Theory of mind and stereotypic behavior promote daily functioning in patients with schizophrenia

2021 ◽  
pp. 000486742110385
Author(s):  
Margherita Bechi ◽  
Ahmad Abu-Akel ◽  
Giulia Agostoni ◽  
Mariachiara Buonocore ◽  
Marta Bosia ◽  
...  

Objectives: Functional disruption is a main feature of schizophrenia and still represents a major treatment challenge. A more in-depth identification of functional predictors is crucial for the creation of individualized rehabilitation treatments, which can translate into better functional outcomes. In this study, we aimed at pinpointing specific domains that affect different functional profiles, using a data-driven approach. Methods: We included a comprehensive evaluation of functional predictors, namely demographic, cognitive, sociocognitive and clinical variables, with a focus on constituent subdomains of autistic symptoms that have been associated with functioning in the recent literature. Results: In 123 schizophrenia patients, a two-step cluster analysis identified two groups of patients with different functional profiles (low vs high functioning). A backward stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that the odds of being a member of the high functioning group are significantly higher for individuals with (1) more years of education, (2) better Theory of Mind abilities, (3) higher levels of stereotypies/narrowed interests, (4) lower difficulties in social interaction, (5) lower communication difficulties and with (6) being male. Conclusion: Findings raise the intriguing possibility that stereotypic behaviors may have a beneficial effect on functioning in schizophrenia. While the underlying mechanism is currently unknown, we hypothesize that patients may benefit from contexts in which more predictive relationships between environmental entities can systematically be established. This study underscores the potential utility of routinely assessing autistic symptomatology in schizophrenia, which can be instrumental in identifying novel therapeutic targets that can be utilized to improve daily functioning.

2020 ◽  
Vol 103 (12) ◽  
pp. 1292-1299

Objective: To study the use rate, outcome, and concomitant factors of the use of the total contact orthoses (TCO) in the Foot Clinic, Siriraj Hospital Materials and Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional descriptive study collecting data from patient medical records and questionnaires. Patients who had foot problems without impairment of foot sensation and received the TCO from the Foot Clinic between July 2015 and April 2016 were interviewed before and after using the latest TCO for one month. Results: One hundred seven participants were recruited. Most were female (84.1%) with a median age of 59.3 years. The majority had chronic plantar fasciitis (26.2%), posterior tibial tendon dysfunction (PTTD) (25.2%), hallux valgus (21.5%), or metatarsalgia (21.5%). The TCO user was defined as a participant who had to use the TCO for more than three days per week and for more or equal to 50% of daily walking and standing duration. The use rate was 67.3%. The TCO provides standing and walking stability (p=0.008). For patients with metatarsalgia, using the TCO could significantly reduce pain (p=0.002). Using univariate analysis, many factors were found to be associated with the use of the TCO including having level of convenience of putting on or taking off shoes with TCO at 9 or more (odds ratio 2.66, 95% CI 1.16 to 6.12), having difficulty to find proper shoes that fit with the TCO (odds ratio 0.36, 95% CI 0.15 to 0.89), receiving more than one pair of TCO (odds ratio 4.09, 95% CI 1.51 to 11.05), and having level of comfort satisfaction during the TCO use at 9 or more (odds ratio 3.61, 95% CI 1.55 to 8.40). The latter two factors were found to be associated with the use of the TCO from stepwise logistic regression analysis (adjusted odds ratio 3.39, 95% CI 1.18 to 9.71 and 3.02, 95% CI 1.07 to 8.47, respectively). Conclusion: The use of the TCO in the Foot Clinic, Siriraj Hospital was 67.3%. Using the TCO could promote walking stability. Factors affecting the use of the TCO included receiving more than the first pair of TCO and having comfort satisfaction level of 9 or more. Keywords: Use, Total contact orthoses, Total contact insole, Foot problems


1989 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Kemali ◽  
M. Maj ◽  
B. Carpiniello ◽  
R.D. Giurazza ◽  
M. Impagnatiello ◽  
...  

Summary141 patients with an ICD-9 diagnosis of schizophrenic psychosis were followed up prospectively for 3 years in 7 Italian centres, representative of the different degrees of application of the psychiatric reform law (Law 180) passed in 1978. It was agreed that each centre would treat the patients according to its routine, and that all contacts with the patients and each intervention performed would be carefully recorded in an ad hoc schedule. The baseline evaluation of psychosocial adjustment was performed by the Disability Assessment Schedule (DAS), and this assessment was then repeated every 6 months during the follow-up period. At the end of this period, the rating on the DAS section 5 was taken as a global measure of patients’ psychosocial outcome. On a stepwise logistic regression analysis, 2 variables were found to be significantly predictive of psychosocial outcome, that is the use of social and/or vocational skills training (associated with a favourable outcome) and the number of days/year of full hospitalization (associated with a poor outcome). Trieste and Arezzo were the only centres in which a significant improvement of the score on some DAS subscales (namely, “occupational role, interest” and “social withdrawal”) was detected. In the whole patient sample, the difference between the final and the baseline score on these subscales correlated significantly with the number/year of outpatient contacts and of home visits. These findings confirm the favourable impact of the community-oriented care provided in some Italian centres on the Psychosocial outcome of schizophrenic patients.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi-Ning Dai ◽  
Wei Zheng ◽  
Qing-Qing Wu ◽  
Tian-Chen Hui ◽  
Nan-Nan Sun ◽  
...  

AbstractNovel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) has been widely spread in China and several other countries. Early finding of this pneumonia from huge numbers of suspects gives clinicians a big challenge. The aim of the study was to develop a rapid screening model for early predicting NCP in a Zhejiang population, as well as its utility in other areas. A total of 880 participants who were initially suspected of NCP from January 17 to February 19 were included. Potential predictors were selected via stepwise logistic regression analysis. The model was established based on epidemiological features, clinical manifestations, white blood cell count, and pulmonary imaging changes, with the area under receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve of 0.920. At a cut-off value of 1.0, the model could determine NCP with a sensitivity of 85% and a specificity of 82.3%. We further developed a simplified model by combining the geographical regions and rounding the coefficients, with the AUROC of 0.909, as well as a model without epidemiological factors with the AUROC of 0.859. The study demonstrated that the screening model was a helpful and cost-effective tool for early predicting NCP and had great clinical significance given the high activity of NCP.


1998 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 138-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
I Berlin ◽  
F Lavergne

SummaryIn order to identify clinical and demographic variables that predict response to antidepressants and to analyse prediction of outcome as a function of definition of outcome we analysed pooled data of two independent, multicentre, double blind parallel group studies. Study I compared the efficacy of mianserin with that of fluoxetine in 65, and study II compared mianserin with fluvoxamine in 60 patients with depression. Improvement was defined as at least 20% decrease in MADRS by day 14. Patients were considered as responders if they had greater than 50% decrease and non-responders if they had ≤ 50% decrease from baseline in the MADRS at day 56. Complete remission was defined as MADRS score ≤ 6 at day 56. Patients' characteristics did not differ between mianserin and SSRI groups. Early improvement predicted response in 92% and complete remission in 55% of the patients improved at day 14. Multivariate forward stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that response to treatments at day 56 was significantly (P = 0.0003) associated with early improvement, age (responders had higher age than non-responders) and weight (responders weighted more than non-responders). Complete remission was only predicted by early improvement. Treatments could not be differentiated when data were analysed according to responder/nonresponder status or complete remission/no complete remission. However, when the same data were analysed by analysis of variance a significant treatment effect (P = 0.02, mianserin > SSRIs) and a quadratic type treatment by time interaction (P = 0.023) were found. The robustness of the analysis was further improved by inclusion of covariates (age, weight). Early clinical improvement seems to be the best predictor of 2 month response to antidepressants (mianserin, SSRIs). Younger age and lower weight may predict non-response. Quantitative analysis differentiates treatments better than analysis of responder status. As obtenation of complete remission is a realistic objective with current antidepressants, studies longer than 2 months are needed to assess effectiveness of these drugs in the obtenation of complete remission.


Author(s):  
Gianluca Rigatelli ◽  
Marco Zuin ◽  
Fabio Dell'Avvocata ◽  
Luigi Pedon ◽  
Roberto Zecchel ◽  
...  

Background: RoPE score calculator has been proposed to stratify the patients in whom PFO may be considered not a confounding but presumably a causative factor.Objectives To implement the RoPE score calculator.Methods.  We reviewed the medical data of 1040 consecutive patients (mean age 47.3±17.1 years) prospectively enrolled in two centres over a 13 years period for management of PFO in order to select anatomic and functional parameters to be incorporated in a modified RoPE score. A scoring system (AF-RoPE) was build up and applied in a prospective blind fashion to a cohort of  406 consecutive patients (mean age 43.6 ±17. 5 years, 264 females)  with cryptogenic stroke and PFO comparing its performance with the standard RoPE.Results. Multiple stepwise logistic regression analysis demonstrated that right-to-left  (R-L) shunt at rest (OR 5.9), huge ASA (> 20 mm) (OR 3.9), long tunnelized PFO (> 12 mm) (OR 3.5), and massive R-L shunt (grade 5 by TCD) (OR 1.9) conferred the highest risk of recurrent stroke. The AF-RoPE score  resulted in a more precise separation of patients with RoPE score 8-10. Patients with AF-RoPE score > 11 had more stroke recurrences and more diffuse area of stroke on MRI in the medical history than those ranging 10 to 7 or less.Conclusion. The AF-RoPE score discriminates cryptogenic stroke patients who are more likely to develop recurrent stroke compared with a RoPE score between 8-10.  These highest risk patients may be more likely to benefit from PFO closure.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Yue ◽  
Minghui Yang ◽  
Xiaohui Deng ◽  
Ping Zhang

Abstract Objective: To determine the rate and risk factors of allogeneic red blood cell transfusions (ABT) in elderly patients with femoral neck fracture (FNF) after hemiarthroplasty (HA). Methods: We conducted a study on elderly patients (≥65 years old) who were admitted to the geriatric trauma orthopedics ward of Beijing Jishuitan Hospital for HA treatment from March 2018 to February 2019 due to FNF. The perioperative data were collected retrospectively, and univariate and multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis were performed to determine the postoperative ABT rate and its risk factors. Results: 343 patients were included in the study, of which 151 (44.0%) received ABT after surgery. Multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that preoperative low hemoglobin (Hb), high intraoperative blood loss (IBL), advanced age, and low body mass index (BMI) are independent risk factors of ABT after HA in elderly FNF patients. Conclusion: ABT after HA is a common phenomenon in elderly patients with FNF. Their postoperative ABT needs are related to preoperative low Hb, high IBL, advanced age, and low BMI. Therefore, ABT can be reduced from the above aspects.


2019 ◽  
Vol 45 (45) ◽  
pp. 109-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cletus Famous Nwankwo

AbstractVoting is becoming of significance in Nigeria, as in many other countries in Africa. Although Nigerian electoral politics has attracted full attention from scholars, there is little research on the factors that determine voter turnout in the country at the local level, especially the South-East geopolitical zone (GPZ). This paper is a stepwise logistic regression analysis of the determinants of voting in Nsukka council in Enugu State, South-East GPZ of Nigeria. The results show that age (0.230), education (0.532), marital status (1.355), political trust (1.309) and partisanship (˗0.570) are significant predictors of voter turnout. The effect of age, education, marital status and political trust on voting is positive and statistically significant, but partisanship has a statistically significant negative relationship with voting (p<0.01). The paper highlights the importance of local level geographical differentials in the factors influencing voting in Nigeria.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leay-Kiaw Er ◽  
Semon Wu ◽  
Lung-An Hsu ◽  
Ming-Sheng Teng ◽  
Yu-Ching Sun ◽  
...  

Chemerin, an adipokine and inflammatory mediator, is associated with metabolic, inflammation- and immune-mediated diseases. The genetic, clinical, and biomarker correlates of circulating chemerin levels have not been completely elucidated. We analyzed the determinants and correlates of retinoic acid receptor responder 2 (RARRES2; encoding chemerin) gene variants and chemerin levels in the Taiwanese population. In total, 612 individuals were recruited. Clinical and metabolic phenotypes, 13 inflammatory markers, 5 adipokines, and 6 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) covering the RARRES2 region were analyzed. High chemerin levels and chemerin level tertiles were positively associated with multiple metabolic phenotypes and circulating inflammatory marker and adipokine levels and negatively associated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and adiponectin levels and estimated glomerular filtration rates (eGFRs). Genotype and haplotype analyses showed that RARRES2 SNPs were significantly associated with chemerin, fibrinogen, interleukin 6, and lipocalin 2 levels. Stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that C-reactive protein level, leptin level, triglyceride level, eGFR, rs3735167 genotypes, sex, and soluble P-selectin level were independently associated with chemerin levels. In conclusion, pleiotropic associations were noted between RARRES2 variants, circulating chemerin levels and multiple metabolic phenotypes and inflammatory marker levels. This study provides further evidence for the potential roles of chemerin in metabolic and inflammation-related diseases.


Hypertension ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 36 (suppl_1) ◽  
pp. 684-684
Author(s):  
Myron H Weinberger ◽  
Naomi S Fineberg ◽  
Morris Weinberger ◽  
S. Edwin Fineberg

36 We recently ascertained 376 initially normotensive (N) and 197 initially hypertensive (H) subjects among a group of 544 studied for the assessment of salt sensitivity (SS) at least 25 years ago to identify factors associated with morbidity and mortality. The age range when initially studied was 18-80 years. For this report we analyzed demographic factors as well as pulse pressure (PP), SS and renin status based on the response to sodium and volume depletion. Of the total ascertained, 108 (42 N, 66 H) have died. Stepwise logistic regression analysis revealed that total death was associated with each 1 mmHg increase in PP (odds ratio-OR 1.04,p<0.001) year of age (OR 1.03,p<0.001)and SS (OR 2.17,p<0.003). An inverse relationship between renin levels and deaths were observed, with low renin status associated with an increased risk (p<0.001). When known cardiovascular death was examined separately by stepwise logistic regression, PP (OR 1.06,p<0.001) age (OR 1.06,p<0.001) and gender (female OR 0.34,p<0.005) emerged as important factors. H at the time of initial study also was associated with reduced survival (p<0.003). Renin status was not found to be associated with total or cardiovascular death after adjusting the observations for age. These observations provide confirmation of earlier studies identifying the contribution of age, gender, H and PP to the risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality. A 4% increase in risk of death with each 1 mmHg increase in PP can be identified from these data. The novel finding of an independent contribution of SS to death requires further investigation.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3.28) ◽  
pp. 68
Author(s):  
Siti Afiqah Muhamad Jamil ◽  
Mohd Asrul Affendi Abdullah ◽  
Kek Sie Long ◽  
Nur Fazilla Mohd Jupri ◽  
Mustafa Mamat

The aims of this study are to fit a logistic regression model towards the fly problem in a farm and to identify the variables that are associated with the fly problem in a poultry farm. By using SPSS software, this study used ‘FORWARD STEPWISE’ and ‘BACKWARD STEPWISE’ methods to perform the analysis. Compared to linear regression analysis, logistic regression does not require rigorous assumptions to be met. This study used Likelihood Ratio test, Omnibus test and Hosmer and Lemeshow test to validate and to test the fit of poultry farm data. Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) is calculated to observe the difference between the methods of stepwise used by SPSS software in this study. As a result, logistic regression is fit towards poultry farm data by a stepwise procedure. BACKWARD STEPWISE seems to be more suitable for conducting the stepwise method of analysis. Besides, variables that influence the problem of fly in a poultry are the wasps, distance and number of flies. 


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