scholarly journals Nicotine dependence and illness severity in schizophrenia

2012 ◽  
Vol 201 (4) ◽  
pp. 306-312 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajeev Krishnadas ◽  
Sameer Jauhar ◽  
Susan Telfer ◽  
Somashekara Shivashankar ◽  
Robin G. McCreadie

BackgroundReasons for the increased prevalence of cigarette smoking in schizophrenia are unclear. Studies assessing clinical symptoms have sampled heterogeneous populations, with discrepant findings.AimsTo examine the relationship between clinical features, social adjustment and nicotine dependence in a geographically defined population of people with schizophrenia.MethodCross-sectional clinical study of 131 people with schizophrenia in Nithsdale, Scotland.ResultsSmokers were younger, mostly males and three times more likely to be unemployed. Those with severe nicotine dependence had greater scores on the positive subscale of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and were prescribed higher doses of antipsychotic. Those with mild–moderate dependence had greater scores on the PANSS negative subscale. Greater symptom severity was associated with poorer social adjustment. Psychopathology and social adjustment were similar in quitters and never-smokers.ConclusionsOur findings indicate an association between nicotine dependence, clinical symptoms and social adjustment in schizophrenia. Although causal links cannot be inferred, identifying the relationship between nicotine dependence and psychopathology may have some value in the management of smoking in schizophrenia. Further longitudinal studies are required to explore this relationship.

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dandan Li ◽  
Fengyan Zhang ◽  
Lu Wang ◽  
Yifan Zhang ◽  
Tingting Yang ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective Numerous studies have identified impaired decision making (DM) under both ambiguity and risk in adult patients with schizophrenia. However, the assessment of DM in patients with adolescent-onset schizophrenia (AOS) has been challenging as a result of the instability and heterogeneity of manifestations. The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and Game of Dice Task (GDT), which are frequently used to evaluate DM respectively under ambiguity and risk, are sensitive to adolescents and neuropsychiatric patients. Our research intended to examine the performance of DM in a relatively large sample of patients with AOS using the above-mentioned two tasks. We also aimed to take a closer look at the relationship between DM and symptom severity of schizophrenia. Methods We compared the performance of DM in 71 patients with AOS and 53 well-matched healthy controls using IGT for DM under ambiguity and GDT for DM under risk through net scores, total scores and feedback ration. Neuropsychological tests were conducted in all participants. Clinical symptoms were evaluated by using Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) in 71 patients with AOS. Pearson’s correlation revealed the relationship among total score of DM and clinical and neuropsychological data. Results Compared to healthy controls, patients with AOS failed to show learning effect and had a significant difference on the 5th block in IGT and conducted more disadvantageous choices as well as exhibited worse negative feedback rate in GDT. Apart from DM impairment under risk, diminished DM abilities under ambiguity were found related to poor executive function in AOS in the present study. Conclusions Our findings unveiled the abnormal pattern of DM in AOS, mainly reflected under the risky condition, extending the knowledge on the performance of DM under ambiguity and risk in AOS. Inefficient DM under risk may account for the lagging impulse control and the combined effects of developmental disease. In addition, our study demonstrated that the performance on IGT was related to executive function in AOS.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 1957-1961
Author(s):  
Deasy Hendriati ◽  
Elemeida Effendy ◽  
Mustafa Mahfud Amin ◽  
Vita Camellia ◽  
Muhammad Surya Husada

BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder that is multi-causative and multi-factor, generally affecting about 1% of the population. The elevation level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) offers several protections from other neurodegenerative processes that occur in schizophrenia since this deficit of neurotrophic factors can contribute to changes in brain structure and function that underlie the schizophrenia psychopathology.AIM: To analyse the correlation between BDNF serum levels and symptom severity by using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) instrument in Bataknese male patients with schizophreniaMETHODS: This study was a correlative analytical study with a cross-sectional approach using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) instrument to assess symptom severity with 60 subjects of Bataknese male patients with chronic schizophrenia. Moreover, this research was conducted at the Psychiatric Hospital of Prof. Dr M. Ildrem Medan, Indonesia. BDNF serum was analysed with the Quantitative sandwich enzyme immunoassay technique by via Quantikine ELISA Human CXCL8/IL-8 HS. Also, the data analysis was performed through Spearman's correlative bivariate analytics using SPSS software.RESULTS: A negative correlation between the BDNF serum level and the negative scale PANSS score in men with schizophrenia (r = -0.820, p < 0.001) was found. Moreover, there is a negative correlation between BDNF serum levels and PANSS total scores in men with schizophrenia (r = -0.648, p < 0.001)CONCLUSION: BDNF serum level in Bataknese male patients with schizophrenia has a relationship that affects the severity of symptoms in schizophrenic patients, especially for negative symptoms.


2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nour El Huda Abd Rahim ◽  
Mohd Nabil Fikri Rahim ◽  
Norsidah Ku Zaifah ◽  
Hanisah Mohd Noor ◽  
Kartini Abdullah ◽  
...  

Introduction: The dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia is based on the fact that hyperdopaminergic state is involved in causing psychosis and antipsychotic drugs block the dopamine receptor. COMT regulates the homeostatic levels of neurotransmitter dopamine in the synapses and plays a role in the neurocognitive function. The dysregulation of dopamine in the prefrontal cortex influences the cognitive function and the severity of the psychotic symptoms in schizophrenia. During epigenetic event, methylated COMT gene may cause reduction in its expression and contribute to the clinical presentation of schizophrenia. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of using COMT DNA methylation for the prediction of specific psychotic presentation of schizophrenia. Materials and method: In this study, 138 schizophrenia patients were recruited from the Psychiatry Clinic, Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan, Kuantan Pahang. Genomic DNA from peripheral blood was subjected to the Methylight Taqman® analysis for quantitative measurement of the COMT DNA methylation. The psychopathological symptoms were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Results: The regression analysis showed that the Positive and Excited subdomains of PANSS were significant predictors of COMT hypomethylation (β= -0.288, p= -0.031; β= - 0.288, p= -0.031). The Excited subdomain of PANSS was negatively correlated with COMT DNA methylation (r 2 = -0.380, p= 0.000) as well as the Depressed subdomain (r 2 = -0.288, p= 0.001). Conclusion: The relationship between DNA methylation of COMT with the positive, excited and depressed symptoms might indicate the epigenetic role of COMT gene in the manifestation of schizophrenia.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tzu-Hua Wu ◽  
Chieh-Hsin Lin ◽  
Kah Kheng Goh ◽  
Cynthia Yi-An Chen ◽  
Chun-Hsin Chen ◽  
...  

The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between prolactin levels and sexual dysfunction in patients with schizophrenia who use olanzapine medication. The potential risk factors of hyperprolactinemia and sexual dysfunction were also investigated. Patients with schizophrenia undergoing olanzapine monotherapy were invited to participate in this cross-sectional study. The Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale (ASEX) and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale were used to evaluate subjective sexual dysfunction and psychopathology, respectively. Levels of prolactin and metabolic parameters were also measured. In total, 279 participants with schizophrenia were recruited. The overall incidences of hyperprolactinemia, sexual dysfunction, and metabolic syndrome were 51.6, 53.8, and 43.7%, respectively. Higher ASEX scores, higher insulin levels, female sex, and younger age were associated with hyperprolactinemia. Prolactin level was significantly correlated with ASEX score. Elevated prolactin levels, concomitant antidepressant, increased insulin resistance, longer illness duration, and female sex were associated with sexual dysfunction. Female participants recorded higher levels of sexual dysfunction than their male counterparts did, whereas male participants had comparatively lower prolactin levels and lower rates of spousal partnership. Hyperprolactinemia, metabolic syndrome, and sexual dysfunction are prevalent in patients with schizophrenia treated with olanzapine. Clinicians should maintain awareness of these problems and monitor them regularly with their patients.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 204380872110199
Author(s):  
Si-Sheng Huang ◽  
Cheng-Chen Chang

Impaired insight in patients with schizophrenia results in less satisfactory clinical outcomes. This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between insight and individual psychopathological dimensions in inpatients with schizophrenia using a self-report questionnaire. In this study, 90 patients with schizophrenia aged 18–75 years admitted in the acute psychiatric ward of a medical center in Taiwan were enrolled. Patient insight was measured using the Self-Appraisal of Illness Questionnaire (SAIQ), and psychopathological dimensions were measured using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and its five-factor structure model. A higher SAIQ score indicates greater insight. In bivariate correlation analyses, statistically significant correlations were observed between age, single marital status, educational level, and positive, excited, and depressed symptom factor of the PANSS and SAIQ score. In regression analyses, age and excited and depressed symptom factors were significantly associated with SAIQ score. No significant association was observed between insight and neurocognitive functions. Considering demographic characteristics, psychopathology, and neurocognition, in the acute phase of schizophrenia, younger patients with less severe excited symptoms and more severe depressive symptoms had greater insight.


2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Havva Yeşildere Sağlam ◽  
Fatma Basar

Objective: Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) is a significant disorder affecting the daily life of women of reproductive age. The aims of this study was to determine the PMS prevalence and the examination of the relationship between PMS and anger. Methods: This was a cross sectional study. The study was carried out with 720 women between the ages of 15-49 living in the province of Kutahya, Turkey. A Personal Information Form, the Premenstrual Syndrome Scale (PMSS) and the State-Trait Anger Scale (STAS) were used to collect data. Results: The PMS prevalence was 48.75%. There was a statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of constant anger, anger-in, anger-out and anger control subscales (p <0.001). The average scores of women with PMS for constant anger anger-in and anger-out was significantly higher. The anger control scores were at a significantly lower level. Conclusion: Women with PMS had higher anger and lower anger control levels. It should be advisable to recommend anger control management and provide social support so these women can cope with the symptoms. The result of our study emphasizes the importance of careful assessment of anger in women with premenstrual symptoms. How to cite this:Saglam HY, Basar F. The relationship between premenstrual syndrome and anger. Pak J Med Sci. 2019;35(2):---------.  doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.35.2.232 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.


2018 ◽  
Vol 49 ◽  
pp. 50-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aida Farreny ◽  
Judith Usall ◽  
Jorge Cuevas-Esteban ◽  
Susana Ochoa ◽  
Gildas Brébion

AbstractSchizophrenia research based on traditional assessment measures for negative symptoms appears to be, to some extent, unreliable. The limitations of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) have been extensively acknowledged and should be taken into account. The aim of this study is to show how the PANSS and the SANS conflate negative symptoms and cognition and to offer alternatives for the limitations found.MethodsA sample of 117 participants with schizophrenia from two independent studies was retrospectively investigated. Linear regression models were computed to explore the effect of negative symptoms and illness duration as predictors of cognitive performance.ResultsFor the PANSS, the item “abstract thinking” accounted for the association between negative symptoms and cognition. For the SANS, the “attention” subscale predicted the performance in verbal memory, but illness duration emerged as a stronger predictor than negative symptoms for outcomes of processing speed, verbal and working memory.ConclusionUtilizing alternative models to the traditional PANSS and SANS formats, and accounting for illness duration, provide more precise evidence on the relationship between negative symptoms and cognition. Since these measures are still extensively utilized, we recommend adopting more rigorous approaches to avoid misleading results.


2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 221-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Su ◽  
Jianxiong Long ◽  
Runde Pan ◽  
Xinfeng Xie ◽  
Xixiang Mao ◽  
...  

BackgroundNRGNis one of the most promising candidate genes for schizophrenia based on function and position. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the genetic association of this polymorphism with schizophrenia in the Zhuang and Han populations of south China.Subjects and methodsA total of 282 patients (188 Han and 94 Zhuang) and 282 healthy subjects (188 Han and 94 Zhuang) were recruited. Of these, 246 schizophrenia patients underwent an assessment of psychotic symptoms using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). A TaqMan genotyping assay method was used to determine the genotypes.ResultsWe did not find a significant association of rs12807809 polymorphism with schizophrenia in the total pooled samples, or in the separate ethnic groups. However, in Han schizophrenia patients, quantitative data analyses showed that the CC genotype of the rs12807809 polymorphism was associated with PANSS aggression subscale score and activation subscale score. Furthermore, carriers of the C allele of rs12807809 polymorphism among Han schizophrenia patients had higher scores of general, activation, depression, aggression, and global symptoms than the T allele carriers.ConclusionIn conclusion rs12807809 polymorphism may not contribute to the risk of schizophrenia but influence the clinical symptoms of schizophrenia in the Han population.


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