scholarly journals A multinational case−control study comparing forensic and non-forensic patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders: the EU-VIORMED project

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Giovanni de Girolamo ◽  
Laura Iozzino ◽  
Clarissa Ferrari ◽  
Pawel Gosek ◽  
Janusz Heitzman ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The relationship between schizophrenia and violence is complex. The aim of this multicentre case–control study was to examine and compare the characteristics of a group of forensic psychiatric patients with a schizophrenia spectrum disorders and a history of significant interpersonal violence to a group of patients with the same diagnosis but no lifetime history of interpersonal violence. Method Overall, 398 patients (221 forensic and 177 non-forensic patients) were recruited across five European Countries (Italy, Germany, Poland, Austria and the United Kingdom) and assessed using a multidimensional standardised process. Results The most common primary diagnosis in both groups was schizophrenia (76.4%), but forensic patients more often met criteria for a comorbid personality disorder, almost always antisocial personality disorder (49.1 v. 0%). The forensic patients reported lower levels of disability and better social functioning. Forensic patients were more likely to have been exposed to severe violence in childhood. Education was a protective factor against future violence as well as higher levels of disability, lower social functioning and poorer performances in cognitive processing speed tasks, perhaps as proxy markers of the negative syndrome of schizophrenia. Forensic patients were typically already known to services and in treatment at the time of their index offence, but often poorly compliant. Conclusions This study highlights the need for general services to stratify patients under their care for established violence risk factors, to monitor patients for poor compliance and to intervene promptly in order to prevent severe violent incidents in the most clinically vulnerable.

2021 ◽  
Vol Volume 14 ◽  
pp. 1315-1323
Author(s):  
Justyna Kasznia ◽  
Aleksandra Pytel ◽  
Bartłomiej Stańczykiewicz ◽  
Jerzy Samochowiec ◽  
Katarzyna Waszczuk ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Iozzino ◽  
Philip D. Harvey ◽  
Nicola Canessa ◽  
Pawel Gosek ◽  
Janusz Heitzman ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective Neurocognitive impairment has been extensively studied in people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and seems to be one of the major determinants of functional outcome in this clinical population. Data exploring the link between neuropsychological deficits and the risk of violence in schizophrenia has been more inconsistent. In this study, we analyse the differential predictive potential of neurocognition and social cognition to discriminate patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders with and without a history of severe violence. Methods Overall, 398 (221 cases and 177 controls) patients were recruited in forensic and general psychiatric settings across five European countries and assessed using a standardized battery. Results Education and processing speed were the strongest discriminators between forensic and non-forensic patients, followed by emotion recognition. In particular, increased accuracy for anger recognition was the most distinctive feature of the forensic group. Conclusions These results may have important clinical implications, suggesting potential enhancements of the assessment and treatment of patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders with a history of violence, who may benefit from consideration of socio-cognitive skills commonly neglected in ordinary clinical practice.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Meng Wang ◽  
Wei-Wei Gong ◽  
Feng Lu ◽  
Ru-Ying Hu ◽  
Qing-Fang He ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Previous studies have indicated inconsistent relationships of diabetes with thyroid cancer risk, yet little is known in China. In this study, we aimed to investigate the associations between diabetes, diabetes duration and the risk of thyroid cancer in Chinese population. Methods A 1:1 matched case-control study was performed between 2015 and 2017 in Zhejiang Province including 2,937 thyroid cancer cases and 2,937 healthy controls. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) for thyroid cancer were estimated in logistic regression models. Specific effects stratified by age, as well as sex, body mass index (BMI) and family history of diabetes were also examined. Results Overall, neither diabetes (OR = 0.75, 95 % CI: 0.21–2.73) nor diabetes duration (OR = 0.14, 95 % CI: 0.02–1.22 for diabetes duration ≦ 5 years; OR = 2.10, 95 % CI: 0.32–13.94 for diabetes duration > 5 years) was significantly associated with thyroid cancer. In stratified analyses, significant lower risk of thyroid cancer was observed among subjects with diabetes and shorter diabetes duration ( ≦ 5 years), but limited to those who were aged more than 40 years, female, overweight/obese and had positive family history of diabetes. Conclusions Diabetes and shorter diabetes duration were significantly associated with decreased risk of thyroid cancer in individuals characterized by older age, female sex, higher BMI and positive family history of diabetes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arisara Poosari ◽  
Thitima Nutravong ◽  
Prakasit Sa-ngiamwibool ◽  
Wises Namwat ◽  
Supaporn Chatrchaiwiwatana ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Previous studies have shown the association between Campylobacter species infection and that environmental factors, poor oral hygiene in particular, are linked to an increased risk of esophageal cancer (EC). However, no study has reported on these factors in Thailand. Thus, this study’s objective was to evaluate the impact of the relationship between Campylobacter infection and environmental factors on EC incidence in the population of Thailand. Methods Data from a case–control study were collected from 105 newly diagnosed EC cases and 105 controls recruited from 2007 to 2017. Infection with Campylobacter spp. was detected in the formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue of EC taken from gastroesophageal biopsy specimens obtained from the participants, and evaluated using TaqMan® real-time PCR. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and perform data analysis. Results Smoking, alcohol use, a family history of cancer, history of gastroesophageal reflux disease, poor oral hygiene and Campylobacter spp. infection were shown to be significant risk factors for EC (p  <  0.05). The combination of poor oral hygiene and infection with Campylobacter spp. constituted significant risk for EC (p  <  0.001). In addition, the risk of EC in subjects co-infected with C. rectus and C. concisus that practiced poor oral hygiene was even higher and was significant (ORadj  =  4.7; 95% CI 2.41–9.98; p  =  0.003). Conclusions In Thailand, the major risk factors for EC are smoking status, alcohol drinking, family history of cancer, GERD, poor oral hygiene and Campylobacter spp. infection. This study found Campylobacter spp. prevalence to be associated with EC and appears to be enhanced by poor oral hygiene, suggesting that a combination of poor oral hygiene and Campylobacter species infection may together act as an important etiological risk factor for EC.


2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 329-338
Author(s):  
N. Quraishi ◽  
U. Bhosale ◽  
R. Yegnanarayan ◽  
D. Devasthale

This study was conducted to assess and compare the cardiovascular risk and to explore the demography of CV risk of nonselective cyclooxygenase inhibitors (COX-Is) and selective COX-2-Is in arthritic patients. In this comparative matched case control study adult arthritic patients of either sex taking COX-Is for >1 yr; were included. Arthritic age and sex matched individuals with no history of COX-Is treatment were the controls. Patients those with history of any other disease (e.g. diabetes, hypertension, stroke, IHD etc.) were excluded. Patients were grouped into Control, nonselective COX-I and selective COX-2-I groups. The CV risk factors like blood pressure, blood sugar level(BSL), lipid profile, BMI(body mass index) etc. were assessed and compared; demography of CV risk factors i.e. age, sex, smoking, alcohol, heredity was also studied. Qualitative data was analyzed using Chi-square and quantitative data was analyzed by student’s‘t’-test. Study clearly revealed that all NSAIDs exhibit significant CV risk when taken over a period of time as in arthritis. However selective COX 2-Is found to exhibit more CV risk in this regard. Odds ratio (OR) for CV risk=10.3(95% CI: 1.45, 3.31) and OR for CV risk=5.2(95%CI: 1.05, 2.57) for nonselective COX-Is. BMI, BSL and lipid profile; the potential CV risk factors, showed significant impairment in selective COX 2-Is group; P<0.05, P<0.05 and P<0.01 (HDL), P<0.001 (cholesterol), respectively compared to controls and P<0.05 compared to nonselective COX-Is. This study portrays the potential CV risk of selective COX 2-Is and confirms and re-evaluate the results of earlier studies in this regard.  Keywords: Anti-arthritic agents; BMI; COX-Is; CV risk; Lipid profile.  © 2014 JSR Publications. ISSN: 2070-0237 (Print); 2070-0245 (Online). All rights reserved.  doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jsr.v6i2.17039 J. Sci. Res. 6 (2), 328-338 (2014)  


Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 717
Author(s):  
Kasper Pedersen ◽  
Charlotte Sonne Kristensen ◽  
Bertel Strandbygaard ◽  
Anette Bøtner ◽  
Thomas Bruun Rasmussen

Atypical porcine pestivirus (APPV) was first discovered in North America in 2015 and was later shown to be associated with congenital tremor (CT) in piglets. CT is an occasional challenge in some Danish sow herds. Therefore, we initiated an observational case control study to clarify a possible relationship between CT and APPV in Danish pig production. Blood samples were collected from piglets affected by CT (n = 55) in ten different sow herds and from healthy piglets in five sow herds without a history of CT piglets (n = 25), as well as one sow herd with a sporadic occurrence of CT (n = 5). APPV was detected by RT-qPCR in all samples from piglets affected by CT and in three out of five samples from piglets in the herd with a sporadic occurrence of CT. In the herds without a history of CT, only one out of 25 piglets were positive for APPV. In addition, farmers or veterinarians in CT-affected herds were asked about their experience of the issue. CT is most often seen in gilt litters, and a substantial increase in pre-weaning mortality is only observed in severe cases. According to our investigations, APPV is a common finding in piglets suffering from CT in Denmark.


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