Impairment of memory organization in patients with schizophrenia or 
schizotypal disorder

Verbal learning and the organization of memory in patients with schizophrenia or schizotypal disorder were compared with normal subjects. Three indices of memory organization (semantic clustering, serial clustering, and subjective clustering) were calculated from participants' responses on the Japanese Verbal Learning Test. Schizophrenic and schizotypal patients showed similar decrements in semantic organization compared with normal subjects. Neither patient group showed any effect of learning on their use of semantic organization, although both groups recalled more items as the number of trials increased. These results suggest that impairment of memory organization is a common characteristic of schizophrenia spectrum disorders (JINS, 2006, 12, 750–754.)

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T194. SUBJECTIVE ANOMALIES OF IMAGINATION AGGREGATE IN SCHIZOPHRENIA-SPECTRUM DISORDERS AND ARE ASSOCIATED WITH DISORDERS OF BASIC SELF

Schizophrenia Bulletin ◽

10.1093/schbul/sbaa029.754 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 46 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S305-S305

Author(s):

Andreas Rosén Rasmussen ◽

Josef Parnas

Keyword(s):

Mental Illness ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Multivariate Linear Regression Analysis ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Schizophrenia Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorders ◽

Schizotypal Disorder

Abstract Background Imagination is the formation of ideas or images of something known not to be present to the senses. Clinical psychopathology has few notions addressing this domain apart from obsession and rumination. Some classic psychopathological notions such as Jaspers’ concept of pseudohallucination or the pseudo-obsession are relevant to this area. In a recent research project, informed by contemporary philosophy of mind and phenomenology, we have developed novel concepts targeting subjective disturbances of imagination and fantasy life with a focus on the schizophrenia-spectrum. Patients describe a spatialization of images, i.e., stable imagery with an articulated spatial structure being liable to inspection ‘from afar in the mind’ and often undergoing an autonomous development independently of the will of the patient (‘like watching a movie in the head’). Other notions address tacit, non-psychotic erosions of the demarcation of fantasy life from perception and memory. A broad range of ideations (such as ‘daydreams’, ‘fears’, anticipations, intrusions, paranoid or suicidal ideation) may involve such structural disturbances of experience. Here, we present data from the first, cross-sectional study investigating the distribution of anomalies of imagination in different diagnostic groups and healthy controls as well as their association with positive symptoms, negative symptoms and disorders of basic selfhood. Methods The sample (N=81) included in- and outpatients with schizophrenia or another non-affective psychosis (N=32), outpatients with schizotypal disorder (N=15) or other mental illness (N=16) and healthy controls (N=18). The sample was 70% female with mean age 29.9 (SD 6.8; range 18–42) years. Anomalies of imagination were assessed with the Examination of anomalous fantasy and imagination (EAFI), which is an instrument recently developed in our group for a semi-structured interview exploring these experiences. The EAFI has shown very good reliability with average Kappa of 0.84. Disorders of basic self were assessed with the Examination of anomalous self experience (EASE) and positive, negative and general symptoms with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Results Anomalies of imagination aggregated significantly (p < 0.000, Kruskall-Wallis test) in the schizophrenia-spectrum disorders compared to other mental illness with no significant difference between schizophrenia and schizotypal disorder. The group of healthy controls very rarely reported these anomalies and scored significantly lower (p < 0.000) than all diagnostic groups. In multivariate linear regression analysis (R2 = 0.66), EAFI score was significantly associated with EASE score (β = 0.62, p < 0.000), PANSS positive (β = 0.34, p = 0.01) and PANSS negative (β = 0.29, p = 0.02), but not PANSS general score (β = -0.29, p = 0.07). More than 79% of the schizophrenia-spectrum patients retrospectively reported the onset of these experiences to adolescence or earlier. Discussion The results of this cross-sectional study support that the subjective anomalies of imagination, targeted with the EAFI, are associated with the schizophrenia-spectrum. The association with disorders of basic self, which has been shown to have trait-like characteristics and to predict transition to schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, may reflect that the anomalies of imagination share a common experiential core-structure with self disorders. We suggest that the anomalies of imagination belong to an early onset level of psychopathology in the schizophrenia-spectrum and may have a relevance for differential diagnosis and early detection.

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M124. ASSOCIATION OF CHRONIC PHYSICAL MULTIMORBIDITY WITH THE EFFICACY OF TREATMENT IN DIFFERENT SCHIZOPHRENIA SPECTRUM DISORDERS

Schizophrenia Bulletin ◽

10.1093/schbul/sbaa030.436 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 46 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S182-S182

Author(s):

Igor Filipčić ◽

Ivona Šimunović Filipčić ◽

Žarko Bajić

Keyword(s):

Psychotic Disorder ◽

Schizoaffective Disorder ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Psychiatric Rehospitalization ◽

Schizophrenia Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorders ◽

And Gender ◽

Schizotypal Disorder

Abstract Background Patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) have higher prevalence of chronic physical illness (CPI) and a substantially reduced life expectancy compared with the general population. Despite the increasing amount of research in this area, the effect on psychiatric treatment outcome is still not clear. Some research reported significant associations between several CPIs and different SSD treatment outcomes, whereas the remaining study did not. The objective of the current study is to assess differences in the association of the number of CPI with the overall number of psychiatric rehospitalization in specific SSD diagnosis. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study of 354 patients diagnosed with SSD (ICD10): 135 schizophrenia, 71 acute and transient psychotic disorder, 57 schizoaffective disorder, 68 unspecified unorganic psychosis, 23 other (persistent delusional disorder, schizotypal disorder). The primary outcome was the association of the number of CPI with the number of psychiatric rehospitalization since the diagnosis, as the surrogate outcome for the treatment success, adjusted for the time from diagnosis, age, and gender of participants. Results Mean number of CPI adjusted for the time from diagnosis, age, and gender was not significantly nor clinically relevantly different between particular SSD diagnosis (F(5,345)=0.70; p=0.620). It was 1.7 in schizophrenia, 1.5 in acute and transient psychotic disorder, 1.4 in schizoaffective disorder, 1.8 in unspecified unorganic psychosis, 1.0 in persistent delusional disorder and 1.9 in schizotypal disorder. The mean number of CPI adjusted for the same three potential confounders was significantly different between particular SSD diagnosis (F(5,345)=2.78; p=0.018). It was 6.7 in schizophrenia, 3.8 in acute and transient psychotic disorder, 7.3 in schizoaffective disorder, 4.8 in unspecified unorganic psychosis. However, the association of the number of CPI with the psychiatric rehospitalizations, adjusted for the previously stated three confounders, was significant and clinically relevant only in participants diagnosed with schizophrenia. In these participants, an increase of one CPI was associated with the 2.3 (95% CI 1.2 to 3.5) more psychiatric rehospitalizations (p<0.001). In participants diagnosed with other specific SSD the association of the number of CPI was not significantly associated with the number of psychiatric rehospitalizations. Moreover, on this particular sample level, it was negative, meaning that more CPI was associated with the lower number of psychiatric rehospitalization in all other SSD except in the case of unspecified nonorganic psychosis. Discussion In this cross-sectional study, we observed that the hypothesis of the effect of the number of CPI on the SSD treatment outcomes is valid only in the case of schizophrenia. Further research is needed to clarify whether additional psychological distress is related to the additional burden of multimorbidity.

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Te role of disturbances of the psychosexual spherein schizophrenia in diagnosing of paraphilias

V M BEKHTEREV REVIEW OF PSYCHIATRY AND MEDICAL PSYCHOLOGY ◽

10.31363/2313-7053-2018-2-54-61 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 54-61

Author(s):

L. Yu. Demidova ◽

G. E. Vvedensky ◽

T. E. Makarova ◽

M. Yu. Kamenskov ◽

L. N. Shtark

Keyword(s):

Comparison Group ◽

Sex Role ◽

Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders ◽

Male Role ◽

Sex Role Stereotypes ◽

Schizophrenia Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorders ◽

Persons With Schizophrenia ◽

Schizotypal Disorder

Te article is concerned with the study of disturbances in psychosexual sphere, which are specifc for schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Te results of a comparison of two groups are presented: 29 people were diagnosed with schizophrenia and schizotypal disorder and a comparison group of 34 people without endogenous pathology. Te study outcomes of their gender self-consciousness with methods «MF», «CTAT», «Coding» are shown that the presence of endogenous disorder changes the psychosexual profle of patients on a number of signs. Persons with schizophrenia and schizotypal disorder, regardless of their comorbide diagnosis of paraphilia are characterized by lower value of masculinity, high distinction with the male role, absence of intention to line up with the man-image, in some cases instability of identity, altered emotional attitudes to sex-role stereotypes, emotional ambivalence.

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Clinical and psychological regulators of Machiavellianism in normal subjects and in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders

National Psychological Journal ◽

10.11621/npj.2019.0404 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 35-45 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Аndreyuk K.O. ◽

Sokolova E.T.

Keyword(s):

Normal Subjects ◽

Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders ◽

Schizophrenia Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorders

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Verbal learning in Alzheimer's dementia

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society ◽

10.1017/s1355617703930025 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 363-375 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

ALMA AU ◽

AGNES S. CHAN ◽

HELEN CHIU

Keyword(s):

Function Analysis ◽

Verbal Learning ◽

Random Condition ◽

Semantic Clustering ◽

Western Countries ◽

Semantic Organization ◽

List Learning ◽

External Organization ◽

Learning Test ◽

Normal Controls

Many recent findings in Western countries suggest that episodic recall is the most sensitive discriminator between patients with mild Alzheimer disease (AD) and the normal elderly, while semantic memory tends best to differentiate between moderate and severe AD patients. The present study is the first to examine in detail the episodic memory of Chinese AD patients in Hong Kong with a locally developed list learning test, comparing procedures that do or do not encourage the use of semantic organization. The performance of 28 AD patients was compared to that of 30 normal controls. AD patients did significantly worse in terms of acquisition and retention and also benefited significantly less from external organization cues. In the discriminant function analysis, the rate of forgetting in the random condition and the total retention score in the blocked condition were found to be the best predictors for differentiating between AD patients and controls. On the other hand, in the differentiation between mild and moderate AD, semantic clustering in the blocked condition was found to be the best predictor. Results of the present study were discussed in the light of the previous findings reported in the Western countries and the neuropathological changes of AD patients. (JINS, 2003, 9, 363–375.)

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Clinical and psychological regulators of Machiavellianism in normal subjects and in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders

National Psychological Journal ◽

10.11621/npj.2019.0409 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 92-101

Author(s):

Velikanov A.A. ◽

Stoljarova A.A. ◽

Protasov E.A. ◽

Zelenskaya I.A. ◽

Lubinskaya E.I. ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Normal Subjects ◽

Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders ◽

Schizophrenia Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorders

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Increased Heschl’s Gyrus Duplication in Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: A Cross-Sectional MRI Study

Journal of Personalized Medicine ◽

10.3390/jpm11010040 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 40

Author(s):

Tsutomu Takahashi ◽

Daiki Sasabayashi ◽

Yoichiro Takayanagi ◽

Atsushi Furuichi ◽

Mikio Kido ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Imaging Study ◽

Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Heschl’S Gyrus ◽

Schizophrenia Spectrum ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Spectrum Disorders ◽

Heschl's Gyrus ◽

The Right ◽

Schizotypal Disorder

Duplicated Heschl’s gyrus (HG) is prevalent in patients with schizophrenia and may reflect early neurodevelopmental anomalies. However, it currently remains unclear whether patients with schizotypal disorder, a prototypic disorder within the schizophrenia spectrum, exhibit a similar HG gyrification pattern. In this magnetic resonance imaging study, HG gyrification patterns were examined in 47 patients with schizotypal disorder, 111 with schizophrenia, and 88 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects. HG gyrification patterns were classified as single, common stem duplication (CSD), or complete posterior duplication (CPD). The prevalence of the duplicated HG patterns (CSD or CPD) bilaterally was higher in the schizophrenia and schizotypal groups than in healthy controls, whereas no significant difference was observed between the schizophrenia and schizotypal groups. Schizophrenia patients with the right CPD pattern had less severe positive symptoms, whereas the right single HG pattern was associated with higher doses of antipsychotic medication in schizotypal patients. The present study demonstrated shared HG gyrification patterns in schizophrenia spectrum disorders, which may reflect a common biological vulnerability factor. HG patterns may also be associated with susceptibility to psychopathology.

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