their parents as part of a population-based study. The interview enquired about a number of early traumatic events including physical and sexual abuse, exposure to domestic violence and bullying.ResultsFourteen adolescents (6.6% of those interviewed) reported experiencing at least one psychotic symptom. Adolescents who reported psychotic symptoms were significantly more likely to have been physically abused in childhood, to have been exposed to domestic violence and to be identified as a bully/victim (that is, both a perpetrator and victim of bullying) than those who did not report such symptoms. These findings were not confounded by comorbid psychiatric illness or family history of psychiatric history.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that childhood trauma may increase the risk of psychotic experiences. The characteristics of bully/victims deserve further study.


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