scholarly journals Relational Memory in the Early Stage of Psychosis: A 2-Year Follow-up Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne N Avery ◽  
Kristan Armstrong ◽  
Maureen McHugo ◽  
Simon Vandekar ◽  
Jennifer Urbano Blackford ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Stage ◽  
Chronic Schizophrenia ◽  
Early Psychosis ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Relational Memory ◽  
Course Of Illness ◽  
Memory Impairments ◽  
Control Subjects ◽  
Healthy Control

Abstract Background Relational memory, the ability to bind information into complex memories, is moderately impaired in early psychosis and severely impaired in chronic schizophrenia, suggesting relational memory may worsen throughout the course of illness. Methods We examined relational memory in 66 early psychosis patients and 64 healthy control subjects, with 59 patients and 52 control subjects assessed longitudinally at baseline and 2-year follow-up. Relational memory was assessed with 2 complementary tasks, to test how individuals learn relationships between items (face-scene binding task) and make inferences about trained relationships (associative inference task). Results The early psychosis group showed impaired relational memory in both tasks relative to the healthy control group. The ability to learn relationships between items remained impaired in early psychosis patients, while the ability to make inferences about trained relationships improved, although never reaching the level of healthy control performance. Early psychosis patients who did not progress to schizophrenia at follow-up had better relational memory than patients who did. Conclusions Relational memory impairments, some of which improve and are less severe in patients who do not progress to schizophrenia, are a target for intervention in early psychosis.

Anterior hippocampal dysfunction in early psychosis: a 2-year follow-up study

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Maureen McHugo ◽  
Suzanne Avery ◽  
Kristan Armstrong ◽  
Baxter P. Rogers ◽  
Simon N. Vandekar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Stage ◽  
Region Of Interest ◽  
Early Psychosis ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Hippocampal Function ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Time Interaction ◽  
Hippocampal Dysfunction ◽  
Healthy Control

Abstract Background Cross-sectional studies indicate that hippocampal function is abnormal across stages of psychosis. Neural theories of psychosis pathophysiology suggest that dysfunction worsens with illness stage. Here, we test the hypothesis that hippocampal function is impaired in the early stage of psychosis and declines further over the next 2 years. Methods We measured hippocampal function over 2 years using a scene processing task in 147 participants (76 individuals in the early stage of a non-affective psychotic disorder and 71 demographically similar healthy control individuals). Two-year follow-up was completed in 97 individuals (50 early psychosis, 47 healthy control). Voxelwise longitudinal analysis of activation in response to scenes was carried out within a hippocampal region of interest to test for group differences at baseline and a group by time interaction. Results At baseline, we observed lower anterior hippocampal activation in the early psychosis group relative to the healthy control group. Contrary to our hypothesis, hippocampal activation remained consistent and did not show the predicted decline over 2 years in the early psychosis group. Healthy controls showed a modest reduction in hippocampal activation after 2 years. Conclusions The results of this study suggest that hippocampal dysfunction in early psychosis does not worsen over 2 years and highlight the need for longer-term longitudinal studies.

scholarly journals The prognosis of functional limb weakness: a 14-year case-control study

Brain ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 142 (7) ◽  
pp. 2137-2148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeannette M Gelauff ◽  
Alan Carson ◽  
Lea Ludwig ◽  
Marina A J Tijssen ◽  
Jon Stone
Keyword(s):  
Psychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Illness Perception ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Motor Disorder ◽  
Limb Weakness ◽  
Control Subjects ◽  
Healthy Control ◽  
Baseline Factors ◽  
Functional Limb

Abstract Reliable data on the prognosis of functional motor disorder are scarce, as existing studies of the prognosis of functional motor disorder are nearly all retrospective, small and uncontrolled. In this study we used a prospectively recruited, controlled cohort design to assess misdiagnosis, mortality and symptomatic and health outcome in patients with functional limb weakness compared to neurological disease and healthy control subjects. We also carried out an exploratory analysis for baseline factors predicting outcome. One hundred and seven patients with functional limb weakness, 46 neurological and 38 healthy control subjects from our previously studied prospective cohort were traced for follow-up after an average of 14 years. Misdiagnosis was determined in a consensus meeting using information from records, patients and their GPs. Numbers and causes of death were collected via death certificates. Outcome of limb weakness, physical and psychiatric symptoms, disability/quality of life and illness perception were recorded with self-rated questionnaires. Outcome measures were compared within and between groups. Seventy-six patients (71%) with functional limb weakness, 31 (67%) neurological and 23 (61%) healthy controls were included in follow-up. Misdiagnosis was found in one patient in the functional limb weakness group (1%) and in one neurological control (2%). Eleven patients with functional limb weakness, eight neurological control subjects and one healthy control subject had died. Weakness had completely remitted in 20% of patients in the functional limb weakness group and in 18% of the neurological controls (P = 0.785) and improved in a larger proportion of functional limb weakness patients (P = 0.011). Outcomes were comparable between patient groups, and worse than the healthy control group. No baseline factors were independent predictors of outcome, although somatization disorder, general health, pain and total symptoms at baseline were univariably correlated to outcome. This study is the largest and longest follow-up study of functional limb weakness. Misdiagnosis in functional limb weakness is rare after long-term follow-up. The disorder is associated with a higher mortality rate than expected, and symptoms are persistent and disabling. It appears difficult to predict outcome based on common baseline variables. These data should help inform clinicians to provide a more realistic outlook of the outcome and emphasize the importance of active and targeted therapy.

scholarly journals Hippocampal volume in early psychosis: a 2-year longitudinal study

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maureen McHugo ◽  
Kristan Armstrong ◽  
Maxwell J. Roeske ◽  
Neil D. Woodward ◽  
Jennifer U. Blackford ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Stage ◽  
Structural Mri ◽  
Hippocampal Volume ◽  
Early Psychosis ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Illness Onset ◽  
Cornu Ammonis ◽  
Healthy Control ◽  
Sectional Analysis

Abstract Cross-sectional studies suggest that hippocampal volume declines across stages of psychosis. In contrast, longitudinal studies indicate that hippocampal volume is stable in the critical period following illness onset. How can these seemingly disparate sets of findings be resolved? In the present study, we examine two previously unexplored reasons for this discrepancy. First, only specific subregions of the hippocampus may change during the early stage of psychosis. Second, there is diagnostic heterogeneity in the early stage of psychosis and cross-sectional analysis does not permit examination of illness trajectory. Some early stage individuals will have persistent illness leading to a diagnosis of schizophrenia, whereas in others, psychosis will remit. Hippocampal volume may be reduced only in individuals who will ultimately be diagnosed with schizophrenia. We acquired longitudinal structural MRI data from 63 early psychosis and 63 healthy control participants, with up to 4 time points per participant collected over 2 years. Subfield volumes were measured in the anterior and posterior hippocampus using automated segmentation specialized for longitudinal analysis. We observed a volume deficit in early psychosis participants compared to healthy controls that was most pronounced in the anterior hippocampus, but this deficit did not change over 2 years. Importantly, we found that anterior cornu ammonis volume is smaller at baseline in individuals who were diagnosed with schizophrenia at follow-up, but normal in those who maintained a diagnosis of schizophreniform disorder over 2 years. Smaller hippocampal volume is not diagnostic of psychosis, but is instead prognostic of clinical outcome.

scholarly journals Stable habituation deficits in the early stage of psychosis: a 2-year follow-up study

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne N. Avery ◽  
Maureen McHugo ◽  
Kristan Armstrong ◽  
Jennifer Urbano Blackford ◽  
Neil D. Woodward ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Model ◽  
Linear Mixed Model ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Occipital Cortex ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Early Psychosis ◽  
Brain Response ◽  
Face Area ◽  
Healthy Control

AbstractNeural habituation, the decrease in brain response to repeated stimuli, is a fundamental, highly conserved mechanism that acts as an essential filter for our complex sensory environment. Convergent evidence indicates neural habituation is disrupted in both early and chronic stages of schizophrenia, with deficits co-occurring in brain regions that show inhibitory dysfunction. As inhibitory deficits have been proposed to contribute to the onset and progression of illness, habituation may be an important treatment target. However, a crucial first step is clarifying whether habituation deficits progress with illness. In the present study, we measured neural habituation in 138 participants (70 early psychosis patients (<2 years of illness), 68 healthy controls), with 108 participants assessed longitudinally at both baseline and 2-year follow-up. At follow-up, all early psychosis patients met criteria for a schizophrenia spectrum disorder (i.e., schizophreniform disorder, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder). Habituation slopes (i.e., rate of fMRI signal change) to repeated images were computed for the anterior hippocampus, occipital cortex, and the fusiform face area. Habituation slopes were entered into a linear mixed model to test for effects of group and time by region. We found that early psychosis patients showed habituation deficits relative to healthy control participants across brain regions, and that these deficits were maintained, but did not worsen, over two years. These results suggest a stable period of habituation deficits in the early stage of schizophrenia.

scholarly journals Circulating tumour DNA methylation in hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosis using digital droplet PCR

2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 030006052199296
Author(s):  
Juan Wang ◽  
Liu Yang ◽  
Yanjun Diao ◽  
Jiayun Liu ◽  
Jinjie Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Likelihood Ratio ◽  
Predictive Value ◽  
Positive Likelihood Ratio ◽  
Negative Likelihood Ratio ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Control Subjects ◽  
Droplet Pcr ◽  
Healthy Control

Objective To evaluate the performance of a DNA methylation-based digital droplet polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) assay to detect aberrant DNA methylation in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and to determine its application in the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods The present study recruited patients with liver-related diseases and healthy control subjects. Blood samples were used for the extraction of cfDNA, which was then bisulfite converted and the extent of DNA methylation quantified using a ddPCR platform. Results A total of 97 patients with HCC, 80 healthy control subjects and 46 patients with chronic hepatitis B/C virus infection were enrolled in the study. The level of cfDNA in the HCC group was significantly higher than that in the healthy control group. For the detection of HCC, based on a cut-off value of 15.7% for the cfDNA methylation ratio, the sensitivity and specificity were 78.57% and 89.38%, respectively. The diagnostic accuracy was 85.27%, the positive predictive value was 81.91% and the negative predictive value was 87.20%. The positive likelihood ratio of 15.7% in HCC diagnosis was 7.40, while the negative likelihood ratio was 0.24. Conclusions A sensitive methylation-based assay might serve as a liquid biopsy test for diagnosing HCC.

scholarly journals Nrf2 Dysregulation in Major Depressive and Bipolar Disorders

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. e2074
Author(s):  
Maryam Ghanbarirad ◽  
Mehrdad Hashemi ◽  
Seyed Mehdi Saberi ◽  
Ahmad Majd
Keyword(s):  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Defense Mechanisms ◽  
Bipolar Disorders ◽  
Expression Level ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Roc Curve Analysis ◽  
Major Depressive ◽  
Control Subjects ◽  
Healthy Control ◽  
Nrf2 Expression

Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BPD) are two of the most important mental disorders that greatly impact different aspects of life. These conditions imply heavy health and economic burden and are heterogeneous in nature. Inflammation is reported as the etiology of mental disorders. Nrf2 transcription factor plays a key role in the defense mechanisms against inflammation and oxidative stress. So, this study aimed to evaluate the expression level of Nrf2 in MDD and BPD patients and compared it with healthy control subjects. Materials and Methods: In this study, real-time PCR was conducted to evaluate the expression level of Nrf2 in 100 MDD and 100 BPD patients compared to 100 healthy control subjects. Statistical analysis conducted on GraphPad Prism 8 and SPSS21 included ANOVA, Tukey’s test, receiver operating characteristic (ROC), and odds ratio. Results: Results suggest a significant downregulation of Nrf2 in these conditions compared to the control group. ROC curve analysis demonstrates Nrf2 as a biomarker of these psychiatric disorders. Conclusion: The elevated levels of reactive oxygen species and downregulation of detoxifying enzymes were observed in MDD and BPD, which can be associated with the downregulation of Nrf2. Concerning its role in inflammatory response pathways, alternation of Nrf2 expression can be associated with the pathology of these conditions.

scholarly journals Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte and Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratios in Patients with RetinalArtery Occlusion

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmut Atum ◽  
Gürsoy Alagöz
Keyword(s):  
Retinal Artery Occlusion ◽  
Artery Occlusion ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Retrospective Case ◽  
Control Subjects ◽  
Gender And Age ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Healthy Control ◽  
Retinal Artery ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose: This study aimed to compare the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte (NLR) and plateletto- lymphocyte (PLR) ratios in patients with retinal artery occlusion (RAO) with those from a healthy control population and to identify the relationship between them. Methods: Forty-six patients with RAO and fifty-one healthy control subjects were included in this retrospective case-control study. RAO was diagnosed following an ophthalmic examination and fluorescein angiography (FA). Blood neutrophil, lymphocyte, and platelet counts were recorded for each of the 97 subjects, from which NLR and PLR values were calculated. Results: There were 46 patients (28 male [M], 18 female [F]) in the RAO group and 51 patients (27 M, 24 F) in the control group. No significant differences were found between patients with RAO and the control subjects in terms of gender and age (P > 0.05). Patients with RAO had significantly increased NLR values (2.85 ± 1.70) than the control subjects (1.63 ± 0.59, P < 0.001). The mean PLR in patients with RAO was 123.69 ± 64.98, while that in control subjects was 103.08 ± 36.95; there was no significant difference between the two groups (P = 0.055). A logistic regression analysis revealed that NLRs were 3.8 times higher in patients with RAO than in control subjects (odds ratio = 3.880; 95% confidence interval = 1.94 to 7.74; P < 0.001). Conclusion: NLRs were significantly increased in patients with RAO compared to the control subjects.

scholarly journals Cervical proprioception and its relationship with neck pain intensity in subjects with cervical spondylosis

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ravi Shankar Reddy ◽  
Jaya Shanker Tedla ◽  
Snehil Dixit ◽  
Mohammed Abohashrh
Keyword(s):  
Neck Pain ◽  
Pain Intensity ◽  
Cervical Spondylosis ◽  
Target Position ◽  
Absolute Error ◽  
Healthy Control Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Control Subjects ◽  
Healthy Control

Abstract Background Cervical proprioception is critical in the maintenance of posture and movements, so its assessment in different cervical conditions has gained importance in recent clinical practice. Studies reporting this assessment in subjects with cervical spondylosis (CS) have not previously been investigated. The goals of the study are (1) comparison of joint position error (JPE) in subjects with CS to healthy control group. (2) Correlation of neck pain intensity to cervical proprioception in patients with CS. Methods In a Cross-sectional study, 132 subjects with CS and 132 healthy age-matched control subjects were evaluated for cervical JPE with the cervical range of motion device. The subjects were blindfolded and repositioned their heads to a target position, which was determined by the examiner previously and their repositioning accuracy (absolute error in degrees) was measured in the frontal (flexion and extension) and transverse planes (left rotation and right rotation). The CS subjects resting neck pain intensity was assessed using visual analog scale (VAS). Results CS subjects showed statistically significantly larger JPEs compared to healthy control subjects in all the directions tested (flexion - 95% CI = 2.38–3.55, p < 0.001, extension - 95% CI =3.26–4.33, p < 0.001, left rotation - 95% CI = 2.64 - 3.83, p < 0.001, right rotation − 95% CI = 3.77–4.76, p < 0.001). The mean JPE errors in the CS group ranged from 6.27° to 8.28° and in the control group ranged from 2.36° to 4.48°. Pearson’s correlation coefficient showed a significant and positive relationship between neck pain intensity and cervical proprioception (p ≤ 0.001). Conclusions Proprioception is impaired in subjects with CS when compared to healthy control group. Higher pain intensity was associated with greater cervical JPE in patients with CS.

Relational Memory in Early Psychosis: A 2 Year Follow-Up Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 87 (9) ◽  
pp. S330
Author(s):  
Suzanne Avery ◽  
Kristan Armstrong ◽  
Maureen McHugo ◽  
Simon Vandekar ◽  
Stephan Heckers
Keyword(s):  
Early Psychosis ◽  
Relational Memory ◽  
Follow Up Study

scholarly journals Silent hypoxia: higher NO in red blood cells of COVID-19 patients

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Esmaeil Mortaz ◽  
Majid Malkmohammad ◽  
Hamidreza Jamaati ◽  
Parisa Adimi Naghan ◽  
Seyed MohamadReza Hashemian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Red Blood Cells ◽  
Blood Cells ◽  
Diffuse Alveolar Damage ◽  
Serum Levels ◽  
Pulmonary Involvement ◽  
Clinical Feature ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Small Vessels ◽  
Control Subjects ◽  
Healthy Control

Abstract Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread to almost 100 countries, infected over 31 M patients and resulted in 961 K deaths worldwide as of 21st September 2020. The major clinical feature of severe COVID-19 requiring ventilation is acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with multi-functional failure as a result of a cytokine storm with increased serum levels of cytokines. The pathogenesis of the respiratory failure in COVID-19 is yet unknown, but diffuse alveolar damage with interstitial thickening leading to compromised gas exchange is a plausible mechanism. Hypoxia is seen in the COVID-19 patients, however, patients present with a distinct phenotype. Intracellular levels of nitric oxide (NO) play an important role in the vasodilation of small vessels. To elucidate the intracellular levels of NO inside of RBCs in COVID-19 patients compared with that of healthy control subjects. Methods We recruited 14 COVID-19 infected cases who had pulmonary involvement of their disease, 4 non-COVID-19 healthy controls (without pulmonary involvement and were not hypoxic) and 2 hypoxic non-COVID-19 patients subjects who presented at the Masih Daneshvari Hospital of Tehran, Iran between March–May 2020. Whole blood samples were harvested from patients and intracellular NO levels in 1 × 106 red blood cells (RBC) was measured by DAF staining using flow cytometry (FACS Calibour, BD, CA, USA). Results The Mean florescent of intensity for NO was significantly enhanced in COVID-19 patients compared with healthy control subjects (P ≤ 0.05). As a further control for whether hypoxia induced this higher intracellular NO, we evaluated the levels of NO inside RBC of hypoxic patients. No significant differences in NO levels were seen between the hypoxic and non-hypoxic control group. Conclusions This pilot study demonstrates increased levels of intracellular NO in RBCs from COVID-19 patients. Future multi-centre studies should examine whether this is seen in a larger number of COVID-19 patients and whether NO therapy may be of use in these severe COVID-19 patients.

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