The Schizophrenia Spectrum

2018 ◽  
pp. 208-230
Author(s):  
Marco Del Giudice
Keyword(s):  
General Pattern ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Evolutionary Models ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders ◽  
External Reality ◽  
Schizotypal Personality ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum ◽  
New Directions ◽  
Loss Of Contact ◽  
Developmental Features

The chapter discusses schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs), including schizophrenia and schizotypal personality disorder (SPD). Schizophrenia and related disorders are part of the broader spectrum of psychosis, a cluster of genetically and phenotypically related conditions marked by loss of contact with external reality. After an overview of these disorders, their developmental features, and the main risk factors identified in the epidemiological literature, the chapter critically reviews existing evolutionary models and suggests new directions for research. The final section applies the criteria developed earlier in the book to classify the disorders within the fast-slow-defense (FSD) model and identify functionally distinct subtypes. The author concludes that most instances of SSDs can be classified as fast spectrum (F-type) conditions; however, there are indications of heterogeneity within these conditions, and future research is likely to identify exceptions to the general pattern.

Cognitive and Prepulse Inhibition Deficits in Psychometrically High Schizotypal Subjects in the General Population: Relevance to Schizophrenia Research

2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 643-656 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stella G. Giakoumaki
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Function ◽  
General Population ◽  
Prepulse Inhibition ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Attention And Memory ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Schizotypal Personality ◽  
Psychosis Proneness ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractSchizophrenia and schizotypal personality disorder share common clinical profiles, neurobiological and genetic substrates along with Prepulse Inhibition and cognitive deficits; among those, executive, attention, and memory dysfunctions are more consistent. Schizotypy is considered to be a non-specific “psychosis-proneness,” and understanding the relationship between schizotypal traits and cognitive function in the general population is a promising approach for endophenotypic research in schizophrenia spectrum disorders. In this review, findings for executive function, attention, memory, and Prepulse Inhibition impairments in psychometrically defined schizotypal subjects have been summarized and compared to schizophrenia patients and their unaffected first-degree relatives. Cognitive flexibility, sustained attention, working memory, and Prepulse Inhibition impairments were consistently reported in high schizotypal subjects in accordance to schizophrenia patients. Genetic studies assessing the effects of various candidate gene polymorphisms in schizotypal traits and cognitive function are promising, further supporting a polygenic mode of inheritance. The implications of the findings, methodological issues, and suggestions for future research are discussed. (JINS, 2012, 18, 1–14)

Imaging the “social brain” in schizophrenia: A systematic review of neuroimaging studies of social reward and punishment

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Mow ◽  
Arti Gandhi ◽  
Daniel Fulford
Keyword(s):  
Brain Activity ◽  
Interaction Network ◽  
Social Motivation ◽  
Social Impairment ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Social Reward ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Social Stimuli ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum ◽  
Reward And Punishment

Decreased social functioning and high levels of loneliness and social isolation are common in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD), contributing to reduced quality of life. One key contributor to social impairment is low social motivation, which may stem from aberrant neural processing of socially rewarding or punishing stimuli. To summarize research on the neurobiology of social motivation in SSD, we performed a systematic literature review of neuroimaging studies involving the presentation of social stimuli intended to elicit feelings of reward and/or punishment. Across 11 studies meeting criteria, people with SSD demonstrated weaker modulation of brain activity in regions within a proposed social interaction network, including prefrontal, cingulate, and striatal regions, as well as the amygdala and insula. Firm conclusions regarding neural differences in SSD in these regions, as well as connections within networks, are limited due to conceptual and methodological inconsistencies across the available studies. We conclude by making recommendations for the study of social reward and punishment processing in SSD in future research.

scholarly journals The impact of schizotypy on pragmatics

2020 ◽  
Vol 62 ◽  
pp. e020014
Author(s):  
Monica de Freitas Frias Chaves ◽  
Cilene Rodrigues
Keyword(s):  
Personality Traits ◽  
Contextual Information ◽  
Brazilian Portuguese ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Semantic Meaning ◽  
General Hypothesis ◽  
Schizotypal Personality ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
The Impact

High levels of linguistic referential failures are associated with liability to develop schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, and it has been shown that these failures can differentiate healthy subjects, high-schizotypal and schizophrenics groups. Nevertheless, few investigations have focused on whether or not schizotypal traits in nonclinical populations can also impact linguistic reference. In Brazilian Portuguese, only one previous study (acceptability judgements task) had been conducted, and its results suggest association between schizotypal traits and a more rigid preference for assignment of specific readings to definite singular DPs. Here, we present another experimental study in Brazilian Portuguese,  a comprehension task designed to examine possible effects of schizotypal personality traits on the interpretation of definite singular DPs. The findings, in line with the previous results, support the conclusion that schizotypy does affect the interpretation of definite singular DPs in Brazilian Portuguese. Together, these two experiments suggest that schizotypal personality traits impact the integration of linguistic contextual information into the semantic meaning of definite DPs. This is  consistent with the general hypothesis that schizotypy, similarly to schizophrenia, is associated with pragmatic difficulties. Yet, our results emphasize that the impact of schizotypal traits on pragmatics can be observed even in healthy (nonclinical) speakers.

Panic and Agoraphobia

2018 ◽  
pp. 340-346
Author(s):  
Marco Del Giudice
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Panic Disorder ◽  
Final Section ◽  
Panic Attacks ◽  
Secondary Response ◽  
Evolutionary Models ◽  
Autonomic Activity ◽  
Confined Spaces ◽  
New Directions ◽  
Developmental Features

The chapter discusses panic disorder and agoraphobia. Panic disorder is defined by recurring panic attacks, dramatic episodes in which a surge of autonomic activity is accompanied by rapidly escalating levels of fear and distress. Agoraphobia is the persistent fear of open or confined spaces, which often develops as a secondary response to panic attacks. After an overview of these disorders, their developmental features, and the main risk factors identified in the epidemiological literature, the chapter critically reviews existing evolutionary models and suggests new directions for research. The final section applies the criteria developed earlier in the book to classify the disorders within the FSD model. The author concludes that panic and agoraphobia can be classified as defense activation (D-type) conditions.

scholarly journals Hallucinations Under Psychedelics and in the Schizophrenia Spectrum: An Interdisciplinary and Multiscale Comparison

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (6) ◽  
pp. 1396-1408 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pantelis Leptourgos ◽  
Martin Fortier-Davy ◽  
Robin Carhart-Harris ◽  
Philip R Corlett ◽  
David Dupuis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Imaging ◽  
Working Group ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Drug Induced ◽  
Computational Approaches ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum ◽  
Multidisciplinary Working ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

Abstract The recent renaissance of psychedelic science has reignited interest in the similarity of drug-induced experiences to those more commonly observed in psychiatric contexts such as the schizophrenia-spectrum. This report from a multidisciplinary working group of the International Consortium on Hallucinations Research (ICHR) addresses this issue, putting special emphasis on hallucinatory experiences. We review evidence collected at different scales of understanding, from pharmacology to brain-imaging, phenomenology and anthropology, highlighting similarities and differences between hallucinations under psychedelics and in the schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. Finally, we attempt to integrate these findings using computational approaches and conclude with recommendations for future research.

Factor Structure of the Bern Psychopathology Scale in a Sample of Patients with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (7) ◽  
pp. 880-884 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabian U. Lang ◽  
Annabel S. Stierlin ◽  
Katharina Stegmayer ◽  
Sebastian Walther ◽  
Thomas Becker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Factor Structure ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Motor Behaviour ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Longitudinal Assessment ◽  
Symptom Pattern ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum ◽  
Binary Division ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

AbstractBackground:The Bern Psychopathology Scale (BPS) is based on a system-specific approach to classifying the psychopathological symptom pattern of schizophrenia. It consists of subscales for three domains (language, affect and motor behaviour) that are hypothesized to be related to specific brain circuits. The aim of the study was to examine the factor structure of the BPS in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.Methods:One hundred and forty-nine inpatients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders were recruited at the Department of Psychiatry II, Ulm University, Germany (n = 100) and at the University Hospital of Psychiatry, Bern, Switzerland (n = 49). Psychopathology was assessed with the BPS. The VARCLUS procedure of SAS® (a type of oblique component analysis) was used for statistical analysis.Results:Six clusters were identified (inhibited language, inhibited motor behaviour, inhibited affect, disinhibited affect, disinhibited language/motor behaviour, inhibited language/motor behaviour) which explained 40.13% of the total variance of the data. A binary division of attributes into an inhibited and disinhibited cluster was appropriate, although an overlap was found between the language and motor behaviour domains. There was a clear distinction between qualitative and quantitative symptoms.Conclusions:The results argue for the validity of the BPS in identifying subsyndromes of schizophrenia spectrum disorders according to a dimensional approach. Future research should address the longitudinal assessment of dimensional psychopathological symptoms and elucidate the underlying neurobiological processes.

scholarly journals Understanding the Influence of Personality Traits on Risk of Suicidal Behaviour in Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (19) ◽  
pp. 4604
Author(s):  
Manuel Canal-Rivero ◽  
Rosa Ayesa-Arriola ◽  
Esther Setién-Suero ◽  
Benedicto Crespo-Facorro ◽  
Celso Arango ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Suicidal Behaviour ◽  
Selection Criteria ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Schizotypal Personality ◽  
Premature Deaths ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

Risk of suicidal behaviour (SB) in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) is a major concern, particularly in early stages of the illness, when suicide accounts for a high number of premature deaths. Although some risk factors for SB in SSD are well understood, the extent to which personality traits may affect this risk remains unclear, which may have implications for prevention. We conducted a systematic review of previous studies indexed in MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Embase examining the relationship between personality traits and SB in samples of patients with SSD. Seven studies fulfilled predetermined selection criteria. Harm avoidance, passive-dependent, schizoid and schizotypal personality traits increased the risk of SB, while self-directedness, cooperativeness, excluding persistence and self-transcendence acted as protective factors. Although only seven studies were retrieved from three major databases after applying predetermined selection criteria, we found some evidence to support that personality issues may contribute to SB in patients with SSD. Personality traits may therefore become part of routine suicide risk assessment and interventions targeting these personality-related factors may contribute to prevention of SB in SSD.

Schizophrenia

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex S. Cohen ◽  
Dallas A. Callaway ◽  
Tracey L. Auster
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Empirical Investigation ◽  
Cognitive Behavioral ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum ◽  
Treatment Considerations ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
New Treatments

Depressive symptoms commonly occur in individuals with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. Empirical investigation of this comorbidity has revealed a number of interesting and potentially confusing findings. The purpose of this review is to summarize this literature, focusing on clinical, cognitive, behavioral, phenomenological, and neurobiological processes that are common and potentially disparate to these disorders. Additionally, the review will discuss four depression-related paradoxes that have emerged within the schizophrenia literature. It concludes with a brief summary of treatment considerations for patients with schizophrenia with co-morbid depressive symptoms. It is hoped that this chapter can serve as an organizing framework for future research and can help focus efforts on designing new treatments for ameliorating depression-related symptoms in patients with schizophrenia.

scholarly journals Trustworthiness judgments are associated with interpersonal functioning in individuals with schizophrenia

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 204380871982709
Author(s):  
Michal Hajdúk ◽  
Dana Krajčovičová ◽  
Miroslava Zimányiová ◽  
Viera Kořínková ◽  
Anton Heretik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Social Functioning ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Cognitive Biases ◽  
Interpersonal Functioning ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

Rapid and accurate trustworthiness judgments are important during successful day-to-day social interactions because they can influence the decision whether to approach someone and initiate social interaction. The aim of the present study was to analyze associations between these judgments and self-reported and clinician-rated social functioning. The sample consisted of 48 patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and 35 healthy controls matched for age, gender, and educational level. A trustworthiness task, subjective, and clinician-rated scales for social functioning were administered to both samples. Trustworthiness judgments did not differ between patients and healthy controls. Both groups were able to discriminate between trustworthy and untrustworthy faces. Trustworthiness ratings were associated with self-reported and clinician-rated measures of interpersonal functioning in patients with schizophrenia. Despite the absence of differences between groups, in patients with schizophrenia, a tendency to mistrust based on facial appearance was related to worse functional outcome, predominantly in the domain of disturbed interpersonal functioning. This study highlights the importance of future research into social–cognitive biases in schizophrenia.

The Relationship Between Multisensory Temporal Processing and Schizotypal Traits

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tyler C. Dalal ◽  
Anne-Marie Muller ◽  
Ryan A Stevenson
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Processing ◽  
Temporal Order Judgment ◽  
Judgment Task ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Magical Thinking ◽  
Schizotypal Personality ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum ◽  
Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
The Relationship

Recent literature has suggested that atypical sensory processing observed in schizophrenia may contribute to clinical symptomatology. Specifically, multisensory temporal processing was shown to be strongly associated with hallucination severity. Here, we explored whether this relationship extends to a broader spectrum of schizotypal traits, in line with the DSM-5’s shift towards a more dimensional approach to diagnostic criteria within Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders. Fifty-one participants completed an audiovisual temporal order judgment task as a measure of multisensory temporal processing and self-reported levels of schizotypal traits using the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire. These data revealed two novel findings. First, less precise multisensory temporal processing was related to higher overall levels of schizotypal traits. Second, this relationship was specific to the cognitive-perceptual domain, and more specifically, the Unusual Perceptual Experiences and Odd Beliefs or Magical Thinking measures. Previous literature has shown that less precise multisensory temporal processing was related to the severity of hallucinations in schizophrenia. These findings provide a novel, direct extension of this previous work by demonstrating that this relationship applies to traits across the schizophrenia spectrum, including at the subclinical level.

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