scholarly journals White Matter Correlates of Hostility and Aggression in the Visuospatial Function Network in Patients With Schizophrenia

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iseul An ◽  
Tai Kiu Choi ◽  
Minji Bang ◽  
Sang-Hyuk Lee

Background: Violent acts in patients with schizophrenia are often associated with their hostility and aggression levels. Poor visuospatial processing has been suggested as a possible risk factor of violence in schizophrenia. However, studies investigating the relationship between hostility, aggression, and the visuospatial function have been lacking. Here, we aimed to investigate brain dysconnectivity associated with hostility and aggression in schizophrenia, particularly focusing on the visuospatial function network.Methods: Eighty-eight participants with schizophrenia and 42 healthy controls were enrolled. The visuospatial function network regions of interest were analyzed using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics. The hostility item from the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), aggressive, and agitated behavior item from the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS), and the Rey Complex Figure Test (R-CFT) were measured.Results: Among the participants with schizophrenia, the SAPS aggressive and agitated behavior scores were significantly correlated with fractional anisotropies (FAs) of the white matter regions in the splenium of the corpus callosum (CC), left posterior thalamic radiations (PTR), and left posterior corona radiata (PCR). Exploratory correlational analysis revealed significant negative correlations between FAs of the splenium of the CC and R-CFT copy and immediate recall scores. In addition, three regions including CC, PTR, and PCR that significantly correlated with the aggression scores showed significant correlations with the total PANSS scores.Conclusion: Our main finding suggests that aggression of patients with schizophrenia may be associated with poor visuospatial ability and underlying white matter dysconnectivity. These may help enhance understanding aggression in patients with schizophrenia.

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Simona Lattanzi ◽  
Michela Coccia ◽  
Alessandra Pulcini ◽  
Claudia Cagnetti ◽  
Federica Lucia Galli ◽  
...  

Abstract The impact of reperfusion therapies on cognition has been poorly explored and little knowledge exists. We explored the influence of endovascular treatment (EVT) on cognitive outcome in patients with anterior circulation ischemic stroke. Patients presenting with ischemic stroke due to anterior large vessel occlusion who underwent intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) alone or EVT plus IVT were recruited. Cognitive abilities were evaluated at 6 months from stroke through a neuropsychological test battery. A total of 88 patients with a mean age of 66.3 ± 12.9 years were included, of which 38 treated with IVT alone and 50 with IVT plus EVT. Compared to patients treated with IVT alone, patients who received EVT plus IVT performed significantly better at the neuropsychological tests exploring executive functions, attention, abstract reasoning, visuospatial ability, visual and verbal and memory. At multivariable regression analysis, the EVT was independently associated with the 6-month cognitive performance after the adjustment for age, sex, admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, systolic blood pressure, glucose level, Alberta Stroke Program Early CT score, side of stroke, site of occlusion, and Back Depression Inventory score [Stroop Test Word Reading: adjβ = 13.99, 95% confidence interval (CI) 8.47–19.50, p < 0.001; Stroop Test Colour Naming: adjβ = 6.63, 95% CI 2.46–10.81, p = 0.002; Trail Making Test-A: adjβ = − 92.98, 95% CI − 153.76 to − 32.20, p = 0.003; Trail Making Test-B: adjβ = − 181.12, 95% CI − 266.09 to − 96.15; p < 0.001; Digit Span Test Forward: adjβ = 1.44, 95% CI 0.77–2.10, p < 0.001; Digit Span Test Backward: adjβ = 1.10, 95% CI 0.42–1.77, p = 0.002; Coloured Progressive Matrices: adjβ = 5.82, 95% CI 2.71–8.93, p < 0.001; Rey Complex Figure Test-Copy: adjβ = 6.02, 95% CI 2.74–9.30, p < 0.001; Rey Complex Figure Test-Immediate recall: adjβ = 6.00, 95% CI 2.34–9.66, p = 0.002; Rey Complex Figure Test-Delayed recall: adjβ = 5.73, 95% CI 1.95–9.51, p = 0.003; Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test-Immediate recall: adjβ = 12.60, 95% CI 6.69–18.52, p < 0.001; Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test-Delayed recall: adjβ = 1.85, 95% CI 0.24–3.45, p = 0.025]. Patients treated with EVT plus IVT had better cognitive performance than patients treated with IVT alone at 6 months from anterior circulation ischemic stroke.


Author(s):  
Selene G Vicente ◽  
Daniela Ramos-Usuga ◽  
Fernando Barbosa ◽  
Nuno Gaspar ◽  
Artemisa R Dores ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective The principal goal of this study was to produce adjusted normative data for European Portuguese native speakers from Portugal on 2 neuropsychological tests widely used to assess learning and memory: the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised (HVLT-R) and the Rey–Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (ROCF). Method The study included 300 individuals aged 18–92 years (M = 50.4, SD = 21.2), who had educational backgrounds ranging from 3 to 25 years (M = 10.4, SD = 5.2). Results Age, education, and sex were significantly associated with HVLT-R and ROCF performance. These demographic variables accounted for 61% of the variance in HVLT-R total recall, 54% in HVLT-R delayed recall, 18% in HVLT-R recognition, 55% in ROCF copy, and 39% in ROCF immediate recall. Conclusions The normative data are presented as regression-based algorithms to adjust direct and derived test scores for age, education, and sex. This study provides a calculator of normative data derived from the results of the regression models.


Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 641
Author(s):  
Gordana Nedic Erjavec ◽  
Matea Nikolac Perkovic ◽  
Lucija Tudor ◽  
Suzana Uzun ◽  
Zrnka Kovacic Petrovic ◽  
...  

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is frequently associated with cognitive disturbances and high prevalence of smoking. This study evaluated cognition in war veterans with PTSD and control subjects, controlled for the effect of smoking and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) rs6265 and rs56164415 genotypes/alleles. Study included 643 male war veterans with combat related PTSD and 120 healthy controls. Genotyping was done by real time PCR. Cognitive disturbances were evaluated using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) cognition subscale and the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF) test scores. Diagnosis (p < 0.001), BDNF rs56164415 (p = 0.011) and smoking (p = 0.028) were significant predictors of the cognitive decline in subjects with PTSD. BDNF rs56164415 T alleles were more frequently found in subjects with PTSD, smokers and non-smokers, with impaired cognition, i.e., with the higher PANSS cognition subscale scores and with the lower ROCF immediate recall test scores. Presence of one or two BDNF rs56164415 T alleles was related to cognitive decline in PTSD. The T allele carriers with PTSD had advanced cognitive deterioration in smokers and nonsmokers with PTSD, and worse short-term visual memory function. Our findings emphasize the role of the BDNF rs56164415 T allele and smoking in cognitive dysfunction in war veterans with PTSD.


Author(s):  
Eva Calderón-Rubio ◽  
Javier Oltra-Cucarella ◽  
Beatriz Bonete-López ◽  
Clara Iñesta ◽  
Esther Sitges-Maciá

The aim of this work was to develop normative data for neuropsychological tests for the assessment of independent and cognitively active Spanish older adults over 55 years of age. Methods: regression-based normative data were calculated from a sample of 103 nondepressed independent community-dwelling adults aged 55 or older (66% women). The raw data for the Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test (FCSRT), the Rey–Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (ROCF) and the Judgement of Line Orientation Test (JLO) were regressed on age, sex and education. The model predicting the FCSRT delayed-recall (FCSRT-Del) scores also included the FCSRT immediate-recall (FCSRT-Imm) scores. The model predicting the ROCF immediate-recall (ROCF-Imm) scores included the ROCF copy-trial (ROCF-C) scores, and the model predicting the ROCF delayed-recall (ROCF-Del) scores included both the ROCF-C and the ROCF-Imm scores. In order to identify low scores, z-scores were used to determine the discrepancy between the observed and the predicted scores. The base rates of the low scores for both the SABIEX normative data and the published normative data obtained from the general population were compared. Results: the effects of the different sociodemographic variables (age, sex and education) varied throughout the neuropsychological measures. Despite finding similar proportions of low scores between the normative data sets, the agreement was irrelevant or only fair-to-good. Conclusions: the normative data obtained from the general population might not be sensitive enough to identify low scores in cognitively active older adults, incorrectly classifying them as cognitively normal compared to the less active population.


2004 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Merten ◽  
Matthias Henry ◽  
Robin Hilsabeck

Zusammenfassung: In der neuropsychologischen Diagnostik, mehr noch aber in der Begutachtung gewinnen Symptomvalidierungstests (SVT) zur Untersuchung der Leistungsmotivation zunehmend an Bedeutung. In einer Analogstudie wurde die Güte zweier international bekannter Verfahren (Word Memory Test; Amsterdam Short Term Memory Test) sowie einer Neuentwicklung (Word Completion Memory Test) untersucht. Zusätzlich wurden Leistungstests eingesetzt: der Trail Making Test (TMT), der Complex Figure Test sowie die Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM). Eine Gruppe von 10 experimentellen Simulanten wurde spezifisch auf die Vortäuschung von Gedächtnisstörungen vorbereitet, während eine Kontrollgruppe (n = 10) optimale Testanstrengung zeigen sollte. Alle SVT führten im Gegensatz zu den Simulationsmarkern des TMT und der SPM zu einer ausgezeichneten Klassifikationsgüte (95-100 %). Die neuropsychologischen Leistungsmaße wiesen zwar signifikante Gruppenunterschiede aus, zeigten aber auch eine nicht unbedeutende Überlappung der Verteilungen. Mehr Studien sind notwendig, um den SVT in den deutschsprachigen Ländern den Platz zu sichern, den sie international aktuell in der klinisch-neuropsychologischen Forschung und Praxis einnehmen.


2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 207-213 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Walsh-Messinger ◽  
Daniel Antonius ◽  
Mark Opler ◽  
Nicole Aujero ◽  
Deborah M. Goetz ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol Ano 7 ◽  
pp. 8-12
Author(s):  
Ana Beatriz de Oliveira Assis ◽  
Jayse Gimenez Pereira Brandão ◽  
Pedro Otávio Piva Espósito ◽  
Osmar Tessari Junior ◽  
Bruno Berlucci Ortiz

Objetivo: Ainda não está claro quais são os fatores de risco para a esquizofrenia resistente ao tratamento (ERT) em primeiro episódio psicótico (PEP). O objetivo deste trabalho é investigar indicadores de risco para ERT em PEP. Métodos: Foram selecionados 53 pacientes em primeiro episódio psicótico, com diagnóstico de esquizofrenia, que deram entrada à enfermaria de psiquiatria do Hospital das Clínicas Luzia de Pinho Melo entre 2011 e 2015. Ao ser admitido na enfermaria, o paciente era avaliado com a Escala de Sintomas para as Síndromes Positiva e Negativa (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale – PANSS) e recebia tratamento inicial por 4 semanas. Caso sua resposta fosse inferior a 40% de redução na PANSS, o antipsicótico era trocado, e as escalas eram aplicadas novamente após mais 4 semanas. Após a falha com dois antipsicóticos, em doses plenas, por 4 semanas cada, a clozapina era introduzida, e o paciente era considerado ERT. Uma regressão logística foi aplicada onde sexo, idade de início, tempo de doença não tratada, uso de substâncias, avaliação global do funcionamento inicial e PANSS inicial total foram inseridos como variáveis independentes, e ERT foi inserida como variável dependente. Resultados: Tempo de doença não tratada apresentou significância de p = 0,038 e Exp (B) = 4,29, enquanto que PANSS total apresentou p = 0,012 e Exp (B) = 1,06. Conclusão: Identificar os fatores associados à resistência precoce ao tratamento poderia permitir aos clínicos evitar o atraso na introdução da clozapina e prevenir um pior prognóstico para esses pacientes.


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