Season of Birth, Age and Negative Symptoms in a Xhosa Schizophrenia Sample from the Southern Hemisphere

2006 ◽  
Vol 40 (8) ◽  
pp. 698-703 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esmè R. Jordaan ◽  
Dana J.H. Niehaus ◽  
Liezl Koen ◽  
Cathlene Seller ◽  
Irene Mbanga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Seasonal Pattern ◽  
Season Of Birth ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Birth Season ◽  
Symptom Profiles ◽  
Study Support ◽  
Birth Pattern ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
Seasonality Of Birth

Objectives: Seasonality of birth, more specifically winter/spring births, has been implicated as a risk factor for the development of schizophrenia. The primary aim of this study was to determine whether schizophrenia patients of Xhosa ethnicity born in autumn/ winter have different symptom profiles to those born in spring/summer. The secondary aim was to determine whether the autumn/winter and spring/summer birth rates for schizophrenia patients of Xhosa ethnicity were similar to that of the general Xhosa population. Method: Individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, born in the Western and Eastern Cape Provinces of South Africa (n = 386), were categorized as autumn/winter-born (March to August) patients or summer/spring-born (September to February) patients. Negative global scores of the schedules for the assessment of negative symptoms were categorized as normal (rating of 0 and 1) or positive (rating of 2 to 5). Results: Patients born in autumn/winter were more likely to have avolition/apathy than those born in summer/spring. The results also showed that the age of the patients played a significant role in modifying the effect of the season of birth on symptoms of schizophrenia. Especially older people (more than 30 years old) born in autumn/winter had a higher incidence of avolition/apathy than those born in summer/spring (p = 0.026). Furthermore, in the relationship of birth season and avolition/apathy, the marital status of the patient was a significant independent explanatory variable, while gender was not. The study also showed a spring excess of 4% in birth rate compared with the general Xhosa population. Conclusion: The results from our study support the existence of a seasonal birth pattern in an African schizophrenia population and suggest that avolition/apathy may underpin this seasonal pattern.

A Technique for Comparing the Relative Importance of Season of Conception and Season of Birth: Application to Emotionally Disturbed Children

1971 ◽  
Vol 118 (544) ◽  
pp. 329-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas F. McNeil ◽  
Carol S. Raff ◽  
Rue L. Cromwell
Keyword(s):  
Emotionally Disturbed ◽  
Lower Class ◽  
Season Of Birth ◽  
Psychiatric Disturbance ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Normal Populations ◽  
Public And Private Hospitals ◽  
The Many ◽  
Birth Pattern ◽  
Seasonality Of Birth

Numerous studies have related psychiatric disturbance to season of birth. Barry and Barry (1961) cited nine independent studies which concluded that mentally ill persons, especially schizophrenics, tend to have been born during the first four months of the calendar year. Hare and Price (1969) reported more recent evidence of similar seasonal birth trends for large groups of hospitalized British schizophrenics and manic-depressives, as compared with neurotics. Barry and Barry (1964) later suggested that the seasonal birth pattern may be more relevant to middle and lower class schizophrenics than to upper class schizophrenics from private mental hospitals. Orme (1963) upheld this seasonality of birth pattern among less intelligent but not among more intelligent psychotics. Norris and Chowning (1962), who confirmed the seasonal birth pattern among Canadian schizophrenics from both public and private hospitals, observed that the significance of seasonal differences between schizophrenics and normal populations depends upon which population birth years are selected for comparison. Norris and Chowning therefore suggest that the seasonal birth trend among schizophrenics may be the result of random variations in birth rate together with post-hoc grouping of the particular years for comparison. While this interpretation and criticism is tenable for a given study, it has become less tenable as evidence converges from the many independent studies.

Panic Attacks in Chronic Schizophrenia

1990 ◽  
Vol 157 (3) ◽  
pp. 430-433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Argyle
Keyword(s):  
Maintenance Therapy ◽  
Social Phobia ◽  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Chronic Schizophrenia ◽  
Panic Attacks ◽  
Psychotic Symptoms ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

Of 20 patients attending a clinic for maintenance therapy of schizophrenia, seven had regular panic attacks, and these were often associated with agoraphobia and social phobia. Similar fears and avoidance in other cases were associated with paranoid ideas and negative symptoms. The relationship of panic to psychotic symptoms varied greatly. In two patients neuroleptics were associated with an increase in panic attacks.

Relationship of birth season to clinical features, family history, and obstetric complications in schizophrenia

1996 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Dassa ◽  
Pak C. Sham ◽  
Jim van Os ◽  
Kathryn Abel ◽  
Peter Jones ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Family History ◽  
Clinical Features ◽  
Obstetric Complications ◽  
Birth Season ◽  
Relationship Of

scholarly journals Reduced loss aversion in subclinical negative symptoms and hypomania

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federica Klaus ◽  
Justin Chumbley ◽  
Erich Seifritz ◽  
Stefan Kaiser ◽  
Matthias Hartmann-Riemer
Keyword(s):  
Loss Aversion ◽  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Inverse Relation ◽  
Symptom Dimensions ◽  
Binary Choices ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Behavioral Phenomenon ◽  
Higher Sensitivity

AbstractLoss aversion is a behavioral phenomenon that describes a higher sensitivity to losses than to gains and influences decisions. Decision-making is altered in several psychopathologic states, such as in the two symptom dimensions of hypomania and negative symptoms. It has been argued that progress in our understanding of psychopathology requires a reorientation from the traditional, syndrome-based perspective to a more detailed study of individual constituent symptoms. In the present study, we made careful efforts to dissociate the relationship of loss aversion to negative symptoms, from its relationship with hypomanic symptoms. We selected a sample of 45 subjects from a healthy student population (n = 835) according to psychopathologic scales for hypomania and negative symptoms and stratified them into a control group (n = 15), a subclinical hypomania group (n = 15) and a negative symptoms group (n = 15). Participants completed a loss aversion task consisting of forced binary choices between a monetary gamble and a riskless choice with no gain or loss. We found, that these two symptom dimensions of hypomania and negative symptoms have a similar inverse relation to loss aversion as demonstrated by analysis of variance. Further research is warranted to describe the underlying psychological and neurobiological mechanisms at play. Given the partially opposing nature of hypomania and negative symptoms it further needs to be elucidated whether they are linked to loss aversion via dissociable mechanisms.

scholarly journals The Self and Its Prolonged Intrinsic Neural Timescale in Schizophrenia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georg Northoff ◽  
Karl Erik Sandsten ◽  
Julie Nordgaard ◽  
Troels Wesenberg Kjaer ◽  
Josef Parnas
Keyword(s):  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Temporal Integration ◽  
The Self ◽  
Auditory Oddball ◽  
Power Law Exponent ◽  
Moderation Model ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Self Reference ◽  
Self Disorder

Abstract Schizophrenia (SCZ) can be characterized as a basic self-disorder that is featured by abnormal temporal integration on phenomenological (experience) and psychological (information processing) levels. Temporal integration on the neuronal level can be measured by the brain’s intrinsic neural timescale using the autocorrelation window (ACW) and power-law exponent (PLE). Our goal was to relate intrinsic neural timescales (ACW, PLE), as a proxy of temporal integration on the neuronal level, to temporal integration related to self-disorder on psychological (Enfacement illusion task in electroencephalography) and phenomenological (Examination of Anomalous Self-Experience [EASE]) levels. SCZ participants exhibited prolonged ACW and higher PLE during the self-referential task (Enfacement illusion), but not during the non-self-referential task (auditory oddball). The degree of ACW/PLE change during task relative to rest was significantly reduced in self-referential task in SCZ. A moderation model showed that low and high ACW/PLE exerted differential impact on the relationship of self-disorder (EASE) and negative symptoms (PANSS). In sum, we demonstrate abnormal prolongation in intrinsic neural timescale during self-reference in SCZ including its relation to basic self-disorder and negative symptoms. Our results point to abnormal relation of self and temporal integration at the core of SCZ constituting a “common currency” of neuronal, psychological, and phenomenological levels.

FC22-03 - Annual periodicity and personality: Season of birth is associated with affective temperaments

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (S2) ◽  
pp. 1936-1936
Author(s):  
X. Gonda ◽  
Z. Rihmer ◽  
K.N. Fountoulakis ◽  
M. Pompili ◽  
P. Erdös ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Season Of Birth ◽  
Novelty Seeking ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Birth Season ◽  
Affective Temperaments ◽  
Clinical Observations ◽  
Monoamine Metabolite ◽  
Living Organisms ◽  
The Relationship

ObjectivesPeriodicity, cyclicity, and annual rhythms are inherent characteristics of living organisms, and have also been reported for diverse physiological and pathological conditions and phenomena. Season of birth was also associated with central monoamine and monoamine metabolite levels in several studies. Furthermore, several studies indicate a significant effect of season of birth on personality traits and characteristics. A relationship between birth season and novelty seeking has been described and confirmed in several studies. However, affective temperaments have not so far been studied with respect to their association with birth season.AimsThe aim of our present study was to investigate the possible association between affective temperaments and season of birth in a nonclinical sample.Methods366 university students completed the standardized Hungarian version of the TEMPS-A. Ordinary Least Squares regression was applied to explain the relationship between TEMPS-A subscales and birth season of the respondents.ResultsWe found a significant association between temperament scores and birth season in case of the Hyperthymic, Cyclothymic, Irritable and Depressive temperaments, while no significant results emerged for the Anxious temperament.ConclusionsOur results provide further evidence for an association between season of birth and personality, extending the results to affective temperaments as well. Furthermore, our results can be related to clinical observations concerning the seasonal variation of onset and hospitalization due to affective episodes, thus our results also have clinical significance.

scholarly journals The Relationship of Attitudinal Beliefs to Negative Symptoms, Neurocognition, and Daily Functioning in Recent-Onset Schizophrenia

2014 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 1308-1318 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Ventura ◽  
K. L. Subotnik ◽  
A. Ered ◽  
D. Gretchen-Doorly ◽  
G. S. Hellemann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Daily Functioning ◽  
Recent Onset ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

scholarly journals Season of Birth and Exceptional Longevity: Comparative Study of American Centenarians, Their Siblings, and Spouses

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonid A. Gavrilov ◽  
Natalia S. Gavrilova
Keyword(s):  
Early Life ◽  
Genetic Background ◽  
Conditional Logistic Regression ◽  
The United States ◽  
Season Of Birth ◽  
Human Aging ◽  
Month Of Birth ◽  
Early Life Programming ◽  
Family Analysis ◽  
Birth Pattern

This study explores the effects of month of birth (a proxy for early-life environmental influences) on the chances of survival to age 100. Months of birth for 1,574 validated centenarians born in the United States in 1880–1895 were compared to the same information obtained for centenarians' 10,885 shorter-lived siblings and 1,083 spouses. Comparison was conducted using a within-family analysis by the method of conditional logistic regression, which allows researchers to control for unobserved shared childhood or adulthood environment and common genetic background. It was found that months of birth have significant long-lasting effect on survival to age 100: siblings born in September–November have higher odds to become centenarians compared to siblings born in March. A similar month-of-birth pattern was found for centenarian spouses. These results support the idea of early-life programming of human aging and longevity.

Family History of Schizophrenia and the Relationship of Stress to Symptoms: Preliminary Findings

2001 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross M. G. Norman ◽  
Ashok K. Malla
Keyword(s):  
Family History ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Positive Family History ◽  
Positive Symptoms ◽  
Daily Stressors ◽  
Schizophrenic Patients ◽  
History Of ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

Objective: It has been hypothesized that patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia who have a positive family history for schizophrenia will show greater reactivity of their symptoms to increasing levels of stress or negative affect than will patients without such a family history. In the past this hypothesis has only been tested through manipulations of negative affect in laboratory settings. In this paper we test this hypothesis using longitudinal clinical data. Method: Data were derived from an earlier longitudinal study using monthly assessments of daily stressors (Hassles Scale) and symptom measures (the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms and the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms). We compared longitudinal stress to symptom relations in 12 patients with schizophrenia for whom a positive family history of schizophrenia could be identified with 12 matched schizophrenic patients without any known family history of psychiatric illness. Results: There was evidence that patients with a family history of schizophrenia demonstrated a stronger relation between stress and total score on the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms. This difference appears to have primarily reflected a greater reactivity to stress of reality distortion symptoms in the positive family history group. The two groups did not differ in apparent reactivity to stress of the disorganization and psychomotor poverty dimensions of symptomatology. Conclusions: The results of this study provide support from a naturalistic, longitudinal clinical study for the hypothesis that reactivity to stress of some symptoms of schizophrenia may vary as a function of family history of the disorder.

scholarly journals Correlation between schizophrenia and seasonality of birth in a tropical region

2009 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 541-548
Author(s):  
Fernanda A. S. Mendonça ◽  
Diogo R. Machado ◽  
Juliane A. F. de Lima ◽  
Gislaine M. F. Bortollotti ◽  
Roseana C. Grilo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Southeastern Brazil ◽  
Tropical Region ◽  
Late Development ◽  
Statistical Relationship ◽  
Season Of Birth ◽  
Place Of Birth ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Paulo State ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
Seasonality Of Birth

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the statistical relationship between season of birth and schizophrenia in 461 patients hospitalized in three psychiatric facilities in the towns of Araras, Itapira, and Espírito Santo do Pinhal, interior of São Paulo State, southeastern Brazil. METHODS: Date and place of birth of the patients were collected and used to determine the season of birth. Results were analyzed by the chi-square test. Data regarding temperature and rainfall between 1952 and 1986, corresponding to the years of birth of the patients studied, were also obtained. RESULTS: The results showed a higher prevalence of births in the winter months (p = 0.0044), a period characterized in this region by a decline in temperature and rainfall. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate a possible influence of seasonality on the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and suggest that the winter in this region, together with other factors, may contribute to the late development of the disease.

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