scholarly journals Cerebellar Activation Deficits in Schizophrenia During an Eyeblink Conditioning Task

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy B Lundin ◽  
Dae-Jin Kim ◽  
Rachel L Tullar ◽  
Alexandra B Moussa-Tooks ◽  
Jerillyn S Kent ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psychotic Symptom ◽  
Psychotic Disorders ◽  
Eyeblink Conditioning ◽  
Neuropsychological Test ◽  
Cortical Activation ◽  
Psychotic Symptoms ◽  
Neural Activation ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Schizophrenia Group ◽  
Crus I

Abstract The cognitive dysmetria theory of psychotic disorders posits that cerebellar circuit abnormalities give rise to difficulties coordinating motor and cognitive functions. However, brain activation during cerebellar-mediated tasks is understudied in schizophrenia. Accordingly, this study examined whether individuals with schizophrenia have diminished neural activation compared to controls in key regions of the delay eyeblink conditioning (dEBC) cerebellar circuit (eg, lobule VI) and cerebellar regions associated with cognition (eg, Crus I). Participants with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (n = 31) and healthy controls (n = 43) underwent dEBC during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Images were normalized using the Spatially Unbiased Infratentorial Template (SUIT) of the cerebellum and brainstem. Activation contrasts of interest were “early” and “late” stages of paired tone and air puff trials minus unpaired trials. Preliminary whole brain analyses were conducted, followed by cerebellar-specific SUIT and region of interest (ROI) analyses of lobule VI and Crus I. Correlation analyses were conducted between cerebellar activation, neuropsychological test scores, and psychotic symptom scores. In controls, the largest clusters of cerebellar activation peaked in lobule VI during early dEBC and Crus I during late dEBC. The schizophrenia group showed robust cortical activation to unpaired trials but no significant conditioning-related cerebellar activation. Crus I ROI activation during late dEBC was greater in the control than schizophrenia group. Greater Crus I activation correlated with higher working memory scores in the full sample and lower positive psychotic symptom severity in schizophrenia. Findings indicate functional cerebellar abnormalities in schizophrenia which relate to psychotic symptoms, lending direct support to the cognitive dysmetria framework.

Neuropsychological evidence for abnormal neurodevelopment associated with early-onset psychoses

2012 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 757-768 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Bombin ◽  
M. Mayoral ◽  
J. Castro-Fornieles ◽  
A. Gonzalez-Pinto ◽  
E. de la Serna ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Development ◽  
Psychotic Symptom ◽  
Early Onset ◽  
Healthy Subjects ◽  
Psychotic Disorders ◽  
Brain Maturation ◽  
Psychotic Symptoms ◽  
First Episode

BackgroundThe longitudinal neuropsychological study of first-episode early-onset psychosis (EOP) patients, whose brain maturation is still in progress at the time of illness onset, provides a unique opportunity to compare their cognitive development with that of healthy subjects, in search of specific patterns resulting from the interaction between neurodevelopmental processes and the presence of psychotic disorders.MethodSeventy-five first-episode EOP patients (schizophrenia n = 35; bipolar disorder n = 17; other forms of psychosis n = 23) with a mean age of 15.53 years were assessed with a neuropsychological battery that included measures of attention, working memory, memory and executive functions within 6 months following the onset of the first psychotic symptom (baseline) and 2 years later. Psychotic symptoms were assessed at both times with the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS). Seventy-nine healthy subjects matched for age and education served as controls.ResultsEOP patients showed significant cognitive impairment at both baseline and the 2-year follow-up, with no significant differences between diagnostic groups at either time. Both healthy controls and EOP patients improved in all cognitive measures, except for patient working memory. Improvement in patient attention lost significance after controlling for psychotic symptom reduction. No significant time/diagnosis interaction was found among patients (p > 0.405).ConclusionsCognitive impairment in EOP is already present at the first episode, and cognitive development seems to be arrested early in EOP patients compared to their healthy peers, at least for some cognitive functions. These and previous similar results support the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of psychosis.

Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders in Autism Spectrum Disorder

2020 ◽  
pp. 51-72
Author(s):  
Katherine Gotham ◽  
Florencia Pezzimenti ◽  
Mareike Eydt-Beebe ◽  
Gloria T. Han ◽  
Catherine G. Herrington
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Psychotic Disorders ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Psychotic Symptoms ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders

There is substantial data pointing to evidence of heightened rates of psychotic experiences and schizophrenia spectrum disorders in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Given overlapping genetics and neurobiology between the two disorders, the prevalence of this comorbidity is not surprising. And yet, psychosis in ASD has received relatively little attention in either the scientific or the clinical literatures. Following an introduction to the shared historical context of schizophrenia and ASD, this chapter reviews the diagnostic criteria for psychosis and the assessment tools available for evaluating symptoms. Difficulties in differentiating true psychotic symptoms from several hallmark ASD features, as well as in diagnosing psychosis in minimally verbal individuals with ASD, are highlighted, and recommendations for making this diagnostic distinction are offered. With regard to treatment, there is a striking absence of literature addressing how to treat psychosis when it presents in individuals with ASD. This chapter highlights best practice treatments for childhood-onset and adult schizophrenia and related disorders and discusses how these treatments might apply or need adaptation when treating an individual with ASD. Finally, this chapter offers recommendations for future research regarding the nature, prevalence, developmental course, assessment, and most effective treatments for schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders when they present in individuals with ASD.

scholarly journals Cannabis-induced psychosis and subsequent schizophrenia-spectrum disorders: follow-up study of 535 incident cases

2005 ◽  
Vol 187 (6) ◽  
pp. 510-515 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikkel Arendt ◽  
Raben Rosenberg ◽  
Leslie Foldager ◽  
Gurli Perto ◽  
Povl Munk-Jørgensen
Keyword(s):  
Psychotic Disorders ◽  
Psychotic Symptoms ◽  
Separate Analysis ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum ◽  
Central Register ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
History Of ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Incident Cases

BackgroundFew studies have examined samples of people with cannabis-induced psychotic symptoms.AimsTo establish whether cannabis-induced psychotic disorders are followed by development of persistent psychotic conditions, and the timing of their onset.MethodData on patients treated for cannabis-induced psychotic symptoms between 1994 and 1999 were extracted from the Danish Psychiatric Central Register. Those previously treated for any psychotic symptoms were excluded. The remaining 535 patients were followed for at least 3 years. In a separate analysis, the sample was compared with people referred for schizophrenia-spectrum disorders for the first time, but who had no history of cannabis-induced psychosis.ResultsSchizophrenia-spectrum disorders were diagnosed in 44.5% of the sample. New psychotic episodes of any type were diagnosed in 77.2%. Male gender and young age were associated with increased risk. Development of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders was often delayed, and 47.1% of patients received a diagnosis more than a year after seeking treatment for a cannabis-induced psychosis. The patients developed schizophrenia at an earlier age than people in the comparison group (males, 24.6 v. 30.7 years, females, 28.9 v. 33.1 years).ConclusionsCannabis-induced psychotic disorders are of great clinical and prognostic importance.

scholarly journals Acoustic speech markers for schizophrenia-spectrum disorders: a diagnostic and symptom-recognition tool

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
J. N. de Boer ◽  
A. E. Voppel ◽  
S. G. Brederoo ◽  
H. G. Schnack ◽  
K. P. Truong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Diagnostic Value ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Psychotic Symptoms ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Speech Technology ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

Abstract Background Clinicians routinely use impressions of speech as an element of mental status examination. In schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, descriptions of speech are used to assess the severity of psychotic symptoms. In the current study, we assessed the diagnostic value of acoustic speech parameters in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, as well as its value in recognizing positive and negative symptoms. Methods Speech was obtained from 142 patients with a schizophrenia-spectrum disorder and 142 matched controls during a semi-structured interview on neutral topics. Patients were categorized as having predominantly positive or negative symptoms using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Acoustic parameters were extracted with OpenSMILE, employing the extended Geneva Acoustic Minimalistic Parameter Set, which includes standardized analyses of pitch (F0), speech quality and pauses. Speech parameters were fed into a random forest algorithm with leave-ten-out cross-validation to assess their value for a schizophrenia-spectrum diagnosis, and PANSS subtype recognition. Results The machine-learning speech classifier attained an accuracy of 86.2% in classifying patients with a schizophrenia-spectrum disorder and controls on speech parameters alone. Patients with predominantly positive v. negative symptoms could be classified with an accuracy of 74.2%. Conclusions Our results show that automatically extracted speech parameters can be used to accurately classify patients with a schizophrenia-spectrum disorder and healthy controls, as well as differentiate between patients with predominantly positive v. negatives symptoms. Thus, the field of speech technology has provided a standardized, powerful tool that has high potential for clinical applications in diagnosis and differentiation, given its ease of comparison and replication across samples.

scholarly journals Cannabinoids, reward processing, and psychosis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brandon Gunasekera ◽  
Kelly Diederen ◽  
Sagnik Bhattacharyya
Keyword(s):  
Psychotic Disorders ◽  
Neural Substrates ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Reward Processing ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Psychotic Symptoms ◽  
Dopamine Synthesis ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Drug Challenge ◽  
Psychotomimetic Effects

Abstract Background Evidence suggests that an overlap exists between the neurobiology of psychotic disorders and the effects of cannabinoids on neurocognitive and neurochemical substrates involved in reward processing. Aims We investigate whether the psychotomimetic effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and the antipsychotic potential of cannabidiol (CBD) are underpinned by their effects on the reward system and dopamine. Methods This narrative review focuses on the overlap between altered dopamine signalling and reward processing induced by cannabinoids, pre-clinically and in humans. A systematic search was conducted of acute cannabinoid drug-challenge studies using neuroimaging in healthy subjects and those with psychosis Results There is evidence of increased striatal presynaptic dopamine synthesis and release in psychosis, as well as abnormal engagement of the striatum during reward processing. Although, acute THC challenges have elicited a modest effect on striatal dopamine, cannabis users generally indicate impaired presynaptic dopaminergic function. Functional MRI studies have identified that a single dose of THC may modulate regions involved in reward and salience processing such as the striatum, midbrain, insular, and anterior cingulate, with some effects correlating with the severity of THC-induced psychotic symptoms. CBD may modulate brain regions involved in reward/salience processing in an opposite direction to that of THC. Conclusions There is evidence to suggest modulation of reward processing and its neural substrates by THC and CBD. Whether such effects underlie the psychotomimetic/antipsychotic effects of these cannabinoids remains unclear. Future research should address these unanswered questions to understand the relationship between endocannabinoid dysfunction, reward processing abnormalities, and psychosis.

scholarly journals Relationship Pattern of Personality Disorder Traits in Major Psychiatric Disorders: A Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 025371762199953
Author(s):  
Bhavneesh Saini ◽  
Pir Dutt Bansal ◽  
Mamta Bahetra ◽  
Arvind Sharma ◽  
Priyanka Bansal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Psychotic Disorders ◽  
Age Of Onset ◽  
Psychiatric Patients ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Psychotic Symptoms ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Neurotic Disorders

Background: Normal personality development, gone awry due to genetic or environmental factors, results in personality disorders (PD). These often coexist with other psychiatric disorders, affecting their outcome adversely. Considering the heterogeneity of data, more research is warranted. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study on personality traits in psychiatric patients of a tertiary hospital, over 1 year. Five hundred and twenty-five subjects, aged 18–45 years, with substance, psychotic, mood, or neurotic disorders were selected by convenience sampling. They were evaluated for illness-related variables using psychiatric pro forma; diagnostic confirmation and severity assessment were done using ICD-10 criteria and suitable scales. Personality assessment was done using the International Personality Disorder Examination after achieving remission. Results: Prevalence of PD traits and PDs was 56.3% and 4.2%, respectively. While mood disorders were the diagnostic group with the highest prevalence of PD traits, it was neurotic disorders for PDs. Patients with PD traits had a past psychiatric history and upper middle socioeconomic status (SES); patients with PDs were urban and unmarried. Both had a lower age of onset of psychiatric illness. Psychotic patients with PD traits had higher and lower PANSS positive and negative scores, respectively. The severity of personality pathology was highest for mixed cluster and among neurotic patients. Clusterwise prevalence was cluster C > B > mixed > A (47.1%, 25.2%, 16.7%, and 11.4%). Among subtypes, anankastic (18.1%) and mixed (16.7%) had the highest prevalence. Those in the cluster A group were the least educated and with lower SES than others. Conclusions: PD traits were present among 56.3% of the patients, and they had many significant sociodemographic and illness-related differences from those without PD traits. Cluster C had the highest prevalence. Among patients with psychotic disorders, those with PD traits had higher severity of psychotic symptoms.

scholarly journals Evidence for a Shared Etiological Mechanism of Psychotic Symptoms and Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms in Patients with Psychotic Disorders and Their Siblings

PLoS ONE ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. e0125103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marije Swets ◽  
Frank Van Dael ◽  
Sabine Roza ◽  
Robert Schoevers ◽  
Inez Myin-Germeys ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psychotic Disorders ◽  
Psychotic Symptoms ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive Symptoms

Frontal Lobe Epilepsy Presenting as a Psychotic Disorder With Delusions and Hallucinations: A Case Study

CNS Spectrums ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 4 (9) ◽  
pp. 64-66,82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bonnie J. Ramsey
Keyword(s):  
Temporal Lobe Epilepsy ◽  
Frontal Lobe ◽  
Psychotic Disorder ◽  
Temporal Lobe ◽  
Psychotic Disorders ◽  
Psychotic Symptoms ◽  
Frontal Lobe Epilepsy ◽  
Unique Case ◽  
Frontal Lobe Seizures

AbstractAlthough psychotic symptoms are a recognized manifestation of epilepsy, these are more often associated with seizures of the temporal lobe type. While 10% of children with temporal lobe epilepsy develop a psychotic disorder by adulthood, the literature does not report any cases of psychotic disorders associated with frontal lobe seizures in children. This article presents a unique case of a girl whose frontal lobe seizures were associated with delusional psychotic symptoms. Once her seizure disorder was identified through electroencephalography (EEG) and appropriate anticonvulsant therapy was initiated, her associated psychotic symptoms resolved.

scholarly journals The effect of the environment on symptom dimensions in the first episode of psychosis: a multilevel study

2014 ◽  
Vol 44 (11) ◽  
pp. 2419-2430 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. J. Oher ◽  
A. Demjaha ◽  
D. Jackson ◽  
C. Morgan ◽  
P. Dazzan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Population Density ◽  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Psychotic Disorders ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Psychotic Symptoms ◽  
First Episode ◽  
Multilevel Regression ◽  
Symptom Dimensions ◽  
Reality Distortion

BackgroundThe extent to which different symptom dimensions vary according to epidemiological factors associated with categorical definitions of first-episode psychosis (FEP) is unknown. We hypothesized that positive psychotic symptoms, including paranoid delusions and depressive symptoms, would be more prominent in more urban environments.MethodWe collected clinical and epidemiological data on 469 people with FEP (ICD-10 F10–F33) in two centres of the Aetiology and Ethnicity in Schizophrenia and Other Psychoses (AESOP) study: Southeast London and Nottinghamshire. We used multilevel regression models to examine neighbourhood-level and between-centre differences in five symptom dimensions (reality distortion, negative symptoms, manic symptoms, depressive symptoms and disorganization) underpinning Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN) Item Group Checklist (IGC) symptoms. Delusions of persecution and reference, along with other individual IGC symptoms, were inspected for area-level variation.ResultsReality distortion [estimated effect size (EES) 0.15, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.06–0.24] and depressive symptoms (EES 0.21, 95% CI 0.07–0.34) were elevated in people with FEP living in more urban Southeast London but disorganized symptomatology was lower (EES –0.06, 95% CI –0.10 to –0.02), after controlling for confounders. Delusions of persecution were not associated with increased neighbourhood population density [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.01, 95% CI 0.83–1.23], although an effect was observed for delusions of reference (aOR 1.41, 95% CI 1.12–1.77). Hallucinatory symptoms showed consistent elevation in more densely populated neighbourhoods (aOR 1.32, 95% CI 1.09–1.61).ConclusionsIn people experiencing FEP, elevated levels of reality distortion and depressive symptoms were observed in more urban, densely populated neighbourhoods. No clear association was observed for paranoid delusions; hallucinations were consistently associated with increased population density. These results suggest that urban environments may affect the syndromal presentation of psychotic disorders.

Dynamic networks of psychotic symptoms in adults living in precarious housing or homelessness

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Andrea A. Jones ◽  
Kristina M. Gicas ◽  
Sara Mostafavi ◽  
Melissa L. Woodward ◽  
Olga Leonova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Psychotic Disorder ◽  
Psychotic Disorders ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Dynamic Networks ◽  
Premature Mortality ◽  
Psychotic Symptoms ◽  
Network Measures ◽  
History Of ◽  
Precarious Housing

Abstract Background People living in precarious housing or homelessness have higher than expected rates of psychotic disorders, persistent psychotic symptoms, and premature mortality. Psychotic symptoms can be modeled as a complex dynamic system, allowing assessment of roles for risk factors in symptom development, persistence, and contribution to premature mortality. Method The severity of delusions, conceptual disorganization, hallucinations, suspiciousness, and unusual thought content was rated monthly over 5 years in a community sample of precariously housed/homeless adults (n = 375) in Vancouver, Canada. Multilevel vector auto-regression analysis was used to construct temporal, contemporaneous, and between-person symptom networks. Network measures were compared between participants with (n = 219) or without (n = 156) history of psychotic disorder using bootstrap and permutation analyses. Relationships between network connectivity and risk factors including homelessness, trauma, and substance dependence were estimated by multiple linear regression. The contribution of network measures to premature mortality was estimated by Cox proportional hazard models. Results Delusions and unusual thought content were central symptoms in the multilevel network. Each psychotic symptom was positively reinforcing over time, an effect most pronounced in participants with a history of psychotic disorder. Global connectivity was similar between those with and without such a history. Greater connectivity between symptoms was associated with methamphetamine dependence and past trauma exposure. Auto-regressive connectivity was associated with premature mortality in participants under age 55. Conclusions Past and current experiences contribute to the severity and dynamic relationships between psychotic symptoms. Interrupting the self-perpetuating severity of psychotic symptoms in a vulnerable group of people could contribute to reducing premature mortality.

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