Radioimmunoassay measurement of creatine kinase BB in the serum of schizophrenic patients

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Lerner, M H; Friedhoff, A J [New York Univ., NY (USA). Medical Center

1980-10-23

Brain type creatine kinase (BB) isoenzyme was measured using a highly sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay procedure (limit of detection, 1 ..mu..g/l of sample) in two schizophrenic populations, an acute non-medicated group consisting of 35 subjects and a chronic group of 15 subjects. Since the assay can also measure the B subunit of MB isoenzyme, patients were selected so as to exclude subjects with possible heart, kidney or other ailments which might result in an increased serum creatine kinase B subunit. Both the acute schizophrenics (3.0 +- 0.23) x S.E.M. and the chronic schizophrenics (2.9 +- 0.33) had serum levels of creatine kinase BB similar to those of controls (2.8 +- 0.21) and non-cardiac patients (3.5 +- 0.58). Patients having myocardial infarction or neurovascular surgery had elevated creatine kinase B subunit. Similar but much less sensitive quantitative results were obtained using agarose multizonal electrophoresis.

Radioimmunoassay measurement of creatine kinase BB in the serum of schizophrenic patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lerner, M.H.; Friedhoff, A.J.

1980-01-01

Brain type creatine kinase (BB) isoenzyme was measured using a highly sensitive and specific radioimmunoassay procedure (limit of detection, 1 μg/l of sample) in two schizophrenic populations, an acute non-medicated group consisting of 35 subjects and a chronic group of 15 subjects. Since the assay can also measure the B subunit of MB isoenzyme, patients were selected so as to exclude subjects with possible heart, kidney or other ailments which might result in an increased serum creatine kinase B subunit. Both the acute schizophrenics (3.0 +- 0.23) x S.E.M. and the chronic schizophrenics (2.9 +- 0.33) had serum levels of creatine kinase BB similar to those of controls (2.8 +- 0.21) and non-cardiac patients (3.5 +- 0.58). Patients having myocardial infarction or neurovascular surgery had elevated creatine kinase B subunit. Similar but much less sensitive quantitative results were obtained using agarose multizonal electrophoresis. (Auth.)

Analogical reasoning in schizophrenic delusions.

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Simpson, Jane; Done, D John

2004-09-01

Reasoning ability has often been argued to be impaired in people with schizophrenic delusions, although evidence for this is far from convincing. This experiment examined the analogical reasoning abilities of several groups of patients, including non-deluded and deluded schizophrenics, to test the hypothesis that performance by the deluded schizophrenic group would be impaired. Eleven deluded schizophrenics, 10 depressed subjects, seven non-deluded schizophrenics and 16 matched non-psychiatric controls, who were matched on a number of key variables, were asked to solve an analogical reasoning task. Performance by the deluded schizophrenic group was certainly impaired when compared with the depressed and non-psychiatric control groups though less convincingly so when compared with the non-deluded schizophrenic group. The impairment shown by the deluded schizophrenic group seemed to occur at the initial stage of the reasoning task. The particular type of impairment shown by the deluded subjects was assessed in relation to other cognitive problems already researched and the implications of these problems on reasoning tasks and theories of delusions was discussed.

Brain computed tomography findings of aged schizophrenics

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Oomori, Masao; Koshino, Yoshifumi; Murata, Tetsuhito; Murata, Ichirou; Tani, Kazuhiko; Horie, Tan; Isaki, Kiminori

1992-01-01

Brain CT was performed in a total of 30 aged schizophrenic patients, consisting of 20 with no history of psychosurgery (lobotomy) and the other 10 lobotomized patients. The CT findings were compared with those from healthy aged persons. The group of schizophrenic patients had marked atrophy of the frontal lobe and dilatated Sylvian fissure as compared with the control group. There was no significant difference in ventricular factors between the two groups. These findings may have implications for the different mechanisms of the occurrence of atrophied brain surface and enlarged ventricle. The cerebral cortex involved in the occurrence of schizophrenia may be affected by aging-related cerebral atrophy, in addition to the morphological changes due to schizophrenia. Thus, schizophrenic cerebral atrophy was more noticeable than physiological aging-related atrophy. However, enlargement of the ventricle in the schizophrenic group progressed with aging in the same manner as that in the normal group. In comparing schizophrenic patients with or without a history of lobotomy, atrophy of the brain surface and enlargement of the ventricle were more marked in the lobotomized patients than the non-lobotomized patients. This confirmed that lobotomy, as well as surgical scar, is involved in the morphology of schizophrenic brain. (N.K.)

Plasma homovanillic acid levels in schizophrenic patients: correlation with negative symptoms.

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Dávila, Ricardo; Zumárraga, Mercedes; Basterreche, Nieves; Arrúe, Aurora; Anguiano, Juan B

2007-05-30

The relation between changes in the levels of plasma homovanillic acid (pHVA) and clinical evolution during neuroleptic treatment of schizophrenic patients has not been satisfactorily characterized, as a number of conflicting findings have been reported. Significant correlations have generally been found using the assessment of positive symptoms as an index of clinical outcome. Nevertheless, attempts to correlate pHVA concentrations with negative symptoms have yielded contradictory results. With a view to evaluating if different responses in negative symptoms are associated with distinct pHVA profiles, we examined the levels of pHVA in 46 neuroleptic-free schizophrenic patients and in these patients after neuroleptic treatment. Negative and positive symptoms were also addressed before and after treatment. Our results reveal that at least two classes of negative symptoms exist; the clinical evolution of the first class of negative symptoms parallels that of positive symptoms, and clinical improvement correlates with reduced dopaminergic activity. In contrast, in the second class, reduced dopaminergic activity is associated with a further deterioration of negative symptoms. These findings corroborate the heterogeneity of negative symptoms and may contribute to a better definition of endophenotypes in the schizophrenic syndrome.

Elevated glutamine/glutamate ratio in cerebrospinal fluid of first episode and drug naive schizophrenic patients

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Lindström Leif H

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Recent magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS studies report that glutamine is altered in the brains of schizophrenic patients. There were also conflicting findings on glutamate in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF of schizophrenic patients, and absent for glutamine. This study aims to clarify the question of glutamine and glutamate in CSF of first episode and drug naive schizophrenic patients. Method Levels of glutamine and glutamate in CSF of 25 first episode and drug-naive male schizophrenic patients and 17 age-matched male healthy controls were measured by a high performance liquid chromatography. Results The ratio (126.1 (median, 117.7 ± 27.4 (mean ± S.D. of glutamine to glutamate in the CSF of patients was significantly (z = -3.29, p = 0.001 higher than that (81.01 (median, 89.1 ± 22.5 (mean ± S.D. of normal controls although each level of glutamine and glutamate in patients was not different from that of normal controls. Conclusion Our data suggests that a disfunction in glutamate-glutamine cycle in the brain may play a role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.

[Negative symptoms in patients with non schizophrenic psychiatric disorders].

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Donnoli, Vicente F; Moroni, María V; Cohen, Diego; Chisari Rocha, Liliana; Marleta, María; Sepich Dalmeida, Tomás; Bonani, Matías; D'Alessio, Luciana

2011-01-01

The presence of negative symptoms (NS) in different clinical entities other than schizophrenia, with a dimensional approach of negative symptoms, was considered in this work. Determine the presence and distribution of NS, in a population of patients with non schizophrenic psychiatric disorders attending ambulatory treatment at public hospitals. Patients with define DSM IV diagnosis criteria for different disorders; affective, alimentary, substance abuse, anxiety, personality disorders and patients with ILAE diagnoses criteria for temporal lobe epilepsy were included. All patients underwent the subscale PANNS for negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Student T test was calculated to determine the differences of frequency for NS among psychiatric disorders. 106 patients were included; 60 women, 46 men, 38 years +/- 12.1. The 90% of patients have a low score of NS. Media 11.6, Max/min 9.38 -14.29. Emotional withdrawal and passive social withdrawal were more frequent in alimentary disorders than in affective disorder and than in epilepsy. Emotional withdrawal was more frequent in substance disorders than epilepsy. According this study, negative symptoms are present in a low to moderate intensity in non schizophrenic psychiatry entities and in the temporal lobe epilepsy.

Causal mechanisms of subjective cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenic and depressed patients

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van den Bosch, RJ; Rombouts, RP

We examined causal mechanisms of subjective cognitive (dis)abilities in schizophrenic and depressed patients, and in patient and normal control groups. This exploratory study included objective cognitive performance (Continuous Performance Task) as well as mood and mental effort ratings. Self-report

Neuropsychology, Social Cognition and Global Functioning Among Bipolar, Schizophrenic Patients and Healthy Controls: Preliminary Data

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Elisabetta eCaletti

2013-10-01

Full Text Available This study aimed to determine the extent of impairment in social and non-social cognitive domains in an ecological context comparing bipolar (BD, schizophrenic patients (SKZ and healthy controls (HC. The sample was enrolled at the Department of Psychiatry of Policlinico Hospital, University of Milan, it includes stabilized schizophrenic patients (n = 30, euthymic bipolar patients (n = 18 and healthy controls (n = 18. Patients and controls completed psychiatric assessment rating scales, the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS and the Executive and Social Cognition Battery (ESCB that contains both ecological tests of executive function and social cognition, in order to better detect cognitive deficits in patients with normal results in standard executive batteries. The three groups differed significantly for gender and substance abuse, however the differences did not influence the results. Bipolar patients showed less impairment on cognitive performance compared to schizophrenic patients, even in ecological tests that mimic real life scenarios. In particular, BD performed better than SKZ in verbal memory (p

Cannabis use and dependence among French schizophrenic inpatients

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Michel eLejoyeux

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Background: To assess the prevalence of cannabis use and dependence in a population of schizophrenic inpatients and to compare schizophrenics with and without cannabis consumption. Methods: 101 schizophrenic patients were examined during their first week of hospitalization. They answered the PANNS scale of schizophrenia, the CAGE and the Fagerström questionnaire and the DSM-IV-TR criteria for cannabis, alcohol, opiates and nicotine use dependence were checked. We also assessed socio-demographic characteristics, the motive of cannabis consumption and the number of cannabis joints and alcoholic drinks taken.Results: The prevalence of cannabis consumption was 33.6% among schizophrenic inpatients. Schizophrenics consuming cannabis were younger than non-schizophrenics (33.3 vs 44.7 years pConclusion: 33.6 % of the schizophrenic patients hospitalized in psychiatry consume cannabis and most of them are dependent on cannabis and alcohol. Hospitalization in psychiatry may provide an opportunity to systematically identify a dependence disorder and to offer appropriate information and treatment

Evaluation and Socio-occupational Intervention in Bipolar and Schizophrenic Patients within a Multimodal Intervention Program- PRISMA.

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Díaz Zuluaga, Ana M; Duica, Kelly; Ruiz Galeano, Carlos; Vargas, Cristian; Agudelo Berruecos, Yuli; Ospina, Sigifredo; López-Jaramillo, Carlos

Functional improvement in bipolar and schizophrenic patients is one of the main aims of treatment. Nevertheless, there is no evidence about the effect of socio-occupational intervention within a multimodal intervention (MI) programme. To describe the socio-occupational profile and to evaluate the functional effect of a MI in bipolar I and schizophrenic patients. A prospective, longitudinal, therapeutic-comparative study was performed including 302 subjects (104 schizophrenic and 198 Bipolar Disorder I [BDI] patients), who were randomised into two groups, multimodal (psychiatry, psychology, medicine, occupational therapy, neuropsychology, and family therapy), or traditional intervention (psychiatry and medicine only). Several scales were applied to assess assertiveness, free time management, social abilities, general anxiety, self-care and performance in home, work and community tasks. After performing the longitudinal analysis, it was shown that the multimodal intervention was more effective than traditional intervention in general anxiety scores (P=.026) and development in home tasks (P=.03) in schizophrenic patients. No statistical differences were found in bipolar patients. The other variables showed improvement, however, their effect was similar in both intervention groups. Our study identified functional improvement in home tasks in schizophrenic patients after receiving multimodal intervention. Other variables also showed improvement for both interventions groups. Future studies, applying longer rehabilitation programs and other ecological strategies should be performed to identify the most effective interventions. Copyright © 2017 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Does Pharmacogenetic Testing for CYP450 2D6 and 2C19 among Patients with Diagnoses within the Schizophrenic Spectrum Reduce Treatment Costs?

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Herbild, Louise; Andersen, Stig Ejdrup; Werge, Thomas

2013-01-01

The effect of pharmacogenetic testing for CYP450 2D6 and 2C19 on treatment costs have not yet been documented. This study used Danish patient registers to calculate health care costs of treating patients with diagnoses within the schizophrenic spectrum for one year with or without pharmacogenetic...... testing for polymorphisms in the genes for the CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 enzymes. In a randomized, controlled trial, stratified with respect to metabolizer genotype, 104 patients were assigned to treatment based on pharmacogenetic testing and 103 patients to treatment as usual. Random exclusion of extensive...

Computerized tomography studies on schizophrenic diseases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gross, G.; Huber, G.; Schuettler, R.

1982-01-01

Earlier clinical pneumoencephalographic studies showed a subgroup of schizophrenics that have small and dysplastic cerebral ventricles as well as a subgroup with a 'pure defect', i.e., a slight internal brain atrophy. In echoencephalograms of pure and mixed residual schizophrenic syndrome patients, a significantly higher average transverse diameter of the third ventricle was demonstrated compared to that in patients with complete remissions. Correlations cannot be expected between certain groups of disease, e.g., epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, or schizophrenia on the whole, and pneumoencephalographic (PEG) and CT findings. Only schizophrenics with distinct signs of pure defect that had persisted for at least 3 years revealed deviations from normal by CT and PEG, but those with irreversible fixed deformations of personality structure did not. In patients who were 50 years of age or less with psychic reactive and psychopathic personality disorders, CT showed an average third ventricle diameter of 4.2 mm (range 2-6 mm). Of 117 schizophrenics (average age 35.5 years), only 28% revealed pathological CT changes. However, of 36 schizophrenics with pure residual syndromes 69% showed pathological CT findings that always concerned the third ventricle, rarely the lateral ventricles, and in no case the cortex. The average transverse diameter of the third ventricle in this subgroup with pure defect was 7.6 mm, as compared to 4.6 mm in the subgroup of schizophrenics with complete remission. There was no increase in size with increasing years until the 50th year in schizophrenics, as well as in the control group of variations of psychic being (neuroses and psychopathic personality disorders). (orig./MG)

Computerized tomography studies on schizophrenic diseases

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Gross, G.; Huber, G.; Schuettler, R.

1982-01-01

Earlier clinical pneumoencephalographic studies showed a subgroup of schizophrenics that have small and dysplastic cerebral ventricles as well as a subgroup with a 'pure defect', i.e., a slight internal brain atrophy. In echoencephalograms of pure and mixed residual schizophrenic syndrome patients, a significantly higher average transverse diameter of the third ventricle was demonstrated compared to that in patients with complete remissions. Correlations cannot be expected between certain groups of disease, e.g., epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, or schizophrenia on the whole, and pneumoencephalographic (PEG) and CT findings. Only schizophrenics with distinct signs of pure defect that had persisted for at least 3 years revealed deviations from normal by CT and PEG, but those with irreversible fixed deformations of personality structure did not. In patients who were 50 years of age or less with psychic reactive and psychopathic personality disorders, CT showed an average third ventricle diameter of 4.2 mm (range 2-6 mm). Of 117 schizophrenics (average age 35.5 years), only 28% revealed pathological CT changes. However, of 36 schizophrenics with pure residual syndromes 69% showed pathological CT findings that always concerned the third ventricle, rarely the lateral ventricles, and in no case the cortex. The average transverse diameter of the third ventricle in this subgroup with pure defect was 7.6 mm, as compared to 4.6 mm in the subgroup of schizophrenics with complete remission. There was no increase in size with increasing years until the 50th year in schizophrenics, as well as in the control group of variations of psychic being (neuroses and psychopathic personality disorders).

Computer content analysis of schizophrenic speech: a preliminary report.

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Tucker, G J; Rosenberg, S D

1975-06-01

Computer analysis significantly differtiated the thermatic content of the free speech of 10 schizophrenic patients from that of 10 nonschizophrenic patients and from the content of transcripts of dream material from 10 normal subjects. Schizophrenic patients used the thematic categories in factor 1 (the "schizophrenic factor") 3 times more frequently than the nonschizophrenics and 10 times more frequently than the normal subjects (p smaller than 01). In general, the language content of the schizophrenic patient mirrored an almost agitated attempt to locate oneself in time and space and to defend against internal discomfort and confusion. The authors discuss the implications of this study for future research.

Reduced frontal and occipital lobe asymmetry on the CT-scans of schizophrenic patients. Its specificity and clinical significance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Falkai, P.; Schneider, T.; Greve, B.; Klieser, E.; Bogerts, B.

1995-01-01

Frontal and occipital lobe widths were determined in the computed tomographic (CT) scans of 135 schizophrenic patients, 158 neuro psychiatrically healthy and 102 psychiatric control subjects, including patients with affective psychosis, neurosis and schizoaffective psychosis. Most healthy right-handed subjects demonstrate a relative enlargement of the right frontal as well as left occipital lobe compared to the opposite hemisphere. These normal frontal and occipital lobe asymmetries were selectively reduced in schizophrenics (f.: 5%, p < .0005; o.: 3%, p < .05), irrespective of the pathophysiological subgroup. Schizophrenic neuroleptic non-responders revealed a significant reduction of frontal lobe asymmetry (3%, p < .05), while no correlation between BPRS-sub scores and disturbed cerebral laterality could be detected. In sum the present study demonstrates the disturbed cerebral lateralisation in schizophrenic patients supporting the hypothesis of interrupted early brain development in schizophrenia. (author)

Depressive syndromes among female caregivers of schizophrenic patients in prof. dr. m. ildrem mental hospital medan

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Handi, A.; Husada, M. S.; Gultom, D. P.

2018-03-01

Caring for schizophrenic patients can lead to emotional distress. It remains unclear about the level of depressive syndromes among female caregivers of schizophrenic patients. To determine the level of depression among female caregivers of schizophrenic patients. This is a descriptive study with a cross-sectional approach to describe the level of depression of female caregivers in Prof. dr. M. Ildrem Mental Hospital Medan, using HADS instruments. Most age group of caregivers is from age 51-60 years that is 48.15%, caregiver’s work status mostly not works (62.96%), marital status of caregiver mostly is married (59.26%), kinship with most patients are a biological mother (57.41%). Most patient age group is from age below 30 years (50%), work status of most patients is not working (81.48%), marital status of most caregiver is married (83.33%). Mostly of the depressive syndrome is mild depression (42.59%). Mostly of the depressive syndrome is from mild depression.

BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) serum levels in schizophrenic patients with cognitive deficits

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Utami, N.; Effendy, E.; Amin, M. M.

2018-03-01

Schizophrenia is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder with cognitive impairment as the main part. BDNF regulates aspects of developmental plasticity in the brain and is involved in cognitive function. Cognitive functions include capabilities such as attention, executive functioning, assessing, monitoring and evaluating. The aim of the study was to know the BDNF levels in schizophrenic patients with cognitive deficits. The study was held in October 2016 - March 2017, and was the first in Indonesia, especially in North Sumatra. The study was approved by the medical ethics committee of the University of North Sumatera. The study is descriptive based on a retrospective method with cross-sectional approach. The subject is 40 male schizophrenia. Cognitive deficits were assessed by MoCA-Ina. BDNF serum levels were analyzed using the quantitative sandwich enzyme immunoassay. The average MoCA-Ina score is 21.03±5.21. This suggests that there is a cognitive function deficit in schizophrenic patients. The mean serum BDNF level was 26629±6762. MoCA-Ina scores in schizophrenic patients <26 who experienced a deficit of 77.5% and serum BDNF levels with normal values ranging from 6.186 to 42.580pg/ml.

Dopamine transporter gene polymorphism and psychiatric symptoms seen in schizophrenic patients at their first episode

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Inada, Toshiya; Sugita, Tetsuyoshi; Dobashi, Izumi [National Institute of Mental Health, Chiba (Japan)] [and others

1996-07-26

To investigate the possible role of the dopamine transporter (DAT) gene in determining the phenotype in human subjects, allele frequencies for the 40-bp variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) polymorphism at this site were compared between 117 Japanese normal controls and 118 schizophrenic patients, including six subgroups: early-onset, those with a family history, and those suffering from one of the following psychiatric symptoms at their first episode: delusion and hallucination; disorganization; bizarre behavior; and negative symptoms. No significant differences were observed between the group as a whole or any subgroup of schizophrenic patients and controls. The results indicate that VNTR polymorphism in the DAT gene is unlikely to be a major contributor to any of the psychiatric parameters examined in the present population of schizophrenic subjects. 12 refs., 1 fig., 2 tabs.

Premorbid Personality Disorders in Male Schizophrenic Patients with or without Comorbid Substance Use Disorder: Is Dual Diagnosis Mediated by Personality Disorder?

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Altunsoy, Neslihan; Şahiner, Şafak Yalçın; Cingi Külük, Merve; Okay, Tuncer; Ulusoy Kaymak, Semra; Aydemir, Çiğdem; Göka, Erol

2015-09-01

Although substance abuse is an important clinical problem in schizophrenic patients, very little evidence explains why these patients use drugs and alcohol. This study therefore aimed to examine whether premorbid personality disorders affect substance abuse. The sample included 40 male schizophrenic patients with and 40 male schizophrenic patients without substance use disorder comorbidity who had applied to Ankara Numune Research and Training Hospital. Each participant and a family member were interviewed in a structured clinical interview that addressed premorbid personality disorders. Altogether, 32 patients (80%) in the group with comorbidity and 28 (70%) in the group without comorbidity had a premorbid personality disorder. Antisocial (35% vs. 0%; ppersonality disorders were more often detected in the group with comorbidity, while avoidant (10% vs. 35%; p=.014) and obsessive-compulsive (0% vs. 15%; p=.026) personality disorders were less frequently found in this group. Comparing the group with comorbidity with premorbid personality types, schizophrenic patients with premorbid antisocial personality disorder were more frequently unemployed and hospitalized as well as had an earlier onset age of schizophrenia (p=.034, p=.038 and p=.035, respectively). Schizophrenic patients with premorbid borderline personality disorder had a significantly earlier onset age of substance use (19±5; p=.028). Schizophrenic patients with substance use comorbidity variously differ from those without comorbidity and some of these differences may be associated with premorbid personality disorders.

CIGARETTE SMOKING IN SCHIZOPHRENIC PATIENTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY TREATED IN A MEXICAN HOSPITAL

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Oscar Rodríguez-Mayoral

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: tobacco smoking is the most commonly substance abused in psychiatric patients; among them, patients with schizophrenia are the highest abusers. Smoking is related to a decrease in the quality life and life expectancy, as well as interacting with psychotropic drugs. In Mexico, there is not basic descriptive knowledge about the main variables related to cigarette smoking in psychiatric population. The aim of this study was to know the relation among variables (beginning and course of the disease, use of other drugs and times of hospitalization among others and cigarette smoking in a Mexican population of hospitalized schizophrenic patients. Method: The relation between the main variables and smoking were evaluated in a Mexican population of schizophrenic patients while hospitalized. A casuistic sampling was performed in 96 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and they were divided into three groups: 1 non-smokers, 2 ex-smokers and 3 smokers; according to their score on the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence. Results: The results showed that hospitalized schizophrenic patients smoke 2.7 times more than the general population. Most of these patients showed moderate to high dependence of nicotine, as well as a higher risk for other drugs abuse (marihuana mainly. Most patients started smoking before the first positive symptoms of schizophrenia appeared, and their symptoms started at an earlier age than in patients without a smoking background. Conclusions: Similar studies will allow deepening into specific aspects that modify and or improve the prescribed treatments for each psychiatric patient in hospital settings.

Schizophrenia and the paranormal: more psi belief and superstition, and less déjà vu in medicated schizophrenic patients.

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Shiah, Yung-Jong; Wu, Yi-Zhen; Chen, Yueh-Hua; Chiang, Shih-Kuang

2014-04-01

The present study examined the relation between déjà vu experiences and paranormal beliefs in schizophrenic patients. A total of 522 participants (54.5% female; mean age=33.3, SD=16.02) were recruited, including 422 healthy adults (60.9% female; mean age=29.48, SD=15.07) and 100 medicated adult schizophrenic patients (27.3% female; mean age=48.98, SD=8.57). The Chinese version of the Inventory of Déjà-vu Experiences Assessment was created via back translation. Chinese versions of the Revised Paranormal Belief Scale (CRPB), Beck Anxiety Inventory (CBAI), and Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS) were also used. After controlling for age, gender, education, and anxiety, the results supported the following three hypotheses. Schizophrenic persons have fewer déjà vu experiences than normal persons. These experiences are positively related to paranormal beliefs in healthy adults but not in schizophrenic patients. Schizophrenic patients have higher scores than healthy adults on the psi and superstitious subscales of the CRPB. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Self Representation in Schizophrenic patients: Considerations on the Draw a Tree Test

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Salvatore Settineri

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract   Objective: The tree is the archetypal symbol of the identification in the growing life. The objective of this study is to evaluate the representation of the self in schizophrenic patients through the tree drawing. Methods: Were identified 36 patients, 22 women and 14 (M-age=53, suffering from schizophrenic disorder. Through the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS and the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS positive and negative symptoms, and the reactive tree representation of the self were assessed.   Results: In the group with negative symptoms archetypal figures are more frequent, such as images that are part of the collective unconscious, or thought more archaic. In patients in which emerges the delirium, that is part of the most evolved thinking, near to the secondary process, the reality testing is better preserved. In cases where there are symptoms mixed the tree structure leads to an archetypal image. Conclusions: This study shows that in the draw of the tree trunk-to-crown ratio in schizophrenic patients was significantly higher than that of healthy individuals. The usefulness of the study insert itself in the Jungian analytic thought, for which psychotic thought corresponds to an abbaissement of the self activity.   Keyword: Representation of Self; Schizophrenia; Draw a Tree Test.

Effectiveness of gratitude disposition promotion program on depression and quality of life of chronic schizophrenic patients.

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Jung, Miran; Han, Kuemsun

2017-01-01

Gratitude intervention is expectedly an effective intervention to reduce depression and improve the quality of life in schizophrenic patients, but there is a lack of literature on it. We attempted to develop and test the effectiveness of the gratitude disposition promotion program for chronic schizophrenic patients in Korea. Nonequivalent control group pre- and post-test design was used in two mental health centers located at Gyeonggi-do in South Korea. This paper was a quasi-experimental study and the participants who took part in the gratitude disposition promotion program were 17 of experimental group and 15 of control group. Gratitude disposition (the short gratitude, resentment, and appreciation test), depression (Beck Depression Inventory), and quality of life (developed by Kook) of chronic schizophrenic patients were measured before and after an intervention, as compared to the control. Chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and t -test were performed for prehomogeneity testing for variables related to the general characteristics. Testing for the effectiveness of gratitude disposition promotion program and hypothesis testing for its effect on depression and quality of life were by ANCOVA and t -test, as verified to significance level of P gratitude disposition promotion program showed significant improvements in gratitude disposition ( F = 18.740, P gratitude disposition promotion program was an effective clinical intervention program for enhancing gratitude disposition and quality of life of chronic schizophrenic patients in community.

A comparison between effectiveness of three types of music on memory activity and sustained attention in schizophrenic patients

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Narges bahmany

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Background: schizophrenia is a psychiatric disorder in which a lot of cognitive functions including memory, attention, motor skills, executive functions and intelligence are compromised. Numerous empirical studies showed that schizophrenic patients have problem in sustain retention and memory activity. The objective of this study was a comparison between effectiveness of three types of music on memory activity and sustain retention in schizophrenic patients. Material and Methods: A total of 60 schizophrenic patients (30 males , 30 females 18-48 years old were selected from available sampling frame. Participants were otherwise healthy except for schizophrenia. Wechsler Memory Scale and cognitive diagnostic battery Kay test were taken from all subjects. Then patients were randomly divided into three experimental groups (Iranian classic, western classic and pop music and three control groups. There were 10 participants (5 male, 5 female in each group. After taking these tests, music therapy course was performed on experimental groups. After music therapy sessions were completed, tests were taken again from groups. Results: Covariance analysis results indicated that music therapy is overall effective on memory activity. But type of music had no effect in improving memory activity. There wasn’t significant difference between groups considering type of music. Furthermore, covariance analysis showed that music therapy is totally effective on sustain retention and type of music is effective in this intervention. Pop music had the most effectiveness on schizophrenic patients in improving sustain retention. Conclusion: Performing music therapy improves memory and retention. More over, using pop music particularly has the most effect in improving sustain retention in schizophrenic patients.

123I-IBZM SPECT in schizophrenic patients treated with quetiapine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pavics, L.; Szekeres, G.; Janka, Z.

2002-01-01

Full text: Quetiapine is a novel antipsychotic substance with relative short half-life and low affinity for D2 dopamine receptors. PET and SPECT studies demonstrated individually different D2 receptor occupancy during quetiapine monotherapy. In the present study D2 receptor occupancy was investigated in quetiapine treated schizophrenic patients for the detection of the relationship between the scintigraphic pattern and clinical sign and symptoms. In 10 schizophrenic patients (7 woman, 3 man, age ±SD: 34 ±7 PANSS: 72 ±20) IBZM SPECT (185 MBq, acquisition was started 90 min p.i.) were performed during introduction of quetiapine therapy (600-800 mg/day) and during a lower preservation dose (200-400 mg/day). All the patients were under quetiapine monotherapy. Simultaneously to the SPECT investigations visual contrast standardized rating scales determined sensitivity, clinical symptoms and extrapyramidal signs. For the evaluation of SPECT images visual interpretation and striatum/occipital lobe (S/O) activity ratio was calculated. The striatum/occipital lobe ratio at the first investigation was 1.7 ± 0.23 at the second 1.68 ± 0.12. The receptor occupancy was individually different but no significant difference was observed in relation to the quetiapine dose used. There was no significant difference in PANNSS and no patients had extrapyramidal signs. In 5 patients in clinical steady state decreasing the dose of quetiapine the S/O ratio increased by 1-35 % without long term relapse but in 5 with decreasing S/O ratio (9-29 %) clinical relapse of the disease were observed. The IBZM uptake changes correlated with the time interval until the relapse, but not with the PANNS changes. The initial striatum/occipital ratio was also significantly higher in the group of patients with relapse (over 1.8) compared to the other group. There were no relationship between the initial D2 receptor occupancy and the PANNS changes and the interval until the relapse. Endogen dopamin

Prevalence of Cigarette Smoking in Schizophrenic Patients Compared to Other Hospital Admitted Psychiatric Patients

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Ziaaddini, Hassan; Kheradmand, Ali; Vahabi, Mostafa

2009-01-01

Background: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of cigarette smoking and some of the related factors among schizophrenic and other hospitalized psychiatric patients. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study on 120 patients hospitalized in Shahid Beheshti hospital in Kerman in 2005. Patients were equally devided in two groups of schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders. Sampling was based on statistical census and data were collected using a questionnaire including 27 questions o...

[Development of a proverb test for assessment of concrete thinking problems in schizophrenic patients].

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Barth, A; Küfferle, B

2001-11-01

Concretism is considered an important aspect of schizophrenic thought disorder. Traditionally it is measured using the method of proverb interpretation, in which metaphoric proverbs are presented with the request that the subject tell its meaning. Interpretations are recorded and scored on concretistic tendencies. However, this method has two problems: its reliability is doubtful and it is rather complicated to perform. In this paper, a new version of a multiple choice proverb test is presented which can solve these problems in a reliable and economic manner. Using the new test, it is has been shown that schizophrenic patients have greater deficits in proverb interpretation than depressive patients.

Cotard Syndrome without Depressive Symptoms in a Schizophrenic Patient.

OpenAIRE

Morgado, P; Ribeiro, R; Cerqueira, JJ

2015-01-01

Cotard Syndrome without Depressive Symptoms in a Schizophrenic Patient Introduction . Cotard syndrome is a rare condition characterized by nihilistic delusions concerning body or life that can be found in several neuropsychiatry conditions. It is typically associated with depressive symptoms. Method . We present a case of Cotard syndrome without depressive symptoms in the context of known paranoid schizophrenia. A literature review of Cotard syndrome in schizophrenia was performed. Res...

Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness among Schizophrenic Patients and Their Families (Comparative Study)

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Mahmoud, Sahar; Zaki, Rania A.

2015-01-01

This study was a comparative study aiming to assess the extent of internalized stigma of mental illness among patients with schizophrenia & identify stigma as perceived by family members caring schizophrenic patients. The study was conducted in two settings 1st clinic was outpatient clinic for psychiatric patient affiliated to Abbasia…

Increased concentration of. cap alpha. - and. gamma. -endorphin in post mortem hypothalamic tissue of schizophrenic patients

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Wiegant, V.M.; Verhoef, C.J.; Burbach, J.P.H.; de Wied, D.

1988-01-01

The concentrations of ..cap alpha..-, ..beta..- and ..gamma..-endorphin were determined by radioimmunoassay in HPLC fractionated extracts of post mortem hypothalamic tissue obtained from schizophrenic patients and controls. The hypothalamic concentration of ..cap alpha..- and ..gamma..-endorphin was significantly higher in patients than in controls. No difference was found in the concentration of ..beta..-endorphin, the putative precursor of ..cap alpha..- and ..gamma..-endorphins. These results suggest a deviant metabolism of ..beta..-endorphin in the brain of schizophrenic patients. Whether this phenomenon is related to the psychopathology, or is a consequence of ante mortem farmacotherapy, remains to be established.

Effects of hormones on cognition in schizophrenic male patients--preliminary results.

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Bratek, Agnieszka; Koźmin-Burzyńska, Agnieszka; Krysta, Krzysztof; Cierpka-Wiszniewska, Katarzyna; Krupka-Matuszczyk, Irena

2015-09-01

Schizophrenia is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder of an unknown etiology and a variable phenotypic expression. In the recent years, the impact of hormones on the course of schizophrenia has been investigated. This study is aimed at assessing the level of correlating serum levels of hormones in schizophrenic male patients with their cognitive functioning measured with neuropsychological tests. In the index group there were 15 medicated male schizophrenic patients. In the control group there were 15 age and education matched healthy men. All subjects underwent analysis of serum hormones level (TSH, testosterone, estradiol, FSH, LH, progesterone and prolactin) and a battery of tests (Trail Making Test A and B, Stroop Test, Verbal and Semantic Fluency Test). The mean serum levels of the following hormones were higher in the index group than in the control group: TSH (1.76 mIU/L vs 1.58 mIU/L; p=0.66), progesterone (0.85 ng/ml vs 0.69 ng/ml; p=0.22) and prolactin (558.71 uIU/ml vs 181 uIU/ml; p=0.025). The mean levels of estradiol (24.36 pg/ml vs 25.40 ng/ml; p=0.64), FSH (3.17 mIU/ml vs 5.72 mIU/ml; p=0.019), LH (3.85 mIU/ml vs 5.77 mIU/ml; p=0.056) and testosterone (2.90 ng/ml vs 5.38 ng/ml; p=0.003) were higher in the control group. In the index group there were significant negative correlations between FSH and semantic fluency (ρ=-0.678606), progesterone and: TMT B (ρ=-0.586763), Stroop 1 (ρ=-0.701880) and Stroop 2 (ρ=-0.601074) and prolactin and TMT A (ρ=-0.579607). The preliminary results of our study show that serum levels of FSH and testosterone are significantly lower, whereas the level of prolactin is markedly higher, in schizophrenic male patients than in healthy men. There is an inverse correlation between serum levels of progesterone, FSH and prolactin and the results of certain cognitive functioning tests in schizophrenic men.

Drama therapy as a means of rehabilitation for schizophrenic patients: our impressions.

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Bielańska, A; Cechnicki, A; Budzyna-Dawidowski, P

1991-10-01

The authors describe the development of drama therapy and its place in the system of psychosocial treatment of schizophrenic patients. Organizational and therapeutic elements are illustrated with the help of work done by a group of 12 patients on an adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet. The aim of this form of outpatient treatment is to use the acting technique in order to make it easier for patients to improve their understanding of themselves--their feelings, motivations and behaviors--and also of other people. The participation of a professional director and the general attractiveness of this type of therapy are considered to play an important role in motivating those patients who would not benefit from traditional psychotherapy. In this form of group psychotherapy verbalization of feelings and problems are structured by the role; thus creating a safe atmosphere and greater motivation to participate. The purpose of our work is to make the roles and the play a constructive aspect of the patient's functioning. This is only possible by uniting what for a schizophrenic patient is characteristically separate, namely, internal experience with external expression. Clinical effects are documented by two case vignettes.

Frontal dopamine D(2/3) receptor binding in drug-naive first-episode schizophrenic patients correlates with positive psychotic symptoms and gender

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Glenthoj, Birte Y; Mackeprang, Torben; Svarer, Claus

2006-01-01

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to examine extrastriatal dopamine D(2/3) receptor binding and psychopathology in schizophrenic patients, and to relate binding potential (BP) values to psychopathology. METHODS: Twenty-five drug-naive schizophrenic patients and 20 healthy controls were examined...

Functional MRI in schizophrenia. Diagnostics and therapy monitoring of cognitive deficits of schizophrenic patients by functional MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Furtner, J.; Prayer, D.; Sachs, G.

2010-01-01

Cognitive impairments are core psychopathological components of the symptomatic of schizophrenic patients. These dysfunctions are generally related to attention, executive functions and memory. This report provides information on the importance of using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) for the diagnostics and therapy monitoring of the different subtypes of cognitive dysfunctions. Furthermore, it describes the typical differences in the activation of individual brain regions between schizophrenic patients and healthy control persons. This information should be helpful in identifying the deficit profile of each patient and create an individual therapy plan. (orig.) [de

Development and validation of a skin fibroblast biomarker profile for schizophrenic patients

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Marianthi Logotheti

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Gene expression profiles of non-neural tissues through microarray technology could be used in schizophrenia studies, adding more information to the results from similar studies on postmortem brain tissue. The ultimate goal of such studies is to develop accessible biomarkers. Supervised machine learning methodologies were used, in order to examine if the gene expression from skin fibroblast cells could be exploited for the classification of schizophrenic subjects. A dataset of skin fibroblasts gene expression of schizophrenia patients was obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus database. After applying statistical criteria, we concluded to genes that present a differential expression between the schizophrenic patients and the healthy controls. Based on those genes, functional profiling was performed with the BioInfoMiner web tool. After the statistical analysis, 63 genes were identified as differentially expressed. The functional profiling revealed interesting terms and pathways, such as mitogen activated protein kinase and cyclic adenosine monophosphate signaling pathways, as well as immune-related mechanisms. A subset of 16 differentially expressed genes from fibroblast gene expression profiling that occurred after Support Vector Machines Recursive Feature Elimination could efficiently separate schizophrenic from healthy controls subjects. These findings suggest that through the analysis of fibroblast based gene expression signature and with the application of machine learning methodologies we might conclude to a diagnostic classification model in schizophrenia.

A comparison between effectiveness of three types of music on memory activity and sustained attention in schizophrenic patients

OpenAIRE

Narges bahmany; Karamatollah Zandi ghashghaee; Sadrollah Khosravi

2014-01-01

Background: schizophrenia is a psychiatric disorder in which a lot of cognitive functions including memory, attention, motor skills, executive functions and intelligence are compromised. Numerous empirical studies showed that schizophrenic patients have problem in sustain retention and memory activity. The objective of this study was a comparison between effectiveness of three types of music on memory activity and sustain retention in schizophrenic patients. Material and Methods: A total of 6...

Psychotherapy with schizophrenics in team groups: a systems model.

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Beeber, A R

1991-01-01

This paper focuses on the treatment of patients with schizophrenic disorders employing the Team Group model. The advantages and disadvantages of the Team Group are presented. Systems theory and principles of group development are applied as a basis for understanding the dynamics of the group in the context at the acute psychiatric unit. Particular problems encountered in treating patients with schizophrenic disorders in this setting are presented. These include: (1) issues of therapist style and technique, (2) basic psychopathology of the schizophrenic disorders, and (3) phase-specific problems associated with the dynamics of the group. Recommendations for therapist interventions are made that may better integrate these patients into the Team Group.

Plasma homovanillic acid differences in clinical subgroups of first episode schizophrenic patients.

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Baeza, Immaculada; Castro-Fornieles, Josefina; Deulofeu, Ramon; de la Serna, Elena; Goti, Javier; Salvà, Joan; Bernardo, Miquel

2009-07-30

This study evaluates the relationship between plasma homovanillic acid (pHVA) levels, which have been used to study the role of central dopamine in schizophrenia, and the positive/negative syndrome in first episode schizophrenic patients before and after antipsychotic treatment. Forty neuroleptic-naive first episode schizophrenic patients were monitored at baseline and on days 7, 14 and 28. Clinical status was evaluated with the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS), the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS), and the Brief Psychotic Rating Scale. Plasma HVA levels were also measured. Patients were divided into predominantly positive or negative syndrome groups by subtracting SAPS from SANS scores, at baseline. A healthy control group was also enrolled. Schizophrenic patients as a group had significantly higher pHVA levels than controls at baseline (20.50+/-11.85 vs. 13.04+/-7.22 ng/ml). Moreover, 12 predominantly negative syndrome patients had similar mean baseline pHVA levels (21.30+/-12.36 ng/ml) to those of 28 predominantly positive syndrome patients (19.40+/-11.33 ng/ml). During follow-up, there was a different evolution of pHVA levels in the predominantly positive syndrome group than in the predominantly negative syndrome group, with a significantly greater global reduction of pHVA levels in the former. Although both groups showed clinical improvement following 4 weeks of treatment with risperidone, pHVA levels at endpoint were lower (13.29+/-5.91 ng/ml) than at baseline in patients in the predominantly positive syndrome group, while among those in the predominantly negative syndrome group there was no difference in pHVA levels before and after treatment (21.02+/-13.06 ng/ml). The different pHVA level profiles observed in predominantly positive and negative syndrome first episode patients after 4 weeks of treatment with risperidone suggest that each syndrome may have a different underlying neurobiology.

Effects of weight loss diet therapy on anthropometric measurements and biochemical variables in schizophrenic patients.

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Urhan, Murat; Ergün, Can; Aksoy, Meral; Ayer, Ahmet

2015-07-01

Prevalence of obesity in schizophrenic patients is two to three times higher than in the general population and unhealthy dietary patterns, a sedentary lifestyle and antipsychotic medication use may contribute to the higher levels of obesity among schizophrenic patients. We evaluated the effects of diet therapy on weight loss, anthropometric and biochemical variables in overweight or obese (body mass index, BMI ≥ 27 kg/m(2)) female schizophrenic patients who use antipsychotic medications and in healthy volunteers. Primary demographic variables were collected via questionnaire; blood samples and anthropometric measurements were obtained. Personalized diet recipes were prepared and nutritional education was shared. We logged the physical activity of the patients and maintained food consumption records at 3-day intervals. Participants were weighed every week; anthropometric measurements and blood samples were collected at the end of the first and second months. At the end of the study, reductions in body weight and other anthropometric measurements were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Reductions in body weight and BMI values for patient group were - 4.05 ± 1.73 kg and - 1.62 ± 0.73 kg/m(2) and for the control group were - 6.79 ± 1.80 kg and - 2.55 ± 0.64 kg/m(2), respectively. When compared with the patient group, reductions in the anthropometric variables of the control group were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Fasting glucose, blood lipids, albumin and leptin levels were decreased; insulin and homeostatic model assessment-measured insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) levels were increased insignificantly. Increases in the blood ghrelin levels for both groups were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Improvements to the diets of schizophrenic patient led to improvements in anthropometric measurements and biochemical variables and reduced the health risks caused by antipsychotic medications. Furthermore, we hypothesize that antipsychotic medications do not

Dysregulation of chemo-cytokine production in schizophrenic patients versus healthy controls

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Di Giannantonio Massimo

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The exact cause of schizophrenia is not known, although several aetiological theories have been proposed for the disease, including developmental or neurodegenerative processes, neurotransmitter abnormalities, viral infection and immune dysfunction or autoimmune mechanisms. Growing evidence suggests that specific cytokines and chemokines play a role in signalling the brain to produce neurochemical, neuroendocrine, neuroimmune and behavioural changes. A relationship between inflammation and schizophrenia was supported by abnormal cytokines production, abnormal concentrations of cytokines and cytokine receptors in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid in schizophrenia. Since the neuropathology of schizophrenia has recently been reported to be closely associated with microglial activation we aimed to determined whether spontaneous or LPS-induced peripheral blood mononuclear cell chemokines and cytokines production is dysregulated in schizophrenic patients compared to healthy subjects. We enrolled 51 untreated first-episode schizophrenics (SC and 40 healthy subjects (HC and the levels of MCP-1, MIP-1α, IL-8, IL-18, IFN-γ and RANTES were determined by Elisa method in cell-free supernatants of PBMC cultures. Results In the simultaneous quantification we found significantly higher levels of constitutively and LPS-induced MCP-1, MIP-1α, IL-8 and IL-18, and lower RANTES and IFNγ levels released by PBMC of SC patients compared with HC. In ten SC patients receiving therapy with risperidone, olanzapine or clozapine basal and LPS-induced production of RANTES and IL-18 was increased, while both basal and LPS-induced MCP-1 production was decreased. No statistically significant differences were detected in serum levels after therapy. Conclusion The observation that in schizophrenic patients the PBMC production of selected chemo-cytokines is dysregulated reinforces the hypothesis that the peripheral cyto-chemokine network is involved in the

Pharmacotherapy of schizophrenic patients: preponderance of off-label drug use.

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David Pickar

Full Text Available Multiple drug class combinations are often prescribed for the treatment of schizophrenia, although antipsychotic monotherapy reflects FDA labeling and scientific justification for combinations is highly variable. This study was performed to gain current data regarding drug treatment of schizophrenia as practiced in the community and to assess the frequencies of off-label drug class combinations. 200 DSM IV-diagnosed schizophrenic patients recruited from community treatment sources participated in this cross-sectional study of community based schizophrenic patients. Drug class categories include First and Second Generation Antipsychotic drugs (FGA and SGA, respectively, mood stabilizers, antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs. 25.5% of patients received antipsychotic monotherapy; 70% of patients received an antipsychotic and another drug class. A total of 42.5% of patients received more than one antipsychotic drug. The most common drug class combination was antipsychotic and a mood stabilizer. Stepwise linear discriminant function analysis identified the diagnosis of schizoaffective schizophrenia, history of having physically hurt someone and high scores on the General Portion of the PANSS rating scale predicted the combined use of an antipsychotic drug and a mood stabilizer. "Real world" pharmacotherapy of schizophrenia has developed its own established practice that is predominantly off-label and may have outstripped current data support. The economic implications for public sector payers are substantial as well as for the revenue of the pharmaceutical industry, whose promotion of off-label drug use is an increasingly problematic. These data are consistent with the recognition of the therapeutic limitations of both first and second generation antipsychotic drugs.

Regional cerebral blood flow in schizophrenics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uchino, Jun; Ohta, Yasuyuki; Nakane, Yoshibumi; Mori, Hiroyuki; Hirota, Noriyoshi; Yonekura, Masahiro.

1987-01-01

The present study on schizophrenics dealt with the relationship of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) to age, disease duration, and treatment length with chlorpromazine hydrochloride (CPZ). Regional cerebral blood flow in 28 cerebral regions of interest was measured by iv injection of X-133 in 54 schizophrenic patients and 39 healthy volunteers. Neither age nor dosage of CPZ significantly influenced rCBF. All patients, including 11 treated for a short period of time (6 months or less), were characterized by having a decreased rCBF over the whole cerebrum. Thirty-four patients treated for a long period of time (2 years or more) had a varied rCBF distribution in the left hemisphere, with the most predominant feature being the decrease in rCBF in the frontal lobe (i.e., ''hypofrontality''); however, there was no linear correlation between rCBF and disease duration. A decreased rCBE in the right occipital region was seen in patients with paranoid schizophrenia, suggesting that manifestations of symptoms may depend on disturbed regions. These results suggest that cerebral dysfunction in schizophrenic patients may not be restricted to the frontal lobe, but cover the whole cerebrum, and that nonuniform dysfunction in various regions of the cerebrum, including the frontal lobe, may be involved in manifestations of symptoms. (Namekawa, K.)

Regional cerebral blood flow in schizophrenics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Uchino, J.; Ohta, Y.; Nakane, Y.; Mori, H.; Hirota, N.; Yonekura, M.

1987-01-01

The present study on schizophrenics dealt with the relationship of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) to age, disease duration, and treatment length with chlorpromazine hydrochloride (CPZ). Regional cerebral blood flow in 28 cerebral regions of interest was measured by iv injection of /sup 133/X in 54 schizophrenic patients and 39 healthy volunteers. Neither age nor dosage of CPZ significantly influenced rCBF. All patients, including 11 treated for a short period of time (6 months or less), were characterized by having a decreased rCBF over the whole cerebrum. Thirty-four patients treated for a long period of time (2 years or more) had a varied rCBF distribution in the left hemisphere, with the most predominant feature being the decrease in rCBF in the frontal lobe (i.e., hypofrontality); however, there was no linear correlation between rCBF and disease duration. A decreased rCBE in the right occipital region was seen in patients with paranoid schizophrenia, suggesting that manifestations of symptoms may depend on disturbed regions. These results suggest that cerebral dysfunction in schizophrenic patients may not be restricted to the frontal lobe, but cover the whole cerebrum, and that nonuniform dysfunction in various regions of the cerebrum, including the frontal lobe, may be involved in manifestations of symptoms.

Functional MRI in schizophrenia. Diagnostics and therapy monitoring of cognitive deficits of schizophrenic patients by functional MRI; Funktionelle MRT bei Schizophreniepatienten. Diagnostik und Therapiemonitoring kognitiver Defizite schizophrener Patienten mittels funktioneller MRT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Furtner, J.; Prayer, D. [Medizinische Universitaet Wien, Univ.-Klinik fuer Radiodiagnostik, Wien (Austria); Sachs, G. [Medizinische Universitaet Wien, Univ.-Klinik fuer Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Wien (Austria)

2010-02-15

Cognitive impairments are core psychopathological components of the symptomatic of schizophrenic patients. These dysfunctions are generally related to attention, executive functions and memory. This report provides information on the importance of using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) for the diagnostics and therapy monitoring of the different subtypes of cognitive dysfunctions. Furthermore, it describes the typical differences in the activation of individual brain regions between schizophrenic patients and healthy control persons. This information should be helpful in identifying the deficit profile of each patient and create an individual therapy plan. (orig.) [German] Kognitive Defizite sind ein zentraler Bestandteil der Symptomatik schizophrener Patienten. Diese Defizite betreffen v. a. die Aufmerksamkeit, exekutive Funktionen sowie das Gedaechtnis. Der vorliegende Beitrag zeigt den Stellenwert der funktionellen Magnetresonanztomographie (fMRT) in Hinblick auf Diagnostik und Therapiemonitoring der unterschiedlichen kognitiven Teilbereiche auf. Darueber hinaus werden die Unterschiede in Bezug auf die Aktivierung der einzelnen Gehirnareale zwischen schizophrenen Patienten und gesunden Kontrollpersonen dargestellt. Diese Informationen sollen helfen, in der Praxis ein Profil der kognitiven Leistungsreduktionen sowie ein darauf angepasstes Therapiekonzept zu erstellen. (orig.)

Dysfluent Handwriting in Schizophrenic Outpatients.

Science.gov (United States)

Gawda, Barbara

2016-04-01

Taking into account findings in the literature, the author aimed to test whether specific graphical characteristics of handwriting can distinguish patients diagnosed with schizophrenic disorders from healthy controls. Handwriting samples (one sample from each person) from 60 outpatients (29 women, 31 men; age M = 28.5, SD = 5.4) with paranoid schizophrenia were analyzed by three documents examiners and were compared to samples from 60 controls (30 men, 30 women, age M = 28.0, SD = 3.0) without psychiatric disorders. Document examiners assessed 32 graphical features potentially related to schizophrenia. The comparisons between groups revealed that only 7 out of 32 handwriting properties were significantly different in the handwriting of schizophrenic outpatients from controls: the calligraphic forms of letters, loops in ovals, lacking of dots, tremor, sinusoidal baseline, and irregularities size of lower zone. These findings are discussed in terms of motor disturbances in schizophrenia and in relation to the previous research on handwriting of other mental disorders. Similarities between the graphical patterns of handwriting of schizophrenic patients and those of other mental disorders and/or other mental states have been demonstrated. © The Author(s) 2016.

[Efficacy and tolerance of PDE-5 in the treatment of erectile dysfunction in schizophrenic patients: A literature review].

Science.gov (United States)

Bacconi, L; Gressier, F

2017-02-01

Sexual dysfunction is an important public health problem in men and is associated with reduced quality of life. It is more common in patients with schizophrenia. It is well-established that antipsychotic drugs cause sexual dysfunction with consequences on the quality of life of patients, adherence to treatment, and public health costs. Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5 inhibitors) are indicated for the management of erectile dysfunction. However, there is little information on such treatment in schizophrenic patients. This literature review aimed to summarize the current data on the efficacy and tolerability of PDE-5 inhibitors in the erectile dysfunction in schizophrenic patients. PubMed, PsycInfo and Cochrane databases were searched for studies published until August 2014. Only 6 studies met the inclusion criteria. Three were randomized, double-blind, cross-over, placebo-controlled trials and three were open studies. Various scales were used to measure erectile and orgasmic function, desire, satisfaction during intercourse, overall satisfaction, quality of life and intensity of schizophrenic symptoms. In the 3 randomized studies (one with sildenafil 25-50 mg, one with lodenafil carbonate 80 mg/j and the last one with tadalafil 10 mg), the rate of participants who completed the trial was high (around 95 %). All three included patients with schizophrenia or schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Patients reported significant improvement on sexual dysfunction. However, no statistical difference was reported between lodenafil and placebo, on different scales, suggesting a very important placebo effect in patients with schizophrenia. All three found a good tolerance of PDE-5 inhibitors. Side effects were rare and were mainly nasal congestion, headaches, nausea and dizziness. There were no major side effects or drug interactions. Considering the 3 open studies, 2 involved sildenafil and one tadalafil. All concluded in improved erectile and orgasmic

[Structural correlation of schizophrenic thought and language disorders with delusional perception and variations of intentionality].

Science.gov (United States)

Holm-Hadulla, R

1988-01-01

This study originated from a phenomenological and speech-act theoretical concept of schizophrenic concretism. An experimental study was performed showing a highly significant lack in the schizophrenic patients' ability to use metaphors correctly. Basing on the interpretation of proverbs, the hypothesis is rejected that false interpretations of schizophrenic patients are due to intermingling of personal conflicts. On the other hand, it could be shown that concretistic interpretations of proverbs represent an avoidance of conflicts. The concepts of "substitution" and "transfer" enabled us to measure pathological concreteness and "deconflictualisation". The differentiation between schizophrenic and nonpsychotic patients was found to be highly significant. In a complementary study it could be shown that the chronic schizophrenics' disability to transfer images of proverbs to an interpersonally relevant context does not differ significantly from that of patients with their first schizophrenic episode. Discussing our empirical findings, we try to show that the concretistic reduction of thought and speech is also a paradigma of delusion. The "incorrigibility" of schizophrenic delusion was seen to be based on reification of verbal signs and metaphors. After trying to show a connection between the concretistic "Lebensform" (Wittgenstein) and the disordered intentionality of schizophrenic patients, pointers towards psychotherapeutic implications are given.

Computed tomography (CT) findings of schizophrenic patients after long time from psychosurgery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adachi, Naoto; Akashi, Toshio; Toyoda, Junzou; Murakami, Hiroshi; Ogashiwa, Motohide

1991-01-01

The CT findings on 20 chronic schizophrenic inpatients who had undergone psychosurgery 37 years ago (operated group) were compared to 20 chronic schizophrenic inpatients without psychosurgery (non-operated group). The subjects of non-operated group were selected by matched age, sex and duration of the illness. Operated group showed significant decrease in frontal lobe size (p<0.001), enlargement of frontal horns of the lateral ventricle (p<0.01), widening of interhemispheric fissure (p<0.05), and brain atrophy (p<0.001) in comparison with non-operated group. Size of surgical injury showed significant rank correlation to frontal lobe size (p<0.01) and brain atrophy (p<0.001). Regarding the horizontal level of injury, in comparison with non-operated group, the patients with deficit in higher frontal areas showed enlargement of lateral ventricles (p<0.01) and those with deficit in lower frontal areas showed widening of interhemispheric fissure (p<0.05). Regarding the laterality of injury, the patients with deficit in left hemisphere showed significantly widened sylvian fissure in comparison with non-operated group (p<0.05). (author)

Therapeutic Effect of Comedy Films on Decreasing of Depression in the Schizophrenic Patients

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Farbod Fadaei

2004-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: This research is an evaluation of the theraputic efficacy of comedy films in improving the mood of the long – stay schizophrenic inpatients. Materials & Methods: 50 schizophrenic patients in 2 rehabilitation wards of Razi Psychiatric – Center were selected on the basis of available sampling. They were divided into 2 groups (Experimental and Control, each group consisted of 25 patients. Before any therapeutic procedure, the magnitudes of their depression were measured by Beck Depressive Inventory. Afterwards, the experimental group was exposed to silent comedies of Charles Chaplin and Mr. Bean (Roan Atkinson for 30 minutes every other day for two weeks. Meanwhile, the control group were shown a documentary film about the formation of planet Earth. At the end of the second week, the magnitude of depression of all cases were again measured by B.D.I. Furthermore, in order to investigate the statistical significance of differences between depression magnitude among both groups before and after the experiment, Mann Withney – U test, was utilized. Also for defining and explaining the data and drawing the scales, SPSS and Excel softwares were employed as well. Results: According to the findings of this research, the difference between depression magnitude in both groups before and after the exposure to comedy films was significant at P=0.05. Conclusion:  This result shows that comedy films can improve the depressed mood in the long–stay schizophrenic people.

Pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of haloperidol and reduced haloperidol in schizophrenic patients.

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Chang, W H; Lin, S K; Jann, M W; Lam, Y W; Chen, T Y; Chen, C T; Hu, W H; Yeh, E K

1989-07-01

Twelve male chronic schizophrenic inpatients, neuroleptic-free for at least 4 weeks, were given an oral test dose of 10 mg haloperidol (HAL) and reduced HAL (RHAL) in a random order, with a 2-week interval. Two weeks after the last test dose, the patients were given HAL, 5 mg orally twice daily for 7 days. Blood samples were drawn at baseline and between 0.5 and 24 hr after the test doses, and during HAL treatment as well. Plasma drug concentrations and homovanillic acid (HVA) levels were measured with high-performance liquid chromatography using electrochemical detection. HAL, but not RHAL, produced increments in plasma HVA (pHVA) levels at 24 hr after a test dose. pHVA levels remained higher than baseline during HAL treatment. Detectable interconversion between HAL and RHAL was observed in eight patients. The capacity of the reductive drug-metabolizing enzyme system, however, was greater than that of the oxidative processes. The plasma RHAL:HAL ratios on days 6 and 7 were higher than and positively correlated with those at Tmax after a single dose of HAL and were negatively correlated with the HAL:RHAL ratios at Tmax after a single dose of RHAL. Thus, both reductive and oxidative drug-metabolizing systems probably contribute to individual differences in plasma RHAL:HAL ratios in HAL-treated schizophrenic patients.

Decreased serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in schizophrenic patients with deficit syndrome

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Akyol ES

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Esra Soydas Akyol,1 Yakup Albayrak,2 Murat Beyazyüz,3 Nurkan Aksoy,4 Murat Kuloglu,5 Kenji Hashimoto6 1Deparment of Psychiatry, Yenimahalle Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey; 2Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Namik Kemal University, Tekirdag, Turkey; 3Department of Psychiatry, Biga State Hospital, Çanakkale, Turkey; 4Department of Biochemistry, Yenimahalle Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey; 5Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Akdeniz University, Antalya, Turkey; 6Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Chiba University Center for Forensic Mental Health, Chiba, Japan Background: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF is a well-established neurotrophin that plays a role in the pathophysiology of numerous psychiatric disorders. Many studies have investigated the serum BDNF levels in patients with schizophrenia. However, there are restricted data in the literature that compare the serum BDNF levels in patients with deficit and nondeficit syndromes. In this study, we aimed to compare the serum BDNF levels between schizophrenic patients with deficit or nondeficit syndrome and healthy controls.Methods: After fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 58 patients with schizophrenia and 36 healthy controls were included in the study. The patients were grouped as deficit syndrome (N=23 and nondeficit syndrome (N=35 according to the Schedule for the Deficit Syndrome. Three groups were compared in terms of the sociodemographic and clinical variants and serum BDNF levels.Results: The groups were similar in terms of age, sex, body mass index, and smoking status. The serum BDNF levels in patients with deficit syndrome were significantly lower than those in healthy controls. In contrast, the serum BDNF levels in patients with nondeficit syndrome were similar to those in healthy controls.Conclusion: This study suggests that decreased BDNF levels may play a role in the pathophysio­logy of schizophrenic

The meaning of pharmacological treatment for schizophrenic patients.

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Vedana, Kelly Graziani Giacchero; Miasso, Adriana Inocenti

2014-01-01

to understand the meaning of medication therapy for schizophrenic patients and formulate a theoretical model about the study phenomenon. a qualitative approach was employed, using Symbolic Interactionism as the theoretical and Grounded Theory as the methodological framework. The research was developed between 2008 and 2010 at three community mental health services in the interior of the State of São Paulo - Brazil. Thirty-six patients and thirty-six family members were selected through theoretical sampling. The data were mainly collected through open interviews and observation and simultaneously analyzed through open, axial and selective coding. the meaning of the pharmacotherapy is centered on the phenomenon "Living with a help that bothers", which expresses the patients' ambivalence towards the medication and determines their decision making. The insight, access, limitations for self-administration of the drugs and interactions with family members and the health team influenced the patient's medication-related behavior. the theory presented in this study provides a comprehensive, contextualized, motivational and dynamic understanding of the relation the patient experiences and indicates potentials and barriers to follow the medication treatment.

Effect of risperidone versus haloperidol on emotional responding in schizophrenic patients.

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Fakra, E; Khalfa, S; Da Fonseca, D; Besnier, N; Delaveau, P; Azorin, J M; Blin, O

2008-10-01

Studies on emotional processing report that schizophrenic patients present a specific pattern of emotional responding that usually includes deficits in emotional expressiveness, increased feelings of unpleasant emotion but decreased feelings of pleasant emotion, and increased physiological reactivity. However, studies have rarely controlled the nature of antipsychotic medication. Yet, the influence of these drugs on emotional response is uncertain and could vary depending on their pharmacological profile. This prospective and randomized study aimed to compare the effects of an atypical antipsychotic, risperidone, to a typical one, haloperidol, on patients' emotional responding during an emotional induction task. Twenty-five schizophrenic patients underwent two emotional and clinical evaluations: one before treatment initiation and a second 4 weeks after. Emotional states of fear, sadness, anger, joy, and disgust were induced, as well as a neutral baseline state. Video recordings of patients during the induction task allowed for assessment of emotional expressiveness. Self-reports and measures of skin conductance and heart rate were performed to determine both subjective and physiological reactions to emotional experience. Compared to haloperidol, risperidone did not reduce patients' facial expressiveness, decreased physiological reactivity, and decreased experience of unpleasant emotion but maintained experience of pleasant emotion. Emotional expressiveness was negatively correlated to parkisonism. Our preliminary results suggest that atypical antipsychotics allow for better-adapted patterns of emotional responding than typical ones do. We suggest that this effect is due to reduced striatal D2 blockade, therefore, attenuating akinesia, coupled with increased 5HT and DA levels in prefrontal cortex, which improves emotional regulation.

Simultaneous determination of amino acids and neurotransmitters in plasma samples from schizophrenic patients by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry.

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Domingues, Diego Soares; Crevelin, Eduardo José; de Moraes, Luiz Alberto Beraldo; Cecilio Hallak, Jaime Eduardo; de Souza Crippa, José Alexandre; Costa Queiroz, Maria Eugênia

2015-03-01

A sensitive, reproducible, and rapid method was developed for the simultaneous determination of underivatized amino acids (aspartate, serine, glycine, alanine, methionine, leucine, tyrosine, and tryptophan) and neurotransmitters (glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid) in plasma samples using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography coupled to triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry. The plasma concentrations of amino acids and neurotransmitters obtained from 35 schizophrenic patients in treatment with clozapine (27 patients) and olanzapine (eight patients) were compared with those obtained from 38 healthy volunteers to monitor the effectiveness of treatment. The chromatographic conditions separated ten target compounds within 3 min. This method presented linear ranges that varied from (lower limit of quantification: 9.7-13.3 nmol/mL) to (upper limit of quantification: 19.4-800 nmol/mL), intra- and interassay precision with coefficients of variation lower than 10%, and relative standard error values of the accuracy ranged from -2.1 to 9.9%. The proposed method appropriately determines amino acids and neurotransmitters in plasma from schizophrenic patients. Compared with the control group (healthy volunteers), the plasma levels of methionine in schizophrenic patients treated with olanzapine are statistically significantly higher. Moreover, schizophrenic patients treated with clozapine tend to have increased plasma levels of glutamate. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Decreased striatal dopamine transporter binding assessed with [123I] FP-CIT in first-episode schizophrenic patients with and without short-term antipsychotic-induced parkinsonism.

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Mateos, Jose J; Lomeña, Francisco; Parellada, Eduardo; Font, Mireia; Fernandez, Emili; Pavia, Javier; Prats, Alberto; Pons, Francisca; Bernardo, Miquel

2005-09-01

Drug-induced parkinsonism (DIP) is one of the main causes of treatment drop-out in schizophrenic patients causing a high incidence of relapse that leads patients to a bad clinical prognosis. The dopaminergic nigrostriatal pathway is involved in the movement control, so the study of the dopamine transporter (DAT) could be of great value to determine its implication in the appearance of DIP. The goal of the study is to determine the striatal DAT binding assessed with [(123)I] FP-CIT SPECT in first-episode neuroleptic-naive schizophrenic in-patients with DIP after short-term antipsychotic treatment. The [(123)I] FP-CIT binding ratios of ten schizophrenic in-patients who developed DIP during the first 4-week period of risperidone treatment (6+/-2 mg/day) were compared with ten schizophrenic in-patients treated with the same doses of risperidone and who do not developed DIP and with ten age-matched healthy subjects. Quantitative analyses of SPECTs were performed using regions of interest located in caudate, putamen and occipital cortex. Parkinsonism was assessed by the Simpson-Angus Scale and the psychopathological status by the Clinical General Impression and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scales. Whole striatal [(123)I] FP-CIT binding ratios were significantly lower in patients with and without DIP than in healthy subjects (p<0.001). This was also observed in whole putamen (p<0.001) and caudate nucleus (p<0.001). Females showed higher whole striatal [(123)I] FP-CIT binding ratios than males (p<0.05). No differences in psychopathological scales were observed between patients with and without DIP. Our first-episode schizophrenic patients with and without DIP after short-term risperidone treatment have a decreased striatal DAT binding assessed with [(123)I] FP-CIT. This alteration could be related to the schizophrenic disease or may be secondary to the antipsychotic treatment.

Association between the blood concentrations of ammonia and carnitine/amino acid of schizophrenic patients treated with valproic acid.

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Ando, Masazumi; Amayasu, Hideaki; Itai, Takahiro; Yoshida, Hisahiro

2017-01-01

Administration of valproic acid (VPA) is complicated with approximately 0.9% of patients developing hyperammonemia, but the pathogenesis of this adverse effect remains to be clarified. The aim of the present study was to search for mechanisms associated with VPA-induced hyperammonemia in the light of changes in serum amino acids concentrations associated with the urea cycle of schizophrenic patients. Blood samples (10 mL) were obtained from 37 schizophrenic patients receiving VPA for the prevention of violent behaviors in the morning after overnight fast. Blood concentrations of ammonia, VPA, free carnitine, acyl-carnitine, and 40 amino acids including glutamate and citrulline were measured for each patient. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to identify amino acids or concomitantly administered drugs that were associated with variability in the blood concentrations of ammonia. The blood ammonia level was positively correlated with the serum glutamate concentration ( r  = 0.44, p  < 0.01) but negatively correlated with glutamine ( r  = -0.41, p  = 0.01), citrulline ( r  = -0.42, p  = 0.01), and glycine concentrations ( r  = -0.54, p  < 0.01). It was also revealed that the concomitant administration of the mood stabilizers ( p  = 0.04) risperidone ( p  = 0.03) and blonanserin ( p  < 0.01) was positively associated with the elevation of the blood ammonia level. We hypothisized that VPA would elevate the blood ammonia level of schizophrenic patients. The observed changes in serum amino acids are compatible with urea cycle dysfunction, possibly due to reduced carbamoyl-phosphate synthase 1 (CPS1) activity. We conclude that VPA should be prudently prescribed to schizophrenic patients, particularly those receiving mood stabilizers or certain antipsychotics.

[Expressed Emotions, Burden and Family Functioning in Schizophrenic and Bipolar I Patients of a Multimodal Intervention Program: PRISMA].

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Ramírez, Alexandra; Palacio, Juan David; Vargas, Cristian; Díaz-Zuluaga, Ana María; Duica, Kelly; Agudelo Berruecos, Yuli; Ospina, Sigifredo; López-Jaramillo, Carlos

Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are causes of major suffering in patients. Nevertheless, they also affect family and caregiver functioning. This is important because the participation and involvement of families and caregivers is essential to achieve an optimal treatment. To describe the level of expressed emotions, burden, and family functioning of bipolar and schizophrenic patients and, to evaluate the efficacy of the multimodal intervention (MI) versus traditional intervention (TI) in family functioning and its perception by patients and caregivers. A prospective, longitudinal, therapeutic-comparative study was conducted with 302 patients (104 schizophrenic and 198 bipolar patients) who were randomly assigned to a MI or TI groups of a multimodal intervention program PRISMA. MI group received care from psychiatry, general medicine, neuropsychology, family therapy, and occupational therapy. TI group received care from psychiatry and general medicine. Hamilton, Young and SANS, SAPS scales were applied to bipolar and schizophrenic patients, respectively. The EEAG, FEICS, FACES III and ECF were also applied at the initial and final time. There were statistically significant differences in socio- demographic and clinical variables in schizophrenia vs bipolar group: 83% vs 32.2% were male, 37 vs 43 mean age, 96% vs 59% were single, 50% vs 20% unemployed, and 20% vs 40% had college studies. In addition, 2 vs 2.5 numbers of hospitalisations, 18 vs 16 mean age of substance abuse onset and, 55 vs 80 points in EEAG. There were no statistically significant differences in family scales after conducting a multivariate analysis on thr initial and final time in both groups. This study did not show changes in variables of burden and family functioning between bipolar and schizophrenic groups that were under TI vs MI. Copyright © 2016 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Dental Health Status of Schizophrenic Patients in the Chronic Psychiatric Care Center in the Province of Chaharmahal va Bakhtiyary

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Masoud Nik-Farjam

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Objective: Schizophrenia is a chronic disease . Schizophrenic patients are unable in personal fuction and self care such as dental health. Especially, side effects of anti– psych otic drugs cause some dental problems in the patient . Also dental problems may lead to some disease , so it is necessary to play full attention to dental health condition in schizophrenic patients. The aim of study was assessing the dental health status of schizophrenic patients confined in chronic psychiatric care center on Chaharmahal & Bakhtiyari. Materials & Methods: This survey is an analytical descriptive and cross-sectional study, 123 schizophrenic patients are assessed in 2008. The data was collected through interview, (using the Scale for the assessment of positive and negative symptom (SAPS and SANS, Decayed, Missed, Filled Teeth index (DMFT, Gingival index and demographic questionnaire. Quantities analysis of data was undertaken by using X 2, Man vetney test and Pearson r test . Results: The mean of DMFT was 19.43±7.71. There was a significant correlation between age, smoking history and cigarettes per day, oral hygiene condition and other negative symptoms and average DMFT (P&le0.05. Also there was a significant correlation between the severity of periodentitis and sex, history of smoking, number of smoked cigarettes per day, previous hospital admission and average of negative and positive symptoms. No significant correlation between the severity of periodentitis and mean DMFT (P&le0.05 was seen. Conclusion: Results of the study demonstrated that dental health of people with schizophrenia is poor.

Discourse Analysis in Schizophrenic Patients on the Basis of Grice\\'s Cooperative Principles

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Ma'soumeh Salmani

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Objective: The ultimate goal of this study is one of the discourse fields analysis, i.e. Grice's cooperative principles. Materials & Methods: In this comparative and case - control study, two groups of normal individuals and schizophrenic patients were selected by simple method from sample of convenience and interviewed based on the spontaneous part of Persian Aphasia Test. All the answers were analyzed with respect to the percent rate of errors in the 4 "cooperative maxims", and the errors were collected. Data were analyzed by Independent T Test, ANOVA, Kruskal Wallis and Mann Whitney. Results: There were significant differences between two groups in respect to all the Grice’s cooperative principles (P<0.001, maxim of quantity (P<0.001, maxim of relevance (P<0.001 and maxim of manner (P=0.02, but in maxim of quality there was no significant differeance (P=0.07. The mean percent of errors in the course of illness, education and age varieties were not significant. Conclusion: Schizophrenic patients have incoherence speech and this problem exists in the discourse field and social interactions, thus the patients frequently fail in observing the Gricean cooperative principles.

[Intensity of negative symptoms, working memory and executive functions disturbances in schizophrenic patients in partial remission period].

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Hintze, Beata; Borkowska, Alina

2011-01-01

The aim of the study was to assess the correlation between the level of working memory and executive functions impairment in schizophrenic subjects in their partial remission period and the intensity of psychopathological symptoms measured by PANSS scale. 45 patients with schizophrenia were included in the study (28 male and 17 female), aged 18-46 (mean 27 +/- 7) years during partial remission of psychopathological symptoms (PANSS partial remission period, the significant dysfunctions of working memory and executive functions show association with negative (not positive) schizophrenic symptoms.

Attentional network task in schizophrenic patients and theirs unaffected first degree relatives: a potential endofenotype.

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López, S Guerra; Fuster, J Iglesias; Reyes, M Martín; Collazo, T M Bravo; Quiñones, R Mendoza; Berazain, A Reyes; Rodríguez, M A Pedroso; Días de Villarvilla, T; Bobés, M Antonieta; Valdés-Sosa, M

2011-01-01

In recent years, reports of attentional deficits in schizophrenic patients and in their biological relatives have rapidly increased, including an important effort to search for the endophenotypes in order to link specific genes to this illness. Posner et al. developed a test, the Attention Network Test (ANT), to study the neural networks. This test provides a separate measure for each one of the three anatomically-defined attention networks (alerting, orienting and executive control). In this paper, we investigate the attentional performance in 32 schizophrenic patients, 29 unaffected first degree relatives and 29 healthy controls using the ANT through a study of family association. We have studied the efficiency of the segregated executive control, alerting and orienting networks by measuring how response latencies (reaction time) were modified by the cue position and the flanking stimuli. We also studied the familial association of these attentional alterations. The ANOVA revealed main effects of flanker and cue condition and a significant interaction effect between flanker and groups studied. The schizophrenic patients and their relatives had a longer median reaction time than the control group. The probands and their relatives significantly differed from the healthy controls in terms of their conflict resolution; however, the alerting network appeared to be conserved. Our results support the thesis of a specific attentional deficit in schizophrenia and show the segregation of the three attentional networks. The family association of these reported alterations supports the idea of a potential endophenotype in schizophrenia.

[Incidence of broken homes in schizophrenic patients. A study of 239 patients treated at a social psychiatric department].

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Gmür, M; Tschopp, A

1987-01-01

259 schizophrenics, 102 women and 157 men, of whom 80 were enlisted from a night clinic, 46 from the Psychiatric University Hospital and 113 from an out-patient clinic, were examined with regard to the frequency of broken home situations during their childhood. 20% had, before they were 18 yrs. old, lost a parent by death and 20% by a traumatic separation. 58% had, before they were 18 yrs. old, lost a parent or had lived together with a parent who was seriously ill or badly disturbed. No relation between the age of first illness and a broken home could, according to these research results, be established. The hypothesis that there is a higher rate of broken home situations by schizophrenics with an early outbreak of the illness, could therefore not be confirmed. Neither could a difference in the occurrence of broken home situations between males and females be observed, with the exception of the frequency of loss of parents by death, which was higher by females. The frequency of the factor 'broken home' in our examines is quite similar to the values round by Bleulers' research, 1940-1945 on male schizophrenics.

The meaning of pharmacological treatment for schizophrenic patients

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Kelly Graziani Giacchero Vedana

2014-08-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: to understand the meaning of medication therapy for schizophrenic patients and formulate a theoretical model about the study phenomenon.METHOD: a qualitative approach was employed, using Symbolic Interactionism as the theoretical and Grounded Theory as the methodological framework. The research was developed between 2008 and 2010 at three community mental health services in the interior of the State of São Paulo - Brazil. Thirty-six patients and thirty-six family members were selected through theoretical sampling. The data were mainly collected through open interviews and observation and simultaneously analyzed through open, axial and selective coding.RESULTS: the meaning of the pharmacotherapy is centered on the phenomenon "Living with a help that bothers", which expresses the patients' ambivalence towards the medication and determines their decision making. The insight, access, limitations for self-administration of the drugs and interactions with family members and the health team influenced the patient's medication-related behavior.CONCLUSION: the theory presented in this study provides a comprehensive, contextualized, motivational and dynamic understanding of the relation the patient experiences and indicates potentials and barriers to follow the medication treatment.

Quality of life assessment of patients with schizophrenic spectrum disorders from Psychosocial Care Centers

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Tatiana Fernandes Carpinteiro da Silva

2011-01-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Assessing the quality of life and the clinical and social-demographic factors associated in schizophrenic spectrum patients (ICD-10 F20-F29 attending CAPS at the programmatic area 3.0. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in a sample of schizophrenic spectrum patients who have been enrolled in 2008 in CAPS in programmatic area (AP 3 at Rio de Janeiro city, using MINIPLUS to assess schizophrenia spectrum disorder and use of psychoactive substances, Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS to assess psychiatric symptoms and Quality of Life Scale (QLS-BR to assess the quality of life. RESULTS: Seventy nine patients were included, of whom 74 (93.7% presented some impairment in quality of life. The most frequently affected area was occupational performance. Variables that showed a significant association with severe impairment of quality of life were: marital status, race, occupation, who patients lived with, homelessness, having children, previous psychiatric hospitalization, negative symptoms and symptoms designated as not applicable (being characterized by a lack of typical positive and negative symptoms. CONCLUSION: The knowledge of these factors should be crucial to implement health policies and psychosocial rehabilitation programs focused on improving the quality of life of these patients.

Mortality and causes of death in schizophrenic patients in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mortensen, P B; Juel, K

1990-01-01

effects from neuroleptics was increased. Mortality from some causes of death used as a measurement of the quality of medical care was found to be slightly increased. Further studies of the quality of the medical care provided to schizophrenic patients and of the association between neuroleptic medication......A cohort consisting of 6178 people that were psychiatric inpatients with a clinical schizophrenia diagnosis in 1957 were followed up from 1957 through 1986, and their cause-specific mortality was determined. Mortality from cardiovascular diseases, lung diseases, gastrointestinal and urogenital...... disorders, accidents and suicide was increased, whereas mortality from cerebrovascular disorders was reduced. In the male patients cancer mortality was reduced whereas cancer mortality in the female patients was increased. Mortality from a number of causes that theoretically could be associated with side...

Disordered semantic representation in schizophrenic temporal cortex revealed by neuromagnetic response patterns

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Silberman Yaron

2006-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Loosening of associations and thought disruption are key features of schizophrenic psychopathology. Alterations in neural networks underlying this basic abnormality have not yet been sufficiently identified. Previously, we demonstrated that spatio-temporal clustering of magnetic brain responses to pictorial stimuli map categorical representations in temporal cortex. This result has opened the possibility to quantify associative strength within and across semantic categories in schizophrenic patients. We hypothesized that in contrast to controls, schizophrenic patients exhibit disordered representations of semantic categories. Methods The spatio-temporal clusters of brain magnetic activities elicited by object pictures related to super-ordinate (flowers, animals, furniture, clothes and base-level (e.g. tulip, rose, orchid, sunflower categories were analysed in the source space for the time epochs 170–210 and 210–450 ms following stimulus onset and were compared between 10 schizophrenic patients and 10 control subjects. Results Spatio-temporal correlations of responses elicited by base-level concepts and the difference of within vs. across super-ordinate categories were distinctly lower in patients than in controls. Additionally, in contrast to the well-defined categorical representation in control subjects, unsupervised clustering indicated poorly defined representation of semantic categories in patients. Within the patient group, distinctiveness of categorical representation in the temporal cortex was positively related to negative symptoms and tended to be inversely related to positive symptoms. Conclusion Schizophrenic patients show a less organized representation of semantic categories in clusters of magnetic brain responses than healthy adults. This atypical neural network architecture may be a correlate of loosening of associations, promoting positive symptoms.

Correlation among personal, social performance and cognitive impairment in male schizophrenic patient

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Damanik, R.; Effendy, E.; Camellia, V.

2018-03-01

Schizophrenia is a dramatic mental illness with tragic manifestation. The consequences of the illness are for the individual, affected his or her family and society. Schizophrenia is one of the twenty illness that causes Years Lost due to Disability. Treating only the symptom is insufficient. The aim of treatment must include the quality of life of aschizophrenic person. This study aims to examine the relationship between cognitive impairment and performance of the person with schizophrenia. Cognitive test is scaled with Indonesian version of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-Ina), while personal and social performance isscaled with Personal and Social Performance scale. There are many studies that search the relationship between cognitive impairment and social functioning of schizophrenic patients, but this is the first study that uses PSP and MoCA-Ina. Both PSP and MoCA-Ina are easy to use but still have high sensitivity and specificity, and perhaps can build people’s interest to use it in clinical practice. Twenty-five male schizophrenic patients were assessed in Prof. M. Ildrem Mental Hospital of North Sumatera Province of Indonesia. Positive correlations between MoCA-Ina and PSP score were identified. Clinicians should pay attention to cognitive and might give some early intervention to it.

Effects of debrisoquin and haloperidol on plasma homovanillic acid concentration in schizophrenic patients.

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Davidson, M; Losonczy, M F; Mohs, R C; Lesser, J C; Powchik, P; Freed, L B; Davis, B M; Mykytyn, V V; Davis, K L

1987-12-01

Plasma levels of the dopamine metabolite homovanillic acid (pHVA) may potentially reflect upon central dopamine activity. This study examines the effects of debrisoquin, haloperidol, and the two drugs combined on pHVA concentrations of schizophrenic patients. Debrisoquin is a drug that suppresses the peripheral formation of homovanillic acid without affecting the central formation. Acute haloperidol administration consistently increased pHVA concentrations in patients pretreated or not pretreated with debrisoquin, suggesting that this increment reflects haloperidol's central and not peripheral effects.

Magnetic resonance imaging DTI-FT study on schizophrenic patients with typical negative first symptoms.

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Gu, Chengyu; Zhang, Ying; Wei, Fuquan; Cheng, Yougen; Cao, Yulin; Hou, Hongtao

2016-09-01

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI) together with a white matter fiber tracking (FT) technique was used to assess different brain white matter structures and functionalities in schizophrenic patients with typical first negative symptoms. In total, 30 schizophrenic patients with typical first negative symptoms, comprising an observation group were paired 1:1 according to gender, age, right-handedness, and education, with 30 healthy individuals in a control group. Individuals in each group underwent routine MRI and DTI examination of the brain, and diffusion-tensor tractography (DTT) data were obtained through whole brain analysis based on voxel and tractography. The results were expressed by fractional anisotropy (FA) values. The schizophrenic patients were evaluated using a positive and negative symptom scale (PANSS) as well as a Global Assessment Scale (GAS). The results of the study showed that routine MRIs identified no differences between the two groups. However, compared with the control group, the FA values obtained by DTT from the deep left prefrontal cortex, the right deep temporal lobe, the white matter of the inferior frontal gyrus and part of the corpus callosum were significantly lower in the observation group (Pscale value in the observation group averaged 7.7±1.5, and the negative scale averaged 46.6±5.9, while the general psychopathology scale averaged 65.4±10.3, and GAS averaged 53.8±19.2. The Pearson statistical analysis, the left deep prefrontal cortex, the right deep temporal lobe, the white matter of the inferior frontal gyrus and the FA value of part of the corpus callosum in the observation group was negatively correlated with the negative scale (Pnegative symptoms and the application of MRI DTI-FT can improve diagnostic accuracy.

Inter- and intra-individual variability in the levels of plasma homovanillic acid in schizophrenic patients.

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Zumárraga, Mercedes; Dávila, Ricardo; González-Torres, Miguel Angel; Anguiano, Juan B; Zabalo, María José; Basterreche, Nieves; Arrúe, Aurora; Zamalloa, María Isabel; Guimón, José

2007-04-13

Changes in the levels of homovanillic acid in blood plasma (pHVA) may reflect changes which occur in the brain. In healthy individuals, this concentration of pHVA is stable over time. Over the course of one month, we studied 98 acute schizophrenic patients who had not been taking any medication but were administered neuroleptics upon hospital admission, together with 23 chronic schizophrenic patients on long-term treatment from whom medication was withdrawn. Blood samples were taken at regular intervals from each individual and the concentration of plasma homovanillic acid was measured. We found relative stable values of pHVA with an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.363 in acute patients and 0.638 (ppHVA and the presence of pharmacological stimuli, we found a certain reproducibility in the levels of this dopamine metabolite. These findings are consistent with the idea that the dopaminergic activity is characterized by a constitutive value which would be under genetic control. The higher stability observed in chronic patients may reflect a weaker, age-related dopaminergic plasticity; conversely, it may indicate that a lack of plasticity in response to a pharmacological stimulus may be an indicator of poorer prognosis.

Successful microsurgical penile replantation following self amputation in a schizophrenic patient

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Saurabh Gyan

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Amputation of the penis is a rare condition reported from various parts of the world as isolated cases or small series of patients; the common etiology is self-mutilating sharp amputation or an avulsion or crush injury in an industrial accident. A complete reconstruction of all penile structures should be attempted in one stage which provides the best chance for full rehabilitation of the patient. We report here a single case of total amputation of the penis in an acute paranoid schizophrenic patient .The penis was successfully reattached using a microsurgical technique. After surgery, near-normal appearance and function including a good urine flow and absence of urethral stricture, capabilities of erection and near normal sensitivity were observed.

Effects of emotionally affect adult and baby' photographs in healthy controls and schizophrenic patients evaluating by exploratory eye movements.

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Kawabe, Chizuko; Morita, Kiichiro; Shoji, Yoshihisa; Fujiki, Ryo; Yamamoto, Atsushi; Asaumi, Yasue; Uchimura, Naohisa

2011-01-01

The relationship between mother and baby is of fundamental importance in the development of cognitive function and emotion. In this study we investigated the effects of affective photographs of a mother and baby (crying or smiling faces) and other stimuli (neutral mother or baby faces) on visual cognitive function in schizophrenic patents. We recorded exploratory eye movements in 22 healthy controls and 22 age-matched schizophrenic patients. Total number of right and left field gaze points (right TNGP, left TNGP) in the visual fields were determined using an eye-mark recorder as subjects viewed affectively charged or neutral photographs (crying, smiling or neutral faces). Left TNGP for all mother photographs (crying, smiling or neutral) were significantly larger in controls than patients, and right TNGP for neutral mother photographs were significantly larger in controls than in patients. Right TNGP for photographs of smiling babies were significantly larger in controls than patients, and left TNGP for photographs of both smiling and crying babies were significantly larger in controls than patients. Within the patient group, right TNGP were significantly larger than left TNGP for all mother photographs (crying, smiling or neutral). Left TNGP for photographs of mothers and babies correlated negatively with negative symptom scores. These results suggest that exploratory eye movements when viewing emotionally laded twin stimuli such as photographs of a mother and baby are a useful marker of visual cognitive function in both healthy controls and schizophrenic patients.

The prognostic value of dopamine receptor occupancy by [123I]IBZM-SPECT in schizophrenic patients treated with quetiapine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pavics, L.; Ambrus, E.; Argyelan, M.; Kanyo, B.; Csernay, L.; Szekeres, G.; Kovacs, Z.; Keri, S.; Janka, Z.

2004-01-01

In the present study D2 receptor occupancy was investigated in quetiapine treated schizophrenic patients for the detection of a relationship between the scintigraphic pattern and clinical signs and symptoms. In 10 schizophrenic patients [ 123I ]IBZM-SPECTs were performed during the introduction of quetiapine therapy (600 - 800 mg/day) and during a lower maintenance dose (200 - 400 mg/day). The patients clinical follow-up was continued for 1 year. For the evaluation of SPECT images, visual interpretation was performed and striatum/occipital lobe (S/O) activity ratio was calculated. The initial striatum/occipital ratio was significantly higher in patients with relapse compared to the others (1.86 ± 0.17, 1.53 ± 0.15, p nd SPECT was a predictive factor for the relapse. D2 receptor occupancy and its changes during quetiapine therapy were related to the prognosis of the treatment efficacy. (author)

The effects of psychoactive drugs and neuroleptics on language in normal subjects and schizophrenic patients: a review.

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Salomé, F; Boyer, P; Fayol, M

2000-12-01

The aim of this survey is to present an overview of research into psychopharmacology as regards the effects of different psychoactive drugs and neuroleptics (NL) on language in normal subjects and schizophrenic patients. Eighteen studies that have investigated the effects of different drugs (alcohol, amphetamines, secobarbital, L-dopa, psilocybin, ketamine, fenfluramine) and neuroleptics (conventional and atypical) on language are reviewed. There are no studies concerning the effects of neuroleptics on language in healthy subjects. The results of the effects of other molecules indicate that language production can be increased (alcohol, amphetamine, secobarbital), rendered more complex (d-amphetamine), more focused (L-dopa) or more unfocused (psilocybin) and clearly impaired (ketamine). For schizophrenic patients, most studies show that conventional neuroleptic treatments, at a therapeutic dosage and in acute or chronic mode, reduce language disorders at all levels (clinic, linguistic, psycholinguistic). In conjunction with other molecules, the classical NL, when administered at a moderate dosage and in chronic mode, modify language in schizophrenia, either by improving the verbal flow and reducing pauses and positive thought disorder (NL + amphetamine) or by inducing an impairment in the language measurements (NL + fenfluramine). Clinical, methodological and theoretical considerations of results are debated in the framework of schizophrenic language disorders.

Catha edulis chewing effects on treatment of paranoid schizophrenic patients

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Kotb El-Sayed MI

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Mohamed-I Kotb El-Sayed, Hatem-K Amin Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Helwan University, Ain Helwan, Helwan, Cairo, Egypt Background: The current study’s aim is to evaluate the possible interaction effects of khat chewing on treatment of paranoid schizophrenic patients.Patients and methods: In the study group, 42 male subjects suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and were classified according to their khat chewing habits into two subgroups: either khat-chewer subgroup (SKc; n=21; r=11, h=10 or non-khat-chewer subgroup (SNKc; n=21, r=11, h=10. Each subgroup was further subdivided according to type of treatment into r (risperidone and h (haloperidol. Healthy male subjects (37 were subdivided into healthy khat-chewer as positive controls (HKc, n=17 and healthy non-khat-chewer as negative controls (HNKc, n=20. Plasma dopamine, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC, homovanillic acid, 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, epinephrine, and norepinephrine were estimated.Results: ANOVA and post hoc analysis showed that dopamine was illustrating significant elevation in all khat chewing groups. DOPAC was illustrating significant decrease in all khat chewing groups with an interesting outcome showing significant increase in DOPAC in SNKcr group due to risperidone effect. Homovanillic acid, serotonin, hydroxyindoleacetic acid, and norepinephrine were illustrating significant elevations in all khat chewing groups. Epinephrine was illustrating significant elevation in all chewers than non-chewers groups. Unexpected significant decrease in epinephrine in the SNKcr group indicated that risperidone drug is decreasing epinephrine through indirect mechanism involving calcium.Conclusion: Khat chewing in schizophrenic patients is contraindicated because it aggravates the disease symptoms, attenuates all used treatment medications, and deteriorates all biochemical markers of the patients. Keywords

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection among patients with non-schizophrenic neurodevelopmental disorders in Alexandria, Egypt.

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Shehata, Amany I; Hassanein, Faika I; Abdul-Ghani, Rashad

2016-02-01

Toxoplasma gondii is an opportunistic parasite with neurotropic characteristics that can mediate neurodevelopmental disorders, including mental, behavioral and personality aspects of their hosts. Therefore, the seroprevalence of anti-Toxoplasma antibodies has been studied in patients with different neurological disorders from different localities. On searching online databases, however, we could not find published studies on the seroprevalence of anti-Toxoplasma antibodies among patients with neurodevelopmental disorders in Egypt. Therefore, the present preliminary study was conducted to determine the serological profile of T. gondii infection among patients with non-schizophrenic neurodevelopmental disorders in Alexandria, Egypt. Data and blood samples were collected from 188 patients recruited for the study from four mental rehabilitation centers in the period from July 2014 to March 2015. The overall seropositivity rates of IgM and IgG among patients were 16.5% (31/188) and 50.0% (94/188), respectively. Of the studied patients' characteristics, only age was significantly associated with anti-Toxoplasma IgG seropositivity, with older patients being about twice more likely exposed to infection. However, no statistically significant association was found with IgM. In addition, seropositivity of anti-Toxoplasma IgG, but not IgM, was significantly associated with non-schizophrenic neurodevelopmental disorders; however, neither IgG nor IgM showed a significant association with cognitive impairment as indicated by the intelligence quotient scores. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Taking cognizance of mental illness in schizophrenics and its association with crime and substance-related diagnoses

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Munkner, R; Haastrup, S; Jørgensen, T

2003-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To analyse how committed crimes and substance-related diagnoses are associated with the age on the first contact with the psychiatric hospital system and the age at diagnosing of schizophrenia among schizophrenics. METHOD: In a register-based study including all Danes diagnosed with sc...

Evolution of plasma homovanillic acid (HVA) in chronic schizophrenic patients treated with haloperidol.

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Galinowski, A; Poirier, M F; Aymard, N; Leyris, A; Beauverie, P; Bourdel, M C; Loo, H

1998-06-01

In a 4-week study of 14 drug-free schizophrenic patients (according to DSM-III-R), free and conjugated fractions of plasma homovanillic acid (pHVA) were repeatedly measured. Free HVA levels decreased during the first 2 h of haloperidol intake (P pHVA may be a better reflection of the action of haloperidol than free pHVA levels and it may be of prognostic value in terms of drug response.

Performance of a neuro-fuzzy model in predicting weight changes of chronic schizophrenic patients exposed to antipsychotics.

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Lan, T H; Loh, E W; Wu, M S; Hu, T M; Chou, P; Lan, T Y; Chiu, H-J

2008-12-01

Artificial intelligence has become a possible solution to resolve the problem of loss of information when complexity of a disease increases. Obesity phenotypes are observable clinical features of drug-naive schizophrenic patients. In addition, atypical antipsychotic medications may cause these unwanted effects. Here we examined the performance of neuro-fuzzy modeling (NFM) in predicting weight changes in chronic schizophrenic patients exposed to antipsychotics. Two hundred and twenty inpatients meeting DSMIV diagnosis of schizophrenia, treated with antipsychotics, either typical or atypical, for more than 2 years, were recruited. All subjects were assessed in the same study period between mid-November 2003 and mid-April 2004. The baseline and first visit's physical data including weight, height and circumference were used in this study. Clinical information (Clinical Global Impression and Life Style Survey) and genotype data of five single nucleotide polymorphisms were also included as predictors. The subjects were randomly assigned into the first group (105 subjects) and second group (115 subjects), and NFM was performed by using the FuzzyTECH 5.54 software package, with a network-type structure constructed in the rule block. A complete learned model trained from merged data of the first and second groups demonstrates that, at a prediction error of 5, 93% subjects with weight gain were identified. Our study suggests that NFM is a feasible prediction tool for obesity in schizophrenic patients exposed to antipsychotics, with further improvements required.

The meaning of pharmacological treatment for schizophrenic patients1

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Vedana, Kelly Graziani Giacchero; Miasso, Adriana Inocenti

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE: to understand the meaning of medication therapy for schizophrenic patients and formulate a theoretical model about the study phenomenon. METHOD: a qualitative approach was employed, using Symbolic Interactionism as the theoretical and Grounded Theory as the methodological framework. The research was developed between 2008 and 2010 at three community mental health services in the interior of the State of São Paulo - Brazil. Thirty-six patients and thirty-six family members were selected through theoretical sampling. The data were mainly collected through open interviews and observation and simultaneously analyzed through open, axial and selective coding. RESULTS: the meaning of the pharmacotherapy is centered on the phenomenon "Living with a help that bothers", which expresses the patients' ambivalence towards the medication and determines their decision making. The insight, access, limitations for self-administration of the drugs and interactions with family members and the health team influenced the patient's medication-related behavior. CONCLUSION: the theory presented in this study provides a comprehensive, contextualized, motivational and dynamic understanding of the relation the patient experiences and indicates potentials and barriers to follow the medication treatment. PMID:25296152

Opposite effective connectivity in the posterior cingulate and medial prefrontal cortex between first-episode schizophrenic patients with suicide risk and healthy controls.

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Huiran Zhang

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The schizophrenic patients with high suicide risk are characterized by depression, better cognitive function, and prominent positive symptoms. However, the neurobiological basis of suicide attempts in schizophrenia is not clear. The suicide in schizophrenia is implicated in the defects in emotional process and decision-making, which are associated with prefrontal-cingulate circuit. In order to explore the possible neurobiological basis of suicide in schizophrenia, we investigated the correlation of prefrontal-cingulate circuit with suicide risk in schizophrenia via dynamic casual modelling. METHOD: Participants were 33 first-episode schizophrenic patients comprising of a high suicide risk group (N = 14 and a low suicide risk group (N = 19. A comparison group of healthy controls (N = 15 were matched for age, gender and education. N-back tasking functional magnetic resonance imaging data was collected. RESULTS: Compared with healthy controls group, the two patients groups showed decreased task-related suppression during 2-back task state versus baseline state in the left posterior cingulate and medial prefrontal cortex; the hyper-connectivity from the left posterior cingulate cortex to the left medial prefrontal cortex existed in both schizophrenic patients groups, but hypo-connectivity in the opposite direction only existed in the schizophrenic patients group with high suicide risk. CONCLUSIONS: The hyper-connectivity from the left posterior cingulate cortex to the left medial prefrontal cortex may suggest that the abnormal effective connectivity was associated with risk for schizophrenia. The hypo-connectivity in the opposite direction may represent a possible correlate of increased vulnerability to suicide attempt.

[Cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenic psychoses. Drug and psychological treatment choices].

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Sachs, G; Katschnig, H

2001-03-01

Primarily from the perspective of psychopharmacology, schizophrenic symptomatology has recently been dichotomized into "plus" and "minus" symptoms, although the role of cognitive dysfunctions has been regarded as particularly important for the diagnosis since the time of Eugen Bleuler. Many studies show that schizophrenic patients suffer consistently from cognitive dysfunction. Among these, are impairments of attention and memory functions as well as executive functions such as planning and problem solving. These impairments are stable or progressive and often continue into the remission phase of schizophrenia and impair both social integration as well as occupational performance. In this overview, research results on cognitive dysfunction in patients with schizophrenic illnesses and their relation to psychosocial disabilities are described first. The therapeutic value and possible clinical-practice implications of atypical anti-psychotics and various cognitive therapy methods are then presented. Methodological weaknesses and open questions, both pharmacological and with regard to cognitive interventions, are discussed.

The relationship between intelligence and cognitive function in schizophrenic

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Catherine; Amin, M. M.; Effendy, E.

2018-03-01

The most common of psychotic disorders is schizophrenia. While evaluating the cognitive function with a standardized test, the intelligence test is by using the IQ test. For schizophrenic patients, intelligence is usually reported to be lower than average. This research is an analytical study that commenced in January and ended in March 2014. Primary criteria are schizophrenics who are in-patients in Prof. dr. M. Ildrem Mental Hospital, aged between 15 to 55 years old, with the highest qualification of secondary high school. The secondary criteria are those patients with other psychotic disorders, head injuries and other neurological disorders, endocrine disorders. The total sample is 100 subjects. From this study, the correlation value is 0.876 shows a very strong correlation. And the p-value 0.001.The results of this study show that there is a direct correlation (p=0.001) and a correlation (r=0.876) between intelligence and cognitive function on schizophrenic. And it is also necessary to do more researches by using other rating scales and examination to measure the relationship between intelligence and cognitive function, and other factors that may affect results.

[Evaluation of mimetic expression of schizophrenic and depressed patients by the psychiatrist].

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Schneider, F; Mattes, R; Adam, B; Heimann, H

1992-01-01

Facial videos of schizophrenic and depressive patients and of healthy controls when watching both funny and horror films and during emotionally positive or negative interviews were rated by psychiatrists (experts) and students (novices). The observers' task was to rate joy, fear, sadness, and expressivity on a 7-point unipolar intensity scale. The soundless facial videos were presented to each observer for exactly 2.5 min. The observer groups did not differ significantly in their ratings except for sadness. Psychiatrists consistently rated expressed sadness as less intense than students. Facial expressivity and joy were rated as less intense in both patient groups in comparison with healthy controls. Depressives expressed significantly more sadness.

[Clinical prognosis of schizophrenic patients with cannabis addiction. Between nihilism and hope].

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Schnell, T

2014-09-01

Comorbid substance use disorders in schizophrenia are mostly associated with an unfavorable course of the disease and with difficulties in clinical management. Therefore, some therapists tend to react to these patients in a resigned manner. However, there is growing evidence for higher cognitive functioning and less severe deficits in brain morphology of these patients compared to patients without cannabis use. A common interpretation refers to relatively low vulnerability for psychosis in some of these patients, who mainly became schizophrenic because of the pro-psychotic properties of cannabis. Low vulnerability is reflected by a higher cognitive functioning; therefore, the pessimistic view of therapists seems unjustified for at least a subgroup of young patients. Provided that patients are treated in adequate therapeutic settings and that they stop using cannabis, a lower vulnerability may be associated with overall better socio-rehabilitative outcome parameters.

Different patterns of sexual dysfunctions associated with psychiatric disorders and psychopharmacological treatment. Results of an investigation by semistructured interview of schizophrenic and neurotic patients and methadone-substituted opiate addicts.

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Teusch, L; Scherbaum, N; Böhme, H; Bender, S; Eschmann-Mehl, G; Gastpar, M

1995-05-01

Little is known about sexual dysfunctions associated with psychiatric disorders and psychopharmacological treatment. In the present study schizophrenic patients (n = 45, mostly under neuroleptic treatment), neurotic patients (n = 50, mostly treated without medication), methadone-substituted opiate addicts (n = 37), and normal controls (n = 41) were included. They were interviewed with the aid of a sex-differentiated semistructured questionnaire on sexual function. All the methadone-substituted opiate addicts and nearly all the schizophrenic patients suffered from dysfunctions in at least one criterion. The three clinical groups differed significantly from the controls in sexual interest, emotional arousal, physiological arousal (erectile function/vaginal lubrication), performance (ejaculatory function/vaginism, dyspareunia), and orgasm satisfaction. Characteristic patterns of dysfunction were found in the male patients. The schizophrenic patients had significantly more dysfunctions of interest, physiological arousal, performance, and orgasm than the controls. Emotional arousal, erectile and ejaculatory functions, and orgasm satisfaction were impaired more frequently in the male schizophrenics than in the neurotic patients. Reduced sexual interest, emotional arousal, and orgasm satisfaction were reported more frequently by the methadone-substituted opiate addicts than by the neurotic men. Emotional arousal was even more frequently reduced than in the schizophrenic men. There was no correlation between sexual dysfunction and particular neuroleptics or neuroleptic or methadone dosage. The results are compared with the literature and suggestions made for further investigations.

[Impact of a Multimodal Intervention on the Psychological Profile of Schizophrenic and Bipolar I Patients: A Study of PRISMA Program].

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Díaz-Zuluaga, Ana María; Vargas, Cristian; Duica, Kelly; Richard, Shanel; Palacio, Juan David; Agudelo Berruecos, Yuli; Ospina, Sigifredo; López-Jaramillo, Carlos

Bipolar Disorder (BD) and schizophrenia are included in the group of severe mental illness and are main causes of disability and morbidity in the local population due to the bio-psycho-social implications in patients. In the last 20 years or so, adjunctive psychological interventions been studied with the purpose of decreasing recurrences, stabilising the course of the disease, and improving the functionality in these patients. To analyse the psychological effect of a multimodal intervention (MI) vs a traditional intervention (TI) program in BD I and schizophrenic patients. A prospective, longitudinal, therapeutic-comparative study was conducted with 302 patients (104 schizophrenic and 198 bipolar patients) who were randomly assigned to the MI or TI groups of a multimodal intervention program PRISMA. The MI group received care from psychiatry, general medicine, neuropsychology, family therapy, and occupational therapy. The TI group received care from psychiatry and general medicine. The Hamilton and Young scales, and the Scales for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) and Postive Symptoms (SAPS) were used on bipolar and schizophrenic patients, respectively. The scales AQ-12, TEMPS-A, FAST, Zuckerman sensation seeking scale, BIS-11, SAI-E and EEAG were applied to measure the psychological variables. The scales were performed before and after the interventions. The psychotherapy used in this study was cognitive behavioural therapy. There were statistically significant differences in socio-demographic and clinical variables in the schizophrenia and bipolar disorder group. There were no statistically significant differences in the psychological scales after conducting a multivariate analysis between the intervention groups and for both times (initial and final). This study did not show any changes in variables of psychological functioning variables between bipolar and schizophrenic groups, who were subjected to TI vs MI (who received cognitive behavioural therapy

Models of treatment with antipsychotics of the schizophrenic patients

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Svjetlana Loga-Zec

2005-11-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study were to determine which antipsychotic are currently in use, to establish which doses are administrated to patients, to find out is there a practice of proscribing simultaneously more then one antipsychotic drug, to determine whether antipsychotic are proscribed in divided doses, to establish whether there is, besides antipsychotics, treatment with other medicaments (co-administration, especially with antiparkinsonics. The research (study is epidemiological-clinical prospective, descriptive and analytical and it was conducted at University hospitals in Sarajevo, Tuzla and Mostar. Criteria for inclusion, non-inclusion and exclusion from the study were precisely defined as a mean for formation of sample. Based on this hypothesis were established, zero and alterative. According to zero hypothesis in the treatment of schizophrenia at University hospitals in FBiH new antipsychotic drugs are in use, small doses are proscribed (up to 20 mg, not more then one antipsychotic drug is used simultaneously, antipsychotics are administrated once a day and alongside with antipsychotics other medicaments are not co-administrated, especially antiparkinsons. The results of our study are showing that majority of patients are treated with classical antipsychotics. Minority of patients is treated with atypical neuroleptics like olanzapine, which is proscribed only in Sarajevo. Use of risperidone and ziprasidone is registered also only in Sarajevo, but only small number of patients is treated with these drugs. Most frequent antipsychotics were promazine and haloperidol. The range between minimal and maximal daily dose of promazine was from 50 to 450 mg/daily, and for haloperidol from 1 to 75 mg/daily. Above-mentioned drugs were administrated in an average from two to three times a day. Alongside with antipsychotics, other drugs were used. Most frequent was the use of biperidine in oral and parenteral formulation, as

Schizotypal personality disorder inside and outside the schizophrenic spectrum.

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Torgersen, Svenn; Edvardsen, J; Øien, P A; Onstad, S; Skre, I; Lygren, S; Kringlen, E

2002-03-01

The concept of schizotypal personality disorder has been heavily discussed since its introduction into the official classification of mental disorders in DSM-III. The aim of this study was to investigate the difference between schizotypal personality disorder within and outside the genetic spectrum of schizophrenia. Schizotypals with and without schizophrenic cotwins and first-degree relatives were compared, with individuals with other mental disorders and no mental disorders as controls. It appeared that only inadequate rapport and odd communication were more pronounced among schizotypals within, compared to schizotypals outside the schizophrenic spectrum. Schizotypals outside the schizophrenic spectrum, however, scored higher than schizotypals inside the schizophrenic spectrum on ideas of reference, suspiciousness, paranoia, social anxiety, self-damaging acts, chronic anger, free-floating anxiety and sensitivity to rejection. Interestingly, the four last features are seldom observed among schizotypals inside the schizophrenic spectrum. Monozygotic non-schizophrenic cotwins of schizophrenics score high on inadequate rapport, odd communication, social isolation and delusions/hallucinations. Monozygotic non-schizophrenic cotwins of schizotypals outside the schizophrenic genetic spectrum score high on illusions, depersonalization, derealization and magical thinking. Negative schizotypal features appear to be inside the schizophrenic spectrum, while positive borderline-like features are outside having another genetic endowment.

Correlation of regional cerebral blood flow and positive/negative symptoms in schizophrenic patients: covariate SPM analysis

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Lim, Ki Chun; Kim, J. S.; Kim, C. Y.; Lee, H. K.; Moon, D. H. [Ulsan University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2002-07-01

We investigated the relations between rCBF and psychopathology in schizophrenic patients using a SPM99. Thirty-two patients(M/F:22/10, 25{+-}5,6yr) with active symptoms of schizophrenia and 15 age matched normal controls underwent Tc-99m ECD brain perfusion SPECT. Psychopathology of all patients were also assessed according to PANSS (positive and negative syndrome scale in schizophrenia). By covariate SPM analysis, specific areas where rCBF correlated with sum scores of positive/negative synptoms were identified. Regional CBF of schizophrenics was different in several cortical regions from normal controls. Sum scores of positive symptoms were positively correlated with rCBF of both rectal and inferior frontal gyri and right transverse temporal gyrus, and negatively correlated with rCBF of left lingual and right middle temporal gyri (p<0.01). Sum scores of negative symptoms were positively correlated with rCBF of both middle temporal gyri and negatively correlated with rCBF of right superior parietal lobule and medial frontal gyrus (p<0.01). Positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia were correlated with rCBF change in different regions of cerebral association cortex.

Correlation of regional cerebral blood flow and positive/negative symptoms in schizophrenic patients: covariate SPM analysis

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Lim, Ki Chun; Kim, J. S.; Kim, C. Y.; Lee, H. K.; Moon, D. H.

2002-01-01

We investigated the relations between rCBF and psychopathology in schizophrenic patients using a SPM99. Thirty-two patients(M/F:22/10, 25±5,6yr) with active symptoms of schizophrenia and 15 age matched normal controls underwent Tc-99m ECD brain perfusion SPECT. Psychopathology of all patients were also assessed according to PANSS (positive and negative syndrome scale in schizophrenia). By covariate SPM analysis, specific areas where rCBF correlated with sum scores of positive/negative synptoms were identified. Regional CBF of schizophrenics was different in several cortical regions from normal controls. Sum scores of positive symptoms were positively correlated with rCBF of both rectal and inferior frontal gyri and right transverse temporal gyrus, and negatively correlated with rCBF of left lingual and right middle temporal gyri (p<0.01). Sum scores of negative symptoms were positively correlated with rCBF of both middle temporal gyri and negatively correlated with rCBF of right superior parietal lobule and medial frontal gyrus (p<0.01). Positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia were correlated with rCBF change in different regions of cerebral association cortex

Validation of the French version of the BACS (the brief assessment of cognition in schizophrenia) among 50 French schizophrenic patients.

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Bralet, Marie-Cécile; Falissard, Bruno; Neveu, Xavier; Lucas-Ross, Margaret; Eskenazi, Anne-Marie; Keefe, Richard S E

2007-09-01

Schizophrenic patients demonstrate impairments in several key dimensions of cognition. These impairments are correlated with important aspects of functional outcome. While assessment of these cognition disorders is increasingly becoming a part of clinical and research practice in schizophrenia, there is no standard and easily administered test battery. The BACS (Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia) has been validated in English language [Keefe RSE, Golberg TE, Harvey PD, Gold JM, Poe MP, Coughenour L. The Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia: reliability, sensibility, and comparison with a standard neurocognitive battery. Schizophr. Res 2004;68:283-97], and was found to be as sensitive to cognitive dysfunction as a standard battery of tests, with the advantage of requiring less than 35 min to complete. We developed a French adaptation of the BACS and this study tested its ease of administration and concurrent validity. Correlation analyses between the BACS (version A) and a standard battery were performed. A sample of 50 stable schizophrenic patients received the French Version A of the BACS in a first session, and in a second session a standard battery. All the patients completed each of the subtests of the French BACS . The mean duration of completion for the BACS French version was 36 min (S.D.=5.56). A correlation analysis between the BACS (version A) global score and the standard battery global score showed a significant result (r=0.81, p<0.0001). The correlation analysis between the BACS (version A) sub-scores and the standard battery sub-scores showed significant results for verbal memory, working memory, verbal fluency, attention and speed of information processing and executive functions (p<0.001) and for motor speed (p<0.05). The French Version of the BACS is easier to use in French schizophrenic patients compared to a standard battery (administration shorter and completion rate better) and its good psychometric properties suggest

Studies of the correlations between morphological brain changes on MRI and computerized EEG changes in schizophrenics

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Takeuchi, Kouzou

1992-01-01

Twenty eight schizophrenic patients, who ranged in age from 21 to 39 years with a mean of 30.2, and 21 age- and sex-matched normal volunteers were studied by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and electroencephalography (EEG). ALl subjects were given informed consent prior to the present study. They were all right-handed. Schizophrenic patients showed a significantly larger ventricular brain ratio (VBR) on the axial and coronal planes as compared with the control. The bilateral anterior horns, left body, left posterior horn of the lateral ventricle and the third ventricle were significantly larger in schizophrenic patients than the control. The middle half of the corpus callosum was smaller in schizophrenic patients than the control. Schizophrenia was more likely associated not only with delta and theta activities in the centro-parieto-occipital regions but also with beta 1 and beta 2 activities in the front-central regions. In schizophrenic patients, however, alpha 2 activity was markedly decreased in all regions. There were significant positive correlations between the total scores for brief psychiatric rating scale (BPRS) and the areas of the left anterior and posterior horns of the lateral ventricle. The total BPRS scores positively correlated with the area of the third ventricle. In addition, positive correlations were significant between delata activity and the area of the left anterior horn of the lateral ventricle, between delta activity and the area of the third ventricle, and between beta 1 activity and the area of left posteior horn of the lateral ventricle. These results suggest that a dilated third ventricle is associated with electrophysiological brain pathology and psychopathology in schizophrenic patients. (N.K.) 76 refs

The Application of Drawing and Painting to Decrease the Anixiety of the Schizophrenic Patients

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Farbod Fadaei

2002-10-01

Full Text Available Objective: People with schizophrenia continuous type (previously labeled as chronic, constitute the majority of inpatients in rehabilitation wards. These patients, apart from the characteristic signs and symptoms of schizophrenia, suffer from anxiety. This anxiety, not influenced by antipsychotic medications, can be a part of the schizophrenia per se, but it may be due to the unfavorable frame and quality of life in mental hospital wards. Every attempt in decreasing the anxiety of these patients, can be regarded as a step toward a more perfect treatment and rehabilitation plan, and elevating the quality of their lives. In this research the application of drawing and painting as a method to decrease the anxiety of these patients was evaluated. Materials & Methods: 100 schizophrenic patients (according to DSM-IV criteria who were hospitalized in long stay rehabilitation wards of Razi psychiatric center for at least 2 years, entered the research procedure. Their anxiety level was measured by the Cattel anxiety questionnaire. 50 patients, who were selected as experimental group, had 15 one hour sessions of drawing and painting. For the remainder 50 patients who were the control group, various neutral activities (as placebo were performed, during those hours. Medications were unchanged during the research. After the 15th session the anxiety levels of patients were evaluated for the second time. The scores obtained in the first and second evaluations in each group and between two groups were analyzed by appropriate statistical methods. Results: In comparing the mean scores obtained from the first and second measurements in experimental group by applying the t-test (in correlated groups, the difference was statistically significant (t=67.5, P<0.0l. Conclusion: Sessions of drawing and painting with appropriate duration and frequency can significantly diminish the anxiety in long stay schizophrenic patients in rehabilitation wards.

Computerized EEG and brain imaging studies in untreated schizophrenic patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyauchi, Toshiro; Kishimoto, Hideji; Hagimoto, Hiroshi; Fujita, Haruhiro; Tanaka, Kenkichi

1993-01-01

We undertook routine EEG, Z-map, CT and PET scans in seven acute untreated schizophrenics. Routine EEGs showed slower activity in only one case. However, the Z-map showed slower activity in all the cases. CT demonstrated brain atrophy in three of the cases, and PET revealed hypofrontality in two, right hypoparietality in four, and both conditions in one case. There was no relation between CT and PET or the Z-map. However, a significant increase in alpha 1 activity was demonstrated on the Z-map in cases who were found to be the parietal type on PET; this was not conspicuous in the frontal type on PET. Moreover, in three of the patients, the Z-map findings were similar to the lesion indicated on PET. (author)

Evaluation of striatal dopamine transporter density using ({sup 123}I)-{beta}-CIT SPECT in schizophrenic patients treated with olanzapine: pilot study

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Kim, Chul Eung; Moon, Hey Won; Choe, Won Sick; Kim, Chang Ho; Chi, Dae Yoon [Inha Univ., Incheon (Korea, Republic of)

2002-08-01

This pilot study was performed to understand the pharmacological effect of olanzapine, an atypical antipsychotic agent, on dopamine transporter in schizophrenic patients. Six patients (3 male, 3 female) with schizophrenia, who had not taken any psychotropic drugs for at least four weeks, were studied. Nuclear imaging using ({sup 123}I)-{beta}-CIT SPECT was obtained before and after 4-week treatment with olanzapine. Analysis of ROI on the striatum, caudate nucleus, and putamen was performed. Post-treatment uptake was significantly increased in all the ROIs compared with pre-treatment uptake. This preliminary study with the small number of schizophrenic patients suggested an increase in uptake of dopamine transporter in the striatum, caudate nucleus, and putamen after 4-week treatment with olanzapine, which warrants a large-scaled controlled study to confirm the current findings.

Measurement of methionine level with the LC-ESI-MS/MS method in schizophrenic patients.

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Kulaksizoglu, S; Kulaksizoglu, B; Ellidag, H Y; Eren, E; Yilmaz, N; Baykal, A

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate plasma methionine levels by using liquid chromatography electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectroscopy (LC-ESI-MS/MS) in schizophrenic patients. A twelve-point standard graph was drawn, and the recovery rate, the intra-day and inter-day coefficients of variation (CV), the limit of detection (LOD), and the limit of quantification (LOQ) were evaluated. The y and R2 values of the standard graph equation were determined as 0.011x + 0.0179 and 0.9989, respectively, and the graph remained linear until the 200 µmol/l level. The intra-day coefficients of variation of the samples (n = 10) containing 8, 28, and 58 µmol/l methionine were determined as 2.68, 3.10, and 3.79%, respectively; while their inter-day coefficients of variation were determined as 2.98, 3.19, and 3.84%. The LOD and LOQ values were determined as 0.04 and 0.1 µmol/l, respectively, while the mean recovery rates were determined as 101.7 and 99.3%. Plasma methionine values were measured as 21.5 (19.5-24,6) µmol/l for the patient group, 17.8 (16.3-20.1) µmol/l for the control group, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (p = 0.03). LC-ESI-MS/MS method represents a fairly sensitive, economic, and rapid analysis that requires very little sample and is suitable for measuring methionine levels in schizophrenic patients.

Prevalence of diabetes mellitus in chronic schizophrenic inpatients in relation to long-term neuroleptic treatment.

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Cohen, D.; Dekker, J.J.M.; Peen, J.; de Wied, C.

2006-01-01

Background: Many reports indicate that the incidence and prevalence of diabetes mellitus is increased in schizophrenic patients and related to antipsychotic treatment. In an exploratory cross-sectional study we assessed the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in 266 chronic schizophrenic and

Clinical correlates of decreased anteroposterior metabolic gradients in positron emission tomography (PET) of schizophrenic patients

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DeLisi, L.E.; Buchsbaum, M.S.; Holcomb, H.H.

1985-01-01

The finding in schizophrenic patients of a reversal of the normal frontal to posterior pattern of brain metabolic activity with positron emission tomography (PET) is of interest, but its relevance to psychopathology is unknown. Using PET, the authors studied 21 patients with chronic schizophrenia and 21 age- and sex-matched control subjects. Although eight of the 21 patients and only one of the control subjects showed a relatively lower anteroposterior metabolic gradient, no clinical correlates of this finding were noted. In addition, cerebral atrophy, as determined by CAT scan, was not associated with this aberrant metabolic pattern

NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL PERFORMANCE IN A SAMPLE OF INSTITUTIONALIZED CHRONIC SCHIZOPHRENIC PATIENTS

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Luis Maia

2010-12-01

Full Text Available We study the results of a descriptive and exploratory study, with the intent to understand the results of a 21 male schizophrenic patients interned in a Portuguese Mental Health Care Centre, evaluated with neuropsychological test. We tried also to link these tests with variables such as schooling, family contact or lengh of internment. The assessment instruments were: Digits Series and Vocabulary Task, both from WAIS, Raven Progressive Matrices, Rey’s Complex Figures, Luria’s Series Neuropsychological Screening, Clock Task - Neuropsychological Screening and Visual Search and Attention Test. Results show that there is not an attention deficit clinically significant, even that data suggests light attention affection; also variables like family contact and schooling appear as protective factors of memory and also seems to be important for the planning / organization functions.

Findings of cranial computerized tomography in chronic schizophrenics with and without tardive dyskinesias

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Neumann, N.U.

1985-11-25

Findings of cranial computed tomography in 20 chronic schizophrenics with clinical distinct, long-dated hyperkinesias (tardive dyskinesias) are compared with those of a similar group of schizophrenics without hyperkinesias. Both groups had a long-term neuroleptic treatment. The tomograms of those patients with tardive dyskinesias showed only in two cases mild, pathological alterations. Also the tomograms of the comparative group showed no severe atrophies, defects of substance or pathological calcifications. It is concluded that there is no correlation between tardive dyskinesias in long-term neuroleptic treated schizophrenics and gross morphological alterations of the brain. Furthermore the problem of tardive dyskinesia in a general aspect is discussed. (orig.).

Self psychology conceptualization of postpsychotic depression and recovery among paranoid schizophrenic patients.

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Potik, David

2014-01-01

Many psychoanalysts have offered innovative ideas on the treatment of schizophrenic patients, but none on postpsychotic depression. The author presents a psychoanalytic conceptualization of postpsychotic depression based on Kohut's ideas regarding the development of normal and pathological grandiosity. The main premise is that postpsychotic depression stems from the loss of psychotic grandiosity, and that it is the psychological reaction to the loss of omnipotent identity whose role it is to provide an alternative reality. Through near-experience connectedness, clinicians and practitioners in the psychiatric rehabilitation field can facilitate an empathic milieu in which new mental constructs can be established and new behavioral skills can be learned.

A computed tomographic prolective trohoc study of chronic schizophrenics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glueck, E.; Radue, E.W.; Mundt, C.; Gerhardt, P.

1980-01-01

The maximal width of the third ventricle, the maximal distance between the outer tips of the anterior horns, and the number of enlarged cerebral sulci on the two highest CT slices were measured in 68 chronic schizophrenic patients on cranial computed tomograms in order to detect a possible enlargement of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) filled intracranial spaces. These results were compared with values obtained from a control group which was formed in accordance with definite exclusion criteria and matched-pair parameters (sex, age and maximal inner diameter of the skull). In a prolective trohoc study no difference was found in the size of the CSF spaces of schizophrenics and the controls. The psychopathological condition of the patients, which was classified in a semistandardized dialogue, also showed no correlation with the ventricular size or the number of enlarged cerebral sulci. (orig.)

Concentrations in plasma clozapine levels in schizophrenic and schizoaffective patients.

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Iglesias García, Celso; Iglesias Alonso, Ana; Bobes, Julio

There is great variability in plasma levels of clozapine. The objective of this study is to know the characteristics of patients treated with clozapine and the relationship between them and the variability of plasma levels. Descriptive, cross-sectional study of all patients currently treated with clozapine in a Psychiatric Service with a diagnosis of schizophrenic psychosis or schizoaffective disorder. The present study assessed physical situation, psychopathology and functionality of the patients and explored the associations and correlations between clinical variables and plasma levels. We studied 39 patients, predominantly men, with negative and depressive symptoms and cardiovascular risk factors (metabolic syndrome and smoking). Significant variability in dose and even greater in clozapine levels were observed. The levels of clozapine at equal doses/kg of body weight were higher in non-smokers, they had positive correlation with BMI and negative correlation with systolic BP, disruptive behaviors and number of cigarettes consumed. Plasma level monitoring clozapine is an important tool to avoid clozapine plasma levels monitoring and minimize undesirable clinical situations (metabolic syndrome, sedation, negative symptoms and functional impairment). It is also important to control the effects of a smoking habit for optimum drug bioavailability. Copyright © 2017 SEP y SEPB. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Ancient schwannoma of thoracic spine in a schizophrenic patient with somatic delusion

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Ya-Ting Wen

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Ancient schwannoma is a rare variant of schwannoma characterized by histopathologic degenerative changes, which are thought to be the result of long-term tumor growth and aging. However, ancient schwannoma in the spinal canal is particularly rare. We report a case of thoracic spine intradural extramedullary ancient schwannoma in a schizophrenic patient, who kept saying that “something in his back was giving him electric shock” for a long time. Unfortunately, this complaint was misinterpreted as somatic delusion symptoms. A spinal cord tumor was taken into consideration only after paraparesis developed. We have highlighted this case to remind every clinician to remain alert about the possibility of organic disease while treating patients with psychotic disorder history. Thorough neurological examination is required to avoid misdiagnosis. Spinal canal schwannoma can be totally removed successfully with good functional outcome and prognosis.

Plasma homovanillic acid and treatment response in a large group of schizophrenic patients.

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Chang, W H; Hwu, H G; Chen, T Y; Lin, S K; Lung, F W; Chen, H; Lin, W L; Hu, W H; Lin, H N; Chien, C P

1993-10-01

Plasma levels of homovanillic acid (pHVA), a metabolite of dopamine, were measured in ninety-five Chinese schizophrenic patients free of neuroleptics for at least four weeks. These patients were treated with classical antipsychotics for six weeks. Pretreatment pHVA was positively correlated with the subsequent clinical response (r = 0.408, p or = 50%, n = 47) had higher pretreatment pHVA levels than poor responders (BPRS improvement pHVA level was associated with a more consistent clinical response to the subsequent treatment. Using a pHVA level of 12 ng/ml as a demarcation point, 72% of patients (34 of 47) who had pHVA > or = 12 responded whereas 65% (31 of 48) who had pHVA levels may predict a better clinical response to antipsychotics. Based upon the pHVA findings, two hypothetical subtypes of schizophrenia are proposed.

Altered relationships between rCBF in different brain regions of never-treated schizophrenics

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Sabri, O.; Schreckenberger, M.; Cremerius, U.; Dickmann, C.; Schulz, G.; Zimny, M.; Buell, U.; Erkwoh, R.; Owega, A.; Sass, H.

1997-01-01

Aim of this study was to investigate the relations between regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) of different brain regions in acute schizophrenia and following neuroleptic treatment. Methods: Twenty-two never-treated, acute schizophrenic patients were examined with HMPAO brain SPECT and assessed psychopathologically, and reexamined following neuroleptic treatment (over 96.8 days) and psychopathological remission. rCBF was determined by region/cerebellar count quotients obtained from 98 irregular regions of interest (ROIs), summed up to 11 ROIs on each hemisphere. In acute schizophrenics, interregional rCBF correlations of each ROI to every other ROI were compared to the interregional correlations following neuroleptic treatment and to those of controls. Results: All significant correlations of rCBF ratios of different brain regions were exclusively positive in controls and patients. In controls, all ROIs of one hemisphere except the mesial temporal ROI correlated significantly to its contralateral ROI. Each hemisphere showed significant frontal-temporal correlations, as well as cortical-subcortical and some cortico-limbic. In contrast, in acute schizophrenics nearly every ROI correlated significantly with every other ROI, without a grouping or relation of the rCBF of certain ROIs as in controls. After neuroleptic treatment and clinical improvement, this diffuse pattern of correlations remained. Conclusions: These results indicate differences in the neuronal interplay between regions in schizophrenic and healthy subjects. In nevertreated schizophrenics, diffuse interregional rCBF correlations can be seen as a sign of change and dysfunction of the systems regulating specificity and diversity of the neuronal functions. Neuroleptic therapy and psychopathologic remission showed no normalizing effect on interregional correlations. (orig.) [de

Self-mutilation of the nose in a schizophrenic patient with Cotard syndrome.

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Ghaffari-Nejad, Alireza; Kerdegari, Mohammad; Reihani-Kermani, Hamed

2007-10-01

Cotard syndrome is a rare condition, which its main symptom is nihilistic delusion. Self-mutilation of the nose is also a rare condition, which has not been seen in schizophrenic patients with Cotard syndrome. A single case is presented here. A 32-year-old woman who was diagnosed as having schizophrenia and believed that she was dead, cut the tip of her nose. She had no guilt feeling and described her act as a cosmetic surgery. We try to explain how various symptoms that seem to be very far from each other could exist side by side. Misinterpretation of her face is suggested to be the starting point in her complex symptoms.

FAMILY EDUCATION IN MANAGEMENT OF SCHIZOPHRENIC AND MOOD DISORDER PATIENTS

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GH GHASEMI

2000-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction. The role of family as a preventive, promotive, and curative agent is well documented in mental health studies. However, few attempts have been made to engineer the positive family mechanisms in enhancing psychiatric patients' role performance. Methods. This study is an endeavor to demarcate the effect of family education on social functioning of 170 schizophrenics and 174 patients with mood disorders. Solomon's four group design allowed patients from each category to be assigned into four groups. Key family members from experimental groups participated in a one day monthly programmer over a period of six months. Attitude towards mental illness, family environment and skills in management of patient's verbal and non-verbal behaviors as well as patient's adjustment ability within the family, community and work place constituted the focus of this study. While applying batteries of test, data pertaining to the aforementioned characteristics were obtained from the subjects 6 and 18 months after intervention which were subsequently compared with the baseline data. Findings. Comparing the baseline data with the data pertaining to other phases of intervention, one could observe a regressively progressive change in the families' attitudinal, cognitive and behavioral aspects, allowed by the patients' desirable social adjustment. Conclusion. These observations are congruent with earlier findings in the west, reinforcing the promising role of education in bringing about desirable changes in the family dynamic which can ensure better outcome for the psychiatric patients' illness.

Phosphorus-31 and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the medial temporal region in schizophrenic patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamada, Koichiro

1996-01-01

Phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was performed 22 schizophrenic patients and in 22 healthy volunteers. Psychiatric symptoms were estimated on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) and the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS). The spectra were quantified for phosphomonoesters (PME), inorganic orthophosphate (Pi), phosphodiesters (PDE), phosphocreatine (Pcr) and the γ, α and β phosphates of 5'-adenosine triphosphate (ATP) by peak area measurements. Proton MRS was performed in 15 schizophrenic patients and in 15 healthy volunteers. Psychiatric symptoms were estimated on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the SANS. The spectra of N-acetylates (NA), choline-containing compounds (Cho) and creatine-phosphocreatine (Cr) were quantified. The patients showed an increase in the % PDE and a decrease in the % β-ATP in the left temporal region. Positive correlations were found between the % PDE and the subscale of positive symptoms on the BPRS and the total score of SAPS. The % β-ATP correlated negatively with the total score on SAPS. The NA/Cho and NA/Cr ratios were significantly lower in patients than in normal subjects. The Cho/Cr ratio was higher in the patient group. The age at onset of illness correlated positively with the NA/Cho and NA/Cr ratios. No significant correlations were observed between the ratios of metabolites and the scores of PANSS and SANS. There were no significant associations between the mole percentages and the ratios and the daily doses of neuroleptics and anticholinergics. These findings suggest that the disturbed membrane phospholipid and high-energy phosphate metabolism in the left medial temporal region may be one of the pathophysiologies of neuroleptic-resistant positive symptoms in schizophrenia and these abnormalities may be related to neuronal loss and/or neuronal dysfunction in this region. (H.O.)

The cortisol awakening response in caregivers of schizophrenic offspring shows sensitivity to patient status.

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Gonzalez-Bono, Esperanza; De Andres-Garcia, Sara; Moya-Albiol, Luis

2011-01-01

Taking care of offspring during a prolonged period of time is probably one of the most stressful life experiences for parents. The present study compares the cortisol awakening response (CAR) in 38 long-term caregivers (mothers and fathers of schizophrenic relatives) with a control group of 32 non-caregivers. Factors such as general stress, caregiver burden, patient severity, and institutionalization were studied. Although a blunted CAR was observed in caregivers in comparison with controls, this difference was not significant. Among caregivers, the absence of institutionalization for the patient is associated with a lack of CAR in caregivers in comparison with caregivers of institutionally supported patients. General stress, caregiver burden, and patient severity themselves did not favor significant changes in CAR. CAR shows greater sensitivity to institutional support than patient severity and perceived stress. Further research is needed to explain the impact of these factors on health and the psychological factors involved.

A Comparative Genomic Study in Schizophrenic and in Bipolar Disorder Patients, Based on Microarray Expression Profiling Meta-Analysis

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Marianthi Logotheti

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Schizophrenia affecting almost 1% and bipolar disorder affecting almost 3%–5% of the global population constitute two severe mental disorders. The catecholaminergic and the serotonergic pathways have been proved to play an important role in the development of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other related psychiatric disorders. The aim of the study was to perform and interpret the results of a comparative genomic profiling study in schizophrenic patients as well as in healthy controls and in patients with bipolar disorder and try to relate and integrate our results with an aberrant amino acid transport through cell membranes. In particular we have focused on genes and mechanisms involved in amino acid transport through cell membranes from whole genome expression profiling data. We performed bioinformatic analysis on raw data derived from four different published studies. In two studies postmortem samples from prefrontal cortices, derived from patients with bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and control subjects, have been used. In another study we used samples from postmortem orbitofrontal cortex of bipolar subjects while the final study was performed based on raw data from a gene expression profiling dataset in the postmortem superior temporal cortex of schizophrenics. The data were downloaded from NCBI's GEO datasets.

Altered Expression Profile of IgLON Family of Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules in the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex of Schizophrenic Patients

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Karina Karis

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Neural adhesion proteins are crucial in the development and maintenance of functional neural connectivity. Growing evidence suggests that the IgLON family of neural adhesion molecules LSAMP, NTM, NEGR1, and OPCML are important candidates in forming the susceptibility to schizophrenia (SCZ. IgLON proteins have been shown to be involved in neurite outgrowth, synaptic plasticity and neuronal connectivity, all of which have been shown to be altered in the brains of patients with the diagnosis of schizophrenia. Here we optimized custom 5′-isoform-specific TaqMan gene-expression analysis for the transcripts of human IgLON genes to study the expression of IgLONs in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC of schizophrenic patients (n = 36 and control subjects (n = 36. Uniform 5′-region and a single promoter was confirmed for the human NEGR1 gene by in silico analysis. IgLON5, a recently described family member, was also included in the study. We detected significantly elevated levels of the NEGR1 transcript (1.33-fold increase and the NTM 1b isoform transcript (1.47-fold increase in the DLPFC of schizophrenia patients compared to healthy controls. Consequent protein analysis performed in male subjects confirmed the increase in NEGR1 protein content both in patients with the paranoid subtype and in patients with other subtypes. In-group analysis of patients revealed that lower expression of certain IgLON transcripts, mostly LSAMP 1a and 1b, could be related with concurrent depressive endophenotype in schizophrenic patients. Additionally, our study cohort provides further evidence that cannabis use may be a relevant risk factor associated with suicidal behaviors in psychotic patients. In conclusion, we provide clinical evidence of increased expression levels of particular IgLON family members in the DLPFC of schizophrenic patients. We propose that alterations in the expression profile of IgLON neural adhesion molecules are associated with brain

Effects of typical antipsychotic, haloperidol on regional cerebral blood flow in drug-naive schizophrenic patients-study with 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamoya, Masatoshi

2001-01-01

For the purpose of examining antipsychotic action of haloperidol (HPD), effects of chronic perioral administration of HPD 4.5 mg/day on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) with 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT were investigated in 12 drug-naive schizophrenic patients with acute hallucinatory and delusional state. Further, the SPECT examinations were performed on 20 normal adult volunteers to investigate differences in rCBFs between schizophrenics and the normal subjects. Results are itemized as follows. The rCBF values were significantly increased in the bilateral superior and middle frontal, cingulate, middle temporal, pre-and post-central gyri, the left superior temporal gyrus, the bilateral inferior parietal lobule, and the bilateral hippocampal and thalamic cortices in comparison between normal subjects and before the HPD dose in schizophrenics. However, the rCBF values after the HPD dose showed significant increases only in the bilateral pre-and post-central gyri in comparison with the normal subjects. The rCBF values were significantly decreased in the bilateral superior, middle and inferior frontal, superior and middle temporal gyri, and the left insular gyrus after the HPD dose in comparison with before the HPD dose. The psychiatric assessment with PANSS showed an improvement of positive symptoms consisting of auditory hallucination and delusions after the HPD dose. Statistical analyses on relationships between the rCBF values and PANSS scores before and after the HPD dose showed positive correlations between the right inferior frontal gyrus and auditory hallucination or positive symptoms, between the right superior temporal gyrus, left thalamus and delusions, and between the left thalamus, insular gyrus and negative symptoms. These results suggest that acute drug-naive schizophrenic patients have widespread cortico-subcortical energic hypermetabolism and HPD reduces the hypermetabolism, leading to whole normalized brain metabolism, in particular with the larger region

Effects of typical antipsychotic, haloperidol on regional cerebral blood flow in drug-naive schizophrenic patients-study with 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT

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Kamoya, Masatoshi [Kanazawa Medical Univ., Ishikawa (Japan)

2001-03-01

For the purpose of examining antipsychotic action of haloperidol (HPD), effects of chronic perioral administration of HPD 4.5 mg/day on regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) with 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT were investigated in 12 drug-naive schizophrenic patients with acute hallucinatory and delusional state. Further, the SPECT examinations were performed on 20 normal adult volunteers to investigate differences in rCBFs between schizophrenics and the normal subjects. Results are itemized as follows. The rCBF values were significantly increased in the bilateral superior and middle frontal, cingulate, middle temporal, pre-and post-central gyri, the left superior temporal gyrus, the bilateral inferior parietal lobule, and the bilateral hippocampal and thalamic cortices in comparison between normal subjects and before the HPD dose in schizophrenics. However, the rCBF values after the HPD dose showed significant increases only in the bilateral pre-and post-central gyri in comparison with the normal subjects. The rCBF values were significantly decreased in the bilateral superior, middle and inferior frontal, superior and middle temporal gyri, and the left insular gyrus after the HPD dose in comparison with before the HPD dose. The psychiatric assessment with PANSS showed an improvement of positive symptoms consisting of auditory hallucination and delusions after the HPD dose. Statistical analyses on relationships between the rCBF values and PANSS scores before and after the HPD dose showed positive correlations between the right inferior frontal gyrus and auditory hallucination or positive symptoms, between the right superior temporal gyrus, left thalamus and delusions, and between the left thalamus, insular gyrus and negative symptoms. These results suggest that acute drug-naive schizophrenic patients have widespread cortico-subcortical energic hypermetabolism and HPD reduces the hypermetabolism, leading to whole normalized brain metabolism, in particular with the larger region

Taking cognizance of mental illness in schizophrenics and its association with crime and substance-related diagnoses.

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Munkner, R; Haastrup, S; Jørgensen, T; Andreasen, A H; Kramp, P

2003-02-01

To analyse how committed crimes and substance-related diagnoses are associated with the age on the first contact with the psychiatric hospital system and the age at diagnosing of schizophrenia among schizophrenics. In a register-based study including all Danes diagnosed with schizophrenia born after November 1, 1963, data on criminality, substance-related diagnoses and contacts with the psychiatric hospital system were analysed. Compared with the non-convicted schizophrenics the convicted were older on first contact with the psychiatric hospital system and older when the diagnosis of schizophrenia was first given. In contrast, having a substance-related diagnosis was associated with a younger age on first contact but did not influence the age at which the diagnosis of schizophrenia was given. It is important that both psychiatrists and the judicial system are aware of possible psychotic symptoms in criminal and abusing individuals to enable earlier detection and treatment.

Plasma homovanillic acid levels and therapeutic outcome in schizophrenics: comparisons of neuroleptic-naive first-episode patients and patients with disease exacerbation due to neuroleptic discontinuance.

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Akiyama, K; Tsuchida, K; Kanzaki, A; Ujike, H; Hamamura, T; Kondo, K; Mutoh, S; Miyanagi, K; Kuroda, S; Otsuki, S

1995-11-15

Plasma homovanillic acid (pHVA) levels were measured and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) scores were evaluated in 26 schizophrenic patients who had either never been medicated (neuroleptic-naive, first-episode subjects) or whose condition had become exacerbated following neuroleptic discontinuance (exacerbated subjects). All the subjects received medication with a fixed dose of a neuroleptic (haloperidol or fluphenazine, both 9 mg/day) for the first week and variable doses for the subsequent 4 weeks. In the neuroleptic-naive subjects, pHVA levels increased significantly 1 week after starting the protocol; this increase correlated significantly with clinical improvement of the BPRS positive symptom scores at week 5. In the neuroleptic-naive subjects, pHVA levels had declined to the baseline level by week 5. In the exacerbated subjects, there were no significant correlations between pHVA level changes at week 1 and later improvements of the BPRS positive symptom scores. These results suggest that the rise in pHVA levels occurring within 1 week after starting a fixed neuroleptic dose may predict a favorable clinical response in neuroleptic-naive schizophrenic patients.

Comparison between Camberwell Family Interview and Expressed Emotion Scale in Determining Emotions of Caregivers of Schizophrenic Patients

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ÇETİNKAYA DUMAN, Zekiye; KUŞCU, M. Kemal; ÖZGÜN, Serkan

2013-01-01

Introduction The aim of the study was to compare the Camberwell Family Interview (CFI) and the Expressed Emotion Scale (EES) in determining the level of expressed emotion in caregivers of patients with schizophrenia. Method The study sample included caregivers of 22 schizophrenic patients followed in two psychiatric clinics. The level of expressed emotion in the caregivers was assessed by the CFI and the EES. CFI was applied to caregivers of the inpatients and the procedure was audio recorded. These records were later used for the ratings. EES was completed by the caregivers. Total EES scores were used to determine the level of expressed emotion in the caregivers. Results Forty point nine percent and 50% of the caregivers had high level of expressed emotion based on the analysis of the data obtained from the CFI and EES. Fifty-nine percent and 50% of the caregivers had low level of expressed emotion based on the data obtained from the CFI and EES. The proportion of the caregivers with high level of expressed emotion as measured by the CFI and the EES were not statistically significantly different within the sample (χ2= 0.727). Conclusion The CFI and the EES were similar in determining the level of expressed emotion in caregivers of schizophrenic patients. It can be suggested that the EES, a user friendly tool, may be preferred to determine the level of expressed emotion in caregivers of patients with schizophrenia. However, further studies with larger samples are needed to obtain more reliable results. PMID:28360561

[A comparison of characteristics of pathologic hobbies in schizophrenic patients of different age].

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Sergeev, I I; Deych, R V; Malinochka, S A

2016-01-01

To analyze age-related pathologic hobbies in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Forty-three inpatients, aged from 4 to 16 years, and 31 patients, aged from 18 to 65 years, were studied. Clinical/psychopathological analysis, psychological experiment and clinical statistics were used. Pathological hobbies substantially differed depending on the age (3-6, 7-15 and 18-65 years). In preschool age, hobbies were immature and infantile, arose autochthonously, their course was relatively stable and they had limited maladaptive effects. In junior school/teenager age, hobbies were more distinct and were associated with more diverse and mature realization patterns. Their origin was more depended on environmental factors, the course was persistent or attack-like with more pronounced and steady maladaptive effects. In some cases, there was a trend to pathological hobby progression. Abnormal hobbies in patients of mature age were the most diverse in their subjects and forms of realization as well as in their clinical variants and dynamic types. In the group of mature patients with schizophrenic spectrum disorders, there was a significantly higher percentage of psychotic forms of pathological hobbies.

Higher incidence of hip fracture in newly diagnosed schizophrenic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Higher incidence of hip fracture in newly diagnosed schizophrenic patients in Taiwan. Hip fracture is a major public health concern due to its poor outcome and serious socioeconomic burden in older people (1). Evidence has shown that many factors are related to increased risk of hip fracture, but psychiatric diseases are ...

A Case-controlled Study on Personality Characteristics of Suicidal and Homicidal Schizophrenics%有自杀和凶杀行为的精神分裂症患者人格特征比较研究

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

王小平; 蔡伟雄; 刘铁桥

2001-01-01

Objective:To examine differences in personality characteristics between suicidal and homicidal schizophrenic patients.Methods:A case-control study was conducted with 27 suicidal schizophrenic patients and 22 homicidal schizophrenic patients. Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) was employed to assess these patients. Results: The results showed no reliable differences on all of the MMPI scale scores. Conclusion: It was concluded that schizophrenic patients with suicidal and homicidal tendencies have similar personality characteristics.

Biobehavioral Risk Factors in Children of Schizophrenic Parents.

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Erlenmeyer-Kimling, L.; Cornblatt, Barbara

1984-01-01

Research on risk factors for schizophrenia is reviewed with emphasis on children of schizophrenic parents. Four areas of biobehavioral functioning that have been examined in high-risk research are discussed. Three of these are considered compatible with hypothesis neurointegrative defect underlying schizophrenic-proneness. (Author/CL)

Performance of brain-damaged, schizophrenic, and normal subjects on a visual searching task.

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Goldstein, G; Kyc, F

1978-06-01

Goldstein, Rennick, Welch, and Shelly (1973) reported on a visual searching task that generated 94.1% correct classifications when comparing brain-damaged and normal subjects, and 79.4% correct classifications when comparing brain-damaged and psychiatric patients. In the present study, representing a partial cross-validation with some modification of the test procedure, comparisons were made between brain-damaged and schizophrenic, and brain-damaged and normal subjects. There were 92.5% correct classifications for the brain-damaged vs normal comparison, and 82.5% correct classifications for the brain-damaged vs schizophrenic comparison.

Enkephalin, dynorphin and substance P in postmortem substantia nigra from normals and schizophrenic patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iadarola, M.J.; Ofri, D.; Kleinman, J.E.

1991-01-01

Three peptide neuromodulators that are found in high concentration in the subtantia nigra: dynorphin A 1,8-met5-enkephalin-arg6-gly7-leu8 and substance P, were measured by specific radioimmunoassays in nigral tissue from normals and schizophrenics postmortem. Substance P and dynorphin were unchanged between the two groups. However, the proenkephalin-derived peptide was significantly elevated in the schizophrenic group. The immunoreactivity was identified as authentic met5-enkephalin-arg6-gly7-leu8 by high pressure liquid chromatography. The data suggest that a different set of regulatory controls exists for nigral enkephalin peptides as compared to dynorphin and substance P, and that the former system may be disordered in schizophrenia

Enkephalin, dynorphin and substance P in postmortem substantia nigra from normals and schizophrenic patients

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Iadarola, M.J.; Ofri, D.; Kleinman, J.E. (National Institute of Dental Research, Bethesda, MD (USA) National Institute of Mental Health, Washington, DC (USA))

1991-01-01

Three peptide neuromodulators that are found in high concentration in the subtantia nigra: dynorphin A 1,8-met5-enkephalin-arg6-gly7-leu8 and substance P, were measured by specific radioimmunoassays in nigral tissue from normals and schizophrenics postmortem. Substance P and dynorphin were unchanged between the two groups. However, the proenkephalin-derived peptide was significantly elevated in the schizophrenic group. The immunoreactivity was identified as authentic met5-enkephalin-arg6-gly7-leu8 by high pressure liquid chromatography. The data suggest that a different set of regulatory controls exists for nigral enkephalin peptides as compared to dynorphin and substance P, and that the former system may be disordered in schizophrenia.

Neural correlates of working memory deficits in schizophrenic patients. Ways to establish neurocognitive endophenotypes of psychiatric disorders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gruber, O.; Gruber, E.; Falkai, P.

2005-01-01

This article briefly reviews some methodological limitations of functional neuroimaging studies in psychiatric patients. We argue that the investigation of the neural substrates of cognitive deficits in psychiatric disorders requires a combination of functional neuroimaging studies in healthy subjects with corresponding behavioral experiments in patients. In order to exemplify this methodological approach we review recent findings regarding the functional neuroanatomy of distinct components of human working memory and provide evidence for selective dysfunctions of cortical networks that underlie specific working memory deficits in schizophrenia. This identification of subgroups of schizophrenic patients according to neurocognitive parameters may facilitate the establishment of behavioral and neurophysiological endophenotypes and the development of a neurobiological classification of psychiatric disorders. (orig.) [de

SOCIOPATHS AND SCHIZOPHRENICS - A COMPARISON OF FAMILY INTERACTIONS

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Matched groups of sociopaths and schizophrenics were compared in a military psychiatric hospital. Striking differences in patterns of family...pathological concern. The parents of sociopaths showed conspicuous disinterest, characterized by unconcern or rejection. The parents of...schizophrenics wrote more, visited more, and traveled greater distances than did parents of sociopaths .

The Correlation Between Schizophrenic Patients' Level of Internalized Stigma and Their Level of Hope.

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Olçun, Zeynep; Şahin Altun, Özlem

2017-08-01

The aim of this study is to determine the correlation between schizophrenic patients' level of internalized stigma and their level of hope. The population of the study consisted of patients who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and also met the study inclusion criteria. The study sample selection from the population was not further divided; the study was conducted with 76 patients. The data of the study were collected using a personal information form, the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness (ISMI) Scale, and Herth Hope Scale. The patients' mean score on the Internalized Stigma Scale was 72.78±16.05. Their score on the Hope Scale is 50.36±11.91. A significant negative correlation was found between the total mean scores of ISMI and the Herth Hope Scale (r=-0.360, pHope Scale (r=0.510, phope levels were found to be moderate. A significant negative correlation was found between internalized stigma and hope. This study also found a significant positive correlation between the stigma resistance of patients and their hope levels. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chronic auditory hallucinations in schizophrenic patients: MR analysis of the coincidence between functional and morphologic abnormalities.

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Martí-Bonmatí, Luis; Lull, Juan José; García-Martí, Gracián; Aguilar, Eduardo J; Moratal-Pérez, David; Poyatos, Cecilio; Robles, Montserrat; Sanjuán, Julio

2007-08-01

To prospectively evaluate if functional magnetic resonance (MR) imaging abnormalities associated with auditory emotional stimuli coexist with focal brain reductions in schizophrenic patients with chronic auditory hallucinations. Institutional review board approval was obtained and all participants gave written informed consent. Twenty-one right-handed male patients with schizophrenia and persistent hallucinations (started to hear hallucinations at a mean age of 23 years +/- 10, with 15 years +/- 8 of mean illness duration) and 10 healthy paired participants (same ethnic group [white], age, and education level [secondary school]) were studied. Functional echo-planar T2*-weighted (after both emotional and neutral auditory stimulation) and morphometric three-dimensional gradient-recalled echo T1-weighted MR images were analyzed using Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM2) software. Brain activation images were extracted by subtracting those with emotional from nonemotional words. Anatomic differences were explored by optimized voxel-based morphometry. The functional and morphometric MR images were overlaid to depict voxels statistically reported by both techniques. A coincidence map was generated by multiplying the emotional subtracted functional MR and volume decrement morphometric maps. Statistical analysis used the general linear model, Student t tests, random effects analyses, and analysis of covariance with a correction for multiple comparisons following the false discovery rate method. Large coinciding brain clusters (P < .005) were found in the left and right middle temporal and superior temporal gyri. Smaller coinciding clusters were found in the left posterior and right anterior cingular gyri, left inferior frontal gyrus, and middle occipital gyrus. The middle and superior temporal and the cingular gyri are closely related to the abnormal neural network involved in the auditory emotional dysfunction seen in schizophrenic patients.

Effectiveness of Vitamin D Supplement Therapy in Chronic Stable Schizophrenic Male Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Sheikhmoonesi, Fatemeh; Zarghami, Mehran; Mamashli, Shima; Yazdani Charati, Jamshid; Hamzehpour, Romina; Fattahi, Samineh; Azadbakht, Rahil; Kashi, Zahra; Ala, Shahram; Moshayedi, Mona; Alinia, Habibollah; Hendouei, Narjes

2016-01-01

In this study, the aim was to determine whether adding vitamin D to the standard therapeutic regimen of schizophrenic male patients with inadequate vitamin D status could improve some aspects of the symptom burden or not. This study was an open parallel label randomized clinical trial. Eighty patients with chronic stable schizophrenia with residual symptoms and Vitamin D deficiency were recruited randomly and then received either 600000 IU Vitamin D injection once along with their antipsychotic regimen or with their antipsychotic regimen only. Serum vitamin D was measured twice: first at the baseline and again on the fourth month. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was assessed at the baseline and on the fourth month. During the study, the vitamin D serum changes in vitamin group and control group were 22.1 ± 19.9(95%CI = 15.9-28.8) and 0.2 ± 1.7(95%CI = 0.2-0.8) (ng/mL) (pvitamin D and control group respectively (p=0.5). The changes of PANSS negative subscale score (N) were -0.1 ± 0.7 (95%CI = -0.3-0.05) and -0.1 ± 0.5 (95%CI = -0.2-0.04) in vitamin D and control group respectively (p = 0.7) and there was a negative but not significant correlation between serum vitamin D level changes and PANSS negative subscale score (r = -0.04, p = 0.7). We did not find a relationship between serum vitamin D level changes and the improvement of negative and positive symptoms in schizophrenic patients and more randomized clinical trials are required to confirm our findings.

The electronic register patients with hypertensia in Tomsk Region

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O. S. Kobyakova

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Within the limits of the regional program «Prevention and treatment of an arterial hypertension for the period of 2004—2008» the electronic register of the patients with hypertensia inTomskRegion has been created.The electronic register is a two-level system where interaction of two kinds of databases is carried out: the first level is the databases of separate medical organization; the second level is the central integrated database.The basic information for the electronic register are documents confirmed by the Health service Ministry of the Russian Federation, that is the coupon of the out-patient patient and a card of dynamic supervision over the patient with hypertensia.All the data about the patients, included in the register are subdivided into unchangeable and changeable ones.The electronic register is an effective control system providing local leading of health service bodies with qualitative and high-grade information in processes of preparation of decision-making and measure taken for prevention and treatment of hypertensia.The electronic register is an effective monitoring system, providing medical authority of important information for taking decisions establishment measures for prevention and treatment of hypertensia.

[A new patient focused scale for measuring quality of life in schizophrenic patients: the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale (SOL)].

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, P; Caci, H; Azorin, J M; Daléry, J; Hardy-Baylé, M C; Etienne, D; Gérard, D; Peretti, C S

2005-01-01

RATIONALE/OBJECTIVE: Quality of Life (QOL) has been recognized as an important measure of the outcome of patients by clinicians and policy makers in Mental Health. The emerging consensus in the health field that personal values and the patient's preferences are important in monitoring the quality of medical care outcomes makes it even more important to assess the patient's perspectives. Unfortunately, there is little consensus about what constitutes QOL or how to measure it, particularly in psychotic patients. The objective of this study is to report the stages of development and validation of a QOL questionnaire based on issues pertinent to patients with schizophrenia. During a first phase, identical pattern were identified among interviews (conducted by psychologists) of schizophrenic patients (DSM IV, n = 100), mental health staff (n = 20) and families (n = 20). The data gathered in the first phase were discussed and organized, by 25 experts, into a structure that made up the skeleton of the scale (133 items, 17 factors). Based on a prospective epidemiological study conducted with 337 French psychiatrists, a validation analysis of structural and psychometric proprieties was performed. Finally reliability of the scale was assessed by a second test/retest (D0, D7) study (n = 100). A total of 686 schizophrenic, schizophreniform or schizoaffective patients (DSM IV) were included. Internal consistency analysis identified 14 factors (74 items), all with a Cronbach's alpha of at least 0.75: professional life (0.95), affective and sexual life (0.92), illness knowledge (0.90), relationship (0.92), life satisfaction, (0.87), coping with drugs (0.79), drugs impact on the body (0.87), daily life (0.83), family relationship (0.81), future (0.88), security feeling (0.84), leisure (0.87), money management (0.76) and autonomy (0.75). Construct validity was confirmed (Pearson test) using established clinical (Brief Psychiatry Rating Scale and Clinical Global Improvement), social

Pimozide versus fluphenazine in ambulatory schizophrenics: A 12-month comparison study.

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Donlon, P T; Swaback, D O; Osborne, M L

1977-02-01

In this study, chronic schizophrenic outpatients who had been maintained on various neuroleptics for an average of about 4 years had their previous medications (approximately equivalent to 695 mg of chlorpromazine per day) changed abruptly to either pimozide or fluphenazine given in single daily oral doses on a double-blind basis for a period of 52 weeks. Average daily doses were pimozide 9.6 mg and fluphenazine 12.5 mg. Measurements of the therapeutic effects of the two drugs were made immediately prior to starting the study, at the end of the 2nd and 4th weeks, and thereafter every 4th week to the end of the study. Three psychometric scales were used for evaluation: Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS); Evaluation of Social Functioning (ESFR); and Clinical Global Impressions (CGI). In addition, patients participated in a Social Adjustment Inventory (SAI) evaluation. Statistical analysis with the use of several statistical techniques for between- and within-drug group comparisons revealed that pimozide and fluphenazine were equally effective in maintaining control of symptomatology of chronic schizophrenics at a level commensurate with or better than that provided by their previous medication. Side effects were characteristic of marketed neuroleptics, similar in severity and occurrence between study-drug groups, mainly extrapyramidal symptoms, and readily controlled with antiparkinsonian medication. Pimozide, slightly more potent than fluphenazine, proved to be equally effective for the long-term management of chronic schizophrenic patients.

An investigation of factors increasing the risk of aggressive behaviour among schizophrenic inpatients

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Michel eLejoyeux

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Aim of the studyThis study tried to identify risk factors of aggressive behavior in a population of schizophrenic inpatients. We tested the association between aggressive behavior and socio-demographic characteristics, addictive disorders, history of suicide attempt and sexual violence, impulsivity and sensation seeking.MethodsAll consecutive schizophrenic inpatients (100 were assessed during six months. Aggressive behavior was quantified with a standardized scale, the Overt Aggression Scale (OAS. We studied socio-demographic characteristics and the history of suicide attempt and sexual violence with a specific standardized questionnaire. Addictive disorders were identified with the Fagerström and CAGE questionnaires and with the DSM-IV-R diagnostic criteria for nicotine, alcohol, cannabis opiates, and cocaine abuse and dependence disorders. Lastly, we studied sensation-seeking with the Zuckerman scale and impulsivity with the Barratt scale. ResultsLinear regression identified four factors associated with aggressive behaviour: male gender (odd ratio =12.8, history of sexual violence (odd ratio = 3.6, Fagerström score (odd ratio= 1.3, number of cigarettes smoked each day (odd ratio=1.16. Patients with nicotine use or dependence had significantly higher levels of OAS scores. This difference was not observed between patients with or without alcohol dependence. OAS scores were correlated to the number of cigarettes smoked each day and to Fagerström scores. Patients with a higher level of sensation seeking and impulsivity also had higher OAS scores. ConclusionA Typical schizophrenic patient at risk of showing aggressive behavior is a man, who smokes and presents a history of sexual violence.

Adjustment for misclassification in studies of familial aggregation of disease using routine register data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Elisabeth Anne Wreford; Andersen, Per Kragh

2002-01-01

This paper discusses the misclassification that occurs when relying solely on routine register data in family studies of disease clustering. A register study of familial aggregation of schizophrenia is used as an example. The familial aggregation is studied using a regression model for the disease...... before this time are misclassified as disease-free. Two methods are presented to adjust for this misclassification: regression calibration and an EM-type algorithm. These methods are used in the schizophrenia example where the large effect of having a schizophrenic mother hardly shows any signs of bias...

Subdural hematoma cases identified through a Danish patient register

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulsen, Frantz Rom; Halle, Bo; Pottegård, Anton

2016-01-01

PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess the usefulness of Danish patient registers for epidemiological studies of subdural hematoma (SDH) and to describe clinical characteristics of validated cases. METHODS: Using a patient register covering a geographically defined area in Denmark, we retrieved...... use did not vary by SDH type (OR 0.9, 95%CI 0.6-1.2). CONCLUSIONS: Danish patient registers are a useful resource for SDH studies. However, choice of International Classification of Diseases code markedly influences diagnostic validity. Distinction between cSDH and aSDH is not possible based on SDH...

Positron CT findings of chronic schizophrenics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toyoda, Junzo; Miyazaki, Chihiro; Sugai, Yuichi; Iio, Masaaki.

1983-01-01

Positron CT images of 15 chronic schizophrenics (2 females and 13 males) were examined in contrast to 5 male controls. Average age of controls was 36 years and that of schizophrenics was 42 years. Schizophrenic cases were ill over 6 years, averaging 17 years. All were under antipsychotic drug therapy. Tracer compounds were 11 C-CO2 and 11 C-glucose photosynthesised, the former being inhalated once just before and the latter being administered orally 10-15 minutes before examinations. On positron CT images of all normal controls, hyper-radioactivities in frontal regions were observed. Some asymmetries of activities were observed but not remarkable. There wes no difference between the images with 11 C-CO2 and those with 11 C-glucose. In schizophrenic cases, (1) 7 out of 15 cases showed hypo-activities in the frontal regions both with 11 C-CO2 and 11 C-glucose. (2) With 11 C-glucose, relative activities in the brain were lower than those in the soft tissues around the scalp, suggesting the lowered selective uptake of 11 C-glucose by the brain. (3) With 11 C-CO 2, 4 cases showed higher activities in the right temporal regions and their subcortex than the left. By consideration of relationships between these positron CT findings and clinical data such as present age, age of onset of illness, duration of illness, psychiatric symptoms, present drug amount, summed drug amount from administration, EEG and X-ray CT findings, significant correlation was recognized only between low frontal radioactivities and apathy-abulia as main symptom. Limitation on the explanation of the findings with the image alone was discussed. (author)

[A nationwide investigation needs for rehabilitation of schizophrenic outpatients--the patients' attribute and actual conditions of living].

Science.gov (United States)

Yamashita, T; Kuroda, K; Hirano, W; Ueno, M; Yoshizumi, A; Inomata, Y; Komine, K

1996-01-01

In Japan we are very short of community resources for persons with mental disability. The authors, a board of resettlement, thought patients' actual conditions of living and needs for rehabilitation to let them live in the community had to be evaluated. Then in March 1993 the actual conditions of living and needs for rehabilitation of schizophrenic outpatients were investigated nationally. This article is the report on the patients' actual conditions of living. Investigation papers were sent to 358 institutions (286 hospitals and 72 clinics) which agreed to cooperate with the investigation. The 5186 investigation papers were received from 313 institutions. All of the papers except 18, which were lack of their ages, were analyzed. All of the schizophrenic outpatients, who consulted psychiatrists on one day during investigation, were considered objects of this research. Those who consented were included the research and psychiatrists filled in investigation papers. These institutions had a policy of intensive social resettlement activities and so on. Male patients were 55% and females were 45%. There were patients in the forties and females were older than males. Thirty-nine percent of them had been hospitalized once or twice. Thirty-four percent of them had been hospitalized for less than one year. Eighteen percent of them had not been hospitalized. Fifty percent of patients answered there was no friend and acquaintance, and had a tendency to stand alone. Fifty-three percent of patients lived with their parents, 21% with their spouses, and 17% alone. But 32% of females lived with their husbands. Sixteen percent worked for full-time jobs, 8% worked part-time jobs, 12% attended day care center 4% went to sheltered-workshops and only 1% went to rehabilitation-workshops for outpatients. While 13% didn't have a right to receive disability pension, the sources of income were job (30%), disability pension (30%), and welfare benefits (12%). Regarding the ability for living

Diagnostic consistency and interchangeability of schizophrenic disorders and bipolar disorders: A 7-year follow-up study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hung, Yen-Ni; Yang, Shu-Yu; Kuo, Chian-Jue; Lin, Shih-Ku

2018-03-01

The change in psychiatric diagnoses in clinical practice is not an unusual phenomenon. The interchange between the diagnoses of schizophrenic disorders and bipolar disorders is a major clinical issue because of the differences in treatment regimens and long-term prognoses. In this study, we used a nationwide population-based sample to compare the diagnostic consistency and interchange rate between schizophrenic disorders and bipolar disorders. In total, 25 711 and 11 261 patients newly diagnosed as having schizophrenic disorder and bipolar disorder, respectively, were retrospectively enrolled from the Psychiatric Inpatient Medical Claims database between 2001 and 2005. We followed these two cohorts for 7 years to determine whether their diagnoses were consistent throughout subsequent hospitalizations. The interchange between the two diagnoses was analyzed. In the schizophrenic disorder cohort, the overall diagnostic consistency rate was 87.3% and the rate of change to bipolar disorder was 3.0% during the 7-year follow-up. Additional analyses of subtypes revealed that the change rate from schizoaffective disorder to bipolar disorder was 12.0%. In the bipolar disorder cohort, the overall diagnostic consistency rate was 71.9% and the rate of change to schizophrenic disorder was 8.3%. Changes in the diagnosis of a major psychosis are not uncommon. The interchange between the diagnoses of schizophrenic disorders and bipolar disorders might be attributed to the evolution of clinical symptoms and the observation of preserved social functions that contradict the original diagnosis. While making a psychotic diagnosis, clinicians should be aware of the possibility of the change in diagnosis in the future. © 2017 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences © 2017 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

[3H]muscimol binding sites increased in autopsied brains of chronic schizophrenics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanada, S.; Mita, T.; Nishino, N.; Tanaka, C.

1987-01-01

[ 3 H]muscimol binding and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) activity in the prefrontal cortex and caudate nucleus of autopsied brains from 19 chronic schizophrenics and 17 control subjects were investigated. In the schizophrenics, saturation analysis with varying concentrations of [ 3 H]muscimol revealed an increase in the number GABA/sub A/ receptors, but there was no significant difference in the affinity. In addition, the enhancement of [ 3 H]muscimol binding by diazepam was significantly greater in schizophrenics than in controls. GAD activity did not differ between controls and schizophrenics. The possibility that GABAergic mechanisms might play a role in case of chronic schizophrenia should be given further attention

Central D2-dopamine receptor occupancy in schizophrenic patients treated with antipsychotic drugs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farde, L.; Wiesel, F.A.; Halldin, C.; Sedvall, G.

1988-01-01

Using positron emission tomography and the carbon 11-labeled ligand raclopride, central D2-dopamine receptor occupancy in the putamen was determined in psychiatric patients treated with clinical doses of psychoactive drugs. Receptor occupancy in drug-treated patients was defined as the percent reduction of specific carbon 11-raclopride binding in relation to the expected binding in the absence of drug treatment. Clinical treatment of schizophrenic patients with 11 chemically distinct antipsychotic drugs (including both classic and atypical neuroleptics such as clozapine) resulted in a 65% to 85% occupancy of D2-dopamine receptors. In a depressed patient treated with the tricyclic antidepressant nortriptyline, no occupancy was found. The time course for receptor occupancy and drug levels was followed after withdrawal of sulpiride or haloperidol. D2-dopamine receptor occupancy remained above 65% for many hours despite a substantial reduction of serum drug concentrations. In a sulpiride-treated patient, the dosage was reduced in four steps over a nine-week period and a curvilinear relationship was demonstrated between central D2-dopamine receptor occupancy and serum drug concentrations. The results demonstrate that clinical doses of all the currently used classes of antipsychotic drugs cause a substantial blockade of central D2-dopamine receptors in humans. This effect appears to be selective for the antipsychotics, since it was not induced by the antidepressant nortriptyline

The Danish nationwide clinical register for patients with rheumatoid arthritis: DANBIO.

Science.gov (United States)

Ibfelt, Else Helene; Jensen, Dorte Vendelbo; Hetland, Merete Lund

2016-01-01

DANBIO is a research register and a data source for rheumatologic diseases (rheumatoid arthritis [RA], axial spondyloarthritis, and psoriatic arthritis) for monitoring clinical quality at the national, regional, and hospital levels. The register includes patients with rheumatologic diseases who are treated at a hospital or a private rheumatologic clinic. Registration is mandatory for all patients with RA regardless of treatment and also for patients with other diagnoses if treated with biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Since 2006, the registration has been done electronically, including patient-reported outcome measures registered electronically by the patients with the use of touch screens. Core variables such as diagnosis, year of diagnosis, age, and sex are registered at the beginning. Data entered at later visits included the following: patient-reported outcomes for disease activity, pain, fatigue, functional status, and physician-reported objective measures of disease activity, treatment, C-reactive protein, and, when indicated, imaging. For subgroups of patients, the variables such as quality of life, sociodemographic factors, lifestyle, and comorbidity are also registered. The DANBIO cohort comprised ∼26,000 patients with RA, 3,200 patients with axial spondyloarthritis, and 6,200 patients with psoriatic arthritis in 2015. DANBIO has high nationwide coverage and completeness on key data variables. More than 60 original papers as well as annual reports of clinical quality (since 2005) have been published. DANBIO is a powerful register for research in rheumatologic diseases and furthermore serves as a Clinical Quality Register with the aim of monitoring treatment quality in patients with RA in Denmark.

Receptor imaging of schizophrenic patients under treatment with typical and atypical neuroleptics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dresel, S.; Tatsch, K.; Meisenzahl, E.; Scherer, J.

2002-01-01

Schizophrenic psychosis is typically treated by typical and atypical neuroleptics. Both groups of drugs differ with regard to induction of extrapyramidal side effects. The occupancy of postsynaptic dopaminergic D2 receptors is considered to be an essential aspect of their antipsychotic properties. The dopamine D2 receptor status can be assessed by means of [I-123]IBZM SPECT. Studies on the typical neuroleptic haloperidol revealed an exponential dose response relationship measured by IBZM. Extrapyramidal side effects were presented by all patients below a threshold of the specific binding of IBZM below 0.4 (with one exception, norm value: >0.95). Also under treatment with the atypical neuroleptic clozapine an exponential dose response relationship was found. However, none of these patients showed extrapyramidal side effects. Recently introduced, new atypical neuroleptics such as risperidone and olanzapine again presented with an exponential relationship between daily dose and IBZM binding. The curves of the latter were in between the curves of haloperidol and clozapine. Extrapyramidal side effects were documented in a less number of patients treated with risperidone as compared to haloperidol, for olanzapine only one patient revealed these findings in our own patient group. The pharmacological profile of atypical neuroleptics shows - in addition to their binding to dopamine receptors - also high affinities to the receptors of other neurotransmitter systems, particularly the serotonergic system. Therefore, the lower incidence of extrapyramidal side effects seen by atypical in comparison to typical neuroleptics is at least in part most likely due to a complex interaction on a variety of neurotransmitter systems. (orig.) [de

Do ictal EEG characteristics predict treatment outcomes in schizophrenic patients undergoing electroconvulsive therapy?

Science.gov (United States)

Simsek, Gulnihal Gokce; Zincir, Selma; Gulec, Huseyin; Eksioglu, Sevgin; Semiz, Umit Basar; Kurtulmus, Yasemin Sipka

2015-08-01

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between features of electroencephalography (EEG), including seizure time, energy threshold level and post-ictal suppression time, and clinical variables, including treatment outcomes and side-effects, among schizophrenia inpatients undergoing electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). This is a naturalistic follow-up study on schizophrenia patients, diagnosed using DSM-IV-TR criteria, treated by a psychosis inpatient service. All participants completed the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale, the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) and a Data Collection Form. Assessments were made before treatment, during ECT and after treatment. Statistically significant improvements in both clinical and cognitive outcome were noted after ECT in all patients. Predictors of improvement were sought by evaluating electrophysiological variables measured at three time points (after the third, fifth and seventh ECT sessions). Logistic regression analysis showed that clinical outcome/improvement did not differ by seizure duration, threshold energy level or post-ictal suppression time. We found that ictal EEG parameters measured at several ECT sessions did not predict clinical recovery/outcomes. This may be because our centre defensively engages in "very specific patient selection" when ECT is contemplated. ECT does not cause short-term cognitive functional impairment and indeed improves cognition, because symptoms of the schizophrenic episode are alleviated.

Registered criminality and sanctioning of schizophrenia patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Munkner, Runa; Haastrup, Soeren; Joergensen, Torben

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND: Patients with schizophrenia have been shown to have an increased risk of criminality, especially violent crimes. AIMS: The aim of the current study was to describe the pattern of crimes committed by Danish patients with schizophrenia and examine the sanctions given for crimes...... in relation to the different periods in the patients' lives: not yet known to the psychiatric hospital system, known to the system but not yet diagnosed with schizophrenia, and after being diagnosed with schizophrenia. METHODS: Information from the Danish Psychiatric Central Research Register was correlated...... with data from the Danish National Crime Register. RESULTS: One of the more prominent findings was that 16% of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia receive a prison sentence or a suspended prison sentence, despite the fact that Denmark is a co-signatory of the European Prison Rules and should treat, rather...

PSYCHIATRIC MORBIDITY PATTERN OF THE FIRST-DEGREE RELATIVES OF SCHIZOPHRENICS: CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

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Alexander Gnana Durai

2015-11-01

Full Text Available : CONTEXT: Family, Twin and Adoption studies show the inheritance patterns of schizophrenia. The findings from these studies provide support to the claim that familial clustering of schizophrenia is a combined expression of genetic and environmental factors. AIMS: Following the line of previous research, this study attempts to find out any difference in the psychiatric morbidity pattern among the first-degree relatives of familial and sporadic schizophrenics. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among a convenience sample of 100 first-degree relatives (age between 18 to 55 years of familial (n=22 and sporadic (n=29 schizophrenics from psychiatric outpatient clinic, of a Government Hospital, India. The schizophrenics satisfied the DSM-IV criteria and all the first degree relatives interviewed never had any psychiatric consultation before or were abusing alcohol or other substances or having any organic pathology. METHODS AND MATERIAL: Informed consent from the patients and relatives was obtained. Survey questionnaires were administered and no personal identifying information was collected. Middle Sex Hospital Questionnaire (MHQ, Eysenck's Personality Questionnaire (EPQ, Multi-Phasic Personality Questionnaire (MPQ and Screening Test for Co-Morbid Personality Disorders (STCPD were administered to the participants.

Revisiting the Association of Aggression and Suicidal Behavior in Schizophrenic Inpatients

Science.gov (United States)

Neuner, Tanja; Hubner-Liebermann, Bettina; Hausner, Helmut; Hajak, Goran; Wolfersdorf, Manfred; Spiessl, Hermann

2011-01-01

Our study investigated the association of aggression and suicidal behavior in schizophrenic inpatients. Eight thousand nine hundred one admissions for schizophrenia (1998-2007) to a psychiatric university hospital were included. Schizophrenic suicides (n = 7)/suicide attempters (n = 40) were compared to suicides (n = 30)/suicide attempters (n =…

The Danish nationwide clinical register for patients with rheumatoid arthritis: DANBIO

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ibfelt EH

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Else Helene Ibfelt,1 Dorte Vendelbo Jensen,2,3 Merete Lund Hetland2,4 1Registry Support Centre (East, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Research Centre for Prevention and Health, Rigshospitalet, Glostrup University Hospital, 2DANBIO Registry and Copenhagen Center for Arthritis Research, Center for Rheumatology and Spine Diseases, Centre of Head and Orthopedics, Rigshospitalet, Glostrup, 3Department of Rheumatology, Herlev and Gentofte University Hospital, Hellerup, 4Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark Introduction: DANBIO is a research register and a data source for rheumatologic diseases (rheumatoid arthritis [RA], axial spondyloarthritis, and psoriatic arthritis for monitoring clinical quality at the national, regional, and hospital levels. Study population: The register includes patients with rheumatologic diseases who are treated at a hospital or a private rheumatologic clinic. Registration is mandatory for all patients with RA regardless of treatment and also for patients with other diagnoses if treated with biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Since 2006, the registration has been done electronically, including patient-reported outcome measures registered electronically by the patients with the use of touch screens. Main variables: Core variables such as diagnosis, year of diagnosis, age, and sex are registered at the beginning. Data entered at later visits included the following: patient-reported outcomes for disease activity, pain, fatigue, functional status, and physician-reported objective measures of disease activity, treatment, C-reactive protein, and, when indicated, imaging. For subgroups of patients, the variables such as quality of life, sociodemographic factors, lifestyle, and comorbidity are also registered. Descriptive data: The DANBIO cohort comprised ~26,000 patients with RA, 3,200 patients with axial spondyloarthritis, and 6

The Well Siblings of Schizophrenics.

Science.gov (United States)

Samuels, Laurel; Chase, Laura

1979-01-01

Explores the impact of having a schizophrenic sibling. Subjects functioned at high levels of adjustment. Separated from their families, there followed a period of reinvolvement, including responsibility for the ill sibling. Younger siblings expressed guilt over being well, whereas older siblings expressed guilt over earlier sibling rivalry.…

[Changes in the EEG spectral power during perception of neutral and emotionally salient words in schizophrenic patients, their relatives and healthy individuals from the general population].

Science.gov (United States)

Alfimova, M V; Uvarova, L G

2007-01-01

To search for EEG-correlates of emotional processing that might be indicators of genetic predisposition to schizophrenia, changes in EEG spectral power during perception of neutral and emotionally salient words were examined in 36 schizophrenic patients, 50 of their unaffected first-degree relatives, and 47 healthy individuals without any family history of psychoses. In healthy persons, passive listening to neutral words induced minimum changes in cortical rhythmical activity, predominantly in the form of synchronization of slow and fast waves, whereas perception of emotional words was followed by a generalized depression of the alpha and beta1 activity and a locally specific decrease in the power of theta and beta2 frequency bands. The patients and their relatives showed a decrease in the alpha and beta1 activity simultaneously with an increase in the power of delta activity in response to both groups of words. Thus, in the patients and their relatives, reactions to neutral and emotional words were ulterior as a result of augmented reactions to the neutral words. These findings suggest that the EEG changes reflect familial and possibly hereditable abnormal involuntary attention. No prominent decrease in reactivity to emotional stimuli was revealed in schizophrenic families.

Pragmatic assessment of schizophrenic bilinguals' L1 and L2 use ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper reports on a study investigating the pragmatic skills and deficits of schizophrenic bilinguals in their spontaneous first language (L1) and second language (L2) speech. Smit (2009) (see also Smit et al., this volume) argues that the locus of deficits in schizophrenic speech is semantics and suggests that a next step ...

Workplace violence on workers caring for long-term institutionalized schizophrenic patients in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Wen-Ching; Wang, Jung-Der; Lew-Ting, Chih-Yin; Chiu, Hsien-Jane; Lin, Yi-Ping

2007-07-01

It has been noted that workplace violence most frequently occurs in psychiatric settings. The purpose of this study was to explore the workplace violence, including violence situation, victims' feeling, and the prevention strategies, on workers caring for long-term institutionalized schizophrenic patients in Taiwan. We conducted a face-to-face, in-depth, and semi-structured interview with 13 health care workers suffering from physical violence and/or sexual harassment by patients in 2002. First, the interviews were taped and/or paper-notes recorded, then transcribed, organized, and analyzed. Results found that all of the victims alleged they did not receive enough post-incident support, and more than a half of the victims could not call others for help during the violence. To avoid further attack, most victims offered prevention strategies which were considered valuable for establishing guidelines. However, some victims regarded workplace violence as inevitable and part of the job. The most common situations of workplace violence were during routine ward inspections, especially when the victims were alone. The most serious psychological harm was post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In conclusion, we recommended a re-engineering of the organization to a supportive and safe working environment for prevention of workplace violence in the study hospital.

Recognition of visual stimuli and memory for spatial context in schizophrenic patients and healthy volunteers.

Science.gov (United States)

Brébion, Gildas; David, Anthony S; Pilowsky, Lyn S; Jones, Hugh

2004-11-01

Verbal and visual recognition tasks were administered to 40 patients with schizophrenia and 40 healthy comparison subjects. The verbal recognition task consisted of discriminating between 16 target words and 16 new words. The visual recognition task consisted of discriminating between 16 target pictures (8 black-and-white and 8 color) and 16 new pictures (8 black-and-white and 8 color). Visual recognition was followed by a spatial context discrimination task in which subjects were required to remember the spatial location of the target pictures at encoding. Results showed that recognition deficit in patients was similar for verbal and visual material. In both schizophrenic and healthy groups, men, but not women, obtained better recognition scores for the colored than for the black-and-white pictures. However, men and women similarly benefited from color to reduce spatial context discrimination errors. Patients showed a significant deficit in remembering the spatial location of the pictures, independently of accuracy in remembering the pictures themselves. These data suggest that patients are impaired in the amount of visual information that they can encode. With regards to the perceptual attributes of the stimuli, memory for spatial information appears to be affected, but not processing of color information.

An open-access mobile compatible electronic patient register for rheumatic heart disease (‘eRegister’) based on the World Heart Federation’s framework for patient registers

Science.gov (United States)

van Dam, Joris; Tadmor, Brigitta; Spector, Jonathan; Musuku, John; Zühlke, Liesl J; Zühlke, Liesl J; Engel, Mark E; Mayosi, Bongani M; Nestle, Nick

2015-01-01

Summary Background Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) remains a major disease burden in low-resource settings globally. Patient registers have long been recognised to be an essential instrument in RHD control and elimination programmes, yet to date rely heavily on paper-based data collection and non-networked data-management systems, which limit their functionality. Objectives To assess the feasibility and potential benefits of producing an electronic RHD patient register. Methods We developed an eRegister based on the World Heart Federation’s framework for RHD patient registers using CommCare, an open-source, cloud-based software for health programmes that supports the development of customised data capture using mobile devices. Results The resulting eRegistry application allows for simultaneous data collection and entry by field workers using mobile devices, and by providers using computer terminals in clinics and hospitals. Data are extracted from CommCare and are securely uploaded into a cloud-based database that matches the criteria established by the WHF framework. The application can easily be tailored to local needs by modifying existing variables or adding new ones. Compared with traditional paper-based data-collection systems, the eRegister reduces the risk of data error, synchronises in real-time, improves clinical operations and supports management of field team operations. Conclusions The user-friendly eRegister is a low-cost, mobile, compatible platform for RHD treatment and prevention programmes based on materials sanctioned by the World Heart Federation. Readily adaptable to local needs, this paperless RHD patient register program presents many practical benefits. PMID:26444995

Baseline and cognition activated regional cerebral brain flow of naive paranoid schizophrenics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Huafang; Gu Niufan; Xiu Yan; Chen Shaoliang

2002-01-01

Objective: To investigate the baseline and cognition activated regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in naive paranoid schizophrenics and the relationships between the symptoms and rCBF. Methods: The scale of positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) was adopted to evaluate the symptoms of schizophrenia. The baseline and cognition activated 99 Tc m -ethylcysteinate dimmer (ECD) SPECT were performed one after the other within two days. Wisconsin card sorting test (WCST) was used as cognitive task. Semi-quantitative analyses were applied. Results: There were no significant differences of WCST results between two groups. Compared with normal controls, the baseline rCBF ratios of left to right interior posterior temporal cortex in patients were significantly higher, while that of left mid-medial frontal cortex was significantly lower in patients. There was no significant difference of rCBF ratios of baseline to cognition activated states in patients. WCST couldn't activate the frontal function in patients. The total score of PANSS, score of positive subscale and general syndrome subscale were correlated with the rCBF ratio of several regions of interest (ROIs) . Some symptoms were correlated with the rCBF ratio of some ROIs. Conclusions: The hyperperfusion of left and right temporal inferior posterior cortex and hypoperfusion of left mid-medial frontal cortex could be seen in naive paranoid schizophrenics. Hypofrontality existed in patients before treatment. Some positive symptoms were correlated with the rCBF of some ROI

Regional cerebral blood flow in schizophrenics. Tests using the xenon Xe 133 inhalation method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ariel, R.N.; Golden, C.J.; Berg, R.A.; Quaife, M.A.; Dirksen, J.W.; Forsell, T.; Wilson, J.; Graber, B.

1983-01-01

Measurements of intrahemispheric and bilateral regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) for gray and white matter were compared in 29 schizophrenic patients and 22 normal controls, using the xenon Xe 133 inhalation method. Results showed significantly lower CBF values for all brain regions in the schizophrenic group, and post hoc comparisons showed relatively greater reduced gray-matter CBF values in the anterior areas of the brain. There was also a left-hemisphere frontal loss similar to that reported previously, although it was in the context of a generalized loss in anterior functioning. Interhemispheric comparison within both groups showed no differences between homologous regions for gray matter, and greater white-matter CBF values in the right hemisphere than in the left hemisphere. The findings support a hypothesis of a bilateral anterior deficit in schizophrenia

Patient engagement with research: European population register study.

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McKevitt, Christopher; Fudge, Nina; Crichton, Siobhan; Bejot, Yannick; Daubail, Benoît; Di Carlo, Antonio; Fearon, Patricia; Kolominsky-Rabas, Peter; Sheldenkar, Anita; Newbound, Sophie; Wolfe, Charles D A

2015-12-01

Lay involvement in implementation of research evidence into practice may include using research findings to guide individual care, as well as involvement in research processes and policy development. Little is known about the conditions required for such involvement. To assess stroke survivors' research awareness, use of research evidence in their own care and readiness to be involved in research processes. Cross sectional survey of stroke survivors participating in population-based stroke registers in six European centres. The response rate was 74% (481/647). Reasons for participation in register research included responding to clinician request (56%) and to 'give something back' (19%); however, 20% were unaware that they were participating in a stroke register. Research awareness was generally low: 57% did not know the purpose of the register they had been recruited to; 73% reported not having received results from the register they took part in; 60% did not know about any research on stroke care. Few participants (7.6%) used research evidence during their consultations with a doctor. The 34% of participants who were interested in being involved in research were younger, more highly educated and already research aware. Across Europe, stroke survivors already participating in research appear ill informed about stroke research. Researchers, healthcare professionals and patient associations need to improve how research results are communicated to patient populations and research participants, and to raise awareness of the relationship between research evidence and increased quality of care. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The relation of serotonin-related gene and COMT gene polymorphisms with criminal behavior in schizophrenic disorder.

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Koh, Kyung Bong; Choi, Eun Hee; Lee, Young-joon; Han, Mooyoung; Choi, Sang-Sup; Kim, So Won; Lee, Min Goo

2012-02-01

It has been suggested that patients with schizophrenia might be involved in criminal behavior, such as homicidal and violent behavior. However, the relationship between criminal behavior and genes in patients with schizophrenia has not been clearly elucidated. The objective of this study was to examine the relation between criminal behavior and serotonin-related gene or catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene polymorphisms in patients with schizophrenia. Serotonin-related and COMT polymorphic markers were assessed by using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping. Ninety-nine crime-related inpatients with schizophrenia (57 homicidal and 42 nonhomicidal violent) and 133 healthy subjects were enrolled between October 2005 and May 2008. Diagnoses were made according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) criteria. The genotype frequencies of tryptophan hydroxylase-1 (TPH1) A218C and COMT V158M were compared between groups. The TPH1 CC genotype had 2.7-fold higher odds of crime-related schizophrenia compared with A-carrier genotype after the analysis was controlled for sex and age (OR, 2.69; 95% CI, 1.22 - 5.91; P = .01). In addition, the TPH1 CC genotype had 3.4-fold higher odds of homicidal schizophrenia compared with A-carrier genotype after the analysis was controlled for sex and age (OR, 3.38; 95% CI, 1.40 - 8.18; P = .007). However, no significant differences were found in the frequencies of genotype of COMT polymorphism between criminal schizophrenics and healthy subjects, nor were any significant differences found between nonhomicidal schizophrenics and healthy subjects. These results indicate that the TPH1 CC recessive genotype is likely to be a genetic risk factor for criminal behavior, especially homicidal behavior in patients with schizophrenia. However, COMT gene polymorphisms were not associated with criminal behavior in schizophrenic patients. © Copyright 2012 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

Application of neutron activation analysis and spectrophotometry for the determination of copper level in sera and cerebrospinal fluids of schizophrenic patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lipcsey, A.; Fekete, J.; Oerdoegh, M.; Szabo, E.

1985-01-01

Neutron activation analysis and spectrophotometry were used for the determination of copper content in sera and cerebrospinal fluids of schizophrenic patients against control persons. Comparison of the results of copper determination by both methods is tabulated. From the data the following conclusions can be drawn: for copper determinations in sera the results of the two methods agree excellently. At small copper concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluids the deviations are rather high. It can also be seen that the copper contents determined from cerebrospinal fluids taken at different times are nearly equal. (author)

The therapeutic relationship in the care given to a schizophrenic: narratives of a field diary - doi:10.5020/18061230.2007.p116

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Márcio Flávio Moura de Araújo

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The schizophrenia is a chronic psychosis with serious social and functional consequences, demanding multiples ways of care in its treatment. This research aimed at describing the evolution of a patient taken ill with paranoid schizophrenia, by means of the adoption of the Therapeutic Relationship process, as a modality of nursing psychiatric care, registered in a field diary as narratives of life experiences, during ten meeting days in one psychiatric service of Fortaleza. It was perceived that the application of the Therapeutic Relationship, gradually, enabled to the studied client the confrontation of personal conflicts (complicated family dynamics, rejection and depression and the satisfaction of basic needs such as the communication and group interaction. Therein, the Therapeutic Relationship is considered a primordial care technique in the reintegration and reorganization of the schizophrenic client, as well as in the search of a better quality of life.

Investigation of the speed of reaction on external stimulus in schizophrenic psychosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zampera, E

1997-06-01

In 30 schizophrenic examinees, the latention time was measured. This time is referred to as an interval between the start of the stimulus and the response to the stimulus in the skin-galvanic reflex. Elementary stimulation has been applied, using device's timer tone and clapping of hands, which should simulate and associate the thunderclap. The intensity of psychosis was measured according to the Metric scale of psychotic behavior by Rogina, while the intensity of anxiety was measured by psychological tests: Rorschach's psycho-diagnostic test and Spillberger's questionnaire for anxiety. The reaction to the stimulus and latention time were registered using polygraph unit in order to record skin-galvanic reflex. The research was performed at two separate time points: prior to the therapy with derivatives of the phenothiazine group (the experimental examination group), and 25 days after the therapy (control group). The research has shown that the latention time in schizophrenic examinees does not significantly differ from the corresponding time in healthy controls, and it averages 2.30 seconds. Furthermore, no statistically significant difference in latention time before and after the therapy was observed. However, before the therapy started, i.e. in experimental group," the examinees who were psychotic to a greater extent have shown longer latention than those less psychotic. Additional finding was that the examinees from experimental group who were more anxious according to psychological tests have also shown longer latention time. After the therapy, the reaction to the external stimulus was stronger, which was expressed in increased reaction amplitude in skin-galvanic reflex. The latention time was prolonged, especially in case of examinees that were psychotic to a smaller extent before the therapy. We can conclude that so-called transformed psychotic anxiety was replaced after the therapy with a "new" anxiety-existential fear, i.e. the stronger anxious expectation

Inducing Assertive Behavior in Chronic Schizophrenics: A Comparison of Socioenvironmental Desensitization, and Relaxation Therapies

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Weinman, Bernard; And Others

1972-01-01

It is concluded that systematic desensitization or relaxation therapy is not effective in inducing assertive behavior in the male chronic schizophrenic. The treatment of choice for the older chronic male schizophrenic remains socioenvironmental therapy. (Author)

The Danish nationwide clinical register for patients with rheumatoid arthritis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ibfelt, Else Helene; Jensen, Dorte Vendelbo; Hetland, Merete Lund

2016-01-01

the following: patient-reported outcomes for disease activity, pain, fatigue, functional status, and physician-reported objective measures of disease activity, treatment, C-reactive protein, and, when indicated, imaging. For subgroups of patients, the variables such as quality of life, sociodemographic factors...... original papers as well as annual reports of clinical quality (since 2005) have been published. Conclusion: DANBIO is a powerful register for research in rheumatologic diseases and furthermore serves as a Clinical Quality Register with the aim of monitoring treatment quality in patients with RA in Denmark....

Increments in plasma homovanillic acid concentrations after neuroleptic discontinuation are associated with worsening of schizophrenic symptoms.

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Khan, R S; Amin, F; Powchik, P; Knott, P; Goldstein, M; Apter, S; Kerman, B; Jaff, S; Davidson, M

1990-01-01

1. Thirty-two male schizophrenic patients participated in this study. 2. Plasma concentrations of the dopamine metabolite, homovanillic acid (pHVA) were assessed once on neuroleptic medication and twice a week for a maximum of six weeks after its discontinuation. 3. Psychiatric symptomatology was assessed once on neuroleptic medication and once a week for a maximum of six weeks after its discontinuation, using the brief psychiatric rating scale (BPRS). 4. pHVA and total BPRS score increased significantly after discontinuation of neuroleptic as compared to baseline. 5. The magnitude of pHVA and BPRS increments after discontinuation of neuroleptic correlated significantly. 6. Results of this study suggest that worsening of schizophrenic symptoms after discontinuation of neuroleptic treatment is associated with increased pHVA concentrations.

Plasma catecholamine metabolites in schizophrenics: evidence for the two-subtype concept.

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Chang, W H; Chen, T Y; Lin, S K; Lung, F W; Lin, W L; Hu, W H; Yeh, E K

1990-03-01

Plasma homovanillic acid (pHVA) and plasma methoxyhydroxyphenyl glycol (pMHPG), as well as plasma haloperidol, were measured in 33 schizophrenic patients before and during 6 weeks of haloperidol treatment. Good responders had higher baseline pHVA values compared with poor responders (17.4 +/- 8.8 ng/ml, n = 22 versus 11.4 +/- 5.0 ng/ml, n = 11, p less than 0.05). A higher than 15 ng/ml pretreatment pHVA level was associated with a more consistent clinical response to the subsequent treatment. Differential pHVA changes during treatment were also found between good and poor responders. Within the good responder group, a significant decline in pHVA over time was found. By contrast, pHVA showed a transient increase in the poor responder group. Plasma MHPG changes showed a similar pattern during treatment in good responders, although no significant differences in baseline values were found between the good (n = 13) and poor (n = 9) responders, and pMHPG showed no change during treatment in poor responders. Significant correlations between baseline pHVA and pMHPG values were found in 22 patients. Good responders and poor responders did not differ significantly in terms of age, duration of illness, severity of presenting symptoms, haloperidol dose, or plasma drug concentration. Two hypothetical subtypes of schizophrenia and both dopamine and norepinephrine systems involved in schizophrenic psychopathology are proposed.

The effect of verbalization strategy on wisconsin card sorting test performance in schizophrenic patients receiving classical or atypical antipsychotics

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Cavallaro Roberto

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A number of reports showed en encouraging remediation in some patients' executive deficits thanks to the use of 'information processing strategies'. Moreover the impact of antipsychotics on cognitive functions of the schizophrenics is an important issue, especially if an integrated psychosocial treatment is needed. The aim of this paper is to evaluate different executive performance and response to verbalization, a strategy of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST remediation, in subjects on classical vs atypical antipsychotic (AP treatment. Methods Sixty-three schizophrenic subjects undertook the WCST under standard and modified (verbalization administration. Subjects were stratified by the kind of WCST response (i.e. good, poor and remediable and AP treatment (i.e. atypical vs. classical. Results Subjects on atypical APs showed a better performance than those on classical ones. More poor performers who did not remediate were seen in the sample with classical Aps while subjects who remediated the performance were seen in the subgroup with atypical APs only. An increase of perseverative and total errors was seen in poor performers subjects on classical APs. Conclusion Subjects on atypicals showed a better cognitive pattern in terms of WCST performance. Since the naturalistic assignment of medication we cannot draw conclusions about its effect on cognitive performance and its interaction with cognitive remediation potential. However the data lead us to hypothesize that subjects with potential room for remediation did so with the atypical APs.

Patterns of brain activity in normals and schizophrenics with positron emission tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Volkow, N.D.; Wolf, A.P.; Gomez-Mont, F.; Brodie, J.D.; Canero, R.; Van Gelder, P.; Russell, J.A.G.

1985-01-01

The authors investigated the functional interaction among brain areas under baseline and upon activation by a visual task to compare the response of normal subjects from the ones of chronic schizophrenics. Cerebral metabolic images were obtained on twelve healthy volunteers an eighteen schizophrenics with positron emission tomography and 11-C-Deoxyglucose. Correlation coefficients among the relative metabolic values (region of interest divided by the average of whole brain gray matter) of 11 brain regions; frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital left and right lobes, left and right basal ganglia and thalamus were computed for the baseline and for the task. Under baseline, normals showed more functional correlations than schizophrenics. Both groups showed a thalamo-occipital (positive) and thalamo-frontal (negative) interaction. The highest correlations among homologous brain areas were the frontal, occipital and basal ganglia

D2 dopamine receptors in neuroleptic-naive schizophrenic patients. A positron emission tomography study with [11C]raclopride

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farde, L.; Wiesel, F.A.; Stone-Elander, S.; Halldin, C.; Nordstroem, A.L.H.; Hall, H.; Sedvall, G.

1990-01-01

Several groups have reported increased densities of D2 dopamine receptors in the basal ganglia of schizophrenic brains postmortem. The significance of this finding has been questioned, since an upregulation of receptor number may be a neuronal response to neuroleptic drug treatment. We have used positron emission tomography and [ 11 C]raclopride to examine central D2 dopamine receptor binding in 20 healthy subjects and 18 newly admitted, young, neuroleptic-naive patients with schizophrenia. An in vivo saturation procedure was applied for quantitative determination of D2 dopamine receptor density (Bmax) and affinity (Kd). When the two groups were compared, no significant difference in Bmax or Kd values was found in the putamen or the caudate nucleus. The hypothesis of generally elevated central D2 dopamine receptor densities in schizophrenia was thus not supported by the present findings. In the patients but not in the healthy controls, significantly higher densities were found in the left than in the right putamen but not in the caudate nucleus

IDENTIFICATION OF THE INFLUENCE OF IQ ON THEORY OF MIND SKILLS IN A GROUP OF SCHIZOPHRENICS

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Paz López Herrero

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Schizophrenia sufferers may have Theory of Mind (ToM deficits. These deficits are not as severe as those shown by people with other disorders such as autism, because schizophrenic patients can solve simple ToM tests using their Intelligence Quotient (IQ and general problemsolving skills. Our aim was to study ToM by asking a group of schizophrenics to perform a mental verbs task. We then identified the categories into which the mental verbs were grouped and their use profile, and assessed the influence of intelligence quotient. We observed that those with a higher IQ had lower ToM deficits. Subjects with average IQs grouped the mental activities quite well and those with low IQ performed the task poorly as a result of the combined effects of schizophrenia processes and low IQ.

Identifying patients with myasthenia for epidemiological research by linkage of automated registers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Emil Greve; Hallas, Jesper; Hansen, Klaus

2011-01-01

We validated a new method of identifying patients with incident myasthenia in automated Danish registers for the purpose of conducting epidemiological studies of the disorder.......We validated a new method of identifying patients with incident myasthenia in automated Danish registers for the purpose of conducting epidemiological studies of the disorder....

Computer-aided tomography (CT) in diagnosis of organic brain lesions in schizophrenics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vavilov, S.B.; Belova, O.G.; Nikiforchuk, N.M.; Savvateeva, N.Yu.; Atyasova, E.V.; Baev, A.A.

1993-01-01

The authors retrospectively analyse CT data obtained in examinations of 1745 patients divided into three groups. Group 1 consisted of 721 patients with schizophrenia, group consisted of 855 mentally normal subjects directed to computer tomographic examination with suspected organic involvement of the brain, and group 3 consisted of 169 mentally and neurologically normal subjects. Vascular diseases of the nervous system predominated in group 2 as against group 1, being 3.5 times more incident. No intracranial tumors were detected in controls; in schizophrenics computer tomographic signs of volumic brain lesions were detected in 1.5% of cases

Comment on Differentiating Paranoid From Nonparanoid Schizophrenics

Science.gov (United States)

Calhoun, James F.

1971-01-01

Three methods of differentiating paranoid from nonparanoid schizophrenics were compared using 97 males from a Veterans Administration hospital. Official hospital diagnosis and behavior ratings were found to be significantly correlated, while self-report correlated with neither of the other two techniques. Implications for research are briefly…

[The Cotard syndrome in schizophrenic disorders].

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Stompe, Thomas; Schanda, Hans

2013-01-01

The Cotard-Syndrome (CS), the belief of being dead, was described for the first time in 1880. Since then it met the interest not only of psychopathologists but also of philosophers. With a few exceptions, the literature is mainly restricted to case reports of anxious-depressive, demented or paranoid patients. It was the aim of our study to investigate the prevalence and the psychopathological context of the CS. We analyzed the Austrian data (N = 346) of the International Study of Psychotic Symptoms in Schizophrenia. A CS could be diagnosed in three cases (0.87%). In all of them, CS developed on the basis of nihilistic-hypochondriac delusions and a progressive loss of energy. Two patients bridged the logical inconsistencies between obviously being alive and the belief of being dead by visual illusions, the third patient, however, by locating himself in an intermediate region between this world and the afterworld. On the one hand the CS can be considered as a special manifestation of the topic of death in schizophrenic delusions, on the other as a nihilistic delusional identity. Without doubt, this uncommon and bizarre psychotic phenomenon will be an object of interest for general psychopathology as well as for the philosophy of mind also in future.

Ethnopsychiatric interpretations of schizophrenic illness: the problem of nervios within Mexican-American families.

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Jenkins, J H

1988-09-01

Among Mexican-American families, the concept of nervios (nerves) serves as a culturally meaningful illness category for a wide range of conditions, including schizophrenic disorders diagnosed according to psychiatric criteria. This article examines the nature and the meaning of nervios as a notion used by Mexican-American families to understand the schizophrenic illness of a relative. Family descriptions of the condition are presented and the emotional and symbolic meanings of the concept are discussed. The complex and somewhat ambiguous nature of folk conceptions is evidenced not only by variations in the description of nervios but also by the finding that nervios is but one way to view schizophrenic illness. It is suggested that a cultural preference for the term nervios is linked to the efforts of family members to reduce the stigma associated with a mental illness while also reinforcing the strength of family bonds and solidarity by fostering tolerant inclusion of the family member within the home. It is argued that the concept of nervios, and the family emotions that surround this folk label, may mediate the course and outcome of schizophrenic disorder.

[Are schizophrenic patients being told their diagnosis today in France?

Science.gov (United States)

Villani, M; Kovess-Masféty, V

2017-04-01

The progressive shifts in the legal and social contexts, along with major changes in information seeking habits with the development of the Internet, have placed patients' information at the core of medical practice. This has to be applied to the psychiatric fields as well, and to questions about how schizophrenic patients are being told their diagnosis nowadays in France. This paper is a national and international literature review about schizophrenia diagnosis disclosure practices, from 1972 to 2014, using French and English languages and various psychology and medical databases. The used key words were "diagnosis", "disclosure", "communication", "breaking bad news", "information", "schizophrenia" and "psychosis". Proportions of diagnosis announcement: our results show that the proportion of psychiatrists delivering schizophrenia diagnosis to their patients varies between countries. Although we must acknowledge that the questionnaires and samples are diverse, we have found that psychiatrists are in general less prone to deliver diagnosis information in France (from 13,5% to 39% given the studies), Germany (28%), Italy (30%), and Japan (30%), than in Anglo-Saxon countries. Thus, 70% of the psychiatrists in North America and 56% in Australia claim that they disclose their diagnosis to schizophrenic patients. In the United-Kingdom, a study targeting psychotic patients themselves has shown that 47% of them had been told their diagnosis by their doctor. Even in the countries where the proportion of diagnosis disclosure is the highest, there remains a substantial difference with other mental illnesses such as affective or anxiety disorders, which are almost always labeled as such in the information communicated to the patient (90% in North America). Diagnostic information about schizophrenia continues therefore to appear problematic for health professionals, which can seem a paradox given the recent social and legal evolutions, the therapeutic progress, the proved

Working memory in volunteers and schizophrenics using BOLD fMRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giesel, F.L.; Hohmann, N.; Seidl, U.; Kress, K.R.; Schoenknecht, P.; Schroeder, J.; Kauczor, H.-U.; Essig, M.

2005-01-01

Functional magnetic resonance imaging uses the blood oxygen level-dependent effect (BOLD MRI) for noninvasive display of cerebral correlatives of cognitive function. The importance for the understanding of physiological and pathological processes is demonstrated by investigations of working memory in schizophrenics and healthy controls. Working memory is involved in processing rather than storage of information and therefore is linked to complex processes such as learning and problem solving. In schizophrenic psychosis, these functions are clearly restricted. Training effects in the working memory task follow an inverse U-shape function, suggesting that cerebral activation reaches a peak before economics of the brain find a more efficient method and activation decreases. (orig.) [de

A consumer register: an acceptable and cost-effective alternative for accessing patient populations

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Jamie Bryant

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Population-based registries are increasingly used to recruit patient samples for research, however, they have several limitations including low consent and participation rates, and potential selection bias. To improve access to samples for research, the utility of a new model of recruitment termed the ‘Consumer Register’, that allows for direct patient recruitment from hospitals, was examined. This paper reports: (i consent rates onto the register; (ii preferred methods and frequency of contact; and (iii the feasibility of establishing the register, including: (a cost per person recruited to the register; (b the differential cost and consent rates of volunteer versus paid data collectors; and (c participant completion rates. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in five outpatient clinics in Australia. Patients were approached by volunteers or paid data collectors and asked to complete a touch-screen electronic survey. Consenting individuals were asked to indicate their willingness and preferences for enrolment onto a research register. Descriptive statistics were used to examine patient preferences and linear regression used to model the success of volunteer versus paid data collectors. The opportunity and financial costs of establishing the register were calculated. Results A total of 1947 patients (80.6 % consented to complete the survey, of which, 1486 (76.3 % completed the questionnaire. Of the completers, the majority (69.4 %, or 1032 participants were willing to be listed on the register and preferred to be contacted by email (50.3 %. Almost 39 % of completers were willing to be contacted three or more times in a 12 month period. The annual opportunity cost of resources consumed by the register was valued at $37,187, giving an opportunity cost per person recruited to the register of $36. After amortising fixed costs, the annual financial outlay was $23,004 or $22 per person recruited to the

GABAA receptor subunit gene expression in human prefrontal cortex: comparison of schizophrenics and controls

Science.gov (United States)

Akbarian, S.; Huntsman, M. M.; Kim, J. J.; Tafazzoli, A.; Potkin, S. G.; Bunney, W. E. Jr; Jones, E. G.; Bloom, F. E. (Principal Investigator)

1995-01-01

The prefrontal cortex of schizophrenics is hypoactive and displays changes related to inhibitory, GABAergic neurons, and GABAergic synapses. These changes include decreased levels of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), the enzyme for GABA synthesis, upregulation of muscimol binding, and downregulation of benzodiazepine binding to GABAA receptors. Studies in the visual cortex of nonhuman primates have demonstrated that gene expression for GAD and for several GABAA receptor subunit polypeptides is under control of neuronal activity, raising the possibility that similar mechanisms in the hypoactive prefrontal cortex of schizophrenics may explain the abnormalities in GAD and in GABAA receptor regulation. In the present study, which is the first of its type on human cerebral cortex, levels of mRNAs for six GABAA receptor subunits (alpha 1, alpha 2, alpha 5, beta 1, beta 2, gamma 2) and their laminar expression patterns were analyzed in the prefrontal cortex of schizophrenics and matched controls, using in situ hybridization histochemistry and densitometry. Three types of laminar expression pattern were observed: mRNAs for the alpha 1, beta 2, and gamma 2 subunits, which are the predominant receptor subunits expressed in the mature cortex, were expressed at comparatively high levels by cells of all six cortical layers, but most intensely by cells in lower layer III and layer IV. mRNAs for the alpha 2, alpha 5, and beta 1 subunits were expressed at lower levels; alpha 2 and beta 1 were expressed predominantly by cells in layers II, III, and IV; alpha 5 was expressed predominantly in layers IV, V, and VI. There were no significant changes in overall mRNA levels for any of the receptor subunits in the prefrontal cortex of schizophrenics, and the laminar expression pattern of all six receptor subunit mRNAs did not differ between schizophrenics and controls. Because gene expression for GABAA receptor subunits is not consistently altered in the prefrontal cortex of

Dose reduction of risperidone and olanzapine can improve cognitive function and negative symptoms in stable schizophrenic patients: A single-blinded, 52-week, randomized controlled study.

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Zhou, Yanling; Li, Guannan; Li, Dan; Cui, Hongmei; Ning, Yuping

2018-05-01

The long-term effects of dose reduction of atypical antipsychotics on cognitive function and symptomatology in stable patients with schizophrenia remain unclear. We sought to determine the change in cognitive function and symptomatology after reducing risperidone or olanzapine dosage in stable schizophrenic patients. Seventy-five stabilized schizophrenic patients prescribed risperidone (≥4 mg/day) or olanzapine (≥10 mg/day) were randomly divided into a dose-reduction group ( n=37) and a maintenance group ( n=38). For the dose-reduction group, the dose of antipsychotics was reduced by 50%; for the maintenance group, the dose remained unchanged throughout the whole study. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, Negative Symptom Assessment-16, Rating Scale for Extrapyramidal Side Effects, and Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS) Consensus Cognitive Battery were measured at baseline, 12, 28, and 52 weeks. Linear mixed models were performed to compare the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, Negative Symptom Assessment-16, Rating Scale for Extrapyramidal Side Effects and MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery scores between groups. The linear mixed model showed significant time by group interactions on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale negative symptoms, Negative Symptom Assessment-16, Rating Scale for Extrapyramidal Side Effects, speed of processing, attention/vigilance, working memory and total score of MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (all pNegative Syndrome Scale negative subscale, Negative Symptom Assessment-16, Rating Scale for Extrapyramidal Side Effects, speed of processing, working memory and total score of MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery for the dose reduction group compared with those for the maintenance group (all pnegative symptoms in patients with stabilized schizophrenia.

Acceptability and perceived barriers and facilitators to creating a national research register to enable 'direct to patient' enrolment into research: the Scottish Health Research Register (SHARE).

Science.gov (United States)

Grant, Aileen; Ure, Jenny; Nicolson, Donald J; Hanley, Janet; Sheikh, Aziz; McKinstry, Brian; Sullivan, Frank

2013-10-18

Difficulties with recruitment pose a major, increasingly recognised challenge to the viability of research. We sought to explore whether a register of volunteers interested in research participation, with data linkage to electronic health records to identify suitable research participants, would prove acceptable to healthcare staff, patients and researchers. We undertook a qualitative study in which a maximum variation sampling approach was adopted. Focus groups and interviews were conducted with patients, general practitioners (GP), practice managers and health service researchers in two Scottish health boards. Analysis was primarily thematic to identify a range of issues and concerns for all stakeholder groups. The concept of a national research register was, in general, acceptable to all stakeholder groups and was widely regarded as beneficial for research and for society. Patients, however, highlighted a number of conditions which should be met in the design of a register to expedite confidence and facilitate recruitment. They also gave their perceptions on how a register should operate and be promoted, favouring a range of media. GPs and practice managers were primarily concerned with the security and confidentiality of patient data and the impact a register may have on their workload. Researchers were supportive of the initiative seeing advantages in more rapid access to a wider pool of patients. They did raise concerns that GPs may be able to block access to personal patient data held in general practice clinical systems and that the register may not be representative of the whole population. This work suggests that patients, healthcare staff and researchers have a favourable view of the potential benefits of a national register to identify people who are potentially eligible and willing to participate in health related research. It has highlighted a number of issues for the developers to incorporate in the design of research registers.

Predictive value of stroke discharge diagnoses in the Danish National Patient Register.

Science.gov (United States)

Lühdorf, Pernille; Overvad, Kim; Schmidt, Erik B; Johnsen, Søren P; Bach, Flemming W

2017-08-01

To determine the positive predictive values for stroke discharge diagnoses, including subarachnoidal haemorrhage, intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral infarction in the Danish National Patient Register. Participants in the Danish cohort study Diet, Cancer and Health with a stroke discharge diagnosis in the National Patient Register between 1993 and 2009 were identified and their medical records were retrieved for validation of the diagnoses. A total of 3326 records of possible cases of stroke were reviewed. The overall positive predictive value for stroke was 69.3% (95% confidence interval (CI) 67.8-70.9%). The predictive values differed according to hospital characteristics, with the highest predictive value of 87.8% (95% CI 85.5-90.1%) found in departments of neurology and the lowest predictive value of 43.0% (95% CI 37.6-48.5%) found in outpatient clinics. The overall stroke diagnosis in the Danish National Patient Register had a limited predictive value. We therefore recommend the critical use of non-validated register data for research on stroke. The possibility of optimising the predictive values based on more advanced algorithms should be considered.

[Aggressive behaviour and substance abuse among schizophrenic adolescents compared to antisocial adolescents--a follow-up study].

Science.gov (United States)

Sevecke, Kathrin; Dreher, Jan; Walger, Petra; Junglas, Jürgen; Lehmkuhl, Gerd

2005-04-01

The objective of this study was to analyze aggressive behaviour towards others by schizophrenic as opposed to antisocial adolescents, and the influence of substance abuse before, during and after their hospitalization. We analyzed 21 schizophrenic adolescents and compared their aggressive behaviour and their substance abuse to that of 21 antisocial juveniles before and during their hospitalization and again at the time of a follow-up interview. The two samples were matched for age, sex and intelligence. In a first step, data were gathered from the hospital records, in a second step, for follow-up data we conducted standardized telephone interview with the patient and his or her parent or caregiver. Within the analysis we focused on aggressive behaviour towards other people and objects, as well as on criminal acts and regular substance abuse. We found less aggressive behaviour among psychotic patients during and post-hospitalization than among their antisocial counterparts. As inpatients, the acutely psychotic juveniles were at higher risk for aggressive acts, but adequate treatment subdued their offensive behaviour. In the long term, there were fewer criminal arrests among psychotic patients. Only in connection with their substance abuse, their aggressive misconduct towards others increased. Our results suggest that drug treatment during adolescence might help to lessen the risk of aggressive behaviour towards others.

New graduate registered nurses' knowledge of patient safety and practice: A literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, Melanie; Sundin, Deborah; Cope, Vicki

2018-01-01

To critically appraise available literature and summarise evidence pertaining to the patient safety knowledge and practices of new graduate registered nurses. Responsibility for patient safety should not be limited to the practice of the bedside nurses, rather the responsibility of all in the healthcare system. Previous research identified lapses in safety across the health care, more specifically with new practitioners. Understanding these gaps and what may be employed to counteract them is vital to ensuring patient safety. A focused review of research literature. The review used key terms and Boolean operators across a 5-year time frame in CINAHL, Medline, psycINFO and Google Scholar for research articles pertaining to the area of enquiry. Eighty-four articles met the inclusion criteria, 39 discarded due to irrelevant material and 45 articles were included in the literature review. This review acknowledges that nursing has different stages of knowledge and practice capabilities. A theory-practice gap for new graduate registered nurses exists, and transition to practice is a key learning period setting new nurses on the path to becoming expert practitioners. Within the literature, there was little to no acknowledgement of patient safety knowledge of the newly registered nurse. Issues raised in the 1970s remain a concern for today's new graduate registered nurses. Research has recognised several factors affecting transition from nursing student to new graduate registered nurse. These factors are leaving new practitioners open to potential errors and risking patient safety. Understanding the knowledge of a new graduate registered nurse upon entering clinical practice may assist in organisations providing appropriate clinical and theoretical support to these nurses during their transition. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Multisensory integration of emotional faces and voices in schizophrenics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gelder, B. de; Vroomen, J.H.M.; Jong, S.J. de; Masthoff, E.D.M.; Trompenaars, F.J.; Hodiamont, P.P.G.

2005-01-01

their natural environment, organisms receive information through multiple sensory channels and these inputs from different sensory systems are routinely combined into integrated percepts. Previously, we reported that in a population of schizophrenics, deficits in audiovisual integration were

Sobrepeso e obesidade em pacientes esquizofrênicos em uso de clozapina comparado com o uso de outros antipsicóticos Overweight and obesity in schizophrenic patients taking clozapine compared to the use of other antipsychotics

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Carmen Lúcia Leitão-Azevedo

2006-08-01

Full Text Available INTRODUÇÃO: O uso de antipsicóticos tem sido fundamental no tratamento de portadores de esquizofrenia. Entretanto, tanto a clozapina quanto a maior parte dos antipsicóticos atípicos podem induzir um maior ganho de peso corporal e alterações metabólicas. OBJETIVO: Comparar a freqüência de sobrepeso e obesidade em pacientes esquizofrênicos expostos à clozapina com a dos expostos a demais antipsicóticos. MÉTODO: Foram estudados 121 pacientes esquizofrênicos, com idade de 18 anos ou mais, de ambos os sexos, atendidos no Ambulatório de Esquizofrenia e Demências do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, encaminhados de forma consecutiva. Foram avaliadas medidas antropométricas de 53 pacientes em uso de clozapina e de 68 usando outros antipsicóticos, e todos preencheram os critérios diagnósticos de esquizofrenia do DSM-IV e CID-10. RESULTADOS: Não houve diferença significativa na freqüência do IMC entre os esquizofrênicos em uso de clozapina, quando comparado com o dos que usam os demais antipsicóticos. As análises mostraram uma elevada prevalência de pacientes (72,7% com excesso de peso (sobrepeso + obesidade. DISCUSSÃO: Devido à maior freqüência de excesso de peso na população esquizofrênica, pode-se evidenciar na amostra um indicativo de maior risco para transtornos vasculares e metabólicos. A ausência de diferença significativa em relação ao uso de clozapina, comparada com os demais antipsicóticos, demonstra a necessidade da montagem de estudos prospectivos determinando a magnitude de ganho de peso e o aumento de risco relativo à exposição específica de cada antipsicótico.BACKGROUND: The use of antipsychotics has been crucial in the treatment of schizophrenic patients. However, clozapine, as well as most atypical antipsychotics, may lead to higher weight gain and metabolic changes. OBJECTIVE: To compare the frequency of overweight and obesity between schizophrenic patients exposed to clozapine to the

Multisensory integration of emotional faces and voices in schizophrenics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gelder, B. de; Vroomen, J.H.M.; Jong, S. de; Masthoff, E.D.M.; Trompenaars, F.J.; Hodiamont, P.P.G.

2005-01-01

In their natural environment, organisms receive information through multiple sensory channels and these inputs from different sensory systems are routinely combined into integrated percepts. Previously, we reported that in a population of schizophrenics, deficits in audiovisual integration were

Estimation of localization and dipole moment of alpha- and theta-rhythm sources by cluster analysis in healthy subjects and schizophrenics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verkhlyutov, VM; Shchuchkin, YV; Ushakov, VL; Strelets, VB; Pirogov, YA

2006-01-01

In 12 healthy subjects and 9 schizophrenic patients in the background conditions (with eyes closed) EEG was recorded from 16 standard derivations (10-20 system) during 3 min. The record underwent the spectral analysis detecting alpha- and theta-frequency bands. After the preliminary narrow band

[Recovery of intersubjectivity and empathy in schizophrenics: through a characteristic type of friendship "frolicking"].

Science.gov (United States)

Okamoto, Yoshiko

2003-01-01

The author has noticed a characteristic form of close, frolicsome friendship between recovering adolescent schizophrenic patients. It occurs in groups of young patients in a psychiatric clinic and in a day-care institution. Through this type of friendship, their intersubjectivity, ability for empathy and human relations develop, essential changes for the amelioration of schizophrenia. It is characterized by 1 A mutual relationship on equal terms with another schizophrenic patient of the same sex and generation; particularly close friendship between two patients, or sometimes several patients who form a group, spending much time together. 2 Playful, childish behavior, jokes and jests; Patients laugh and make others laugh, playing together. 3 Touching the friends' bodies and coordinated playing such as dancing and singing together. 4 Chatting and having common interests, along with sharing various experiences. 5 Enjoyment with so much energy that sometimes, as in a gang, social norms are contravened. 6 Being a transient phenomenon that ends naturally after a certain period. Through such friendship, the adolescents show mental growth compared with their premorbid state. They come to sympathize with others' feelings and willingly cooperate. Their social relationships and spheres of activity expand, and spontaneity and self-esteem become improved. They come to assert themselves adequately, tolerate stress, and conform to social norms. Moreover, they advance to developing a purpose. e.g. work. To be able to have empathy through friendship with those of the same sex and generation is a basic developmental theme generally seen in childhood and pre-adolescence. Such friendship between the patients studied represents benign regression in such a developmental period. This type of friendship is characterized by a frolicsome and playful atmosphere. Frolicking by means of jokes, jests and body-touching, and play with coordinated acts lead to the sharing of emotions and

Study on effects of an atypical antipsychotic agent, quetiapine, on regional cerebral blood flow with 99mTc-ECD SPECT in drug-naive or unmedicated schizophrenic patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Monkawa, Akikazu

2007-01-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the underlying mechanisms of intracerebral actions or clinical efficacies of quetiapine, an atypical antipsychotic agent and a multi-action receptor targeting agent (MARTA), and the influences of quetiapine on absolute regional cerebral blood flows (rCBFs) of schizophrenic patients. Correlations between rCBFs and psychotic symptoms were also examined. Subjects comprised 12 patients who met the ICD-10 criteria for schizophrenia. All patients were drug-naive or unmedicated. Using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with 99m Tc-ethyl cysteinate dimer (ECD), rCBFs were measured. Psychotic symptoms were evaluated with positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS). The evaluations of SPECT and PANSS were repeated before and after oral 2-week administration of quetiapine 300 mg/day in all patients and after subsequent 2-week administration of quetiapine 600 mg/day in 6 patients. Administration of quetiapine yielded no significant changes in rCBFs at any dose. And there were no significant correlations between the scores of PANSS and the values of rCBFs in any region, though the scores of PANSS decreased after qutiapine administration. It has been reported that, a typical antipsychotic agent, haloperidol, and an atypical antipsychotic agent, risperidone, decrease rCBFs in the cerebral cortex in dose-dependently in drug-naive or unmedicated schizophrenic patients. This phenomenon is considered to be attributable to a secondary inactivation of the cerebral cortex due to D2 receptor blockade of haloperidol or risperidone in the striatum through the cortico-striatal-thalamic pathway. In the frame of this hypothesis, results of this study may relate to the lower degree of D2 blockade induced by quetiapine than that produced by haloperidol and risperidone. (author)

THE STUDY "REGISTER OF PATIENTS AFTER ACUTE STROKE (REGION." Part 1. Hospital Prospective Register of Patients after Acute Stroke (According to the Results of the Pilot Phase of the Study

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S. A. Boytsov

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Aim. To assess the main features of the clinical course of acute cerebrovascular accident (ACVA, its short-term and long-term outcomes and quality of pharmacotherapy based on hospital register. Material and methods. The hospital register of acute stroke (AS was organized in one of the cardiovascular centers in Moscow city. The results of the pilot part of the study are presented (170 patients hospitalized from January 01, 2014 to September 30, 2014 with ACVA living in the service area of one of the closest outpatient clinics. Presence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD and their risk factors (RF, prehospital therapy, short-term complications including death and pharmacotherapy recommended to survived patients were analyzed using hospital medical records. During ambulatory follow-up (prospective part of the register the vital status and pharmacotherapy were assessed. Results. The majority of patients with AS had concomitant CVD (on average 2 per patient and non CVD (on average 1.2 per patient. Data on the risk factors of CVD and their complications were reflected insufficiently in the medical records. Most patients in the prehospital period did not receive adequate treatment for the reduction in the cardiovascular risk. 90 patients survived and were discharged. 1.5-2 years after discharge, information on the vital status was available for 78 (86.7% patients. 61 of them (78.2% were alive and 17 (21.8% died. Conclusion. The pilot part of the REGION register revealed that the majority of patients with AS have concomitant CVD and non-CVD. The overall quality of pharmacotherapy, primary and secondary prevention of ACVA was far from that recommended in clinical guidelines, especially during follow-up in outpatient clinic.

Neurocortical electrical activity tomography in chronic schizophrenics

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Veiga Heloisa

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Functional imaging of brain electrical activity was performed in 25 chronic medicated schizophrenics and 40 controls, analyzing the classical frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha, and beta of 19-channel EEG during resting state to identify brain regions with deviant activity of different functional significances, using LORETA (Low Resolution Tomography and SPM99 (Statistical Parametric Mapping. Patients differed from controls due to an excess of slow activity comprising delta + theta frequency bands (inhibitory pattern located at the right middle frontal gyrus, right inferior frontal gyrus, and right insula, as well as at the bilateral anterior cingulum with a left preponderance. The high temporal resolution of EEG enables the specification of the deviations not only as an excess or a deficit of brain electrical activity, but also as inhibitory (delta, theta, normal (alpha, and excitatory (beta activities. These deviations point out to an impaired functional brain state consisting of inhibited frontal and prefrontal areas that may result in inadequate treatment of externally or internally generated information.

Social integration and the quality of life of schizophrenic patients in different types of complementary care.

Science.gov (United States)

Leisse, M; Kallert, T W

2000-12-01

Following reunification in Germany in 1990 the new states in the Federal Republic faced the task of restructuring and rebuilding the structures of complementary care for the chronically mentally ill. First and foremost, residential facilities had to be established that would correspond to and meet the currently high need for de-hospitalization by making different types of care and care concepts available. Five groups of patients with chronic schizophrenic psychoses (N = 245 patients) who live in different types of psychiatric care facilities (psychiatric nursing home, social therapeutic hostel, sheltered community residence) or at home, either with or without a family network, were studied. In addition to the sociodemographic data, the psychopathology and the extent of social disabilities were also surveyed, as well as data on the living situation and the subjective quality of life with an emphasis on 'social relationships', 'recreation/leisure activities', and 'general independence'. The five groups differed with regard to various sociodemographic and disorder-related variables, particularly with regard to the extent of social disabilities. Especially relevant, however, are the differences among the patient groups in the extent of daily social life and recreational/leisure activities that are partially reflected in their statements on the subjective quality of life. Primarily for the two groups of home residents, but also in part for the patients living in sheltered community care, social contacts are more or less limited to the residential situation and patients are more or less otherwise socially isolated. This is due among other things to the fact that patients who have been hospitalized for long periods do not as a rule return to their prior area of residence; thus, the available compensatory mediation of relationships with the social environment does not suffice. Demands for the further development of complementary systems of psychiatric care derive from

Lifetime DSM-III-R diagnostic outcomes in the offspring of schizophrenic mothers. Results from the Copenhagen High-Risk Study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Parnas, Josef; Cannon, T D; Jacobsen, B

1993-01-01

.2%) and other nonaffective, nonorganic psychosis (4.6%), and Cluster A personality disorders (21.3%) occurred among the offspring of schizophrenic mothers compared with the controls (1.9%, 0.9%, and 5%, respectively). No evidence of increased aggregation of (psychotic and nonpsychotic) affective disorders......OBJECTIVES: To perform a long-term prospective follow-up of children at high risk for schizophrenia to identify risk factors for the development of this disorder. DESIGN: Prospective follow-up population study of children of schizophrenic mothers and their matched controls from age 15 years to age...... 42 years, with multiple diagnostic assessments performed by senior clinicians using structured interviews blindly with respect to the group membership of the subject. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred seven offspring of schizophrenic mothers and 104 control children without schizophrenic parents matched...

Neural correlates of working memory deficits in schizophrenic patients. Ways to establish neurocognitive endophenotypes of psychiatric disorders; Neuronale Korrelate gestoerter Arbeitsgedaechtnisfunktionen bei schizophrenen Patienten. Ansaetze zur Etablierung neurokognitiver Endophaenotypen psychiatrischer Erkrankungen

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Gruber, O. [Universitaet des Saarlandes, Klinik fuer Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Homburg (Saar) (Germany); Max-Planck-Institut fuer Kognitions- und Neurowissenschaften, Leipzig (Germany); Gruber, E.; Falkai, P. [Universitaet des Saarlandes, Klinik fuer Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Homburg (Saar) (Germany)

2005-02-01

This article briefly reviews some methodological limitations of functional neuroimaging studies in psychiatric patients. We argue that the investigation of the neural substrates of cognitive deficits in psychiatric disorders requires a combination of functional neuroimaging studies in healthy subjects with corresponding behavioral experiments in patients. In order to exemplify this methodological approach we review recent findings regarding the functional neuroanatomy of distinct components of human working memory and provide evidence for selective dysfunctions of cortical networks that underlie specific working memory deficits in schizophrenia. This identification of subgroups of schizophrenic patients according to neurocognitive parameters may facilitate the establishment of behavioral and neurophysiological endophenotypes and the development of a neurobiological classification of psychiatric disorders. (orig.) [German] Dieser Beitrag befasst sich mit einigen methodischen Problemen funktionell-bildgebender Studien mit psychiatrischen Patienten, aufgrund derer die Untersuchung der neuronalen Korrelate kognitiver Defizite bei psychiatrischen Erkrankungen einer Kombination funktionell-bildgebender Studien bei gesunden Normalprobanden mit Verhaltensuntersuchungen bei Patienten bedarf. Dieser methodische Ansatz wird am Beispiel von Arbeitsgedaechtnisfunktionen erlaeutert, wobei zunaechst neuere Erkenntnisse zur funktionellen Neuroanatomie verschiedener Komponenten des menschlichen Arbeitsgedaechtnisses referiert werden. Anschliessend werden bei schizophrenen Patienten erhobene Befunde vorgestellt, die auf spezifische Stoerungen der funktionellen Integritaet neuronaler Netzwerke mit Arbeitsgedaechtnisfunktionen hinweisen. Die damit verbundene Identifikation von Subgruppen schizophrener Patienten koennte zur Etablierung verhaltensneurophysiologisch definierter Endophaenotypen psychiatrischer Stoerungsbilder fuehren und die Entwicklung einer neurowissenschaftlich

Plasma homovanillic acid in schizophrenics: supportive evidence for the two-subtype hypothesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, T Y; Lee, C F; Lung, F W; Lee, T C; Lin, W L; Hu, W H; Yeh, E K; Chang, W H

1989-06-01

Plasma levels of homovanillic acid (pHVA), a major metabolite of dopamine (DA), were measured in a group of 51 schizophrenic inpatients before and during 6 weeks of neuroleptic treatment. Steady-state plasma drug concentrations were monitored in parallel with pHVA. Good responders (n = 22) had higher pretreatment pHVA levels as compared to poor responders (n = 22). Differential pHVA changes during neuroleptic treatment were also found between each group. The two groups did not differ significantly in terms of age, duration of illness, severity of presenting symptoms, neuroleptic, dose, or plasma drug concentration. Two hypothetical subtypes in the group of schizophrenics were proposed.

Effects of handedness (left vs right) and cannabis abuse on intermanual coordination and negative symptoms in schizophrenic patients of the paranoid type.

Science.gov (United States)

Gorynia, Inge; Schwaiger, Markus

2011-09-01

Intermanual coordination as an index of interhemispheric transfer and negative symptoms were investigated in 50 left- and 42 right-handed schizophrenic inpatients of the paranoid type, also including drug abusers. The primary objective was to show that there were higher values in intermanual coordination and fewer manifestations of negative symptoms in the left-handed compared to the right-handed patients. This assumption was based on previous studies. Most importantly, right- and left-handed patients showed a different behaviour in intermanual coordination, when the duration of illness was taken into consideration. Thus, long-term left-handed paranoid patients performed better in intermanual coordination and showed fewer manifestations of negative symptoms than did long-term right-handed patients. These results were true for the large group of all patients, and among them for the subgroup of patients without drug abuse. Consequently, higher scores in intermanual coordination in left-handed patients may be related to a better interhemispheric crosstalk resulting in less pronounced negative symptoms. Secondary objectives assessed by explorative data analysis included the effects of cannabis abuse. While cannabis abuse may be more prevalent in left-handed patients, its effects may be more pronounced in right-handed patients, scoring higher in intermanual coordination and lower in manifestations of negative symptoms.

MR diffusion tensor analysis of schizophrenic brain using statistical parametric mapping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamada, Haruyasu; Abe, Osamu; Kasai, Kiyoto

2005-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate diffusion anisotropy in the schizophrenic brain by voxel-based analysis of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), using statistical parametric mapping (SPM). We studied 33 patients with schizophrenia diagnosed by diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM)-IV criteria and 42 matched controls. The data was obtained with a 1.5 T MRI system. We used single-shot spin-echo planar sequences (repetition time/echo time (TR/TE)=5000/102 ms, 5 mm slice thickness and 1.5 mm gap, field of view (FOV)=21 x 21 cm 2 , number of excitation (NEX)=4, 128 x 128 pixel matrix) for diffusion tensor acquisition. Diffusion gradients (b-value of 500 or 1000 s/mm 2 ) were applied on two axes simultaneously. Diffusion properties were measured along 6 non-linear directions. The structural distortion induced by the large diffusion gradients was corrected, based on each T 2 -weighted echo-planar image (b=0 s/mm 2 ). The fractional anisotropy (FA) maps were generated on a voxel-by-voxel basis. T 2 -weighted echo-planar images were then segmented into gray matter, white matter, and cerebrospinal fluid, using SPM (Wellcome Department of Imaging, University College London, UK). All apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and FA maps in native space were transformed to the stereotactic space by registering each of the images to the same template image. The normalized data was smoothed and analyzed using SPM. The significant FA decrease in the patient group was found in the uncinate fasciculus, parahippocampal white matter, anterior cingulum and other areas (corrected p<0.05). No significant increased region was noted. Our results may reflect reduced diffusion anisotropy of the white matter pathway of the limbic system as shown by the decreased FA. Manual region-of-interest analysis is usually more sensitive than voxel-based analysis, but it is subjective and difficult to set with anatomical reproducibility. Voxel-based analysis of the diffusion tensor

[Cost-effectiveness analysis of schizophrenic patient care settings: impact of an atypical antipsychotic under long-acting injection formulation].

Science.gov (United States)

Llorca, P M; Miadi-Fargier, H; Lançon, C; Jasso Mosqueda, G; Casadebaig, F; Philippe, A; Guillon, P; Mehnert, A; Omnès, L F; Chicoye, A; Durand-Zaleski, I

2005-01-01

Schizophrenia is a disease affecting the young adults and amounts to approximately 300,000 people in France. The French public psychiatric sector takes care of approximately 150,000 adults schizophrenics: 50% benefit from ambulatory care, 50% are in partial or full-time hospitalization care. Schizophrenia represents the first diagnosis that psychiatric sectors take in charge. The costs associated with schizophrenia, mainly hospital costs, are important and were estimated at 2% of the total medical costs in France. In the French social welfare system, the social costs (pensions, allowances, managements of custody or guardianship by social workers) are also to be taken into account: it amounts to a third of the global direct cost. Schizophrenia also generates indirect costs (losses of productivity and premature deaths) which would be at least equal, or even more important, than direct medical costs. The non-compliance to the antipsychotic treatment is a major problem with people suffering from schizophrenia. Indeed the lack of compliance to the treatment, estimated at 20 to 40%, is a major handicap for schizophrenic patient stabilization. The poor level of compliance is due to many various causes: adverse effects that are considered unbearable, medicine viewed as persecutory, negation of the disease, nostalgia for the productive phases of the disease, lack of social support, complexity of the prescription, relapse itself. Compliance is thus influenced by the patient's clinical features, local provision of health care and the specific nature of the drug (adverse effects, pharmaceutical formulation). The atypical antipsychotics present fewer extrapyramidal side effects and reduce the cognitive deficits associated with the disease, which results in improved compliance. Long-acting injectable antipsychotics allow a better therapeutic compliance and thus better efficacy of the treatment. Several studies have shown a significant improvement in compliance related to the

Over-Expression of Dopamine D2 Receptor and Inwardly Rectifying Potassium Channel Genes in Drug-Naive Schizophrenic Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes as Potential Diagnostic Markers

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Ágnes Zvara

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Schizophrenia is one of the most common neuropsychiatric disorders affecting nearly 1% of the human population. Current diagnosis of schizophrenia is based on complex clinical symptoms. The use of easily detectable peripheral molecular markers could substantially help the diagnosis of psychiatric disorders. Recent studies showed that peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL express subtypes of D1 and D2 subclasses of dopamine receptors. Recently, dopamine receptor D3 (DRD3 was found to be over-expressed in schizophrenic PBL and proposed to be a diagnostic and follow-up marker for schizophrenia. In this study we screened PBL of 13 drug-naive/drug-free schizophrenic patients to identify additional markers of schizophrenia. One of the benefits of our study is the use of blood samples of non-medicated, drug-naive patients. This excludes the possibility that changes detected in gene expression levels might be attributed to the medication rather than to the disorder itself. Among others, genes for dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2 and the inwardly rectifying potassium channel (Kir2.3 were found to be over-expressed in microarray analysis. Increased mRNA levels were confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR (QRT-PCR using the SybrGreen method and dual labeled TaqMan probes. The use of both molecular markers allows a more rapid and precise prediction of schizophrenia and might help find the optimal medication for schizophrenic patients.

Young Children of Schizophrenic Mothers: Difficulties of Intervention

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grünbaum, Liselotte; Gammeltoft, Marie

1993-01-01

Casework by Danish local social agencies on behalf of 11 children og chronically ill schizophrenic mothers is retrospectively analyzed, along with documentation from psychiatric hospitals, consulting child specialists, and other health professionals. Findings point to a need for earlier and more...... precise assessment of the mother's parenting abilities as measured against the severity of her illness and the vulnerability of the child...

Dor crônica em pacientes esquizofrênicos: prevalência e características Chronic pain in schizophrenic patients: prevalence and characteristics

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Jouce Gabriela de Almeida

2010-03-01

Full Text Available A prevalência de dor crônica entre pacientes com transtornos psiquiátricos é, possivelmente, no mínimo igual à encontrada entre a população geral. Para estimar a prevalência de dor crônica em pacientes com esquizofrenia, comparar os grupos com e sem dor crônica e caracterizar a dor foi realizado um estudo transversal, com uma amostra probabilística de 205 pacientes adultos, com diagnóstico de esquizofrenia (idade média 37 anos; 65% homens; média de escolaridade de nove anos; 87% sem companheiro(a; 65% residentes com os pais, atendidos em hospital público do Município de São Paulo, Brasil. A prevalência de dor foi de 36,6%; a dor foi mais presente no abdômen (30,7%, seguida da dor de cabeça, face e boca (24% e região lombar, sacra e cóccix (14,7%. Com relação à freqüência, 24% dos entrevistados referiram ter dor todos os dias. O tempo médio de dor foi de 41 meses, com intensidade moderada. A prevalência de dor crônica em pacientes esquizofrênicos foi semelhante à encontrada para a população geral, e o quadro álgico foi significativo em termos de duração, intensidade e freqüência dos episódios dolorosos.Chronic pain may be at least as prevalent in psychiatric patients as in the general population. To estimate the prevalence of chronic pain in schizophrenic patients, compare the groups with and without chronic pain, and characterize the pain, a cross-sectional study was performed on a probabilistic sample of 205 adult patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia (mean age 37 years; 65% men; mean schooling nine years; 87% single; 65% living with parents, treated at a public hospital in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. Prevalence of pain was 36.6%, and the most frequent sites were abdomen (30.7%, head, face, and mouth (24%, and lower back (14.7%. Twenty-four percent of patients reported feeling pain every day. Mean duration of pain was 41 months, with moderate intensity. Prevalence of chronic pain in

Arthroplasty register for Germany

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Hagen, Anja

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Scientific background: The annual number of joint replacement operations in Germany is high. The introduction of an arthroplasty register promises an important contribution to the improvement of the quality of patient’s care. Research questions: The presented report addresses the questions on organization and functioning, benefits and cost-benefits as well as on legal, ethical and social aspects of the arthroplasty registers. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in September 2008 in the medical databases MEDLINE, EMBASE etc. and was complemented with a hand search. Documents describing arthroplasty registers and/or their relevance as well as papers on legal, ethical and social aspects of such registers were included in the evaluation. The most important information was extracted and analysed. Results: Data concerning 30 arthroplasty registers in 19 countries as well as one international arthroplasty register were identified. Most of the arthroplasty registers are maintained by national orthopedic societies, others by health authorities or by their cooperation. Mostly, registries are financially supported by governments and rarely by other sources.The participation of the orthopedists in the data collection process of the arthroplasty registry is voluntary in most countries. The consent of the patients is usually required. The unique patient identification is ensured in nearly all registers.Each data set consists of patient and clinic identification numbers, data on diagnosis, the performed intervention, the operation date and implanted prostheses. The use of clinical scores, patient-reported questionnaires and radiological documentation is rare. Methods for data documentation and transfer are paper form, electronic entry as well as scanning of the data using bar codes. The data are mostly being checked for their completeness and validity. Most registers offer results of the data evaluation to the treating orthopedists and

PRODROMAL PHASE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF EARLY ONSET SCHIZOPHRENIC PSYCHOSIS - CASE REPORT

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Jelena Kostić

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Schizophrenia and other mental disorders are often preceded by prodromal changes in behavior that can last from several days to several years, indicating the beginning of psychosis. If the disease starts at an earlier age, especially in adolescence, the prodromal phase is more non-specific and difficult to detect. There is a large number of operational instruments used for clinical assessment and quantification of prodromal symptoms and "at risk mental state", as well as the predictive potential for psychosis. This paper describes the prodromal phase in the development of early onset schizophrenic psychosis, with the emphasis on gradual, several-month psychopathological accumulation and evolution of nonspecific and subclinical, prodromal symptoms to florid schizophrenic symptoms.

The effect of a brief family intervention on primary carer's functioning and their schizophrenic relatives levels of psychopathology in India.

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Devaramane, Virupaksha; Pai, Nagesh B; Vella, Shae-Leigh

2011-09-01

This study examined the short term effects of a brief familial intervention on schizophrenic the patient's levels of psychopathology and their primary caregiver's functioning in India. Caregiver functioning was measured by the caregiver's levels of burden and coping along with the patient's perceived level of expressed emotion (EE). The participants were 18 schizophrenic patients and their related primary carer from a medical facility in India. The patients' levels of psychopathology and EE were assessed at baseline and at completion of the study with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS; Kay et al., 1987) and the Family Emotional Involvement And Criticism Scale (FEICS; Shields et al., 1992), respectively. The primary caregiver's levels of burden and coping were also measured at baseline and upon completion of the study by the Burden Assessment Scale (BAS; Thara et al., 1998) and the Family Crisis Oriented Personal Evaluation Scale (F-COPES; McCubbin et al., 1981), respectively. The brief intervention was comprised of 3 one hour sessions aimed at educating the primary caregiver and patient about schizophrenia; along with improving their communication, problem solving skills and expression of emotions. A significant improvement was found between baseline and the final 3-month follow-up on measures of psychopathology for the patients, as well as family functioning for both the caregivers and patients. The implications of the findings are discussed, along with future research directions. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluating the use and limitations of the Danish National Patient Register in register-based research using an example of multiple sclerosis.

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Mason, K; Thygesen, L C; Stenager, E; Brønnum-Hansen, H; Koch-Henriksen, N

2012-03-01

The Danish National Patient Register, Landspatientregistret (LPR), is a register of all hospital discharges and outpatient treatments in Denmark. It is increasingly used in research so it is important to understand to what extent this can be used as an accurate source of information. Virtually all patients in Denmark with multiple sclerosis (MS) are reported to the Combined MS Registry (DMSR), so this was used as the standard which the LPR was compared against. All residents of Denmark are assigned a unique Civil Register (CPR) number; this was used to compare data between registers. The LPR completeness was estimated by the proportion of cases from the DMSR that could be retrieved from the LPR. The LPR validity was estimated by the proportion of cases, listed in the LPR and DMSR, in whom the MS diagnosis could be confirmed as definite/probable/possible by the DMSR. We found that 86.9% of those who were DMSR listed with an approved MS diagnosis were also listed in the LPR with a MS diagnosis. The diagnosis was valid in 96.3% of patients listed in the LPR when compared against the DMSR. The low completeness reduces the usefulness of the LPR in epidemiological MS research, in particular incidence studies. The study also found that the completeness of the LPR could be increased to 92.8% by including LPR records from other departments in addition, but this reduced the validity of the LPR to 95.1%. However, these results cannot uncritically be applied to registration of other diseases in the LPR. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Detecting potential adverse reactions of sulpiride in schizophrenic patients by prescription sequence symmetry analysis.

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Edward Chia-Cheng Lai

Full Text Available PURPOSE: Previous studies have demonstrated sulpiride to be significantly more effective than haloperidol, risperidone and olanzapine in schizophrenic treatment; however, only limited information is available on the potential risks associated with sulpiride treatment. This study attempts to provide information on the potential risks of sulpiride treatment of schizophrenia, especially with regard to unexpected adverse effects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with schizophrenia aged 18 and older, newly prescribed with a single antipsychotic medication from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan in the period from 2003 to 2010 were included. A within-subject comparison method, prescription sequence symmetry analysis (PSSA was employed to efficiently identify potential causal relationships while controlling for potential selection bias. RESULTS: A total of 5,750 patients, with a mean age of 39, approximately half of whom were male, constituted the study cohort. The PSSA found that sulpiride was associated with EPS (adjusted SR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.46-2.06 and hyperprolactinemia (12.04; 1.59-91.2. In comparison, EPS caused by haloperidol has a magnitude of 1.99 when analyzed with PSSA, and hyperprolactinemia caused by amisulpride has a magnitude of 8.05, respectively. Another finding was the unexpected increase in the use of stomatological corticosteroids, emollient laxatives, dermatological preparations of corticosteroids, quinolone antibacterials, and topical products for joint and muscular pain, after initiation of sulpiride treatment. CONCLUSIONS: We found sulpiride to be associated with an increased risk of EPS and hyperprolactinemia, and the potential risk could be as high as that induced by haloperidol and amisulpride, respectively. Additionally, our study provides grounds for future investigations into the associations between sulpiride and the increased use of additional drugs for managing adverse effects, including

Experiences of registered nurses caring for patients with an open ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Three themes emerged: Difficulty in nursing care, complications such as fistula and infections, and poor hospital administration. Recommendations for assisting registered nurses in taking care of patients with an open abdomen were then made based on the findings of the four focus group interviews. Ethical principles and ...

Clinical trial enrollment, patient characteristics, and survival differences in prospectively registered metastatic colorectal cancer patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sorbye, Halfdan; Pfeiffer, Per; Cavalli-Björkman, Nina

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND: Trial accrual patterns were examined to determine whether metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients enrolled in trials are representative of a general cancer population concerning patient characteristics and survival. METHODS: A total of 760 mCRC patients referred for their first...... oncological consideration at 3 hospitals in Scandinavia covering defined populations were registered consecutively during 2003 to 2006. Clinical trial enrollment, patient characteristics, and treatment were recorded prospectively, and the follow-up was complete. RESULTS: Palliative chemotherapy was initiated...

Elevation of D4 dopamine receptor mRNA in postmortem schizophrenic brain.

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Stefanis, N C; Bresnick, J N; Kerwin, R W; Schofield, W N; McAllister, G

1998-01-01

The D4 dopamine (DA) receptor has been proposed to be a target for the development of a novel antipsychotic drug based on its pharmacological and distribution profile. There is much interest in whether D4 DA receptor levels are altered in schizophrenia, but the lack of an available receptor subtype-specific radioligand made this difficult to quantitate. In this study, we examined whether D4 mRNA levels are altered in different brain regions of schizophrenics compared to controls. Ribonuclease protection assays were carried out on total RNA samples isolated postmortem from frontal cortex and caudate brain regions of schizophrenics and matched controls. 32P-labelled RNA probes to the D4 DA receptor and to the housekeeping gene, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G3PDH), were hybridised with the RNA samples, digested with ribonucleases to remove unhybridised probe, and separated on 6% sequencing gels. Densitometer analysis on the subsequent autoradiogams was used to calculate the relative optical density of D4 mRNA compared to G3PDH mRNA. Statistical analysis of the data revealed a 3-fold higher level (P<0.011) of D4 mRNA in the frontal cortex of schizophrenics compared to controls. No increase was seen in caudate. D4 receptors could play a role in mediating dopaminergic activity in frontal cortex, an activity which may be malfunctioning in schizophrenia.

[Inbreeding, endogamy and exogamy among relatives of schizophrenia patients].

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Abaskuliev, A A; Skoblo, G V

1975-01-01

An increased frequency of consanguineous marriages among the parents of schizophrenic patients in comparison with the control group of exogenous-somatic patients (infections, trauma) was found. Endogamy among the parents of schizophrenic patients and the control group was practically the same. The data obtained indicate a certain, but not the leading, role of inbreeding in the etiology of schizophrenia.

Lateralization pattern in patients with Schizophrenia and Depression ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The objective of this study was to see the incidence of peripheral laterality in schizophrenics and depressed patients. A total of 147 male subjects (29 schizophrenics, 38 depressed, 80 non-patient controls) were asked to indicate their preferences for hand, foot, eye, and ear on the Sidedness Bias Schedule. The correlations ...

[Face recognition in patients with schizophrenia].

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Doi, Hirokazu; Shinohara, Kazuyuki

2012-07-01

It is well known that patients with schizophrenia show severe deficiencies in social communication skills. These deficiencies are believed to be partly derived from abnormalities in face recognition. However, the exact nature of these abnormalities exhibited by schizophrenic patients with respect to face recognition has yet to be clarified. In the present paper, we review the main findings on face recognition deficiencies in patients with schizophrenia, particularly focusing on abnormalities in the recognition of facial expression and gaze direction, which are the primary sources of information of others' mental states. The existing studies reveal that the abnormal recognition of facial expression and gaze direction in schizophrenic patients is attributable to impairments in both perceptual processing of visual stimuli, and cognitive-emotional responses to social information. Furthermore, schizophrenic patients show malfunctions in distributed neural regions, ranging from the fusiform gyrus recruited in the structural encoding of facial stimuli, to the amygdala which plays a primary role in the detection of the emotional significance of stimuli. These findings were obtained from research in patient groups with heterogeneous characteristics. Because previous studies have indicated that impairments in face recognition in schizophrenic patients might vary according to the types of symptoms, it is of primary importance to compare the nature of face recognition deficiencies and the impairments of underlying neural functions across sub-groups of patients.

Using a quantitative risk register to promote learning from a patient safety reporting system.

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Mansfield, James G; Caplan, Robert A; Campos, John S; Dreis, David F; Furman, Cathie

2015-02-01

Patient safety reporting systems are now used in most health care delivery organizations. These systems, such as the one in use at Virginia Mason (Seattle) since 2002, can provide valuable reports of risk and harm from the front lines of patient care. In response to the challenge of how to quantify and prioritize safety opportunities, a risk register system was developed and implemented. Basic risk register concepts were refined to provide a systematic way to understand risks reported by staff. The risk register uses a comprehensive taxonomy of patient risk and algorithmically assigns each patient safety report to 1 of 27 risk categories in three major domains (Evaluation, Treatment, and Critical Interactions). For each category, a composite score was calculated on the basis of event rate, harm, and cost. The composite scores were used to identify the "top five" risk categories, and patient safety reports in these categories were analyzed in greater depth to find recurrent patterns of risk and associated opportunities for improvement. The top five categories of risk were easy to identify and had distinctive "profiles" of rate, harm, and cost. The ability to categorize and rank risks across multiple dimensions yielded insights not previously available. These results were shared with leadership and served as input for planning quality and safety initiatives. This approach provided actionable input for the strategic planning process, while at the same time strengthening the Virginia Mason culture of safety. The quantitative patient safety risk register serves as one solution to the challenge of extracting valuable safety lessons from large numbers of incident reports and could profitably be adopted by other organizations.

Predictors of subjective quality of life in schizophrenic patients living in the community. A Nordic multicentre study.

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Hansson, L; Middelboe, T; Merinder, L; Bjarnason, O; Bengtsson-Tops, A; Nilsson, L; Sandlund, M; Sourander, A; Sørgaard, K W; Vinding, H

1999-01-01

As part of a Nordic multi-centre study investigating the life and care situation of community samples of schizophrenic patients the aim of the present part of the study was to examine the relationship between global subjective quality of life and objective life conditions, clinical characteristics including psychopathology and number of needs for care, subjective factors such as satisfaction with different life domains, social network, and self-esteem. A sample of 418 persons with schizophrenia from 10 sites was used. The results of a final multiple regression analysis, explaining 52.3% of the variance, showed that five subjective factors were significantly associated with global subjective quality of life, together with one objective indicator, to have a close friend. No clinical characteristics were associated with global subjective quality of life. The largest part of the variance was explained by satisfaction with health, 36.3% of the variance, and self-esteem, 7.3% of the variance. It is concluded that the actual relationship between objective life conditions and subjectively experienced quality of life still remains unclear. Furthermore, it seems obvious that personality related factors such as self-esteem, mastery and sense of autonomy also play a role in the appraisal of subjective quality of life, which implies that factors like these are important to consider in clinical and social interventions for patients with schizophrenia in order to improve quality of life for these persons.

A retrospective study of registered retinitis pigmentosa patients in The Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Born, L. I.; Bergen, A. A.; Bleeker-Wagemakers, E. M.

1992-01-01

A retrospective study was performed of patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) registered at the Department of Ophthalmogenetics of the Netherlands Ophthalmic Research Institute. The aim was to establish the relative frequencies of the genetic modes and to attempt a clinical subclassification. Of

Study of Attention Deficit in Patients with Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder

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SM Kafi

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background & aim: Attention deficit has significant effect on the life of patients suffering from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The aim of this study was to assess the attention deficit in patients with schizophrenia. Methods: In the present post-hoc study, 132 patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder were selected via non-randomized sampling at Shafa Hospital (Rasht, Iran and then divided into four equal groups: chronic schizophrenia patients, first-episode patients, chronic bipolar patients, and first-episode bipolar patients. Thirty-three healthy individuals were selected as the control group. Subjects were evaluated by Stroop color-word test. The gathered Data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA. Results: Attention deficit among chronic schizophrenics and patients suffering from bipolar disease was higher than the control group (p <1. Chronic schizophrenic patients compared with schizophrenia bipolar disease and first round schizophrenia showed more attention deficit. There was no significant difference among the first bipolar disease and schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, as well as the first round schizophrenia (p<0.05. Conclusion: Attention deficit is more severe in schizophrenic patients than bipolar disorder, and chronicity is more effective in schizophrenic patients. Key words: Attention, Schizophrenia, Chronicity

Treatment with Ziprasidone for schizophrenia patients with OCD.

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Juven-Wetzler, Alzbeta; Fostick, Leah; Cwikel-Hamzany, Shlomit; Balaban, Evgenya; Zohar, Joseph

2014-09-01

Comorbidity of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has been observed in about 15% of schizophrenic patients and has been associated with poor prognosis. Therefore, there is a need for specific treatment options for these patients (schizo-obsessive, ScOCD). This is an open, prospective study, aiming to test the efficacy of Ziprasidone (80-200mg/d) in ScOCD patients and comparing the response to the treatment between stable schizophrenic (N=16) and stable ScOCD (N=29) patients. Treatment effect with Ziprasidone was different in schizophrenic patients when stratified based on OCD comorbidity. Overall, the effect on OCD symptoms (as measured by the Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, YBOCS) was found to be bimodal-either no response or exacerbation (for 45% of the patients, n=13) or significant improvement of symptoms (55%, n=16). Those who improved in OCD symptoms, improved also in negative and general schizophrenia symptoms, while ScOCD-unimproved group worsened in all symptoms. Whereas schizophrenic patients without OCD responded in a modest Gaussian distribution, they improved in schizophrenia negative symptoms and in general anxiety. This data suggests that schizo-obsessive disorder is a distinct and complex condition with more than one underlying pathogenesis. Definition of these ScOCD subgroups defined by their response to Ziprasidone might contribute to personalized medicine within the OCD-schizophrenia spectrum. Moreover, this finding suggests that ScOCD may be considered as a special schizophrenic subtype and its inclusion in schizophrenia treatment studies need to be further explored due to its divergent response. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Ran domized controlled clinical tria l on the efficacy of team play football on schizophrenic patients: a pilot study

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Giancarlo Vinci

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The physical activity is an important aspect of good health for everyone; it is even more important for psychiatric patients who usually live an unhealthy lifestyle. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of football practice on the self-reported health quality of life (SRHQL and Wellbeing in schizophrenic subjects. A randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted to assess the effectiveness of the Psychosocial Rehabilitation Program performed by Daily Center Mazzacurati, Department of Mental Health Roma/D , for psychotic subjects that included weekly football activities for a period of 9 months. The results show that the model proved effective in the experimental group (SG as regards the psychopathological dimensions, which are significantly improved (Median(IQR: 31(16 versus 53(18; p=0.001; in particular the negative symptomatology has been reduced, and this result is hardly achieved with the drug therapy (17(7 versus 25(15; p=0.003. This study increases the awareness of following this ap proach and improving the extension and the confirmation of the results achieved.

Outcomes in registered, ongoing randomized controlled trials of patient education.

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Cécile Pino

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: With the increasing prevalence of chronic noncommunicable diseases, patient education is becoming important to strengthen disease prevention and control. We aimed to systematically determine the extent to which registered, ongoing randomized controlled trials (RCTs evaluated an educational intervention focus on patient-important outcomes (i.e., outcomes measuring patient health status and quality of life. METHODS: On May 6, 2009, we searched for all ongoing RCTs registered in the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry platform. We used a standardized data extraction form to collect data and determined whether the outcomes assessed were 1 patient-important outcomes such as clinical events, functional status, pain, or quality of life or 2 surrogate outcomes, such as biological outcome, treatment adherence, or patient knowledge. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We selected 268 of the 642 potentially eligible studies and assessed a random sample of 150. Patient-important outcomes represented 54% (178 of 333 of all primary outcomes and 46% (286 of 623 of all secondary outcomes. Overall, 69% of trials (104 of 150 used at least one patient-important outcome as a primary outcome and 66% (99 of 150 as a secondary outcome. Finally, for 31% of trials (46 of 150, primary outcomes were only surrogate outcomes. The results varied by medical area. In neuropsychiatric disorders, patient important outcomes represented 84% (51 of 61 of primary outcomes, as compared with 54% (32 of 59 in malignant neoplasm and 18% (4 of 22 in diabetes mellitus trials. In addition, only 35% assessed the long-term impact of interventions (i.e., >6 months. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need to improve the relevance of outcomes and to assess the long term impact of educational interventions in RCTs.

Registered nurses' decision-making regarding documentation in patients' progress notes.

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Tower, Marion; Chaboyer, Wendy; Green, Quentine; Dyer, Kirsten; Wallis, Marianne

2012-10-01

To examine registered nurses' decision-making when documenting care in patients' progress notes. What constitutes effective nursing documentation is supported by available guidelines. However, ineffective documentation continues to be cited as a major cause of adverse events for patients. Decision-making in clinical practice is a complex process. To make an effective decision, the decision-maker must be situationally aware. The concept of situation awareness and its implications for making safe decisions has been examined extensively in air safety and more recently is being applied to health. The study was situated in a naturalistic paradigm. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 17 registered nurses who used think-aloud research methods when making decisions about documenting information in patients' progress notes. Follow-up interviews were conducted to validate interpretations. Data were analysed systematically for evidence of cues that demonstrated situation awareness as nurses made decisions about documentation. Three distinct decision-making scenarios were illuminated from the analysis: the newly admitted patient, the patient whose condition was as expected and the discharging patient. Nurses used mental models for decision-making in documenting in progress notes, and the cues nurses used to direct their assessment of patients' needs demonstrated situation awareness at different levels. Nurses demonstrate situation awareness at different levels in their decision-making processes. While situation awareness is important, it is also important to use an appropriate decision-making framework. Cognitive continuum theory is suggested as a decision-making model that could support situation awareness when nurses made decisions about documenting patient care. Because nurses are key decision-makers, it is imperative that effective decisions are made that translate into safe clinical care. Including situation awareness training, combined with employing cognitive

Rehabilitation of schizophrenic patients.

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Gunatilake, S; Ananth, J; Parameswaran, S; Brown, S; Silva, W

2004-01-01

Schizophrenia is a maldevelopmental disorder of the brain that manifests in positive, negative, cognitive and affective symptoms. Currently, the mainstay of treatment involves pharmacotherapy. The limitations of antipsychotic treatment are that they can only control symptoms and cannot cure the illness, and 20% of patients do not respond, thus leading to the requirement of maintenance treatment. Patients that do respond continue to have disabling residual symptoms such as amotivation and isolation, maladaptive behavior, and impaired social functioning. These symptoms prevent patients from attaining educational, occupational, and social roles. Psychosocial interventions and models of quality of life in schizophrenia are based on the notion that increases in psychosocial functioning will be related to improvement in subjective experiences, such as self-esteem and satisfaction with life. The comparative effect of specific treatment methods and the additional benefits of multiple treatments need to be explored. Diversified techniques have also been employed, such as shaping, cognitive process therapy, mastery-oriented skill training, motivation and enhancement. Issues in designing psychosocial interventions and the role of various professionals in providing such interventions need to be carefully considered. Predictor variables and the indications for particular therapies in an individual need to be explored. Generalizability of the gains made by rehabilitation/recovery is also an important consideration. Patients in jail, chronic mental hospitals, private facilities, and the Veterans Administration system are all different in their ability to benefit, their motivations, and the severity of their psychopathology. Therefore, it is very difficult to generalize findings from one setting to another.

Compiling a register of patients with moderate or severe learning disabilities: experience at one United Kingdom general practice

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Background Identifying patients with learning disabilities within primary care is central to initiatives for improving the health of this population. UK general practitioners (GPs) receive additional income for maintaining registers of patients with learning disabilities as part of the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF), and may opt to provide Directed Enhanced Services (DES), which requires practices to maintain registers of patients with moderate or severe learning disabilities and offer them annual health checks. Objectives This paper describes the development of a register of patients with moderate or severe learning disabilities at one UK general practice. Methods A Read code search of one UK general practice's electronic medical records was conducted in order to identify patients with learning disabilities. Confirmation of diagnoses was sought by scrutinising records and GP verification. Cross-referencing with the practice QOF register of patients with learning disabilities of any severity, and the local authority's list of clients with learning disabilities, was performed. Results Of 15 001 patients, 229 (1.5%) were identified by the Read code search as possibly having learning disabilities. Scrutiny of records and GP verification confirmed 64 had learning disabilities and 24 did not, but the presence or absence of learning disability remained unclear in 141 cases. Cross-referencing with the QOF register (n=81) and local authority list (n=49) revealed little overlap. Conclusion Identifying learning disability and assessing its severity are tasks GPs may be unfamiliar with, and relying on Read code searches may result in under-detection. Further research is needed to define optimum strategies for identifying, cross-referencing and validating practice-based registers of patients with learning disabilities. PMID:22479290

Compiling a register of patients with moderate or severe learning disabilities: experience at one United Kingdom general practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Lodge, Keri-Michèle; Milnes, David; Gilbody, Simon M

2011-03-01

Background Identifying patients with learning disabilities within primary care is central to initiatives for improving the health of this population. UK general practitioners (GPs) receive additional income for maintaining registers of patients with learning disabilities as part of the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF), and may opt to provide Directed Enhanced Services (DES), which requires practices to maintain registers of patients with moderate or severe learning disabilities and offer them annual health checks.Objectives This paper describes the development of a register of patients with moderate or severe learning disabilities at one UK general practice.Methods A Read code search of one UK general practice's electronic medical records was conducted in order to identify patients with learning disabilities. Confirmation of diagnoses was sought by scrutinising records and GP verification. Cross-referencing with the practice QOF register of patients with learning disabilities of any severity, and the local authority's list of clients with learning disabilities, was performed.Results Of 15 001 patients, 229 (1.5%) were identified by the Read code search as possibly having learning disabilities. Scrutiny of records and GP verification confirmed 64 had learning disabilities and 24 did not, but the presence or absence of learning disability remained unclear in 141 cases. Cross-referencing with the QOF register (n=81) and local authority list (n=49) revealed little overlap.Conclusion Identifying learning disability and assessing its severity are tasks GPs may be unfamiliar with, and relying on Read code searches may result in under-detection. Further research is needed to define optimum strategies for identifying, cross-referencing and validating practice-based registers of patients with learning disabilities.

Long term three dimensional tracking of orthodontic patients using registered cone beam CT and photogrammetry.

Science.gov (United States)

Boulanger, Pierre; Flores-Mir, Carlos; Ramirez, Juan F; Mesa, Elizabeth; Branch, John W

2009-01-01

The measurements from registered images obtained from Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT) and a photogrammetric sensor are used to track three-dimensional shape variations of orthodontic patients before and after their treatments. The methodology consists of five main steps: (1) the patient's bone and skin shapes are measured in 3D using the fusion of images from a CBCT and a photogrammetric sensor. (2) The bone shape is extracted from the CBCT data using a standard marching cube algorithm. (3) The bone and skin shape measurements are registered using titanium targets located on the head of the patient. (4) Using a manual segmentation technique the head and lower jaw geometry are extracted separately to deal with jaw motion at the different record visits. (5) Using natural features of the upper head the two datasets are then registered with each other and then compared to evaluate bone, teeth, and skin displacements before and after treatments. This procedure is now used at the University of Alberta orthodontic clinic.

Lateralization Pattern in Patients with Schizophrenia and Depression

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dr. Rajneesh Gupta

2008-07-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to see the incidence of peripheral laterality in schizophrenics and depressed patients. A total of 147 male subjects (29 schizophrenics, 38 depressed, 80 non-patient controls were asked to indicate their preferences for hand, foot, eye, and ear on the Sidedness Bias Schedule. The correlations among the laterality quotients (LQ in all the three groups were positive and highly significant except the foot-eye correlation in the non-patient controls. The left and mixed-handed schizophrenics and depressed subjects exhibited extreme left and mixed preference for foot, eye, and ear, respectively. Hand and ear preferences emerged as the predictors of schizophrenia and depression in the logistic regression analysis. The findings indicate a possible relationship between psychopathology and extreme left-mixed dominance.

An epidemiological study of concomitant use of Chinese medicine and antipsychotics in schizophrenic patients: implication for herb-drug interaction.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhang-Jin Zhang

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Herb-drug interactions are an important issue in drug safety and clinical practice. The aim of this epidemiological study was to characterize associations of clinical outcomes with concomitant herbal and antipsychotic use in patients with schizophrenia. METHODS AND FINDINGS: In this retrospective, cross-sectional study, 1795 patients with schizophrenia who were randomly selected from 17 psychiatric hospitals in China were interviewed face-to-face using a structured questionnaire. Association analyses were conducted to examine correlates between Chinese medicine (CM use and demographic, clinical variables, antipsychotic medication mode, and clinical outcomes. The prevalence of concomitant CM and antipsychotic treatment was 36.4% [95% confidence interval (95% CI 34.2%-38.6%]. Patients using concomitant CM had a significantly greater chance of improved outcomes than non-CM use (61.1% vs. 34.3%, OR = 3.44, 95% CI 2.80-4.24. However, a small but significant number of patients treated concomitantly with CM had a greater risk of developing worse outcomes (7.2% vs. 4.4%, OR = 2.06, 95% CI 2.06-4.83. Significant predictors for concomitant CM treatment-associated outcomes were residence in urban areas, paranoid psychosis, and exceeding 3 months of CM use. Herbal medicine regimens containing Radix Bupleuri, Fructus Gardenia, Fructus Schisandrae, Radix Rehmanniae, Akebia Caulis, and Semen Plantaginis in concomitant use with quetiapine, clozapine, and olanzepine were associated with nearly 60% of the risk of adverse outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Concomitant herbal and antipsychotic treatment could produce either beneficial or adverse clinical effects in schizophrenic population. Potential herb-drug pharmacokinetic interactions need to be further evaluated.

Conditional Reasoning in Schizophrenic Patients.

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Kornreich, Charles; Delle-Vigne, Dyna; Brevers, Damien; Tecco, Juan; Campanella, Salvatore; Noël, Xavier; Verbanck, Paul; Ermer, Elsa

2017-01-01

Conditional reasoning (if p then q) is used very frequently in everyday situations. Conditional reasoning is impaired in brain-lesion patients, psychopathy, alcoholism, and polydrug dependence. Many neurocognitive deficits have also been described in schizophrenia. We assessed conditional reasoning in 25 patients with schizophrenia, 25 depressive patients, and 25 controls, using the Wason selection task in three different domains: social contracts, precautionary rules, and descriptive rules. Control measures included depression, anxiety, and severity of schizophrenia measures as a Verbal Intelligence Scale. Patients with schizophrenia were significantly impaired on all conditional reasoning tasks compared to depressives and controls. However, the social contract and precautions tasks yielded better results than the descriptive tasks. Differences between groups disappeared for social contract but remained for precautions and descriptive tasks when verbal intelligence was used as a covariate. These results suggest that domain-specific reasoning mechanisms, proposed by evolutionary psychologists, are relatively resilient in the face of brain network disruptions that impair more general reasoning abilities. Nevertheless, patients with schizophrenia could encounter difficulties understanding precaution rules and social contracts in real-life situations resulting in unwise risk-taking and misunderstandings in the social world.

Ensaio com sulpiride em esquizofrênicos hospitalizados Clinical trial with sulpiride on schizophrenic in-patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Clóvis Martins

1974-09-01

Full Text Available Um ensaio terapêutico é feito com sulpiride, substância psicotrópica dada como muito ativa e cujas propriedades permitem enquadrá-la entre os neurolépticos e os timoanalépticos. Foram tratados 24 pacientes internados, com idades que variavam entre 17 e 48 anos, de ambos os sexos (17 masculinos e 7 femininos, todos com o diagnóstico clínico de esquizofrenia e internados em hospital psiquiátrico. O tempo de doença variava de 30 dias a 18 anos. O sulpiride foi aplicado em doses diárias em torno de 1200 mg, predominantemente por via oral. O tratamento durou em média 6 semanas permanecendo a maioria dos casos em observação por alguns meses, sob tratamento de manutenção. Os resultados foram em geral favoráveis, principalmente no que tange aos fenômenos psicóticos sensoperceptivos e delirantes. Não foram assinalados efeitos colaterais ou manifestações colaterais molestas.A therapeutic trial with sulpiride was made, submiting to treatment 24 in-patients of a mental hospital, diagnosed as schizophrenics. The ages are from 17 to 48 years old, 17 males and 7 females. The time of disease was from 30 dayes to 18 years. The drug was given mainly orally on about 1200 mg/die, in a treament of 6 weeks followed in some cases, by several months of observation. The best results were obtained in the sensoperceptive and delusional symptoms. No side effects of importance were detected.

The loudness dependence of auditory evoked potentials (LDAEP as an indicator of serotonergic dysfunction in patients with predominant schizophrenic negative symptoms.

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Christine Wyss

Full Text Available Besides the influence of dopaminergic neurotransmission on negative symptoms in schizophrenia, there is evidence that alterations of serotonin (5-HT system functioning also play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of these disabling symptoms. From post mortem and genetic studies on patients with negative symptoms a 5-HT dysfunction is documented. In addition atypical neuroleptics and some antidepressants improve negative symptoms via serotonergic action. So far no research has been done to directly clarify the association between the serotonergic functioning and the extent of negative symptoms. Therefore, we examined the status of brain 5-HT level in negative symptoms in schizophrenia by means of the loudness dependence of auditory evoked potentials (LDAEP. The LDAEP provides a well established and non-invasive in vivo marker of the central 5-HT activity. We investigated 13 patients with schizophrenia with predominant negative symptoms treated with atypical neuroleptics and 13 healthy age and gender matched controls with a 32-channel EEG. The LDAEP of the N1/P2 component was evaluated by dipole source analysis and single electrode estimation at Cz. Psychopathological parameters, nicotine use and medication were assessed to control for additional influencing factors. Schizophrenic patients showed significantly higher LDAEP in both hemispheres than controls. Furthermore, the LDAEP in the right hemisphere in patients was related to higher scores in scales assessing negative symptoms. A relationship with positive symptoms was not found. These data might suggest a diminished central serotonergic neurotransmission in patients with predominant negative symptoms.

Analysis of 127 peripartum hypoxic brain injuries from closed claims registered by the Danish Patient Insurance Association

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bock, J.; Christoffersen, J.K.; Hedegaard, M.

2008-01-01

: The authors retrospectively investigated peripartum hypoxic brain injuries registered by the Danish Patient Insurance Association. RESULTS: From 1992 to 2004, 127 approved claims concerning peripartum hypoxic brain injuries were registered and subsequently analysed. Thirty-eight newborns died, and a majority...

Drug Treated Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective and Bipolar Disorder Patients Evaluated by qEEG Absolute Spectral Power and Mean Frequency Analysis.

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Wix-Ramos, Richard; Moreno, Xiomara; Capote, Eduardo; González, Gilbert; Uribe, Ezequiel; Eblen-Zajjur, Antonio

2014-04-01

Research of electroencephalograph (EEG) power spectrum and mean frequency has shown inconsistent results in patients with schizophrenic, schizoaffective and bipolar disorders during medication when compared to normal subjects thus; the characterization of these parameters is an important task. We applied quantitative EEG (qEEG) to investigate 38 control, 15 schizophrenic, 7 schizoaffective and 11 bipolar disorder subjects which remaine under the administration of psychotropic drugs (except control group). Absolute spectral power (ASP), mean frequency and hemispheric electrical asymmetry were measured by 19 derivation qEEG. Group mean values were compared with non parametrical Mann-Whitney test and spectral EEG maps with z-score method at p Schizoaffective patients received neuroleptic+benzodiazepine (71.4%) and for bipolar disorder patients neuroleptic+antiepileptic (81.8%). Schizophrenic (at all derivations except for Fp1, Fp2, F8 and T6) and schizoaffective (only at C3) show higher values of ASP (+57.7% and +86.1% respectively) compared to control group. ASP of bipolar disorder patients did not show differences against control group. The mean frequency was higher at Fp1 (+14.2%) and Fp2 (+17.4%) in bipolar disorder patients than control group, but no differences were found in frequencies between schizophrenic or schizoaffective patients against the control group. Majority of spectral differences were found at the left hemisphere in schizophrenic and schizoaffective but not in bipolar disorder subjects. The present report contributes to characterize quantitatively the qEEG in drug treated schizophrenic, schizoaffective or bipolar disorder patients.

Accuracy and Coverage of Diagnosis and Procedural Coding of Severely Injured Patients in the Finnish Hospital Discharge Register: Comparison to Patient Files and the Helsinki Trauma Registry.

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Heinänen, M; Brinck, T; Handolin, L; Mattila, V M; Söderlund, T

2017-09-01

The Finnish Hospital Discharge Register data are frequently used for research purposes. The Finnish Hospital Discharge Register has shown excellent validity in single injuries or disease groups, but no studies have assessed patients with multiple trauma diagnoses. We aimed to evaluate the accuracy and coverage of the Finnish Hospital Discharge Register but at the same time validate the data of the trauma registry of the Helsinki University Hospital's Trauma Unit. We assessed the accuracy and coverage of the Finnish Hospital Discharge Register data by comparing them to the original patient files and trauma registry files from the trauma registry of the Helsinki University Hospital's Trauma Unit. We identified a baseline cohort of patients with severe thorax injury from the trauma registry of the Helsinki University Hospital's Trauma Unit of 2013 (sample of 107 patients). We hypothesized that the Finnish Hospital Discharge Register would lack valuable information about these patients. Using patient files, we identified 965 trauma diagnoses in these 107 patients. From the Finnish Hospital Discharge Register, we identified 632 (65.5%) diagnoses and from the trauma registry of the Helsinki University Hospital's Trauma Unit, 924 (95.8%) diagnoses. A total of 170 (17.6%) trauma diagnoses were missing from the Finnish Hospital Discharge Register data and 41 (4.2%) from the trauma registry of the Helsinki University Hospital's Trauma Unit data. The coverage and accuracy of diagnoses in the Finnish Hospital Discharge Register were 65.5% (95% confidence interval: 62.5%-68.5%) and 73.8% (95% confidence interval: 70.4%-77.2%), respectively, and for the trauma registry of the Helsinki University Hospital's Trauma Unit, 95.8% (95% confidence interval: 94.5%-97.0%) and 97.6% (95% confidence interval: 96.7%-98.6%), respectively. According to patient records, these patients were subjects in 249 operations. We identified 40 (16.1%) missing operation codes from the Finnish Hospital

[A psychopathological study on three-dimensional computer graphics (3DCGs): special reference to pictures made by a schizophrenic patient before and after the onset].

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Ashizawa, Yuko; Tachikawa, Hirokazu; Hori, Masashi; Hori, Takafumi; Mizukami, Katsuyoshi; Asada, Takashi

2004-01-01

A patient with catatonic type schizophrenia drawing 3-dimensional computer graphics (3DCGs) before and after the onset is reported. His 3DCGs are discussed from the view of psychopathology. A 21-year-old male was admitted to our hospital. He was an art student. For three months before admission, he had been absorbed in drawing 3DCGs. When he was asked to draw handmade pictures by his teacher, he experienced a bizarre mood and took an overdose of aspirin. At the time of admission, he was in a stupor state, and was diagnosed with catatonic type schizophrenia. After admission, he exhibited excitement and disorganized speech. These symptoms disappeared after administration of neuroleptics, and he was discharged. The 3DCGs he drew before and after the onset revealed several special characteristics. First, the compositions of his pictures were too geometric and too precise. Secondly, the themes of his pictures changed from romantic before the onset to symbolic after it, and the styles changed from realistic to abstractive after the onset. Finally, histograms of the 3DCGs revealed many colors before onset, which converged to simple colors after. Therefore, it was suggested that the latent pathological process at the beginning of schizophrenia might be reflected in his 3DCGs. 3DCGs are a new type of fine art. They can express beautiful and cool images more simply than handmade pictures. Due to these features, artists can create images of their innerworld, with less effort and talent than picture drawings, by computer assistance. This case suggests that the geometric working space, change-free viewpoints, and computer assistance, which are characteristics of the methods in making 3DCGs may be suitable for schizophrenic artists to create images of their innerworld. However, being absorbed in making 3DCGs could also promote the latent schizophrenic process to the onset.

Cardiovascular disease in patients with osteogenesis imperfecta — a nationwide, register-based cohort study

OpenAIRE

Folkestad, Lars; Hald, Jannie Dahl; Gram, Jeppe; Langdahl, Bente L.; Hermann, Anne Pernille; Diederichsen, Axel CP; Abrahamsen, Bo; Brixen, Kim

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a hereditary connective tissue disease often due to mutations in genes coding for type 1 collagen. Collagen type 1 is important in the development of the heart and vasculature. Little is known about the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in OI.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the risk of symptomatic CVD in OI.DESIGN: A Danish nationwide, population-based and register-based longitudinal open cohort study.PARTICIPANTS: All patients registered with the diag...

Adult schizophrenic-like variant of adrenoleukodystrophy.

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Szpak, G M; Lewandowska, E; Schmidt-Sidor, B; Popow, J; Kozłowski, P; Lechowicz, W; Kulczycki, J; Zaremba, J; Dymecki, J

1996-01-01

A 35-year-old man died after 30 months following the onset of the disease. There was a history of changes in his mental condition, including disturbances of behavior as well as the evidence of progressing dementia. The patient revealed gait disturbances and finally became bed ridden. Bizarre behavior and changes of mood with concurrent growing irritability which predominated during the course of disease, may explain the initial diagnosis of schizophrenia. Then cerebellar and spastic movement disorders leading to paraparesis and sphincters disturbances developed. Clinical symptoms of adrenal failure were not found apart from episodes of arterial pressure fall. After two years a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed an extensive diffuse demyelinative process in white matter of cerebral and cerebellar hemispheres. Activity of lysosomal enzymes was normal. A general autopsy revealed atrophy of adrenal cortex and the presence of ballooned cells with striated cytoplasm in the reticular and fasciculate zones. Neuropathological examination revealed an extensive demyelination of white matter in cerebral and cerebellar hemispheres and of the long paths of the brain stem, corresponding to changes in MRI examination. Within demyelination areas damage of axons and diffuse cellular and fibrous gliosis were found as well as perivascular lymphocytic infiltrations with the presence of strong PAS (+) and Sudan (+) macrophages. Immunocytochemical reactions with HAM-56 and RCA1 in macrophages were positive. Electron microscopy examination revealed lamellar inclusions in cytoplasm of macrophages. Similar structures were present in the lysosomes of astrocytes. Morphological examination of adrenal glands as well as morphological and ultrastructural study of the brain allowed us to diagnose the cerebral form of adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD). Topography and character of the brain changes seems to be in keeping with a rare schizophrenic-like variant of ALD with progressive dementia

Effect of age and disease on bone mass in Japanese patients with schizophrenia.

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Sugawara, Norio; Yasui-Furukori, Norio; Umeda, Takashi; Tsuchimine, Shoko; Fujii, Akira; Sato, Yasushi; Saito, Manabu; Furukori, Hanako; Danjo, Kazuma; Matsuzaka, Masashi; Takahashi, Ippei; Kaneko, Sunao

2012-02-20

There have been a limited number of studies comparing bone mass between patients with schizophrenia and the general population. The aim of this study was to compare the bone mass of schizophrenia patients with that of healthy subjects in Japan. We recruited patients (n = 362), aged 48.8 ± 15.4 (mean ± SD) years who were diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV). Bone mass was measured using quantitative ultrasound densitometry of the calcaneus. The osteosono-assessment index (OSI) was calculated as a function of the speed of sound and the transmission index. For comparative analysis, OSI data from 832 adults who participated in the Iwaki Health Promotion Project 2009 was used as representative of the general community. Mean OSI values among male schizophrenic patients were lower than those in the general population in the case of individuals aged 40 and older. In females, mean OSI values among schizophrenic patients were lower than those in the general community in those aged 60 and older. In an analysis using the general linear model, a significant interaction was observed between subject groups and age in males. Older schizophrenic patients exhibit lower bone mass than that observed in the general population. Our data also demonstrate gender and group differences among schizophrenic patients and controls with regard to changes in bone mass associated with aging. These results indicate that intervention programs designed to delay or prevent decreased bone mass in schizophrenic patients might be tailored according to gender.

ALE Meta-Analysis of Schizophrenics Performing the N-Back Task

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Harrell, Zachary

2010-10-01

MRI/fMRI has already proven itself as a valuable tool in the diagnosis and treatment of many illnesses of the brain, including cognitive problems. By exploiting the differences in magnetic susceptibility between oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin, fMRI can measure blood flow in various regions of interest within the brain. This can determine the level of brain activity in relation to motor or cognitive functions and provide a metric for tissue damage or illness symptoms. Structural imaging techniques have shown lesions or deficiencies in tissue volumes in schizophrenics corresponding to areas primarily in the frontal and temporal lobes. These areas are currently known to be involved in working memory and attention, which many schizophrenics have trouble with. The ALE (Activation Likelihood Estimation) Meta-Analysis is able to statistically determine the significance of brain area activations based on the post-hoc combination of multiple studies. This process is useful for giving a general model of brain function in relation to a particular task designed to engage the affected areas (such as working memory for the n-back task). The advantages of the ALE Meta-Analysis include elimination of single subject anomalies, elimination of false/extremely weak activations, and verification of function/location hypotheses.

Lower frequency of the low activity adenosine deaminase allelic variant (ADA1*2 in schizophrenic patients Diminuição da frequência da variante alélica de baixa atividade da adenosina desaminase (ADA1*2 em pacientes esquizofrênicos

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Gustavo Pimentel Dutra

2010-09-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Adenosine may play a role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, since it modulates the release of several neurotransmitters such as glutamate, dopamine, serotonin and acetylcholine, decreases neuronal activity by pos-synaptic hyperpolarization and inhibits dopaminergic activity. Adenosine deaminase participates in purine metabolism by converting adenosine into inosine. The most frequent functional polymorphism of adenosine deaminase (22G→A (ADA1*2 exhibits 20-30% lower enzymatic activity in individuals with the G/A genotype than individuals with the G/G genotype. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ADA polymorphism 22G→A (ADA1*2 in schizophrenic patients and healthy controls. METHOD: The genotypes of the ADA 22G→A were identified with allele-specific PCR strategy in 152 schizophrenic patients and 111 healthy individuals. RESULTS: A significant decrease in the frequency of the G/A genotype was seen in schizophrenic patients (7/152 - 4.6% relative to controls (13/111 - 11.7%, p = 0.032, OR = 2.6. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the G/A genotype associated with low adenosine deaminase activity and, supposingly, with higher adenosine levels is less frequent among schizophrenic patients.OBJETIVO: A adenosina pode ter um papel importante na fisiopatologia da esquizofrenia, uma vez que modula a liberação de vários neurotransmissores, tais como glutamato, dopamina, serotonina e acetilcolina, diminui a atividade neuronal por hiperpolarização pós-sináptica e inibe a atividade dopaminérgica. A adenosina desaminase participa do metabolismo das purinas pela conversão de adenosina em inosina. O mais frequente polimorfismo funcional da adenosina desaminase (22G →A (ADA1*2 exibe uma diminuição de 20-30% da atividade funcional em indivíduos com genótipo G/A quando comparados com indivíduos com o genótipo G/G. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o polimorfismo 22G→A (ADA1*2 em pacientes esquizofrênicos e em

Plasma HVA in psychiatric patients: longitudinal studies.

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Javaid, J I; Sharma, R P; Janicak, P G; Davis, J M

1990-01-01

Plasma homovanillic acid (pHVA) was measured in 40 inpatients (25 schizophrenic and 15 nonschizophrenic patients) who underwent up to 3 weeks of drug washout. Schizophrenic patients were then treated with trifluoperazine for 4 weeks, and weekly behavioral and pHVA measures were obtained. The baseline pHVA had no relationship to age, sex, washout period, diagnosis, or behavioral rating scores. In schizophrenic patients, the baseline pHVA did not differ significantly from any value obtained during 4 weeks of treatment. Although there was significant improvement in clinical symptoms, this was not related to changes in pHVA. Further, changes in any of the four Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) factors (i.e., positive symptoms, negative symptoms, hostility/suspicion, or anxiety/depression) were not correlated with changes in pHVA. Although other studies have reported a positive correlation between pHVA and psychotic symptoms, results of this study suggest that any observed relationship between pHVA and psychosis must be carefully interpreted.

Emotional distress and strain in relatives of patients with severe ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The levels of emotional distress and strain were examined in two groups of relatives of psychiatric patients using standard instruments. The dementia group had more GHQ - 30 cases than the schizophrenic group. Even though the schizophrenic relatives had higher distress and strain scores than the dementia relatives, ...

Validity of dementia diagnoses in the danish hospital registers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Phung, T.K.T.; Andersen, B.B.; Phung, T.K.T.

2007-01-01

.24-0.48). Conclusion: The validity of dementia syndrome in the Danish hospital registers was high and allows for epidemiological studies about dementia. Alzheimer's disease, although underregistered, also had a good validity once the diagnosis was registered. In general, other ICD-10 dementia subtypes in the registers......Background:The validity of dementia diagnoses in the Danish nationwide hospital registers was evaluated to determine the value of these registers in epidemiological research about dementia. Methods: Two hundred patients were randomly selected from 4,682 patients registered for the first time...... with a dementia diagnosis in the last 6 months of 2003. The patients' medical journals were reviewed to evaluate if they fulfilled ICD-10 and/or DSM-IV criteria for dementia and specific dementia subtypes. The patients who were still alive in 2006 were invited to an interview. Results: One hundred and ninety...

Effect of age and disease on bone mass in Japanese patients with schizophrenia

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Sugawara Norio

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There have been a limited number of studies comparing bone mass between patients with schizophrenia and the general population. The aim of this study was to compare the bone mass of schizophrenia patients with that of healthy subjects in Japan. Methods We recruited patients (n = 362, aged 48.8 ± 15.4 (mean ± SD years who were diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV. Bone mass was measured using quantitative ultrasound densitometry of the calcaneus. The osteosono-assessment index (OSI was calculated as a function of the speed of sound and the transmission index. For comparative analysis, OSI data from 832 adults who participated in the Iwaki Health Promotion Project 2009 was used as representative of the general community. Results Mean OSI values among male schizophrenic patients were lower than those in the general population in the case of individuals aged 40 and older. In females, mean OSI values among schizophrenic patients were lower than those in the general community in those aged 60 and older. In an analysis using the general linear model, a significant interaction was observed between subject groups and age in males. Conclusions Older schizophrenic patients exhibit lower bone mass than that observed in the general population. Our data also demonstrate gender and group differences among schizophrenic patients and controls with regard to changes in bone mass associated with aging. These results indicate that intervention programs designed to delay or prevent decreased bone mass in schizophrenic patients might be tailored according to gender.

The Experiences of Registered Nurses Transitioning from Patient Care Settings to Academia

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Gwin, Teresa

2012-01-01

Registered nurses (RNs) who make the move from a patient-care service setting to an academic teaching environment often go through a transition phase in their first semesters of teaching that is difficult and traumatic. RNs that go on to higher academic degrees often do so in order to teach in schools of nursing. However, graduate work in nursing…

Dual hydrophilic and salt responsive schizophrenic block copolymers – synthesis and study of self-assembly

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vasantha, Vivek Arjunan; Jana, Satyasankar; Lee, Serina Siew Chen; Lim, Chin-Sing; Teo, Serena Lay Ming; Parthiban, Anbanandam; Vancso, Gyula J.

2015-01-01

A new class of dual hydrophilic diblock copolymers (BCPs) possessing poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and zwitterionic polysulfabetaine (PSB) was synthesized by reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. These BCPs formed schizophrenic micelles undergoing core–shell

Leadership and teamwork in medical emergencies: performance of nursing students and registered nurses in simulated patient scenarios.

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Endacott, Ruth; Bogossian, Fiona E; Cooper, Simon J; Forbes, Helen; Kain, Victoria J; Young, Susan C; Porter, Joanne E

2015-01-01

To examine nursing students' and registered nurses' teamwork skills whilst managing simulated deteriorating patients. Studies continue to show the lack of timely recognition of patient deterioration. Management of deteriorating patients can be influenced by education and experience. Mixed methods study conducted in two universities and a rural hospital in Victoria, and one university in Queensland, Australia. Three simulation scenarios (chest pain, hypovolaemic shock and respiratory distress) were completed in teams of three by 97 nursing students and 44 registered nurses, equating to a total of 32 student and 15 registered nurse teams. Data were obtained from (1) Objective Structured Clinical Examination rating to assess performance; (2) Team Emergency Assessment Measure scores to assess teamwork; (3) simulation video footage; (4) reflective interview during participants' review of video footage. Qualitative thematic analysis of video and interview data was undertaken. Objective structured clinical examination performance was similar across registered nurses and students (mean 54% and 49%); however, Team Emergency Assessment Measure scores differed significantly between the two groups (57% vs 38%, t = 6·841, p student teams: r = 0·530, p = 0·004, registered nurse teams r = 0·903, p student teams: r = 0·534, p = 0·02, registered nurse teams: r = 0·535, p = 0·049). Themes generated from the analysis of the combined quantitative and qualitative data were as follows: (1) leadership and followership behaviours; (2) help-seeking behaviours; (3) reliance on previous experience; (4) fixation on a single detail; and (5) team support. There is scope to improve leadership, team work and task management skills for registered nurses and nursing students. Simulation appears to be beneficial in enabling less experienced staff to assess their teamwork skills. There is a need to encourage less experienced staff to become leaders and for all staff to develop improved

Correlation between neuropsychological and social cognition measures and symptom dimensions in schizophrenic patients.

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Altamura, A Carlo; Caletti, Elisabetta; Paoli, Riccardo Augusto; Cigliobianco, Michela; Zugno, Elisa; Grillo, Paolo; Prunas, Cecilia; Caldiroli, Alice; Zago, Stefano

2015-12-15

Neurocognitive and social cognition deficits have been largely reported in Schizophrenia (SKZ) but their association with psychopathology remains uncertain. Our purpose was to explore the relationship between symptom dimensions and neuropsychological performances. We enrolled 35 stabilized schizophrenic outpatients of the Department of Psychiatry of Policlinico Hospital, University of Milan, who completed psychiatric Rating Scales, the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS) and the Executive and Social Cognition Battery (ESCB). Disorganized dimension seems to have the most significant impact on cognition, being associated with performance in several BACS subtests (verbal memory, working memory, motor speed, symbol coding, Tower of London) and ESCB tasks (MET and Hotel task number of tasks attempted, number of broken MET rules, sum of deviations in Hotel Task). Positive dimension correlated with performance in verbal fluency, negative dimension with IOWA Test results, cognitive dimension with MET number of inefficiencies and Eyes test score. Impulsive-aggressive and depressive dimensions weakly correlated only with Faux Pas test. Our study supports the existence of a specific disorganized dimension in SKZ, separated from cognitive dimension evaluated through clinical instruments (e.g. PANSS), but capable of influencing cognitive abilities. Furthermore, it strengthens the validity of ecological tasks in evaluating cognition in SKZ. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predisposing factors for early retirement in patients with schizophrenia in Germany.

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Schnabel, Reinhard; Friedel, Heiko; Erfurth, Andreas; Angermayer, Matthias; Clouth, Johannes; Eichmann, Florian

2008-08-01

Although early retirement causes major changes in the life of schizophrenic patients and is among the major cost factors to be covered by payers, the causes leading to early retirement of schizophrenic patients have not been investigated in detail. Therefore, the objective of this retrospective non-interventional case-control study was to generate hypotheses on predisposing factors for early retirement in schizophrenia. Logistic regression was used to explore potential predisposing parameters with regard to their effect on the outcome early retirement. As the study results indicate, schizophrenia severity, assistance or care in the patient's everyday life, age and antipsychotic treatment with typical antipsychotics are linked to the occurrence of early retirement. Further research should be planned to confirm or refute the hypotheses determined in this retrospective analysis and to determine whether atypical antipsychotics could help to avoid early retirement and to improve the situation of schizophrenic patients.

Hospital-based prevalence of chronic kidney disease among the newly registered patients with diabetes

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P A Khanam

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Chronic kidney disease (CKD is proved to be a major public health issue worldwide and an important contributor to the overall non-communicable disease burden. It increases risk of mortality, end-stage renal disease and accelerated cardiovascular disease (CVD. Diabetes is the biggest contributor to CKD and end stage renal disease (ESRD. In Bangladesh, very few data on CKD is available. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of CKD among the newly registered diabetic patients at BIRDEM (Bangladesh Institute of Research and Rehabilitation in Diabetes, Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders, a referral center for diabetes in Bangladesh. Methods: The study included all diabetic patients aged 18 - 80 years and were registered in the year 2012. Socio-demographic (age, sex, residence, income, literacy, clinical (obesity, blood pressure and biochemical (blood glucose, lipids, eGFR information were collected from the BIRDEM registry. CKD was defined according to the K/ DOQI guidelines. Results: A total of 1317 type 2 diabetic patients of age 18 to 80 years were studied. Of them, men and women were 54.7% and 45.3%, respectively. The overall prevalence of CKD (eGFR ≤60 (ml/min/m2 was 13.9%. The prevalence was significantly higher in women than men (21.3 v. 7.8%, p50y, higher sBP (≥140mmHg and taking oral hypoglycemic agent (OHA were significant. Conclusions: Thus, the study concludes that the prevalence of CKD among the newly registered diabetic patients is quite high in Bangladesh. The female diabetic patients with older age and with higher SBP bear the brunt of CKD. Considering high prevalence of CKD with severe lifelong complications it is of utmost importance for early detection and intervention at the primary health care (PHC level.

Validity of dementia diagnoses in the danish hospital registers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Phung, T.K.T.; Andersen, B.B.; Phung, T.K.T.

2007-01-01

Background:The validity of dementia diagnoses in the Danish nationwide hospital registers was evaluated to determine the value of these registers in epidemiological research about dementia. Methods: Two hundred patients were randomly selected from 4,682 patients registered for the first time...... with a dementia diagnosis in the last 6 months of 2003. The patients' medical journals were reviewed to evaluate if they fulfilled ICD-10 and/or DSM-IV criteria for dementia and specific dementia subtypes. The patients who were still alive in 2006 were invited to an interview. Results: One hundred and ninety......-seven journals were available for review and 51 patients were interviewed. A registered diagnosis of dementia was found to be correct in 169 (85.8%) cases. Regarding dementia subtypes, the degree of agreement between the registers and the results of the validating process was low with a kappa of 0.36 (95% CI 0...

Expression changes of serotonin receptor gene subtype 5HT3a in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from schizophrenic patients treated with haloperidol and Olanzapin.

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Shariati, Gholam Reza; Ahangari, Ghasem; Hossein-nezhad, Arash; Asadi, Seyed Mohammad; Pooyafard, Farzaneh; Ahmadkhaniha, Hamid Reza

2009-09-01

Serotonin receptors are involved in pathophysiology of schizophrenia and may mediate other neurotransmitter effects. We investigated serotonin receptors gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of naïve schizophrenic patients, before and after treatment. Also serotonin receptor gene expression was compared in two treatment groups including Haloperidol and Olanzapine. The PBMC was separated from whole blood by Ficoll-hypaque. The total cellular RNA was extracted and the cDNA was synthesized. This process was followed by real-time PCR using primer pairs specific for 5HT(3a) serotonin receptor mRNA and beta-actin as internal control. The results showed the presence of subtype of serotonin receptor in lymphocytes. Serotonin gene expression showed significant changes in Olanzapine treatment group which correlated with Clinical Global Impression (CGI) score improvement. In conclusion, the present study has shown that human PBMC express serotonin receptors 5HT(3a). Moreover, clinical symptom improvement of Olanzapin may be demonstrated by a change in serotonin receptor gene expression.

Demographic, Clinical and Genetic Characteristics of Child Gaucher Disease Patients in Russia: Pediatric Register Data

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G. B. Movsisyan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Registers are an effective tool for tracing the dynamics of patients with rare pathologies.Objective: Our aim was to examine the demographic, clinical and genetic features of child Gaucher disease patients in Russia.Methods: We held a retrospective survey of the pediatric register data with regard to children suffering from Gaucher disease. The period of data accounting was from 2006 to 2016.Results: 115 children with Gaucher disease aged from 3 months to 17 years (the median age of diagnosis is 5 years were registered; 62 them (53.9% are girls. The prevalence of the disease was 0.32 cases for 100,000 children. 95 (82.6% children had 1st type of Gaucher disease, 6 (5.2% — 2nd, and 1 (12.2% — 3rd. Maximum morbidity was in Central (27; 23.5% and Volga (27; 23.5% Federal Districts; minimal — in the Far East (3; 2.6%. By the time of diagnosis all the patients were suffering from splengomegaly. The genotype and phenotype correlations in 90 children with Gaucher disease were as follows: in case of 1st type (n = 77, in 21 (27.3% cases, the p.N370S/р.L444P genotype was set, in 12 (15.6% — the р.N370S/other mutation; in case of 2nd and 3rd types, in 13 children with neuropathic forms, in 9 (62.9% cases — the p.L444P/p.L444P, in 3 (231% — the p.L444P/p. D409H. The rest of genotypes were presented by other mutations, 13 of which were revealed for the first time. The p.W223R (p.W184R mutation is specific for Russian patients. Enzyme replacement therapy was carried out for 109 patients (94.8%: in 105 (96.3% children (1st and 3rd types of Gaucher disease with imiglucerase, in 4 (3.7% children with 1st type — with velaglucerase alfa. Pathogenetic treatment stops the main symptoms in most patients.Conclusion: The pediatric Gaucher disease register allows to systemize the data concerning the disease course in children and optimizing the approaches to its monitoring in Russia.

Use of acid-suppressive therapy before anti-reflux surgery in 2922 patients: a nationwide register-based study in Denmark.

Science.gov (United States)

Lødrup, A; Pottegård, A; Hallas, J; Bytzer, P

2015-07-01

Guidelines recommend that patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease are adequately treated with acid-suppressive therapy before undergoing anti-reflux surgery. Little is known of the use of acid-suppressive drugs before anti-reflux surgery. To determine the use of proton pump inhibitors and H2 -receptor antagonists in the year before anti-reflux surgery. A nationwide retrospective study of all patients aged ≥18 undergoing first-time anti-reflux surgery in Denmark during 2000-2012 using data from three different sources: the Danish National Register of Patients, the Danish National Prescription Register, and the Danish Person Register. The study population thus included 2922 patients (median age: 48 years, 55.7% male). The annual proportion of patients redeeming ≥180 DDD of acid-suppressive therapy increased from 17.0% 5 years before anti-reflux surgery to 64.9% 1 year before. The probability for inadequate dosing 1 year before surgery (reflux surgery, as a high proportion of patients receive inadequate dosing of acid-suppressive therapy prior to the operation. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Vitamin D, parathyroid hormone, serum calcium and phosphorus in patients with schizophrenia and major depression.

Science.gov (United States)

Jamilian, Hamidreza; Bagherzadeh, Kamran; Nazeri, Zeinab; Hassanijirdehi, Marzieh

2013-02-01

Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with an increased risk of depression and schizophrenia. The aim was to compare serum levels of vitamin D, calcium, phosphorus and parathyroid hormone in schizophrenics, depressed patients and healthy subjects in an Iranian population. In a cross-sectional study, 100 patients with schizophrenia and 100 with major depression were enrolled. A questionnaire was filled by using medical records of patients. After that a serum sample was taken and levels of vitamin D, calcium, phosphorus and parathyroid hormone were assessed and then compared between the three groups. Post-hoc analysis of Tukey showed that vitamin D level in healthy participants was significantly higher than depressed patients and schizophrenics while there was no significant difference between vitamin D level in depressed and schizophrenic patients. The findings suggest that vitamin D affects the brain independent of hormonal pathways which regulate serum level of calcium. Non-significant difference in the serum level of vitamin D between the schizophrenics and the depressed patients suggests that the independent effect of vitamin D in brain is a general effect and is not specialized to a specific region or pathway in the brain; however, differences between psychiatric and non-psychiatric patients might be resulted from differences in psychosocial backgrounds.

Validation of celiac disease diagnoses recorded in the Danish National Patient Register using duodenal biopsies, celiac disease-specific antibodies, and human leukocyte-antigen genotypes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dydensborg Sander S

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Stine Dydensborg Sander,1-3 Ketil Størdal,4,5 Tine Plato Hansen,6 Anne-Marie Nybo Andersen,7 Joseph A Murray,8 Søren Thue Lillevang,9 Steffen Husby1,2 1Hans Christian Andersen Children’s Hospital, Odense University Hospital, 2Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, 3Odense Patient Data Explorative Network (OPEN, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark; 4Mental and Physical Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, 5Department of Pediatrics, Ostfold Hospital Trust, Fredrikstad, Norway; 6Department of Pathology, Hvidovre Hospital, 7Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; 8Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA; 9Department of Clinical Immunology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark Purpose: The purpose of this study was to validate the celiac disease diagnoses recorded in the Danish National Patient Register. To validate the diagnoses, we used information on duodenal biopsies from a national register of pathology reports (the Patobank and information on celiac disease-specific antibodies and human leukocyte antigen (HLA genotypes obtained from patient medical records.Patients and methods: We included all the children who were born from 1995 to 2012 and who were registered as having celiac disease in the Danish National Patient Register. We reviewed all the pathology reports on duodenal biopsies in the Patobank and the information in the medical records on celiac disease-specific antibodies (ie, anti-tissue transglutaminase 2 IgA and IgG, endomysial antibodies IgA, and anti-deamidated gliadin peptide IgG and HLA genotypes.Results: We identified 2,247 children who were registered in the Danish National Patient Register with celiac disease. Duodenal biopsies for 1,555 of the children (69% were registered in the Patobank; 1,127 (50% had a biopsy that was compatible with celiac disease (ie, Marsh 2–3. We accessed the medical

Reuma.pt - the rheumatic diseases portuguese register.

Science.gov (United States)

Canhão, H; Faustino, A; Martins, F; Fonseca, J E

2011-01-01

Since June 2008, Portuguese rheumatologists have been collecting on a routine basis, data into the nationwide Reuma.pt, the Rheumatic Diseases Portuguese Register from the Portuguese Society of Rheumatology (SPR), which includes rheumatic patients (rheumatoid arthritis - RA, ankylosing spondylitis - AS, psoriatic arthritis - PsA and juvenile idiopathic arthritis - JIA) receiving biological therapies or patients receiving synthetic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). The aim of this publication is to describe the structure of Reuma.pt and the population registered since June 2008. Demographic and anthropometric data, life style habits, work status, co-morbidities, disease activity and functional assessment scores, previous and current therapies, adverse events codified by the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA), reasons for discontinuation and laboratory measurements are registered at each visit. The platform is based on a structured electronic medical record linked to a SQL Server database. All Rheumatology Departments assigned to the Portuguese National Health Service (n=21), 2 Military Hospitals (Lisboa and Porto), 1 public-private Institution and 6 private centers adhered to the Register. Until now, 18 centers have entered data into Reuma.pt. By January 2011, 3438 patients and 16130 visits had been registered. 2162 (63%) were RA patients, 700 of them treated with biological agents and 1462 with synthetic DMARDs. From the 515 (15%) AS patients, 297 were medicated with biological and 218 with non-biological therapies. 293 (8%) were PsA patients, 151 treated with biological drugs and 142 with other treatment strategies. 368 (11%) had the diagnosis of JIA, 68 were under biological treatment and 300 were managed with other treatment options. The register also includes 100 (3%) patients with other rheumatic diseases, submitted to treatments that required hospital day care infusions including 18 exposed to biological therapies. Registers

Inadequate Diagnostic Evaluation in Young Patients Registered with a Diagnosis of Dementia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Salem, Lise Cronberg; Andersen, Birgitte Bo; Nielsen, T Rune

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: Establishing a diagnosis of dementia in young patients may be complex and have significant implications for the patient. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of the diagnostic work-up in young patients diagnosed with dementia in the clinical routine. METHODS: Two hundred...... patients were randomly selected from 891 patients aged ≤65 years registered with a diagnosis of dementia for the first time in 2008 in Danish hospitals, and 159 medical records were available for review. Three raters evaluated their medical records for the completeness of the diagnostic work-up on which...... the diagnosis of dementia had been based, using evidence-based guidelines for the diagnostic evaluation of dementia as reference standards. RESULTS: According to the rater review, only 111 (70%) patients met the clinical criteria for dementia. An acceptable diagnostic work-up including all items of recommended...

Patient safety: numerical skills and drug calculation abilities of nursing students and registered nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

McMullan, Miriam; Jones, Ray; Lea, Susan

2010-04-01

This paper is a report of a correlational study of the relations of age, status, experience and drug calculation ability to numerical ability of nursing students and Registered Nurses. Competent numerical and drug calculation skills are essential for nurses as mistakes can put patients' lives at risk. A cross-sectional study was carried out in 2006 in one United Kingdom university. Validated numerical and drug calculation tests were given to 229 second year nursing students and 44 Registered Nurses attending a non-medical prescribing programme. The numeracy test was failed by 55% of students and 45% of Registered Nurses, while 92% of students and 89% of nurses failed the drug calculation test. Independent of status or experience, older participants (> or = 35 years) were statistically significantly more able to perform numerical calculations. There was no statistically significant difference between nursing students and Registered Nurses in their overall drug calculation ability, but nurses were statistically significantly more able than students to perform basic numerical calculations and calculations for solids, oral liquids and injections. Both nursing students and Registered Nurses were statistically significantly more able to perform calculations for solids, liquid oral and injections than calculations for drug percentages, drip and infusion rates. To prevent deskilling, Registered Nurses should continue to practise and refresh all the different types of drug calculations as often as possible with regular (self)-testing of their ability. Time should be set aside in curricula for nursing students to learn how to perform basic numerical and drug calculations. This learning should be reinforced through regular practice and assessment.

The impact of the Danish Oxygen Register on adherence to guidelines for long-term oxygen therapy in COPD patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ringbæk, Thomas Jørgen; Lange, Peter

2006-01-01

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of The Danish Oxygen Register on COPD patients' treatment modalities, survival, and adherence to guidelines for long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT). DESIGN: The Danish Oxygen Register. SUBJECTS: 8487 COPD patients who received LTOT in the study period from November 1...... with the possibility of re-evaluation of the criteria for LTOT and adjustment for oxygen flow, with no change during the study period (P=0.43). In a representative subsample, 77.1% had smoking habits or measurement of CO-level registered in 1995 compared to 79.6% in year 2000 (P=0.65), and 25.1% vs. 21.2% (P=0.......34) were considered current smokers. The median survival increased from 1.07 to 1.40 years (P=0.032). CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to guidelines for LTOT has improved concerning administration of oxygen, but has remained poor concerning follow-up of the patients and smoking cessation. Survival of COPD patients...

Registers of multiple sclerosis in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Koch-Henriksen, N; Magyari, M; Laursen, B

2015-01-01

between a number of different environmental exposures in the past and the subsequent risk of MS. Some of these studies have been able to exonerate suspected risk factors. The other register, the nationwide Danish Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Register, is a follow-up register for all patients who have......There are two nationwide population-based registers for multiple sclerosis (MS) in Denmark. The oldest register is The Danish Multiple Sclerosis Registry (DMSR), which is an epidemiological register for estimation of prevalence and incidence of MS and survival, and for identifying exposures earlier...... received disease-modifying treatments since 1996. It has, in particular, contributed to the knowledge of the role of antibodies against the biological drugs used for the treatment of MS....

When does subliminal affective image priming influence the ability of schizophrenic patients to perceive face emotions?

Science.gov (United States)

Vaina, Lucia Maria; Rana, Kunjan D; Cotos, Ionela; Li-Yang, Chen; Huang, Melissa A; Podea, Delia

2014-12-24

Deficits in face emotion perception are among the most pervasive aspects of schizophrenia impairments which strongly affects interpersonal communication and social skills. Schizophrenic patients (PSZ) and healthy control subjects (HCS) performed 2 psychophysical tasks. One, the SAFFIMAP test, was designed to determine the impact of subliminally presented affective or neutral images on the accuracy of face-expression (angry or neutral) perception. In the second test, FEP, subjects saw pictures of face-expression and were asked to rate them as angry, happy, or neutral. The following clinical scales were used to determine the acute symptoms in PSZ: Positive and Negative Syndrome (PANSS), Young Mania Rating (YMRS), Hamilton Depression (HAM-D), and Hamilton Anxiety (HAM-A). On the SAFFIMAP test, different from the HCS group, the PSZ group tended to categorize the neutral expression of test faces as angry and their response to the test-face expression was not influenced by the affective content of the primes. In PSZ, the PANSS-positive score was significantly correlated with correct perception of angry faces for aggressive or pleasant primes. YMRS scores were strongly correlated with PSZ's tendency to recognize angry face expressions when the prime was a pleasant or a neutral image. The HAM-D score was positively correlated with categorizing the test-faces as neutral, regardless of the affective content of the prime or of the test-face expression (angry or neutral). Despite its exploratory nature, this study provides the first evidence that conscious perception and categorization of facial emotions (neutral or angry) in PSZ is directly affected by their positive or negative symptoms of the disease as defined by their individual scores on the clinical diagnostic scales.

Validation of a Cerebral Palsy Register

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Topp, Monica; Langhoff-Roos, Jens; Uldall, P.

1997-01-01

OBJECTIVES: To analyse completeness and validity of data in the Cerebral Palsy Register in Denmark, 1979-1982. METHODS: Completeness has been assessed by comparing data from The Danish National Patient Register (DNPR) with the cases included in the Cerebral Palsy Register (CPR). Agreement between......, but gestational age was subject to a systematic error, and urinary infections in pregnancy (kappa = 0.43) and placental abruption (kappa = 0.52) were seriously under-reported in the CPR. CONCLUSIONS: Completeness of the Cerebral Palsy Register in Denmark, 1979-1982, has been assessed to maximal 85%, emphasizing...

Prediction of the period of psychotic episode in individual schizophrenics by simulation-data construction approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Chun-Jung; Wang, Hsiao-Fan; Chiu, Hsien-Jane; Lan, Tsuo-Hung; Hu, Tsung-Ming; Loh, El-Wui

2010-10-01

Although schizophrenia can be treated, most patients still experience inevitable psychotic episodes from time to time. Precautious actions can be taken if the next onset can be predicted. However, sufficient information is always lacking in the clinical scenario. A possible solution is to use the virtual data generated from limited of original data. Data construction method (DCM) has been shown to generate the virtual felt earthquake data effectively and used in the prediction of further events. Here we investigated the performance of DCM in deriving the membership functions and discrete-event simulations (DES) in predicting the period embracing the initiation and termination time-points of the next psychotic episode of 35 individual schizophrenic patients. The results showed that 21 subjects had a success of simulations (RSS) ≥70%. Further analysis demonstrated that the co-morbidity of coronary heart diseases (CHD), risks of CHD, and the frequency of previous psychotic episodes increased the RSS.

Reviewing the Dissociative Symptoms in Patients With Schizophreniaand their Association With Positive and Negative Symptoms

OpenAIRE

Ghoreishi, Abolfazl; Shajari, Zahra

2014-01-01

Objective: The present study aimed to clarify dissociative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia and its association with negative and positive symptom of schizophrenia. Methods: Based on the 4th edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) criteria, 80 schizophrenic subjects were randomly selected from patients who referred to the clinics of psychiatry hospital in Kerman, Iran. Eighty non-schizophrenic patients were chosen as the control group. Both groups were...

Validity of ankylosing spondylitis and undifferentiated spondyloarthritis diagnoses in the Swedish National Patient Register

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindström, U; Exarchou, S; Sigurdardottir, V

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVES: Epidemiological studies of spondyloarthritis (SpA), using ICD codes from the Swedish National Patient Register (NPR), offer unique possibilities but hinge upon an understanding of the validity of the codes. The aim of this study was to validate the ICD codes for ankylosing spondylitis...

Nasal cycle dominance and hallucinations in an adult schizophrenic female.

Science.gov (United States)

Shannahoff-Khalsa, David; Golshan, Shahrokh

2015-03-30

Nasal dominance, at the onset of hallucinations, was studied as a marker of both the lateralized ultradian rhythm of the autonomic nervous system and the tightly coupled ultradian rhythm of alternating cerebral hemispheric dominance in a single case study of a schizophrenic female. Over 1086 days, 145 hallucination episodes occurred with left nostril dominance significantly greater than the right nostril dominant phase of the nasal cycle. A right nostril breathing exercise, that primarily stimulates the left hemisphere, reduces symptoms more quickly for hallucinations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exome sequencing in schizophrenic patients with high levels of homozygosity identifies novel and extremely rare mutations in the GABA/glutamatergic pathways.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edoardo Giacopuzzi

Full Text Available Inbreeding is a known risk factor for recessive Mendelian diseases and previous studies have suggested that it could also play a role in complex disorders, such as psychiatric diseases. Recent inbreeding results in the presence of long runs of homozygosity (ROHs along the genome, which are also defined as autozygosity regions. Genetic variants in these regions have two alleles that are identical by descent, thus increasing the odds of bearing rare recessive deleterious mutations due to a homozygous state. A recent study showed a suggestive enrichment of long ROHs in schizophrenic patients, suggesting that recent inbreeding could play a role in the disease. To better understand the impact of autozygosity on schizophrenia risk, we selected, from a cohort of 180 Italian patients, seven subjects with extremely high numbers of large ROHs that were likely due to recent inbreeding and characterized the mutational landscape within their ROHs using Whole Exome Sequencing and, gene set enrichment analysis. We identified a significant overlap (17%; empirical p-value = 0.0171 between genes inside ROHs affected by low frequency functional homozygous variants (107 genes and the group of most promising candidate genes mutated in schizophrenia. Moreover, in four patients, we identified novel and extremely rare damaging mutations in the genes involved in neurodevelopment (MEGF8 and in GABA/glutamatergic synaptic transmission (GAD1, FMN1, ANO2. These results provide insights into the contribution of rare recessive mutations and inbreeding as risk factors for schizophrenia. ROHs that are likely due to recent inbreeding harbor a combination of predisposing low-frequency variants and extremely rare variants that have a high impact on pivotal biological pathways implicated in the disease. In addition, this study confirms that focusing on patients with high levels of homozygosity could be a useful prioritization strategy for discovering new high-impact mutations in

Exome sequencing in schizophrenic patients with high levels of homozygosity identifies novel and extremely rare mutations in the GABA/glutamatergic pathways.

Science.gov (United States)

Giacopuzzi, Edoardo; Gennarelli, Massimo; Minelli, Alessandra; Gardella, Rita; Valsecchi, Paolo; Traversa, Michele; Bonvicini, Cristian; Vita, Antonio; Sacchetti, Emilio; Magri, Chiara

2017-01-01

Inbreeding is a known risk factor for recessive Mendelian diseases and previous studies have suggested that it could also play a role in complex disorders, such as psychiatric diseases. Recent inbreeding results in the presence of long runs of homozygosity (ROHs) along the genome, which are also defined as autozygosity regions. Genetic variants in these regions have two alleles that are identical by descent, thus increasing the odds of bearing rare recessive deleterious mutations due to a homozygous state. A recent study showed a suggestive enrichment of long ROHs in schizophrenic patients, suggesting that recent inbreeding could play a role in the disease. To better understand the impact of autozygosity on schizophrenia risk, we selected, from a cohort of 180 Italian patients, seven subjects with extremely high numbers of large ROHs that were likely due to recent inbreeding and characterized the mutational landscape within their ROHs using Whole Exome Sequencing and, gene set enrichment analysis. We identified a significant overlap (17%; empirical p-value = 0.0171) between genes inside ROHs affected by low frequency functional homozygous variants (107 genes) and the group of most promising candidate genes mutated in schizophrenia. Moreover, in four patients, we identified novel and extremely rare damaging mutations in the genes involved in neurodevelopment (MEGF8) and in GABA/glutamatergic synaptic transmission (GAD1, FMN1, ANO2). These results provide insights into the contribution of rare recessive mutations and inbreeding as risk factors for schizophrenia. ROHs that are likely due to recent inbreeding harbor a combination of predisposing low-frequency variants and extremely rare variants that have a high impact on pivotal biological pathways implicated in the disease. In addition, this study confirms that focusing on patients with high levels of homozygosity could be a useful prioritization strategy for discovering new high-impact mutations in genetically

Associations of oxidative stress status parameters with traditional cardiovascular disease risk factors in patients with schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Vidović, Bojana; Stefanović, Aleksandra; Milovanović, Srđan; Ðorđević, Brižita; Kotur-Stevuljević, Jelena; Ivanišević, Jasmina; Miljković, Milica; Spasić, Slavica

2014-04-01

The purpose of this study was to assess oxidative stress status parameters and their possible associations with traditional cardiovascular risk factors in patients with schizophrenia, as well as their potential for patient-control discrimination. Fasting glucose, lipid profile and oxidative stress status parameters were assessed in 30 schizophrenic patients with atypical antipsychotic therapy and 60 control subjects. Malondialdehyde (MDA), pro-oxidant/antioxidant balance (PAB) and total anti-oxidant status (TAS) were significantly higher whereas total sulfhydryl (SH) groups were significantly lower in schizophrenic patients vs. control group. Higher serum PAB values showed an independent association with schizophrenia. The addition of PAB to conventional risk factors improved discrimination between healthy control subjects and patients. Increased oxidative stress and changed lipid profile parameters are associated in schizophrenic patients and may indicate risk for atherosclerosis. The serum PAB level may reflect the levels of oxidative stress in schizophrenia and improve discrimination of patients from controls.

Efficacy of piracetam in the treatment of tardive dyskinesia in schizophrenic patients: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study.

Science.gov (United States)

Libov, Igor; Miodownik, Chanoch; Bersudsky, Yuly; Dwolatzky, Tzvi; Lerner, Vladimir

2007-07-01

Piracetam is a potent antioxidant, a cerebral neuroprotector, a neuronal metabolic enhancer, and a brain integrative agent. More than 20 years ago, an intravenous preparation of piracetam demonstrated an improvement in the symptoms of tardive dyskinesia. The aim of our study was to reexamine the efficacy of piracetam in the treatment of tardive dyskinesia using an oral preparation. The study was conducted at the Be'er Sheva Mental Health Center from May 2003 to December 2004 and involved a 9-week, double-blind, crossover, placebo-controlled trial assessing 40 DSM-IV schizophrenic and schizo-affective patients with DSM-IV-TR tardive dyskinesia. All study subjects received their usual antipsychotic treatment. Initially, subjects were randomly assigned to receive 4 weeks of treatment with either piracetam (4800 mg/day) or placebo. Thereafter, following a washout period of 1 week, they entered the crossover phase of the study for a further 4 weeks. The change in score of the Extrapyramidal Symptom Rating Scale from baseline to the study endpoint was the primary outcome measure. The mean decrease in score from baseline to endpoint in the clinical global impression subscale in patients treated with piracetam was 1.1 points compared to 0.1 points in the placebo group (p = .004). The mean decrease in the tardive parkinsonism subscale was 8.7 points in patients treated with piracetam and 0.6 points in those on placebo (p = .001). The mean decrease in the tardive dyskinesia subscale was 3.0 points in the piracetam group in contrast to deterioration of condition in the placebo group by -0.2 points (p = .003). Piracetam appears to be effective in reducing symptoms of tardive dyskinesia. The specific mechanism by which piracetam may attenuate symptoms of tardive dyskinesia needs to be further evaluated. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT00190008.

Care seeking behaviour and various delays in tuberculosis patients registered under RNTCP in Pune city

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jayashree Sachin Gothankar

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Case finding in tuberculosis is known to be influenced by factors such as patient motivation, care seeking, the degree of diagnostic suspicion by health care provider which could result in a delayed diagnosis.Objective: To determine care seeking behaviour and delay in diagnosis and treatment of new sputum positive tuberculosis patients registered under RNTCP.Material and Methods: Descriptive cross sectional study. 283 new sputum positive tuberculosis patients (≥15 years of age registered during a period of six months at two randomly selected tuberculosis unit of Pune city. Questionnaire by WHO was modified and used. Interviews were conducted in DOT centres. Statistical analysis: Frequency, mean and standard deviation, chi square test.Results: Mean age of patients was 35 (±15 years18% of patients were unemployed and 77% resided in urban slums. The commonest co morbidity in 7.4% and 3.5 % patients was HIV/ AIDS followed by diabetics respectively. Majority of the patients, for the first and second time visited a general practitioner. Median patient, health care system and total delay were 18, 22 and 47 days with mean of 24±21, 32±30 and 56±33 days respectively. Health care system delay was less (p<0.05 in patients who first visited the public health care facility than patients who first visited a private health care provider.Conclusions: General practitioners are preferred first choice of health care provider for tuberculosis patients. Mean health care system delay is more than patient delay.

Register-based studies on migration, ethnicity, and health

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Norredam, Marie; Kastrup, Marianne; Helweg-Larsen, Karin

2011-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Researchers in Denmark have unique possibilities of register-based research in relation to migration, ethnicity, and health. This review article outlines how these opportunities have been used, so far, by presenting a series of examples. RESEARCH TOPICS: We selected six registers...... it discriminatory. Although, we do not register ethnicity in relation to use of health care in Denmark, our possibilities of linkage between population registers and registers on diseases and healthcare utilisation appear to render the same potentials....... to highlight the process of how migrant study populations have been established and studied in relation to different registers: The Danish Cancer Registry, the Danish Central Psychiatric Research Register, the Danish National Patient Register, the Danish National Health Service Register, the Danish Injury...

Osteosarcoma of the pelvis - oncological results of 40 patients registered by The Netherlands Committee on Bone Tumours

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ham, SJ; Kroon, HM; Hoekstra, HJ; Schraffordt Koops, H.

Aim and methods: We reviewed the oncological outcome in 40 consecutive patients with an osteosarcoma of the pelvic region, registered in the files of the Netherlands Committee on Bone Tumours (NCBT) between 1978 and 1995. Results: Six patients had distant metastases at initial presentation (Enneking

Validation of the danish national diabetes register

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Green, Anders; Sortsø, Camilla; Jensen, Peter Bjødstrup

2015-01-01

The Danish National Diabetes Register (NDR) was established in 2006 and builds on data from Danish health registers. We validated the content of NDR, using full information from the Danish National Patient Register and data from the literature. Our study indicates that the completeness in NDR...... is ≥95% concerning ascertainment from data sources specific for diabetes, ie, prescriptions with antidiabetic drugs and diagnoses of diabetes in the National Patient Register. Since the NDR algorithm ignores diabetes-related hospital contacts terminated before 1990, the establishment of the date...... of encounter, has been taken as the date of inclusion in NDR. We also find that some 20% of the registrations in NDR may represent false positive inclusions of persons with frequent measurements of blood glucose without having diabetes. We conclude that NDR is a novel initiative to support research...

Self-Disturbance and the Bizarre: On Incomprehensibility in Schizophrenic Delusions.

Science.gov (United States)

Sass, Louis A; Byrom, Greg

2015-01-01

The notion of 'bizarre delusion' has come into question in contemporary anglophone psychopathology. In DSM-5, it no longer serves as a special criterion for diagnosing schizophrenia nor as an exclusion criterion for delusional disorder. Empirical studies influencing this development have, however, been relatively sparse and subject to methodological criticism. Major reviews have concluded that current conceptualizations of bizarre delusions may require rethinking and refinement. Defining bizarreness entails a return to Jaspers, whose influential views on the supposed incomprehensibility of bizarre delusions and schizophrenic experience are more nuanced than is generally recognized. Jaspers insisted we must 'get behind' three 'external characteristics' (extraordinary conviction, imperviousness, impossible content) in order to acknowledge a 'primary experience traceable to the illness' in the 'delusions proper' of schizophrenia. He also denied that one could empathize with or otherwise 'understand' this basis. Here, we focus on three features of bizarre delusions that Jaspers foregrounded as illustrating schizophrenic incomprehensibility: disturbance of the cogito, certitude combined with inconsequentiality, delusional mood. We link these with the contemporary ipseity disturbance model of schizophrenia, arguing that Jaspers' examples of incomprehensibility can be understood as manifestations of the three complementary aspects of ipseity-disturbance: diminished self-presence, hyperreflexivity and disturbed grip/hold. We follow Jaspers' lead in acknowledging a distinctive strangeness that defies ready comprehension, but we challenge the absolutism of Jaspers' skepticism by offering a phenomenological account that comprehends bizarreness in two ways: rendering it psychologically understandable, and fitting the various instances of bizarreness into a comprehensive explanatory framework. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

The Danish multiple sclerosis treatment register

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Magyari, Melinda; Koch-Henriksen, Nils; Sørensen, Per Soelberg

2016-01-01

Aim of the database: The Danish Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Register (DMSTR) serves as a clinical quality register, enabling the health authorities to monitor the quality of the diseasemodifying treatment, and it is an important data source for epidemiological research. Study population: The DMSTR...... includes all patients with multiple sclerosis who had been treated with disease-modifying drugs since 1996. At present, more than 8,400 patients have been registered in this database. Data are continuously entered online into a central database from all sites in Denmark at start and at regular visits. Main...... variables: Include age, sex, onset year and year of the diagnosis, basic clinical information, and information about treatment, side effects, and relapses. Descriptive data: Notification is done at treatment start, and thereafter at every scheduled clinical visit 3 months after treatment start...

Validation of celiac disease diagnoses recorded in the Danish National Patient Register using duodenal biopsies, celiac disease-specific antibodies, and human leukocyte-antigen genotypes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dydensborg Sander, Stine; Størdal, Ketil; Plato Hansen, Tine

2016-01-01

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to validate the celiac disease diagnoses recorded in the Danish National Patient Register. To validate the diagnoses, we used information on duodenal biopsies from a national register of pathology reports (the Patobank) and information on celiac disease......-specific antibodies and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genotypes obtained from patient medical records. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We included all the children who were born from 1995 to 2012 and who were registered as having celiac disease in the Danish National Patient Register. We reviewed all the pathology reports...... on duodenal biopsies in the Patobank and the information in the medical records on celiac disease-specific antibodies (ie, anti-tissue transglutaminase 2 IgA and IgG, endomysial antibodies IgA, and anti-deamidated gliadin peptide IgG) and HLA genotypes. RESULTS: We identified 2,247 children who were...

Visual discrimination among patients with depression and schizophrenia and healthy individuals using semiquantitative color-coded fast spin-echo T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sasaki, Makoto; Kudo, Kohsuke; Narumi, Shinsuke; Shibata, Eri; Ohtsuka, Kotaro; Endoh, Jin; Sakai, Akio

2010-01-01

Fast spin-echo (FSE) T1-weighted (T1W) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 3T, which is sensitive to neuromelanin-related contrast, can quantitatively detect signal alterations in the locus ceruleus (LC) and the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) of depressive and schizophrenic patients; however, its qualitative diagnostic performance remains unknown. We investigated whether visual interpretation of semiquantitative color maps can be used for discriminating between depressive and schizophrenic patients and healthy individuals. We retrospectively examined 23 patients with major depression, 23 patients with schizophrenia, and 23 age-matched healthy controls by using a FSE-T1W MRI technique. Semiquantitative color maps of sections through the LC and SNc were visually interpreted by nine raters using a continuous confidence rating scale for receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The area under the ROC curve (Az), which reflects the performance in differentiating between depressive patients and controls, was 0.88, and the sensitivity and specificity at the maximum likelihood were 76% and 83%, respectively. In contrast, the Az value, sensitivity, and specificity values between schizophrenics and controls and between depressives and schizophrenics were 0.66 and 0.69, 42% and 48%, and 82% and 84%, respectively. Semiquantitative, color-coded FSE-T1W MRI at 3T can be used for visually differentiating depressive patients from healthy individuals with a substantially high likelihood, but this technique cannot be applied to distinguish schizophrenic patients from the other two groups. (orig.)

Visual discrimination among patients with depression and schizophrenia and healthy individuals using semiquantitative color-coded fast spin-echo T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sasaki, Makoto; Kudo, Kohsuke; Narumi, Shinsuke [Iwate Medical University, Advanced Medical Research Center, Morioka (Japan); Shibata, Eri; Ohtsuka, Kotaro; Endoh, Jin; Sakai, Akio [Iwate Medical University, Department of Neuropsychiatry, Morioka (Japan)

2010-02-15

Fast spin-echo (FSE) T1-weighted (T1W) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 3T, which is sensitive to neuromelanin-related contrast, can quantitatively detect signal alterations in the locus ceruleus (LC) and the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) of depressive and schizophrenic patients; however, its qualitative diagnostic performance remains unknown. We investigated whether visual interpretation of semiquantitative color maps can be used for discriminating between depressive and schizophrenic patients and healthy individuals. We retrospectively examined 23 patients with major depression, 23 patients with schizophrenia, and 23 age-matched healthy controls by using a FSE-T1W MRI technique. Semiquantitative color maps of sections through the LC and SNc were visually interpreted by nine raters using a continuous confidence rating scale for receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The area under the ROC curve (Az), which reflects the performance in differentiating between depressive patients and controls, was 0.88, and the sensitivity and specificity at the maximum likelihood were 76% and 83%, respectively. In contrast, the Az value, sensitivity, and specificity values between schizophrenics and controls and between depressives and schizophrenics were 0.66 and 0.69, 42% and 48%, and 82% and 84%, respectively. Semiquantitative, color-coded FSE-T1W MRI at 3T can be used for visually differentiating depressive patients from healthy individuals with a substantially high likelihood, but this technique cannot be applied to distinguish schizophrenic patients from the other two groups. (orig.)

Incidence of fractures in patients with multiple sclerosis: the Danish National Health Registers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bazelier, Marloes T; de Vries, Frank; Bentzen, Joan

2012-01-01

Background: Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) are potentially at high risk of fracture due to falls and osteoporosis. Objective: To estimate incidence rates of fractures in MS patients, stratified by fracture type, sex and age, and to compare these rates with controls. Methods: The case...... population consisted of all patients with an accepted diagnosis of MS in the Danish MS Registry (1949-2007). Data were linked to the National Hospital Discharge Register (1977-2007). Patients with MS (n = 11,157) were 1: 6 matched by year of birth, gender, calendar time and region to persons without MS...... (controls). Incidence rates of fracture were estimated as the number of fractures per 1000 person-years. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were calculated by dividing fracture rates in MS patients by fracture rates in controls. Results: Among patients with MS, the incidence rate of any fracture yielded 22.8 per...

THE ANALYSIS OF LONG-TERM OUTCOMES AND ADHERENT TO TREATMENT IN PATIENTS AFTER MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION: KHABAROVSK REGISTER DATA

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I. M. Davidovich

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Objective. To evaluate the long-term outcomes and medical treatment in patients during 2.5 years after reference acute myocardial infarction (AMI, to study adherent to medical treatment and the role of various factors affecting the long-term prognosis.Materials and methods. The AMI Register included data about all patients, whom are consistently hospitalized in the regional vascular center (RVC of Khabarovsk during the period from 01.01.14 till 31.03.14. The 2.5 years outcomes and adherence to treatment were evaluated by using phone interview.Results. According to prospective part of the AMI Register of 292 patients discharged from the regional vascular center (RVC, the vital status in 2.5 years managed to be established at 274 (93.8 % from which died 45 (16.42 %, or 15.40 % from all discharged patients. In structure of a mortality the proportion of dead from cardiovascular disease (СVD patients made 86.6 %. The long-term mortality of patients with myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation was 19.3 %, the myocardial infarction non-ST-segment elevation – 13.2 %; р = 0.632.The new predictors of death 2.5 years after the onset of AMI were cerebrovascular diseases, the absence of the antihypertensive drugs and β-blockers before reference AMI, not prescribing antiplatelet drugs in loading doses in the early hours of the disease. Frequency of real reception of statins was 65.1 %, angiotensin-renin blockers –76.0  %, β-blocker – 73.8 % of patients after AMI. Only 55.9 % patients Received double antithrombocytic therapy (DATT  during a year. By  the Moriscors–Green test adherent were only 109 (47.6 %. 79 (34.5 % know their values cholesterol, blood pressure and blood glucose.Conclusions. Indicators of the remote lethality among patients authentically didn’t differ with a myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation in AMI and a myocardial infarction non-ST-segment elevation in AMI in the remote period. The register AMI taped

Comparison of prevalence of metabolic syndrome in hospital and community-based Japanese patients with schizophrenia

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Yamashita Hakuei

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Lifestyle factors, such as an unbalanced diet and lack of physical activity, may affect the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS in schizophrenic patients. The aim of this study was to compare the MetS prevalence between inpatients and outpatients among schizophrenic population in Japan. Methods We recruited inpatients (n = 759 and outpatients (n = 427 with a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder from 7 psychiatric hospitals using a cross-sectional design. MetS prevalence was assessed using three different definitions, including the adapted National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel (ATP III-A. Results The overall MetS prevalences based on the ATP III-A definition were 15.8% in inpatients and 48.1% in outpatients. In a logistic regression model with age and body mass index as covariates, being a schizophrenic outpatient, compared to being a schizophrenic inpatient, was a significant independent factor (odds ratio = 3.66 for males, 2.48 for females in the development of MetS under the ATP III-A definition. The difference in MetS prevalence between inpatients and outpatients was observed for all age groups in males and for females over 40 years of age. Conclusions Outpatients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder in Japan had a high prevalence of MetS compared to inpatients. MetS in schizophrenic outpatients should be carefully monitored to minimize the risks. A change of lifestyle might improve MetS in schizophrenic patients.

GABAA receptors, but not dopamine, serotonin or NMDA receptors, are increased in the frontal cortex from schizophrenic subjects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daen, B.; Hussain, T.; Scarr, E.; Tomaskovic, E.; Kitsoulis, S.; Pavey, G.; Hill, C.; Keks, N.; Opeskin, K.; Copolov, D.L.

1998-01-01

Full text: Having shown changed 5HT 2A receptor density in the frontal cortex (FC) from schizophrenic subjects (1) we now report on further studies of the molecular neuroanatomy of the FC in schizophrenia. We used in situ radioligand binding and autoradiography to measure the density of [ 3 H]8OH-DPAT (1 nM) binding (5HT 1A receptors) and [ 3 H]GR113808 (2.4nM) binding (5HT 4 receptors) in Brodmann's areas (BA) 8, 9 and 10 from 10 schizophrenic and 10 controls subjects. In addition, [ 3 H]muscimol (100 nM) binding (GABA A receptors), [ 3 H]TCP (20nM) binding (NMDA receptors), [ 3 H]SCH 23390 (3nM) binding (DA D 1 like receptors) and [ 3 H]YM-09151-2 (4nM) binding (DA D 2 -like receptors) was measured in BA 9 from 17 schizophrenic and 17 control subjects. Subjects were matched for age and sex and the post-mortem interval for tissue collection did not differ. There was a significant increase (18%) in the density of GABA A receptors in BA 9 from subjects with schizophrenia (p<0.05) with no change in NMDA, dopamine or serotonin receptors. These data support the hypothesis that there are selective changes in neurotransmitter receptors in the FC of subjects with schizophrenia. It is not yet clear if such changes contribute to the pathology of the illness. Copyright (1998) Australian Neuroscience Society

Automutilação de dedos e lábio em paciente esquizofrênico Self-mutilation of fingers and lips in a schizophrenic patient

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Breno Satler de Oliveira Diniz

2006-01-01

Full Text Available CONTEXTO: Episódios de automutilação grave são raramente observados na prática psiquiá­trica. Ocorrem principalmente em pacientes psicóticos, sendo o principal diagnóstico a esquizofrenia. As regiões mais comumente automutiladas são o pênis e os olhos. RELATO DE CASO: Relatamos o caso de um paciente portador de esquizofrenia paranóide que desenvolveu quadro de auto-amputação de lábios e falanges secundário a alucinações auditivas de comando e delírios místico-religiosos. CONCLUSÃO: Episódios de automutilação são eventos raros em pacientes esquizofrênicos. Deve-se nestes casos identificar pródromos ou fatores desencadeantes destes episódios para se instituir rapidamente abordagens para prevenir ou diminuir o risco de sua ocorrência nestes pacientes.CONTEXT: Severe self-mutilation episodes are rare in psychiatric practice. Most patients are psychotic during such acts and the main diagnosis is schizophrenia. The regions most commonly self-mutilated are the penis and the eyes. CASE REPORT: A patient previously diagnosed with schizophrenia started self-mutilating his lip and phalanxes secondary to command auditory hallucinations and influenced by mystic-religious delusions. CONCLUSION: Self-mutilation episodes are rare in schizophrenic patients. In such case, it should be identified prodrome symptoms or provoking situations in order to promptly institute strategies to prevent or lessen the risk of new episodes.

Validation of hospital register-based diagnosis of Parkinson's disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wermuth, Lene; Lassen, Christina Funch; Himmerslev, Liselotte

2012-01-01

Denmark has a long-standing tradition of maintaining one of the world's largest health science specialized register data bases as the National Hospital Register (NHR). To estimate the prevalence and incidence of diseases, the correctness of the diagnoses recorded is critical. Parkinson's disease...... (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder and only 75-80% of patients with parkinsonism will have idiopathic PD (iPD). It is necessary to follow patients in order to determine if some of them will develop other neurodegenerative diseases and a one-time-only diagnostic code for iPD reported in the register...

The experiences of chronically ill patients and registered nurses when they negotiate patient care in hospital settings: a feminist poststructural approach: A qualitative study that explores negotiation of patient care between patients and chronically ill patients in hospital settings.

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Griscti, Odette; Aston, Megan; Martin-Misener, Ruth; Mcleod, Deborah; Warner, Grace

2016-07-01

The aim of this study was to understand the experiences of chronically ill patients and registered nurse in negotiating patient care in hospital. Specifically, we explored how social and institutional discourses shaped power relations and negotiation of patient care. Current literature indicates that although nurses embrace this notion, such partnerships are not easily implemented. Most existing studies focus on the role of the nurse as the leader of the partnership with little attention paid to how social and institutional values, beliefs and practices shape nurse/patient power relations; or how these relationships are negotiated between nurses and patients. The theoretical and methodological approaches used in this study are based on the precepts of Foucault and feminist poststructural theorists. In depth interviews were conducted with eight chronically ill patients and 10 registered nurses. Both nurses and patients commented about the relationships that develop between nurses and chronically ill patients and how these relationships facilitate negotiation of patient care. Both parties described challenging moments and how institutional discourses may hinder positive negotiations of care. In this paper we highlight three themes that emerged: getting to know each other, they are not the sickest patients and finding time to listen. This study offers an innovative way of unpacking negotiation of care between chronically ill patients and registered nurses. It exposes how social and institutional discourses play a pivotal role in shaping negotiations between nurses and chronically ill patients. Negotiating care with chronically ill patients is not as asymmetric as portrayed in some of the literature and tends to be based on mutual agreements between nurses and patients. Nurses make it a point to listen to patients' needs and resist institutional discourses that preclude them from spending time with patients. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Identifying victims of violence using register-based data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kruse, Marie; Sørensen, Jan; Brønnum-Hansen, Henrik

2010-01-01

AIMS: The aim of this study was twofold. Firstly we identified victims of violence in national registers and discussed strengths and weaknesses of this approach. Secondly we assessed the magnitude of violence and the characteristics of the victims using register-based data. METHODS: We used three...... nationwide registers to identify victims of violence: The National Patient Register, the Victim Statistics, and the Causes of Death Register. We merged these data and assessed the degree of overlap between data sources. We identified a reference population by selecting all individuals in Denmark over 15....... RESULTS: In 2006, 22,000 individuals were registered as having been exposed to violence. About 70% of these victims were men. Most victims were identified from emergency room contacts and police records, and few from the Causes of Death Register. There was some overlap between the two large data sources...

Contact allergy to preservatives in patients with occupational contact dermatitis and exposure analysis of preservatives in registered chemical products for occupational use.

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Schwensen, Jakob Ferløv; Friis, Ulrik Fischer; Menné, Torkil; Flyvholm, Mari-Ann; Johansen, Jeanne Duus

2017-05-01

The aim of the study is to investigate risk factors for sensitization to preservatives and to examine to which extent different preservatives are registered in chemical products for occupational use in Denmark. A retrospective epidemiological observational analysis of data from a university hospital was conducted. All patients had occupational contact dermatitis and were consecutively patch tested with 11 preservatives from the European baseline series and extended patch test series during a 5-year period: 2009-2013. Information regarding the same preservatives in chemical products for occupational use ('substances and materials') registered in the Danish Product Register Database (PROBAS) was obtained. The frequency of preservative contact allergy was 14.2% (n = 141) in 995 patients with occupational contact dermatitis. Patients with preservative contact allergy had significantly more frequently facial dermatitis (19.9 versus 13.1%) and age > 40 years (71.6 versus 45.8%) than patients without preservative contact allergy, whereas atopic dermatitis was less frequently observed (12.1 versus 19.8%). Preservative contact allergy was more frequent in painters with occupational contact dermatitis as compared to non-painters with occupational contact dermatitis (p contact allergy to methylisothiazolinone and contact allergy to formaldehyde. Analysis of the registered substances and materials in PROBAS revealed that preservatives occurred in several product categories, e.g., 'paints and varnishes', 'cleaning agents', 'cooling agents', and 'polishing agents'. Formaldehyde and isothiazolinones were extensively registered in PROBAS. The extensive use of formaldehyde and isothiazolinones in chemical products for occupational use may be problematic for the worker. Appropriate legislation, substitution, and employee education should be prioritized.

Short-term cognitive improvement in schizophrenics treated with typical and atypical neuroleptics.

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Rollnik, Jens D; Borsutzky, Marthias; Huber, Thomas J; Mogk, Hannu; Seifert, Jürgen; Emrich, Hinderk M; Schneider, Udo

2002-01-01

Atypical neuroleptics seem to be more beneficial than typical ones with respect to long-term neuropsychological functioning. Thus, most studies focus on the long-term effects of neuroleptics. We were interested in whether atypical neuroleptic treatment is also superior to typical drugs over relatively short periods of time. We studied 20 schizophrenic patients [10 males, mean age 35.5 years, mean Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) score at entry 58.9] admitted to our hospital with acute psychotic exacerbation. Nine of them were treated with typical and 11 with atypical neuroleptics. In addition, 14 healthy drug-free subjects (6 males, mean age 31.2 years) were enrolled in the study and compared to the patients. As neuropsychological tools, a divided attention test, the Vienna reaction time test, the Benton visual retention test, digit span and a Multiple Choice Word Fluency Test (MWT-B) were used during the first week after admission, within the third week and before discharge (approximately 3 months). Patients scored significantly worse than healthy controls on nearly all tests (except Vienna reaction time). Clinical ratings [BPRS and Positive and Negative Symptom Scale for Schizophrenia (PANSS)] improved markedly (p divided attention task (r = 0.705, p = 0.034). Neuropsychological functioning (explicit memory, p divided attention, p < 0.05) moderately improved for both groups under treatment but without a significant difference between atypical and typical antipsychotic drugs. Over short periods of time (3 months), neuropsychological disturbances in schizophrenia seem to be moderately responsive to both typical and atypical neuroleptics. Copyright 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel

Das sprachliche Register (Speech Registers)

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Hess-Luttich, Ernest W. B.

1974-01-01

The linguistic behavior of a given individual varies; he will on different occasions speak (or write) differently according to what may be roughly described as different social situations: he will use a number of different registers. The application of such registers both in the field of text analysis and in the preparation of teaching materials…

Obstetric complications in women with schizophrenia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bennedsen, Birgit; Mortensen, Preben Bo; Olesen, Annette Wind

2001-01-01

It is not known whether schizophrenic women have increased incidence of complications during pregnancy and delivery. Data from the Danish Medical Birth Register were used to compare 2212 births to 1537 schizophrenic women in Denmark with a random sample of all deliveries in Denmark during 1973......–1993 (122 931 births to 72 742 women). The schizophrenic women had fewer antenatal care visits. They were at lower risk of pre-eclampsia, but tended to have lower Apgar scores. There were no other differences in the incidence of specific complications such as placenta previa, placental abruption......, and abnormal fetal presentation. Schizophrenic women were at increased risk of interventions such as Cesarean section, vaginal assisted delivery, amniotomy, and pharmacological stimulation of labor. There were no important differences between the deliveries to schizophrenic women who gave birth before...

The Danish Medical Birth Register

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bliddal, Mette; Broe, Anne; Pottegård, Anton

2018-01-01

The Danish Medical Birth Register was established in 1973. It is a key component of the Danish health information system. The register enables monitoring of the health of pregnant women and their offspring, it provides data for quality assessment of the perinatal care in Denmark, and it is used...... on all births in Denmark and comprises primarily of data from the Danish National Patient Registry supplemented with forms on home deliveries and stillbirths. It contains information on maternal age provided by the Civil Registration System. Information on pre-pregnancy body mass index and smoking...

Behavioral phenotypes in schizophrenic animal models with multiple combinations of genetic and environmental factors.

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Hida, Hirotake; Mouri, Akihiro; Noda, Yukihiro

2013-01-01

Schizophrenia is a multifactorial psychiatric disorder in which both genetic and environmental factors play a role. Genetic [e.g., Disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 (DISC1), Neuregulin-1 (NRG1)] and environmental factors (e.g., maternal viral infection, obstetric complications, social stress) may act during the developmental period to increase the incidence of schizophrenia. In animal models, interactions between susceptibility genes and the environment can be controlled in ways not possible in humans; therefore, such models are useful for investigating interactions between or within factors in the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of schizophrenia. We provide an overview of schizophrenic animal models investigating interactions between or within factors. First, we reviewed gene-environment interaction animal models, in which schizophrenic candidate gene mutant mice were subjected to perinatal immune activation or adolescent stress. Next, environment-environment interaction animal models, in which mice were subjected to a combination of perinatal immune activation and adolescent administration of drugs, were described. These animal models showed interaction between or within factors; behavioral changes, which were obscured by each factor, were marked by interaction of factors and vice versa. Appropriate behavioral approaches with such models will be invaluable for translational research on novel compounds, and also for providing insight into the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of schizophrenia.

Sex-Specific Brain Deficits in Auditory Processing in an Animal Model of Cocaine-Related Schizophrenic Disorders

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Patricia A. Broderick

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Cocaine is a psychostimulant in the pharmacological class of drugs called Local Anesthetics. Interestingly, cocaine is the only drug in this class that has a chemical formula comprised of a tropane ring and is, moreover, addictive. The correlation between tropane and addiction is well-studied. Another well-studied correlation is that between psychosis induced by cocaine and that psychosis endogenously present in the schizophrenic patient. Indeed, both of these psychoses exhibit much the same behavioral as well as neurochemical properties across species. Therefore, in order to study the link between schizophrenia and cocaine addiction, we used a behavioral paradigm called Acoustic Startle. We used this acoustic startle paradigm in female versus male Sprague-Dawley animals to discriminate possible sex differences in responses to startle. The startle method operates through auditory pathways in brain via a network of sensorimotor gating processes within auditory cortex, cochlear nuclei, inferior and superior colliculi, pontine reticular nuclei, in addition to mesocorticolimbic brain reward and nigrostriatal motor circuitries. This paper is the first to report sex differences to acoustic stimuli in Sprague-Dawley animals (Rattus norvegicus although such gender responses to acoustic startle have been reported in humans (Swerdlow et al. 1997 [1]. The startle method monitors pre-pulse inhibition (PPI as a measure of the loss of sensorimotor gating in the brain's neuronal auditory network; auditory deficiencies can lead to sensory overload and subsequently cognitive dysfunction. Cocaine addicts and schizophrenic patients as well as cocaine treated animals are reported to exhibit symptoms of defective PPI (Geyer et al., 2001 [2]. Key findings are: (a Cocaine significantly reduced PPI in both sexes. (b Females were significantly more sensitive than males; reduced PPI was greater in females than in males. (c Physiological saline had no effect on startle in

Education attainment is associated with patient-reported outcomes: findings from the Swedish Hip Arthroplasty Register.

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Greene, Meridith E; Rolfson, Ola; Nemes, Szilard; Gordon, Max; Malchau, Henrik; Garellick, Göran

2014-06-01

Age, sex, and medical comorbidities may be associated with differences in patient-reported outcome scores after THA. Highest level of education may be a surrogate for socioeconomic status, but the degree to which this is associated with patient-reported outcomes after THA is not known. We investigated the national Swedish Hip Arthroplasty Register for the association of education attainment on patient-reported outcomes 1 year after THA; specifically, we evaluated level of education attainment against health-related quality of life (HRQoL), pain reduction, and satisfaction with treatment 1 year after THA. All THAs for osteoarthritis performed from 2005 through 2007 with complete patient-reported outcome measures (representing 49% of the THAs performed for this diagnosis) were selected from the Swedish Hip Arthroplasty Register. These cases were merged with national databases containing education attainment, marital status, and comorbidities (n = 11,464; mean age of patients, 64 years). The patient-reported outcome measure protocol included the HRQoL measure EuroQol five-dimension scale (EQ-5D), a VAS for pain, the Charnley classification survey, and a VAS addressing THA satisfaction. Linear regression analyses determined the association of preoperative patient factors with patient-reported outcomes. High education attainment was associated with higher HRQoL (EQ-5D index ß(high) = 0.03 ± 0.01; EQ VAS ß(high) = 2.6 ± 0.5) after THA, whereas those with low and medium education were at risk for lower HRQoL. High education was associated with less pain after treatment (ß(high) = -3.3 ± 0.05). Individuals with low or medium education were at risk for less satisfaction with THA (p education to a greater extent. Identification of patients who will benefit most from THA and educating those at risk for poorer outcomes, like patients with low and medium education, ultimately may improve patient satisfaction, HRQoL, pain, and the cost utility of THA. Level III

[The Influence of Threatening Stimuli on the Component P200 in Patients with Paranoid Schizophrenia].

Science.gov (United States)

Strelets, V B; Arkhipov, A Yu

2015-01-01

We studied schizophrenic patients with the dominance of pseudohallucinations. As is well known, pseudohallucinations are the main syndrome of schizophrenia, the so-called first rank syndrome. Pseudohallucinations are defined as a disorder of sense (affective) perception. This disorder is mainly diagnosed from the clinical picture or by pathopsychologichal observations. We investigated the evoked potentials (EP) of brain after neutral and emotionally meaningful (threatening) visual stimuli in order to specify the neurophysiological disorders of affective perception in schizophrenic patients with severe paranoid-hallucinatory syndrome who did not receive neuroleptic therapy. The analysis of P200 component in healthy subjects showed an increase in the amplitude and shortening of the latency of this wave in response to thretaning stimuli, as compared to neutral stimuli. In the group of patients with schizophrenia, the analysis showed the same increase in the level of excitation in response to emotionally threatening stimuli. However, in schizophrenic patients there were also found certain areas where the amplitude and latency decreased or increased at the same time. The results show that patients with schizophrenia have the pathological effect of having parameters typical of the processes of both excitation and inhibition.

Socioeconomic impact of TB on patients registered within RNTCP and their families in the year 2007 in Chennai, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Ananthakrishnan, Ramya; Jeyaraj, Anita; Palani, Gopal; Sathiyasekaran, B W C

2012-07-01

Tuberculosis patients are registered in government clinics under Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS) program in Chennai city catering to 4.34 million population. With the entire country geographically covered under the DOTS program, research into socioeconomic impact of TB on patients and their households is crucial for providing comprehensive patient-friendly TB services and to document the benefits of DOTS. To assess the social and economic impact of TB on patients registered under DOTS program and their families. A cross-sectional study of 300 TB patients was done using a pre-coded semi-quantitative questionnaire between March and June 2007 in all the Tuberculosis Units (TUs) of Chennai city. Social and economic impact was perceived by 69.0% and 30.3% patients, respectively. About 24.3% suffered from both social and economic impact, while 75% patients suffered from any one form of impact. Social impact was perceived by more female patients as compared to males (80.7% vs. 62%; P impact (P impact of TB is still perceived by two-thirds of the patients (69%). Elimination or reduction of social stressors with specific, focused, and intense social support services, awareness generation, and counseling to patients and families need to be built into the program.

Validity and completeness of rheumatoid arthritis diagnoses in the nationwide DANBIO clinical register and the Danish National Patient Registry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ibfelt, Else Helene; Sørensen, Jan; Jensen, Dorte V

2017-01-01

registry. Study design and setting: Patients registered for the first time in 2011 with a diagnosis of RA were identified in DANBIO and DNPR in January 2013. For DNPR, filters were applied to reduce false-positive cases. The diagnosis was verified by a review of patient records. We calculated the positive...

Taking cognizance of mental illness in schizophrenics and its association with crime and substance-related diagnoses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Munkner, R; Haastrup, S; Jørgensen, T

2003-01-01

with schizophrenia born after November 1, 1963, data on criminality, substance-related diagnoses and contacts with the psychiatric hospital system were analysed. RESULTS: Compared with the non-convicted schizophrenics the convicted were older on first contact with the psychiatric hospital system and older when...... are aware of possible psychotic symptoms in criminal and abusing individuals to enable earlier detection and treatment....

Registered nurses' attention to and perceptions of pressure ulcer prevention in hospital settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Sving, Eva; Gunningberg, Lena; Högman, Marieann; Mamhidir, Anna-Greta

2012-05-01

To describe how registered nurses perform, document and reflect on pressure ulcer prevention in a specific nurse-patient care situation, as well as generally, on hospital wards. Registered nurses should provide safe and qualified pressure ulcer prevention, but pressure ulcers remain a problem. Compliance with evidence-based guidelines impedes pressure ulcer formation. A descriptive design with a multimethods approach. Nine registered nurses at three wards and hospitals participated. The registered nurses were observed in a specific nurse-patient care situation with patients at risk for pressure ulcers. Interviews followed and patients' records were reviewed. Quantitative and qualitative data analysis methods were used. Pressure ulcer prevention performed by the registered nurses was dependent on the cultural care, which ranged from planned to unplanned prevention. Diversity was found in compliance with evidence-based guidelines across the wards. Although all patients involved were at risk and the nurses described pressure ulcer prevention as basic care, the nurses' attention to prevention was lacking. Few prevention activities and no structured risk assessments using risk assessment tools were observed, and few care plans were identified. The lack of attention was explained by registered nurses' trust in assistant nurses' knowledge, and prevention was seen as an assistant nurse task. Registered nurses paid little attention to pressure ulcer prevention among patients at risk. The planned and unplanned care structures affected the prevention. The nurses trusted and largely delegated their responsibility to the assistant nurses. Evidence-based pressure ulcer prevention is fundamental to patient safety. Care quality is created in situations where patients and care providers meet. How registered nurses work with pressure ulcer prevention, their role and communication, particularly with assistant nurses, should be of major concern to them as well as to healthcare

Exploration of somatosensory P50 gating in schizophrenia spectrum patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arnfred, Sidse M; Chen, Andrew C N

2004-01-01

, male, schizophrenia spectrum patients (seven schizophrenic and five schizotypal personality disorder patients) and 14 age-matched healthy men participated in recordings of pair-wise presented auditory and median nerve stimuli. The patients had smaller amplitudes of the SEP P50 at the first stimulus...

The Utility of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test in Differential Diagnosis of Cognitive Disorders in Iranian Psychiatric Patients and Healthy Subjects

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Razieh Hashemi, MA

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Objective: The Wisconsin Test Card Sorting Test (WCST is a neuropsychological test that has been suggested as a more specific test for frontal lobes dysfunctions. This study was designed to determine whether WCST is able to differentiate between Iranian psychiatric patients with cognitive disorders and normal subjects, and whether WCST scores are related to severity of symptoms in depressive and schizophrenic patients.Method: Participants were four groups: schizophrenics with positive symptoms (n=25; schizophrenics with negative symptoms (n=25; major depressives (n=25; and normal subjects (n=25. All subjects were tested individually using WCST. To analyze the data, various descriptive statistics, ANOVA, t-test and multiple regression analysis were used.Results: Regarding the number of categories (P<0.001 and the rate of perseverative errors (P<0.01, according to the results, the normal subjects performed significantly better than patient groups on WCST, although the differences between patient groups were not significant. Our results also showed that greater positive or depressive symptoms were not associated with poorer scores on WCST performance. Only the level of severity of negative symptoms predicted scores on perseverative errors.Conclusion: It is concluded that WCST can differentiate Iranian psychiatric patients with cognitive disorders from normal subjects, but it is not able to clearly differentiate schizophrenic patients with negative symptoms from those with positive symptoms and depressives. Only severity of negative symptoms affects WCST performance

Register-based studies of cardiovascular disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Abildstrøm, Steen Z; Torp-Pedersen, Christian; Madsen, Mette

2011-01-01

Introduction: The use of the unique personal identification number in the Nordic database systems enables the researchers to link the registers at the individual level. The registers can be used for both defining specific patient populations and to identify later events during follow-up. This rev...... the hospitalisation rate and treatment of cardiovascular disease. The risk of unmeasured factors affecting the results calls for cautious interpretation of the results.......-up. This review gives three examples within cardiovascular epidemiology to illustrate the use of the national administrative registers available to all researchers upon request. Research topics: The hospitalisation rate of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was expected to be increased and case-fatality rate......-based treatment increased significantly over time and adherence to treatment was high. Finally, use of specific nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs by healthy subjects was associated with a dose-dependent increase in cardiovascular risk. CONCLUSION: The nationwide registers have proven very useful in monitoring...

Follow-up home visits with registered dietitians have a positive effect on the functional and nutritional status of geriatric medical patients after discharge

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Beck, Anne Marie; Kjær, Stine; Hansen, Birthe Stenbæk

2013-01-01

Objective:To assess the additional benefits of individualized nutritional counselling by a registered dietitian in geriatric patients' home after discharge from hospital, in relation to risk of re-admissions, functional status, nutritional status, use of social services and mortality.Design:Twelv......Objective:To assess the additional benefits of individualized nutritional counselling by a registered dietitian in geriatric patients' home after discharge from hospital, in relation to risk of re-admissions, functional status, nutritional status, use of social services and mortality.......Design:Twelve-week single-blind randomized controlled study.Setting and subjects:Geriatric medical patients (65+ years) at nutritional risk.Interventions:Participants were randomly allocated to receive a visit in their homes, either three individualized nutritional counselling by a registered dietitian complemented......, rehabilitation capacity), nutritional status (weight, BMI, energy and protein intake), need of social services (home care, home nursing, meals-on-wheels) and mortality.Results:One hundred and fifty-two patients were included; 132 (87%) completed the first and 124 (82%) the second data collection after 12 weeks...

Danish Register of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lange, Peter; Tøttenborg, Sandra Søgaard; Sorknæs, Anne Dichmann

2016-01-01

AIM OF DATABASE: The Danish Register of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (DrCOPD) is a nationwide database aiming to describe the quality of treatment of all patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Denmark. STUDY POPULATION: DrCOPD comprises data on all patients...

Time-to-event methodology improved statistical evaluation in register-based health services research.

Science.gov (United States)

Bluhmki, Tobias; Bramlage, Peter; Volk, Michael; Kaltheuner, Matthias; Danne, Thomas; Rathmann, Wolfgang; Beyersmann, Jan

2017-02-01

Complex longitudinal sampling and the observational structure of patient registers in health services research are associated with methodological challenges regarding data management and statistical evaluation. We exemplify common pitfalls and want to stimulate discussions on the design, development, and deployment of future longitudinal patient registers and register-based studies. For illustrative purposes, we use data from the prospective, observational, German DIabetes Versorgungs-Evaluation register. One aim was to explore predictors for the initiation of a basal insulin supported therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes initially prescribed to glucose-lowering drugs alone. Major challenges are missing mortality information, time-dependent outcomes, delayed study entries, different follow-up times, and competing events. We show that time-to-event methodology is a valuable tool for improved statistical evaluation of register data and should be preferred to simple case-control approaches. Patient registers provide rich data sources for health services research. Analyses are accompanied with the trade-off between data availability, clinical plausibility, and statistical feasibility. Cox' proportional hazards model allows for the evaluation of the outcome-specific hazards, but prediction of outcome probabilities is compromised by missing mortality information. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Specially trained registered nurses can safely manage epidural analgesia infusion in laboring patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Charles, Lenore A; Korejwa, Elise; Kent, Donna Curtis; Raniero, Debbie

2015-06-01

To discover evidence for defining the registered nurse's (RN's) role in the management of epidural analgesia in the labor and delivery setting. The Labor Epidural Nurse Safety (LENS) study consisted of two parts. The first part was a 10-year retrospective review of the outcomes of 2,568 laboring women for whom epidural catheters had been placed and verified by an anesthesiologist or certified registered nurse anesthetist, then continuous epidural infusion initiated, and basal rate or patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) dose increased, if needed, within specified parameters by specially trained labor and delivery RNs. The second part compared the outcomes of the neonates born to the 2,568 women in the first part of the study with neonates born to mothers who received PCEA with a continuous infusion initiated and managed exclusively by anesthesiologists and/or certified registered nurse anesthetists at two control sites. Maternal outcomes were quantified by incidences of clinically significant hypotension and sentinel events, such as respiratory distress, cardio/respiratory distress, loss of consciousness, and seizures. Evidence of neonatal outcomes was collected by comparing Apgar scores. No sentinel events occurred, and there was no increase in maternal hypotensive events in the RN-managed group. There were no statistically significant differences in Apgar scores between the experimental and control groups. Specially trained RNs can safely initiate continuous infusions and increase the basal rate of epidural analgesia infusions or PCEA doses administered to laboring women, after insertion and confirmation of correct catheter placement by a qualified anesthesia provider, without adversely affecting maternal and fetal/neonatal outcomes. Copyright © 2015 American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Validation of epilepsy diagnoses in the Danish National Hospital Register

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Jakob; Vestergaard, Mogens; Olsen, Jørn

2007-01-01

PURPOSE: To validate the diagnosis of epilepsy in the Danish National Hospital Register. METHODS: We randomly selected 200 patients registered with epilepsy in the Danish National Hospital Register between 1977 and 2002 and validated the diagnosis according to the guidelines developed...... by the International League Against Epilepsy. RESULTS: We reviewed the medical records of 188 (94%) persons from 57 departments at 41 hospitals. The epilepsy diagnoses were confirmed in 153 patients, providing a positive predictive value for epilepsy of 81% (95% confidence interval (95% CI): 75-87%). Among the 35...... for syndrome classification was 60% (95% CI: 44-74%) for epilepsy with complex focal seizures and 35% (95% CI: 22-51%) for primary generalized epilepsy. CONCLUSION: The validity of the epilepsy diagnoses in the Danish National Hospital Register has a moderate to high positive predictive value for epilepsy...

Language Disorder In Schizophrenia Patient: A Case Study Of Five Schizophrenia Paranoid Patients In Simeulue District Hospital

OpenAIRE

Kurnia, Beby Febri

2015-01-01

Language disorder in schizophrenia patients is an acquired language disorder due to thought disorder. This analysis analyzed language disorder in schizophrenia paranoid patients in Simeulue District Hospital. The objective of this analysis were: (1) to find out the types of schizophrenic speech found in schizophrenia paranoid patients, (2) to find out the most dominant type of schizophrenia speech found in schizophrenia paranoid patients, and (3) to find out which patient has most severe lang...

Increased Risk of Developing Affective Disorder in Patients with Hypothyroidism: A Register-Based Study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Anders F.; Kvist, Tine Kajsa; Andersen, Per Kragh

2005-01-01

BACKGROUND: Links between thyroid function and depression have been noted in many contexts. We assessed whether hospitalization with hypothyroidism was a risk factor for developing affective disorder. METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study using historical data from Danish registers....... The observational period was 1977-1999. Three study cohorts were identified: all patients with a first hospital admittance with the resulting index discharge diagnoses hypothyroidism, osteoarthritis, or nontoxic goiter. A later hospitalization with a resulting discharge diagnosis of affective disorder was used...... as event of interest, and rates of readmission were estimated and compared using competing risk models in survival analyses. FINDINGS: We identified 165,307 patients discharged with an index diagnosis. In the observational period, 1041 events occurred. An index diagnosis of hypothyroidism was associated...

The value of registered nurses in ambulatory care settings: a survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Mastal, Margaret; Levine, June

2012-01-01

Ambulatory care settings employ 25% of the three million registered nurses in the United States. The American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing (AAACN) is committed to improving the quality of health care in ambulatory settings, enhancing patient outcomes, and realizing greater health care efficiencies. A survey of ambulatory care registered nurses indicates they are well positioned to lead and facilitate health care reform activities with organizational colleagues. They are well schooled in critical thinking, triage, advocating for patients, educating patients and families, collaborating with medical staff and other professionals, and care coordination. The evolving medical home concept and other health care delivery models reinforces the critical need for registered nurses to provide chronic disease management, care coordination, health risk appraisal, care transitions, health promotion, and disease prevention services. Recommendations are offered for organizational leaders, registered nurses, and AAACN to utilize nursing knowledge and skills in the pursuit of leading change and advancing health.

The Riks-Stroke story: building a sustainable national register for quality assessment of stroke care.

Science.gov (United States)

Asplund, Kjell; Hulter Åsberg, Kerstin; Appelros, Peter; Bjarne, Daniela; Eriksson, Marie; Johansson, Asa; Jonsson, Fredrik; Norrving, Bo; Stegmayr, Birgitta; Terént, Andreas; Wallin, Sari; Wester, Per-Olov

2011-04-01

Riks-Stroke, the Swedish Stroke Register, is the world's longest-running national stroke quality register (established in 1994) and includes all 76 hospitals in Sweden admitting acute stroke patients. The development and maintenance of this sustainable national register is described. Riks-Stroke includes information on the quality of care during the acute phase, rehabilitation and secondary prevention of stroke, as well as data on community support. Riks-Stroke is unique among stroke quality registers in that patients are followed during the first year after stroke. The data collected describe processes, and medical and patient-reported outcome measurements. The register embraces most of the dimensions of health-care quality (evidence-based, safe, provided in time, distributed fairly and patient oriented). Annually, approximately 25,000 patients are included. In 2009, approximately 320,000 patients had been accumulated (mean age 76-years). The register is estimated to cover 82% of all stroke patients treated in Swedish hospitals. Among critical issues when building a national stroke quality register, the delicate balance between simplicity and comprehensiveness is emphasised. Future developments include direct transfer of data from digital medical records to Riks-Stroke and comprehensive strategies to use the information collected to rapidly implement new evidence-based techniques and to eliminate outdated methods in stroke care. It is possible to establish a sustainable quality register for stroke at the national level covering all hospitals admitting acute stroke patients. Riks-Stroke is fulfilling its main goals to support continuous quality improvement of Swedish stroke services and serve as an instrument for following up national stroke guidelines. © 2010 The Authors. International Journal of Stroke © 2010 World Stroke Organization.

Validation of the diagnosis 'prosthetic joint infection' in the Danish Hip Arthroplasty Register

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gundtoft, P H; Pedersen, Alma Becic; Schønheyder, H C

2016-01-01

and followed them until first-time revision, death, emigration or until 31 December 2012. Revision for PJI, as registered in the DHR, was validated against a benchmark which included information from microbiology databases, prescription registers, clinical biochemistry registers and clinical records. We......AIMS: The purpose of this study was to validate the diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) in the Danish Hip Arthroplasty Register (DHR). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We identified a cohort of patients from the DHR who had undergone primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) since 1 January 2005...... the validity of the diagnosis of PJI and should enable future register-based studies. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2016;98-B:320-5....

Swespine: the Swedish spine register : the 2012 report.

Science.gov (United States)

Strömqvist, Björn; Fritzell, Peter; Hägg, Olle; Jönsson, Bo; Sandén, Bengt

2013-04-01

Swespine, the Swedish National Spine Register, has existed for 20 years and is in general use within the country since over 10 years regarding degenerative lumbar spine disorders. Today there are protocols for registering all disorders of the entire spinal column. Patient-based pre- and postoperative questionnaires, completed before surgery and at 1, 2, 5 and 10 years postoperatively. Among patient-based data are VAS pain, ODI, SF-36 and EQ-5D. Postoperatively evaluation of leg and back pain as compared to preoperatively ("global assessment"), overall satisfaction with outcome and working conditions are registered in addition to the same parameters as preoperatively evaluation. A yearly report is produced including an analytic part of a certain topic, in this issue disc prosthesis surgery. More than 75,000 surgically treated patients are registered to date with an increasing number yearly. The present report includes 7,285 patients; 1-, 2- and 5-year follow-up data of previously operated patients are also included for lumbar disorders as well as for disc prosthesis surgery. For the degenerative lumbar spine disorders (disc herniation, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis and DDD) significant improvements are seen in all aspects as exemplified by pronounced improvement regarding EQ-5D and ODI. Results seem to be stable over time. Spinal stenosis is the most common indication for spine surgery. Disc prosthesis surgery yields results on a par with fusion surgery in disc degenerative pain. The utility of spine surgery is well documented by the results. Results of spine surgery as documented on a national basis can be utilized for quality assurance and quality improvement as well as for research purposes, documenting changes over time and bench marking when introducing new surgical techniques. A basis for international comparisons is also laid.

Influence of personality traits on sexual functioning of patients suffering from schizophrenia or depression.

Science.gov (United States)

Peitl, Marija Vucić; Peitl, Vjekoslav; Pavlović, Eduard; Blazević-Zelić, Sandra; Petrić, Daniela

2011-09-01

Aim of this research was to establish effects and influence of personality traits on sexual functioning of schizophrenic and depressive patients, compared to healthy individuals. 300 participants were included in this research. For patients suffering from schizophrenia it was established that the more they are open to experience and the less they are neurotic their sexual drive is stronger. For patients suffering from depression it was established that the more they are open to experience and conscientious and the less they are agreeable their sexual drive is stronger. Furthermore, higher openness is a significant predictor for easier sexual arousal and the more those patients are conscientious and the less they are agreeable easier is for them to achieve orgasms. Personality traits proved to be significant predictors of sexual functioning in schizophrenic and depressive patients, but not in healthy individuals.

Structural empowerment and patient safety culture among registered nurses working in adult critical care units.

Science.gov (United States)

Armellino, Donna; Quinn Griffin, Mary T; Fitzpatrick, Joyce J

2010-10-01

The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between structural empowerment and patient safety culture among staff level Registered Nurses (RNs) within adult critical care units (ACCU). There is literature to support the value of RNs' structurally empowered work environments and emerging literature towards patient safety culture; the link between empowerment and patient safety culture is being discovered. A sample of 257 RNs, working within adult critical care of a tertiary hospital in the United States, was surveyed. Instruments included a background data sheet, the Conditions of Workplace Effectiveness and the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture. Structural empowerment and patient safety culture were significantly correlated. As structural empowerment increased so did the RNs' perception of patient safety culture. To foster patient safety culture, nurse leaders should consider providing structurally empowering work environments for RNs. This study contributes to the body of knowledge linking structural empowerment and patient safety culture. Results link structurally empowered RNs and increased patient safety culture, essential elements in delivering efficient, competent, quality care. They inform nursing management of key factors in the nurses' environment that promote safe patient care environments. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Registered nurses' perceptions of rewarding and its significance.

Science.gov (United States)

Seitovirta, Jaana; Lehtimäki, Aku-Ville; Vehviläinen-Julkunen, Katri; Mitronen, Lasse; Kvist, Tarja

2017-11-07

To examine reward type preferences and their relationships with the significance of rewarding perceived by registered nurses in Finland. Previous studies have found relationships between nurses' rewarding and their motivation at work, job satisfaction and organisational commitment. Data were collected in a cross-sectional, descriptive, questionnaire survey from 402 registered nurses using the Registered Nurses' Perceptions of Rewarding Scale in 2015, and analysed with descriptive and multivariate statistical methods. Registered nurses assigned slightly higher values to several non-financial than to financial rewards. The non-financial reward types appreciation and feedback from work community, worktime arrangements, work content, and opportunity to develop, influence and participate were highly related to the significance of rewarding. We identified various rewards that registered nurses value, and indications that providing an appropriate array of rewards, particularly non-financial rewards, is a highly beneficial element of nursing management. It is important to understand the value of rewards for nursing management. Nurse managers should offer diverse rewards to their registered nurses to promote excellent performance and to help efforts to secure and maintain high-quality, safe patient care. The use of appropriate rewards is especially crucial to improving registered nurses' reward satisfaction and job satisfaction globally in the nursing profession. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Working memory in volunteers and schizophrenics using BOLD fMRI; Das Arbeitsgedaechtnis bei Gesunden und bei Schizophrenen: Untersuchungen mit BOLD-fMRT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Giesel, F.L. [Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ) Heidelberg, Abteilung Radiologie (Germany); Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ), Abteilung Radiologie, Heidelberg (Germany); Hohmann, N. [Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ) Heidelberg, Abteilung Radiologie (Germany); Psychiatrische Universitaetsklinik Heidelberg, Sektion Gerontopsychiatrie (Germany); Seidl, U.; Kress, K.R.; Schoenknecht, P.; Schroeder, J. [Psychiatrische Universitaetsklinik Heidelberg, Sektion Gerontopsychiatrie (Germany); Kauczor, H.-U.; Essig, M. [Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (DKFZ) Heidelberg, Abteilung Radiologie (Germany)

2005-02-01

Functional magnetic resonance imaging uses the blood oxygen level-dependent effect (BOLD MRI) for noninvasive display of cerebral correlatives of cognitive function. The importance for the understanding of physiological and pathological processes is demonstrated by investigations of working memory in schizophrenics and healthy controls. Working memory is involved in processing rather than storage of information and therefore is linked to complex processes such as learning and problem solving. In schizophrenic psychosis, these functions are clearly restricted. Training effects in the working memory task follow an inverse U-shape function, suggesting that cerebral activation reaches a peak before economics of the brain find a more efficient method and activation decreases. (orig.) [German] Die funktionelle Magnetresonanztomographie (fMRT) nutzt den ''blood oxygen level dependent effect'' (BOLD-Effekt) zur nichtinvasiven Darstellung zerebraler Korrelate kognitiver Funktionen. Die Bedeutung dieses Verfahrens fuer das Verstaendnis physiologischer und pathologischer Prozesse wird anhand von Untersuchungen zum Arbeitsgedaechtnis bei Schizophrenen und gesunden Kontrollpersonen verdeutlicht. Das Arbeitsgedaechtnis dient weniger der Speicherung, sondern vielmehr der Verarbeitung von Informationen und ist deshalb in komplexe Prozesse wie Lernen und Problemloesen eingebunden. Im Rahmen schizophrener Psychosen kommt es zu einer deutlichen Einschraenkung dieser Funktionen. Erwartungsgemaess zeigen sich unter Durchfuehrung eines Arbeitsgedaechtnisparadigmas Unterschiede in der zerebralen Aktivitaet, die jedoch bei den Erkrankten unter Therapie prinzipiell reversibel sind. Von Interesse sind auch Trainingseffekte bei Gesunden, wobei eine verminderte Aktivierung nach Training auf eine ''Oekonomisierung'' schliessen laesst. (orig.)

Bone mass in schizophrenia and normal populations across different decades of life

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chueh Ching-Mo

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Chronic schizophrenic patients have been reported as having higher osteoporosis prevalence. Survey the bone mass among schizophrenic patients and compare with that of the local community population and reported data of the same country to figure out the distribution of bone mass among schizophrenic patients. Methods 965 schizophrenic patients aged 20 years and over in Yuli Veterans Hospital and 405 members aged 20 and over of the community living in the same town as the institute received bone mass examination by a heel qualitative ultrasound (QUS device. Bone mass distribution was stratified to analyzed and compared with community population. Results Schizophrenic patients have lower bone mass while they are young. But aging effect on bone mass cannot be seen. Accelerated bone mass loss during menopausal transition was not observed in the female schizophrenic patients as in the subjects of the community female population. Conclusion Schizophrenic patients have lower bone mass than community population since they are young. Further study to investigate the pathophysiological process is necessary to delay or avoid the lower bone mass in schizophrenia patients.

The Italian START-Register on Anticoagulation with Focus on Atrial Fibrillation

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

START-Register – Survey on anTicoagulated pAtients RegisTer – is an independent, inception-cohort, observational, collaborative database aimed at recording prospectively the clinical history of adult patients starting anticoagulant treatment for any reason and using whatever drug. In this article we present the START-Register and give cross section baseline data focusing on non valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). Participants are asked to insert prospectively consecutive patients recorded as electronic file on the web-site of the registry. Required data are: demographic and clinical characteristics of patients, associated risk factors for stroke and bleeding, laboratory routine data, clinical indication for treatment, expected therapeutic range (in cases of treatment with vitamin K antagonists -VKAs). The follow-up is carried out to record: quality of treatment (for patients on VKAs), bleeding complications, thrombotic events, and the onset of any type of associated disease. To date 5252 patients have been enrolled; 97.6% were on VKAs because direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC) have been available in Italy only recently. The median age was 74 years [interquartile range (IQR) 64-80]; males 53.7%. This analysis is focused on the 3209 (61.1%) NVAF patients. Mean CHADS2 score was 2.1±1.1, CHADSVASc score was 3.1±1.3;median age was 76 years (IQR 70-81); 168 patients (5.3%) had severe renal failure [Creatinine clearance (CrCl) START-Register data shows that two-third of patients who started chronic anticoagulant treatment had NVAF, one-third of them was > 80 years with high prevalence of renal failure. PMID:26001109

Socioeconomic impact of TB on patients registered within RNTCP and their families in the year 2007 in Chennai, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramya Ananthakrishnan

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Tuberculosis patients are registered in government clinics under Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS program in Chennai city catering to 4.34 million population. With the entire country geographically covered under the DOTS program, research into socioeconomic impact of TB on patients and their households is crucial for providing comprehensive patient-friendly TB services and to document the benefits of DOTS. Objective: To assess the social and economic impact of TB on patients registered under DOTS program and their families. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study of 300 TB patients was done using a pre-coded semi-quantitative questionnaire between March and June 2007 in all the Tuberculosis Units (TUs of Chennai city. Results: Social and economic impact was perceived by 69.0% and 30.3% patients, respectively. About 24.3% suffered from both social and economic impact, while 75% patients suffered from any one form of impact. Social impact was perceived by more female patients as compared to males (80.7% vs. 62%; P < 0.001. More patients with extra-pulmonary disease (44.4% and patients belonging to joint families (40.7% perceived economic impact (P < 0.05. Conclusion: After 8 years of DOTS implementation, the present study has shown that with the availability of DOTS, percentage of patients who mortgaged assets or took loans has reduced. Social impact of TB is still perceived by two-thirds of the patients (69%. Elimination or reduction of social stressors with specific, focused, and intense social support services, awareness generation, and counseling to patients and families need to be built into the program.

Association between monoamine oxidase A gene promoter 30 bp repeat polymorphism and tardive dyskinesia in Chinese schizophrenics

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Changhe Fan; Lihua Li; Yan Fu; Hehuang Deng; Xiangjiao Liao; Youcai Zhou

2006-01-01

BACKGROUND: The pathophysiology of tardive dyskinesia (TD) is not yet fully understood. With the hypothesis of altered dopaminergic neurotransmission, altered activities of dopamine degrading enzymes such as monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) and their coding genes are supposed to be related to the pathophysiology of TD.OBJECTIVE: To investigate possible association between 30 bp variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphism in the promoter of MAOA gene and susceptibility, severity of neuroleptic induced TD in Chinese Han people in Guandong Province.DESIGN: Non-randomization-synchronization controlled study. SETTING: Guangdong Mental Health Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital; Guangzhou Psychiatric Hospital; Affiliated Psychiatric Hospital of Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Civil Administration. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 179 subjects were enrolled in the study. All subjects were sporadic and genetically unrelated Chinese schizophrenic patients who were hospitalizing in Guangzhou Psychiatric Hospital or Affiliated Psychiatric Hospital of Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Civil Administration during January to April 2005. The diagnosis of schizophrenia was made according to the criteria of Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorder-the third edition-revised (DSM-Ⅲ-R). Among all patients, 88 were diagnosed as with TD and 91 without TD according to the research diagnostic criteria described by Schooler-Kane. Informed consent was obtained from all subjects or their relatives.METHODS: ① TD severity was assessed with the AIMS which was a 5-degree rating scale from 0 to 4 (corresponding to none, minimal, mild, moderate and severe, respectively). The study was approved by the Ethics Committees of the two hospitals and informed consent was obtained from all subjects or their relatives. ② The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) techniques were used to detect MAOA gene 30 bp VNTR polymorphism in schizophrenic patients

The Policy Debate on Pseudonymous Health Registers in Norway

Science.gov (United States)

Andresen, Herbjørn

Patient health data has a valuable potential for secondary use, such as decision support on a national level, reimbursement settlements, and research on public health or on the effects of various treatment methods. Unfortunately, extensive secondary use of data has disproportionate negative impact on the patients' privacy. The Norwegian health data processing regulation prescribes four different ways of organizing health registers (anonymous, de-identified, pseudonymous or fully identified data subjects). Pseudonymity is the most innovative of these methods, and it has been available as a legitimate means to achieve extensive secondary use of accurate and detailed data since 2001. Up to now, two different national health registers have been organized this way. The evidence from these experiences should be encouraging: Pseudonymity works as intended. Yet, there is still discernible reluctance against extending the pseudonymity principle to encompass other national health registers as well.

Registered nurses' clinical reasoning skills and reasoning process: A think-aloud study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, JuHee; Lee, Young Joo; Bae, JuYeon; Seo, Minjeong

2016-11-01

As complex chronic diseases are increasing, nurses' prompt and accurate clinical reasoning skills are essential. However, little is known about the reasoning skills of registered nurses. This study aimed to determine how registered nurses use their clinical reasoning skills and to identify how the reasoning process proceeds in the complex clinical situation of hospital setting. A qualitative exploratory design was used with a think-aloud method. A total of 13 registered nurses (mean years of experience=11.4) participated in the study, solving an ill-structured clinical problem based on complex chronic patients cases in a hospital setting. Data were analyzed using deductive content analysis. Findings showed that the registered nurses used a variety of clinical reasoning skills. The most commonly used skill was 'checking accuracy and reliability.' The reasoning process of registered nurses covered assessment, analysis, diagnosis, planning/implementation, and evaluation phase. It is critical that registered nurses apply appropriate clinical reasoning skills in complex clinical practice. The main focus of registered nurses' reasoning in this study was assessing a patient's health problem, and their reasoning process was cyclic, rather than linear. There is a need for educational strategy development to enhance registered nurses' competency in determining appropriate interventions in a timely and accurate fashion. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

O impacto dos agentes antipsicóticos na densidade mineral óssea de pacientes esquizofrênicos Impact of antipsychotic agents in bone mineral density of schizophrenic patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lísia Rejane Guimarães

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Estudos têm evidenciado o alto risco de osteoporose em pacientes esquizofrênicos. Alguns estudos têm demonstrado que os neurolépticos típicos e a risperidona podem induzir a osteoporose ou reduzir a densidade mineral óssea. Isso pode ser atribuído ao fato de estas drogas, em uso prolongado, induzirem a hiperprolactinemia a níveis acima do normal, em ambos os sexos, e a baixa dos níveis de estrogênio e de testosterona, aumentando o risco para osteopenia/osteoporose. Neste relato, será apresentado um caso de osteopenia em uma paciente mulher de 53 anos, em uso de antipsicóticos há 30 anos, sendo comentados os procedimentos recomendados para detecção dessa ocorrência e as diretrizes existentes para seu manejo.Studies have shown a high risk of osteoporosis in schizophrenic patients. Some studies have demonstrated that typical neuroleptics and risperidone may induce osteoporosis or reduce bone mineral density. This can be due to the fact that prolonged use of those drugs induces hyperprolactinemia to levels above normal in both genders, and reduces the levels of estrogen and testosterone, thus increasing the risk of osteopenia/osteoporosis. We report on a case of osteopenia in a 53-year-old female patient using antipsychotics for 30 years. We comment on the recommended procedures to detect osteopenia and on the existing guidelines for its management.

Spiritual care perspectives of Danish Registered Nurses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Kirsten Haugaard; Turner, de Sales

2008-01-01

Spiritual care perspectives of Danish Nurses The purpose of this study was to explore how Danish registered nurses understand the phenomenon of spiritual care and how their understanding impacts on their interventions with their patients. Nurses are responsible for the provision of care which...... approach rooted in the philosophy of Gadamer was chosen as methodology. In-depth interviews were used as data collection tool, and six registered nurses who worked within hospital settings in Denmark were interviewed. The findings revealed that deep knowing of the patients were essential before nurses...... would engage in provision of spiritual care. The participants acknowledged that their understanding of spirituality influenced their provision of spiritual care, which was recognized as a challenge requiring the nurse’s initiative and courage. Spirituality was primarily understood as a patient’s private...

Effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid-modulating drugs on working memory and brain function in patients with schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Menzies, Lara; Ooi, Cinly; Kamath, Shri; Suckling, John; McKenna, Peter; Fletcher, Paul; Bullmore, Ed; Stephenson, Caroline

2007-02-01

Cognitive impairment causes morbidity in schizophrenia and could be due to abnormalities of cortical interneurons using the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). To test the predictions that cognitive and brain functional responses to GABA-modulating drugs are correlated and abnormal in schizophrenia. Pharmacological functional magnetic resonance imaging study of 2 groups, each undergoing scanning 3 times, using an N-back working memory task, after placebo, lorazepam, or flumazenil administration. Eleven patients with chronic schizophrenia were recruited from a rehabilitation service, and 11 healthy volunteers matched for age, sex, and premorbid IQ were recruited from the local community. Intervention Participants received 2 mg of oral lorazepam, a 0.9-mg intravenous flumazenil bolus followed by a flumazenil infusion of 0.0102 mg/min, or oral and intravenous placebo. Working memory performance was summarized by the target discrimination index at several levels of difficulty. Increasing (or decreasing) brain functional activation in response to increasing task difficulty was summarized by the positive (or negative) load response. Lorazepam impaired performance and flumazenil enhanced it; these cognitive effects were more salient in schizophrenic patients. Functional magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated positive load response in a frontoparietal system and negative load response in the temporal and posterior cingulate regions; activation of the frontoparietal cortex was positively correlated with deactivation of the temporocingulate cortex. After placebo administration, schizophrenic patients had abnormally attenuated activation of the frontoparietal cortex and deactivation of the temporocingulate cortex; this pattern was mimicked in healthy volunteers and exacerbated in schizophrenic patients by lorazepam. However, in schizophrenic patients, flumazenil enhanced deactivation of the temporocingulate and activation of the anterior cingulate

PET findings in patients with chronic paranoid schizophrenia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uesugi, Hideji; Toyoda, Junzo; Iio, Masaaki.

1995-01-01

The regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) of chronic schizophrenic patients with auditory hallucinations and paranoid delusions and normal controls was compared. The subjects were 5 male chronic inpatients (average age of 41.4 yrs, BPRS 29.3±15.0). Normal controls (6 males) were matched for age and sex. rCBF was determined by PET, based on the consecutive inhalation of 15 O-CO 2 . rCBF in the paranoid schizophrenics was significantly higher than that in normal controls in the temporal lobe and cerebellum (p<0.05). rCBF in paranoid schizophrenia showed a tendency to be higher in the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, caudate nucleus, parahippocampus and putamen, but not in the thalamus. (author)

PET findings in patients with chronic paranoid schizophrenia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Uesugi, Hideji [National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo (Japan). National Center Hospital for Mental, Nervous and Muscular Disorders; Toyoda, Junzo; Iio, Masaaki

1995-07-01

The regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) of chronic schizophrenic patients with auditory hallucinations and paranoid delusions and normal controls was compared. The subjects were 5 male chronic inpatients (average age of 41.4 yrs, BPRS 29.3{+-}15.0). Normal controls (6 males) were matched for age and sex. rCBF was determined by PET, based on the consecutive inhalation of {sup 15}O-CO{sub 2}. rCBF in the paranoid schizophrenics was significantly higher than that in normal controls in the temporal lobe and cerebellum (p<0.05). rCBF in paranoid schizophrenia showed a tendency to be higher in the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, caudate nucleus, parahippocampus and putamen, but not in the thalamus. (author).

Improving patient outcomes through registered dietitian order writing.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Susan R

2013-10-01

Traditionally, registered dietitians (RD) have not had order writing privileges in most patient-care facilities and rely on physicians to implement their recommendations. Research has demonstrated that this model results in a high percentage of RD recommendations not being ordered. Timely nutrition interventions are important due to the prevalence of malnutrition in the hospital setting and when RD recommendations are implemented, important outcomes are improved. In addition, several studies have demonstrated that when RDs have order writing privileges, which allows more assurance that an intervention will occur and timely interventions, improved outcomes, such as improved nutrition status, better management of electrolytes and glycemic control, reaching goal calories sooner, reduction in inappropriate parenteral nutrition use, cost savings, and less error with electronic order entry. The process for implementation and outcomes of an RD order writing program at 1 large, urban, tertiary medical center is described. The program has been successful, but the implementation process required multiple years and ongoing monitoring through data collection to ensure success. RDs interested in order writing privileges must consider federal and state regulations, their individual scope of practice (relevant training and competency assessment), and how to obtain approval from the appropriate hospital governing committees. RDs who obtain order writing privileges must understand "with privilege comes responsibility" and should plan to conduct outcomes research to promote the value and acceptance of RD order writing by regulatory agencies at all levels and hospital leaders, for instance physicians and administrators.

Hepatitis C prevalence in Denmark -an estimate based on multiple national registers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Peer Brehm; Hay, Gordon; Jepsen, Peter

2012-01-01

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: A national survey for chronic hepatitis C has not been performed in Denmark and the prevalence is unknown. Our aim was to estimate the prevalence of chronic hepatitis C from public registers and the proportion of these patients who received specialized healthcare. METHODS...... by capture-recapture analysis. The population with undiagnosed hepatitis C was derived from the national register of drug users by comparing diagnosed and tested persons. RESULTS: A total of 6,935 patients diagnosed with chronic hepatitis C were identified in the four registers and the estimated population.......37-0.42) of the population over 15 years of age. CONCLUSIONS: The estimated prevalence of chronic hepatitis C in Denmark was 0.38%. Less than half of the patients with chronic hepatitis C in Denmark have been identified and among these patients, one in three has attended specialised care....

[Treatment of Adult Schizophrenic Patients With Depot Antipsychotics].

Science.gov (United States)

Jaramillo González, Luis Eduardo; Gómez Restrepo, Carlos; García Valencia, Jenny; de la Hoz Bradford, Ana María; Ávila-Guerra, Mauricio; Bohórquez Peñaranda, Adriana

2014-01-01

To determine the indications of long-acting antipsychotic injection and what its effectiveness and safety in adult patients with schizophrenia during the treatment maintenance phase. A clinical practice guideline was elaborated under the parameters of the Methodological Guide of the Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social to identify, synthesize and evaluate the evidence and make recommendations about the treatment and follow-up of adult patients with schizophrenia. The evidence of NICE guide 82 was adopted and updated. The evidence was presented to the Guideline Developing Group and recommendations, employing the GRADE system, were produced. The literature review shows that the evidence has moderate to low quality. 8 articles were used. The risk of relapse was lower with depot risperidone and paliperidone palmitate when compared with placebo. For the risk of hospitalizations comparing depot antipsychotics (APD) versus oral AP, the result is inconclusive. Globally the second-generation APD had a lower risk of discontinuation when compared with placebo. The second generation AP had higher risk of extrapyramidal syndromes than placebo, as in the use of antiparkinsonian. The comparison of second-generation AP injections versus placebo showed an increased risk of early weight gain. The use of depot antipsychotics in the maintenance phase of adult patients diagnosed with schizophrenia is recommended if there is no adherence to oral antipsychotics as the patient's preference. It is not recommended depot antipsychotics in the acute phase of schizophrenia in adults. Copyright © 2014 Asociación Colombiana de Psiquiatría. Publicado por Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

A unified explanation for the diverse structural deviations reported for adult schizophrenics with disrupted speech.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaika, E

1982-06-01

This paper attempts a unified explanation for the diverse manifestations of deviant speech considered pathognomic for schizophrenia. Examination of the structure of such speech shows that what appear to be diverse errors are really manifestations of two problems: apparently random or erroneous triggering of sounds and words coupled with inappropriate perseverations. These are shown to be different manifestations of the same problem, possibly a schizophrenic dysfunction in neurotransmitters in the brain.. Studies of hemispheric asymetry in schizophrenia, involuntary eyetracking, and the probable action of antipsychotic medication confirm the linguistic data.

Registered Nurses' Perceptions about the Situation of Family Caregivers to Patients with Heart Failure - A Focus Group Interview Study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Annelie K Gusdal

Full Text Available Heart failure is a growing public health problem associated with poor quality of life and significant morbidity and mortality. The majority of heart failure care is provided by family caregivers, and is associated with caregiver burden and reduced quality of life. Research emphasizes that future nursing interventions should recognize the importance of involving family caregivers to achieve optimal outcomes.The aims of this study are to explore registered nurses' perceptions about the situation of family caregivers to patients with heart failure, and registered nurses' interventions, in order to improve family caregivers' situation.The study has a qualitative design with an inductive approach. Six focus group interviews were held with 23 registered nurses in three hospitals and three primary health care centres. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis.Two content areas were identified by the a priori study aims. Four categories and nine sub-categories emerged in the analysis process. The content area "Family caregivers' situation" includes two categories: "To be unburdened" and "To comprehend the heart failure condition and its consequences". The content area "Interventions to improve family caregivers' situation" includes two categories: "Individualized support and information" and "Bridging contact".Registered nurses perceive family caregivers' situation as burdensome, characterized by worry and uncertainty. In the PHCCs, the continuity and security of an RN as a permanent health care contact was considered an important and sustainable intervention to better care for family caregivers' worry and uncertainty. In the nurse-led heart failure clinics in hospitals, registered nurses can provide family caregivers with the opportunity of involvement in their relative's health care and address congruence and relationship quality within the family through the use of "Shared care" and or Family-centred care. Registered nurses consider it

Registered Nurses' Perceptions about the Situation of Family Caregivers to Patients with Heart Failure - A Focus Group Interview Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Gusdal, Annelie K; Josefsson, Karin; Thors Adolfsson, Eva; Martin, Lene

2016-01-01

Heart failure is a growing public health problem associated with poor quality of life and significant morbidity and mortality. The majority of heart failure care is provided by family caregivers, and is associated with caregiver burden and reduced quality of life. Research emphasizes that future nursing interventions should recognize the importance of involving family caregivers to achieve optimal outcomes. The aims of this study are to explore registered nurses' perceptions about the situation of family caregivers to patients with heart failure, and registered nurses' interventions, in order to improve family caregivers' situation. The study has a qualitative design with an inductive approach. Six focus group interviews were held with 23 registered nurses in three hospitals and three primary health care centres. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Two content areas were identified by the a priori study aims. Four categories and nine sub-categories emerged in the analysis process. The content area "Family caregivers' situation" includes two categories: "To be unburdened" and "To comprehend the heart failure condition and its consequences". The content area "Interventions to improve family caregivers' situation" includes two categories: "Individualized support and information" and "Bridging contact". Registered nurses perceive family caregivers' situation as burdensome, characterized by worry and uncertainty. In the PHCCs, the continuity and security of an RN as a permanent health care contact was considered an important and sustainable intervention to better care for family caregivers' worry and uncertainty. In the nurse-led heart failure clinics in hospitals, registered nurses can provide family caregivers with the opportunity of involvement in their relative's health care and address congruence and relationship quality within the family through the use of "Shared care" and or Family-centred care. Registered nurses consider it necessary to have

Retention of antiretroviral naïve patients registered in HIV care in a program clinic in Pune, India

Science.gov (United States)

Ghate, Manisha V.; Zirpe, Sunil S.; Gurav, Nilam P.; Rewari, Bharat B.; Gangakhedkar, Raman R.; Paranjape, Ramesh S.

2014-01-01

Background: Retention in HIV care ensures delivery of services like secondary prevention, timely initiation of treatment, support, and care on a regular basis. The data on retention in pre antiretroviral therapy (ART) care in India is scanty. Materials and Methods: Antiretroviral naïve HIV-infected adult patients registered between January 2011 and March 2012 in HIV care (pre-ART) were included in the study. The follow-up procedures were done as per the national guidelines. Patients who did not report to the clinic for 1 year were considered as pre-ART lost to follow-up (pre-ART LFU). They were contacted either telephonically or by home visits. Logistic regression analysis was done to find out factors associated with pre-ART loss to follow-up. Results: A total of 689 antiretroviral naïve adult patients were registered in the HIV care. Fourteen (2%) patients died and 76 (11%) were LFU till March 2013. The multivariate analysis showed that baseline CD4 count >350 cells/mm3 (P ART LFUs, 35 (46.1%) informed that they would visit the clinic at their convenient time. NGOs that referred 16 female sex workers (FSWs) who were LFU (21.1%) informed that they would make efforts to refer them to the clinic. Conclusion: Higher CD4 count and illiteracy were significantly associated with lower retention in pre-ART care. Developing effective “retention package” for patients and strengthening linkage strategies between key sub-population such as FSWs and ART programming will help to plug the leaky cascade in HIV care. PMID:26396447

EPA-Registered Repellents for Mosquitoes Transmitting Emerging Viral Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, Radha V; Shaeer, Kristy M; Patel, Pooja; Garmaza, Aleksey; Wiangkham, Kornwalee; Franks, Rachel B; Pane, Olivia; Carris, Nicholas W

2016-12-01

In many parts of the United States, mosquitoes were previously nuisance pests. However, they now represent a potential threat in the spread of viral diseases. The Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus, and Culex species mosquitoes are endemic to the United States and together may transmit a variety of viral diseases of growing concern, including West Nile virus, chikungunya, dengue fever, and Zika virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommend N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET) as a first-line mosquito repellent, but for patients refusing to use DEET or other conventional repellents, guidance is limited to any EPA-registered product. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review of the literature to identify which EPA-registered personal mosquito repellent provides the best protection from A. aegypti, A. albopictus, and Culex spp. mosquitoes. We abstracted data from 62 published reports of EPA-registered mosquito repellents. The conventional repellent picaridin has the strongest data to support its use as a second-line agent, while IR3535 and oil of lemon eucalyptus are reasonably effective natural products. Citronella, catnip, and 2-undecanone offer limited protection or have limited data. These results can be used by pharmacists and other health care professionals to advise patients on the selection of an EPA-registered mosquito repellent. Regardless of the repellent chosen, it is vital for patients to follow all instructions/precautions in the product labeling to ensure safe and effective use. © 2016 Pharmacotherapy Publications, Inc.

Associations between patients' risk attitude and their adherence to statin treatment - a population based questionnaire and register study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barfoed, Benedicte Marie Lind; Paulsen, Maja Skov; Christensen, Palle Mark

2016-01-01

the risk-averse patients, OR 0.80 (95 %-CI 0.68-0.95) and OR 0.83 (95 %-CI 0.71-0.98), respectively. No significant association was found between adherence and financial risk attitude. Further, patients in the youngest age group and patients with no CVD were less adherent to statin treatment. CONCLUSION......: We find some indication that risk attitude is associated with adherence to statin treatment, and that risk-neutral and risk-seeking patients may have poorer adherence than risk-averse patients. This is important for clinicians to consider when discussing optimal treatment decisions...... on the association between risk attitude and adherence. The aim of the present study was to estimate associations between patients' adherence to statin treatment and different dimensions of risk attitude, and to identify subgroups of patients with poor adherence. METHODS: Population-based questionnaire and register...

THE CAPABILITIES OF A REGISTER AS A QUALITY CONTROL OF THE PHARMACOTHERAPY IN OUTPATIENTS AT HIGH RISK OF CARDIOVASCULAR COMPLICATIONS (THE "LIS-1" REGISTER

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. L. Ginzburg

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Aim. To evaluate the frequency of the prescription of cardiovascular drugs in patients before the reference acute myocardial infarction (AMI based on the register "LIS-1" (Lubertsy mortality study of patients after myocardial infarction.Material and methods. Stage 1: development of the Register of patients with AMI admitted to cardiology departments of hospitals in Luberets district, Moscow region (2005-2007 and discharged for outpatient treatment. Median follow-up – 1.6 years (1.0, 2.4. The primary endpoint – total mortality. Stage 2: the continuation of register "LIS-1" (2011-2012.Results.1133 patients (mean age of men 60.1±0.5, women – 71.4±0.4 years were included in the 1st stage of the study; 172 (15.2% died in the hospital. Before the reference hospitalization 21.4% of patients had been receiving b-blockers, 35.3% - renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS inhibitors, 15.7% - antiplatelet agents, 1.9% - statins, 13% of patients - diuretics. Statistically significant (adjusted for sex and age positive impact on hospital mortality reduction had a treatment with b-blockers [OR=0.542, CI=0.357-0.824, p=0.004] and RAAS inhibitors [OR=0.710; CI=0.512-0.986, p=0.040] prior to the development of acute myocardial infarction. As the number of patients receiving statins and antiplatelet agents was small, the contribution these drugs intake on hospital mortality was not identified. 272 patients (mean age 63.6±12.6 years were included on the second phase of the study. The information about the received therapy before reference hospitalization was reported by 173 patients: 39% of patients used b-blockers, 47% - RAAS inhibitors, 37% - antiplatelet agents, 15% - statins, 15% of patients - diuretics. Positive changes in the frequency of the prescription of essential drugs were observed in 5 years: a significant increase in number of patients with b-blockers (p<0.001, RAAS inhibitors (p<0.01, antiplatelet agents (p<0.05 and statins (p<0.001. The

THE CAPABILITIES OF A REGISTER AS A QUALITY CONTROL OF THE PHARMACOTHERAPY IN OUTPATIENTS AT HIGH RISK OF CARDIOVASCULAR COMPLICATIONS (THE "LIS-1" REGISTER

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. L. Ginzburg

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Aim. To evaluate the frequency of the prescription of cardiovascular drugs in patients before the reference acute myocardial infarction (AMI based on the register "LIS-1" (Lubertsy mortality study of patients after myocardial infarction.Material and methods. Stage 1: development of the Register of patients with AMI admitted to cardiology departments of hospitals in Luberets district, Moscow region (2005-2007 and discharged for outpatient treatment. Median follow-up – 1.6 years (1.0, 2.4. The primary endpoint – total mortality. Stage 2: the continuation of register "LIS-1" (2011-2012.Results.1133 patients (mean age of men 60.1±0.5, women – 71.4±0.4 years were included in the 1st stage of the study; 172 (15.2% died in the hospital. Before the reference hospitalization 21.4% of patients had been receiving b-blockers, 35.3% - renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS inhibitors, 15.7% - antiplatelet agents, 1.9% - statins, 13% of patients - diuretics. Statistically significant (adjusted for sex and age positive impact on hospital mortality reduction had a treatment with b-blockers [OR=0.542, CI=0.357-0.824, p=0.004] and RAAS inhibitors [OR=0.710; CI=0.512-0.986, p=0.040] prior to the development of acute myocardial infarction. As the number of patients receiving statins and antiplatelet agents was small, the contribution these drugs intake on hospital mortality was not identified. 272 patients (mean age 63.6±12.6 years were included on the second phase of the study. The information about the received therapy before reference hospitalization was reported by 173 patients: 39% of patients used b-blockers, 47% - RAAS inhibitors, 37% - antiplatelet agents, 15% - statins, 15% of patients - diuretics. Positive changes in the frequency of the prescription of essential drugs were observed in 5 years: a significant increase in number of patients with b-blockers (p<0.001, RAAS inhibitors (p<0.01, antiplatelet agents (p<0.05 and statins (p<0.001. The

Cotard Syndrome without Depressive Symptoms in a Schizophrenic Patient.

Science.gov (United States)

Morgado, Pedro; Ribeiro, Ricardo; Cerqueira, João J

2015-01-01

Introduction. Cotard syndrome is a rare condition characterized by nihilistic delusions concerning body or life that can be found in several neuropsychiatry conditions. It is typically associated with depressive symptoms. Method. We present a case of Cotard syndrome without depressive symptoms in the context of known paranoid schizophrenia. A literature review of Cotard syndrome in schizophrenia was performed. Results. Although there are few descriptions of this syndrome in schizophrenia, patients usually present depressive mood and psychomotor retardation, features not seen in our patient. Loss of the sense of the inner self, present in schizophrenia, could explain patient's symptomatology but neurobiological bases of this syndrome remain unclear. Conclusion. Despite not being considered in actual classifications, Cotard syndrome is still relevant and psychiatric evaluation is critical to diagnosing and treating this condition in psychiatric patients.

A Scandinavian Experience of Register Collaboration: The Nordic Arthroplasty Register Association (NARA)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Havelin, Leif I; Robertsson, Otto; Fenstad, Anne M

2011-01-01

The Nordic (Scandinavian) countries have had working arthroplasty registers for several years. However, the small numbers of inhabitants and the conformity within each country with respect to preferred prosthesis brands and techniques have limited register research.......The Nordic (Scandinavian) countries have had working arthroplasty registers for several years. However, the small numbers of inhabitants and the conformity within each country with respect to preferred prosthesis brands and techniques have limited register research....

Factors Associated with the Intention of Registered Dietitians to Discuss Nutrigenetics with their Patients/Clients.

Science.gov (United States)

Bouchard-Mercier, Annie; Desroches, Sophie; Robitaille, Julie; Vohl, Marie-Claude

2016-12-01

The objective of this study was to investigate factors affecting the intention of Registered Dietitians (RDs) to discuss nutrigenetics with their patients/clients. A survey based on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB; attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioural control) was developed and sent by email to RD members of the Ordre professionnel des diététistes du Québec. Multiple regression analyses were performed to examine the determinants of intention and behaviour. A total of 141 RDs completed the questionnaire (5.8% response rate). On a scale from -2 to 2 (from strongly disagree to strongly agree), the intention of discussing nutrigenetics with patients/clients was neutral (mean of -0.07 ± 0.92). The TPB construct of attitude was the most strongly associated with intention (β = 0.66, P nutrigenetics with their patients/clients in the last 3 months. Only perceived behavioural control contributed to explain the behaviour (β = 0.17, P nutrigenetics with their patients/clients were determined. This knowledge will help inform the design of future educational content about nutrigenetics.

Josephson shift registers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Przybysz, J.X.

1989-01-01

This paper gives a review of Josephson shift register circuits that were designed, fabricated, or tested, with emphasis on work in the 1980s. Operating speed is most important, since it often limits system performance. Older designs used square-wave clocks, but most modern designs use offset sine waves, with either two or three phases. Operating margins and gate bias uniformity are key concerns. The fastest measured Josephson shift register operated at 2.3 GHz, which compares well with a GaAs shift register that consumes 250 times more power. The difficulties of high-speed testing have prevented many Josephson shift registers from being operated at their highest speeds. Computer simulations suggest that 30-GHz operation is possible with current Nb/Al 2 O 3 /Nb technology. Junctions with critical current densities near 10 kA/cm 2 would make 100-GHz shift registers feasible

An MR study on widening of the anterior cerebral longitudinal fissure in patients with schizophrenia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshizawa, Masao; Nagumo, Ichiro; Kimura, Hiroko; Yamamoto, Setsuko; Kumagai, Hideo; Ito, Hisao.

1994-01-01

One-hundred and four schizophrenics and 27 normal controls underwent magnetic resonance imaging. The angles of the anterior cerebral longitudial (ACL) fissure on T 1 weighted images were measured on the axial slices at the level of the third ventricle. The schizophrenics had significantly larger angles of ACL fissure than controls. However, the effect of aging might be associated with this phenomenon. There was no correlation between subtype of schizophrenia and the augment of the fissure angle, nor correlation between the duration of schizophrenia and that augment. From this study, it can be concluded that if the fissure angle is larger than 12 degree the finding is regarded as abnormal, because 95% confidence region of the control group was at 11.1 degree. Twenty two schizophrenics revealed the findings and great majority of these patients were suffering from emotional withdrawal and blunted affect. (author)

A pet-type robot AIBO-assisted therapy as a day care program for chronic schizophrenia patients: A pilot study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shin Narita

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Background AAT (Animal-assisted therapy was developed to promote human social and emotional functioning as a day care program for psychiatric patients. Aims In this study, we performed AAT using a pet-type robot, AIBO for schizophrenic patients. Methods After obtaining informed consent, we performed the AIBO-assisted therapy for three schizophrenic (ICD-10, F20.x2 patients (male: 1, female: 2 whose medication did not change over the 8 weeks study period in a ward. Results It was found that the AAT using AIBO may be useful for the patients with negative and general psychopathological symptoms such as “Anxiety” and “Uncooperativeness”. Conclusion We make use of this result, and we want to develop the AAT program using a pet-type robot, AIBO which may be suitable for Japanese psychiatric patients.

Treatment of patients with first-episode psychosis: two-year outcome data from the Danish National Schizophrenia Project

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rosenbaum, Bent; Valbak, Kristian; Harder, Susanne

2006-01-01

First episode psychosis interventions have been in focus in the last two decades in an attempt to improve the course and outcome of schizophrenic disorders. The Danish National Schizophrenia Project began in 1997 its intake of patients, aged 16-35, with a first psychotic episode of a schizophrenic...... psychodynamic psychotherapy as a supplement to treatment as usual", "integrated, assertive, psychosocial and educational treatment programme", or "treatment as usual". Data on symptoms and social function and sociodemographic data were obtained at inclusion, and at year 1 and 2. The three sub-cohorts did...... patients in the treatment-as-usual group. Improvement in the intervention groups continued into the second year. Patients receiving integrated assertive treatment faired better than those being treated with the less intensive method of supportive psychodynamic psychotherapy, and the latter group improved...

Functional and structural abnormalities associated with empathy in patients with schizophrenia: An fMRI and VBM study.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Sadhana; Modi, Shilpi; Goyal, Satnam; Kaur, Prabhjot; Singh, Namita; Bhatia, Triptish; Deshpande, Smita N; Khushu, Subash

2015-06-01

Empathy deficit is a core feature of schizophrenia which may lead to social dysfunction. The present study was carried out to investigate functional and structural abnormalities associated with empathy in patients with schizophrenia using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and voxel-based morphometry (VBM). A sample of 14 schizophrenia patients and 14 healthy control subjects matched for age, sex and education were examined with structural highresolution T1-weighted MRI; fMRI images were obtained during empathy task in the same session. The analysis was carried out using SPM8 software. On behavioural assessment, schizophrenic patients (83.00+-29.04) showed less scores for sadness compared to healthy controls (128.70+-22.26) (p less than 0.001). fMRI results also showed reduced clusters of activation in the bilateral fusiform gyrus, left lingual gyrus, left middle and inferior occipital gyrus in schizophrenic subjects as compared to controls during empathy task. In the same brain areas, VBM results also showed reduced grey and white matter volumes. The present study provides an evidence for an association between structural alterations and disturbed functional brain activation during empathy task in persons affected with schizophrenia. These findings suggest a biological basis for social cognition deficits in schizophrenics.

Family (dis)functionality and mental health: Review of atmosphere, emotional relationships and communicational schemes in schizophrenic patients’ families

OpenAIRE

Ljubičić Milana

2005-01-01

This review summarizes research findings on socio-pathological aspects of life of schizophrenic patients’ families. Instigated on a system theory, and socio-dynamic notion that links the commencement of the schizophrenia to economical circumstance of individual hence: inadequate function of this component is a product of personal pathology of individual. System therapy perceives family as a system as its members play particular roles and form multiple relations. Therapy observes family as a s...

Distinct pattern of cerebral blood flow alterations specific to schizophrenics experiencing auditory verbal hallucinations with and without insight: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Jing, Rixing; Huang, Jiangjie; Jiang, Deguo; Lin, Xiaodong; Ma, Xiaolei; Tian, Hongjun; Li, Jie; Zhuo, Chuanjun

2018-01-23

Schizophrenia is associated with widespread and complex cerebral blood flow (CBF) disturbance. Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) and insight are the core symptoms of schizophrenia. However, to the best of our knowledge, very few studies have assessed the CBF characteristics of the AVH suffered by schizophrenic patients with and without insight. Based on our previous findings, Using a 3D pseudo-continuous ASL (pcASL) technique, we investigated the differences in AVH-related CBF alterations in schizophrenia patients with and without insight. We used statistical parametric mapping (SPM8) and statistical non-parametric mapping (SnPM13) to perform the fMRI analysis. We found that AVH-schizophrenia patients without insight showed an increased CBF in the left temporal pole and a decreased CBF in the right middle frontal gyrus when compared to AVH-schizophrenia patients with insight. Our novel findings suggest that AVH-schizophrenia patients without insight possess a more complex CBF disturbance. Simultaneously, our findings also incline to support the idea that the CBF aberrant in some specific brain regions may be the common neural basis of insight and AVH. Our findings support the mostly current hypotheses regarding AVH to some extent. Although our findings come from a small sample, it provide the evidence that indicate us to conduct a larger study to thoroughly explore the mechanisms of schizophrenia, especially the core symptoms of AVHs and insight.

Exploring sources of knowledge utilized in practice among Jordanian registered nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Ghabeesh, Suhair Husni; Abu-Moghli, Fathieh; Salsali, Mahvash; Saleh, Mohammad

2013-10-01

Understanding sources of knowledge used in everyday practice is very helpful in improving the quality of health care services. There is a consensus in the literature that nurses mostly relied in their practice on experiential knowledge gained through their interactions with other members of health care professionals and patients. The general aim of this study is to explore the sources of knowledge Jordanian registered nurses use during their practice. A descriptive correlational design was used to collect data from 539 Jordanian registered nurses from 10 hospitals using a self-administered questionnaire. The mean year of experience of the sample was 7.08 years. Of the 615 questionnaires distributed, 555 were returned. This yields a response rate of 87.6%. Results revealed that the top five ranked sources used by Jordanian registered nurses include: the information that nurses learned during nursing education, personal experience in nursing over time, what was learned through providing care to patients, information gained through discussion between physicians and nurses about patients, and information from policy and procedure manuals. Jordanian registered nurses recognize the value of research and that research utilization (RU) is an important issue and must not be ignored. The study has many implications for practice, education and research. Health care managers and decision makers need to play a more visible and instrumental role in encouraging RU to improve patients' quality of life. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation for the treatment of auditory hallucinations: a preliminary open-label study.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenberg, Oded; Roth, Yiftach; Kotler, Moshe; Zangen, Abraham; Dannon, Pinhas

2011-02-09

Schizophrenia is a chronic and disabling disease that presents with delusions and hallucinations. Auditory hallucinations are usually expressed as voices speaking to or about the patient. Previous studies have examined the effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the temporoparietal cortex on auditory hallucinations in schizophrenic patients. Our aim was to explore the potential effect of deep TMS, using the H coil over the same brain region on auditory hallucinations. Eight schizophrenic patients with refractory auditory hallucinations were recruited, mainly from Beer Ya'akov Mental Health Institution (Tel Aviv university, Israel) ambulatory clinics, as well as from other hospitals outpatient populations. Low-frequency deep TMS was applied for 10 min (600 pulses per session) to the left temporoparietal cortex for either 10 or 20 sessions. Deep TMS was applied using Brainsway's H1 coil apparatus. Patients were evaluated using the Auditory Hallucinations Rating Scale (AHRS) as well as the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms scores (SAPS), Clinical Global Impressions (CGI) scale, and the Scale for Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS). This preliminary study demonstrated a significant improvement in AHRS score (an average reduction of 31.7% ± 32.2%) and to a lesser extent improvement in SAPS results (an average reduction of 16.5% ± 20.3%). In this study, we have demonstrated the potential of deep TMS treatment over the temporoparietal cortex as an add-on treatment for chronic auditory hallucinations in schizophrenic patients. Larger samples in a double-blind sham-controlled design are now being preformed to evaluate the effectiveness of deep TMS treatment for auditory hallucinations. This trial is registered with clinicaltrials.gov (identifier: NCT00564096).

The Staff Nurse Clinical Leader at the Bedside: Swedish Registered Nurses’ Perceptions

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Inga E. Larsson

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Registered nurses at the bedside are accountable for and oversee completion of patient care as well as directly leading and managing the provision of safe patient care. These nurses have an informal leadership role that is not associated with any given position. Leadership is a complex and multifaceted concept and its meaning is unclear, especially in the staff nurse context. The aim was to describe registered nurses’ perceptions of what it entails to be the leader at the bedside in inpatient physical care. A phenomenographic approach was employed. Interviews were performed with Swedish registered nurses (n=15. Five descriptive categories were identified: demonstrating clinical knowledge, establishing a good atmosphere of collaboration, consciously structuring the work in order to ensure patients’ best possible nursing care, customized presence in the practical work with patients according to predetermined prerequisites, and monitoring coworkers’ professional practice. Registered nurses informal role as leader necessitates a social process of deliberate effort to attain and maintain leader status and authority. Participants used deliberate communicative approaches and interactive procedures. Leader principles grounded in the core values of the nursing profession that ensure nursing values and person-centered attributes were a key aspect.

Brain CT image and handedness of schizophrenia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirose, Katsutoshi; Maehara, Katsuya; Iizuka, Reiji; Mikami, Akihiro.

1989-01-01

Brain CT images were reviewed of 98 schizophrenic patients and 90 healthy persons in relation to handedness and aging. CT images were further reconstructed to examine morphologically subtle changes in each region. Schizophrenic patients had progressive brain atrophy and dilated lateral ventricles, especially on the left side and in the posterior part of the lateral ventricle. These findings were more marked in left-handed than in right-handed schizophrenic patients. According to age groups, there were significant differences between schizophrenic and normal persons over the age of 40. The incidence of left handedness was significantly higher in schizophrenic patients in their fourties than the age-matched normal persons (31.4% vs 15.1%). Morphological abnormality and laterality might be due to the same pathologic consequences. (N.K.)

Registered Nurses’ Perceptions about the Situation of Family Caregivers to Patients with Heart Failure - A Focus Group Interview Study

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-01

Introduction Heart failure is a growing public health problem associated with poor quality of life and significant morbidity and mortality. The majority of heart failure care is provided by family caregivers, and is associated with caregiver burden and reduced quality of life. Research emphasizes that future nursing interventions should recognize the importance of involving family caregivers to achieve optimal outcomes. Aims The aims of this study are to explore registered nurses’ perceptions about the situation of family caregivers to patients with heart failure, and registered nurses’ interventions, in order to improve family caregivers’ situation. Methods The study has a qualitative design with an inductive approach. Six focus group interviews were held with 23 registered nurses in three hospitals and three primary health care centres. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results Two content areas were identified by the a priori study aims. Four categories and nine sub-categories emerged in the analysis process. The content area “Family caregivers' situation” includes two categories: “To be unburdened” and “To comprehend the heart failure condition and its consequences”. The content area “Interventions to improve family caregivers' situation” includes two categories: “Individualized support and information” and “Bridging contact”. Conclusions Registered nurses perceive family caregivers' situation as burdensome, characterized by worry and uncertainty. In the PHCCs, the continuity and security of an RN as a permanent health care contact was considered an important and sustainable intervention to better care for family caregivers' worry and uncertainty. In the nurse-led heart failure clinics in hospitals, registered nurses can provide family caregivers with the opportunity of involvement in their relative's health care and address congruence and relationship quality within the family through the use of "Shared care

Comparison of Registered and Reported Outcomes in Randomized Clinical Trials Published in Anesthesiology Journals.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Philip M; Chow, Jeffrey T Y; Arango, Miguel F; Fridfinnson, Jason A; Gai, Nan; Lam, Kevin; Turkstra, Timothy P

2017-10-01

Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) provide high-quality evidence for clinical decision-making. Trial registration is one of the many tools used to improve the reporting of RCTs by reducing publication bias and selective outcome reporting bias. The purpose of our study is to examine whether RCTs published in the top 6 general anesthesiology journals were adequately registered and whether the reported primary and secondary outcomes corresponded to the originally registered outcomes. Following a prespecified protocol, an electronic database was used to systematically screen and extract data from RCTs published in the top 6 general anesthesiology journals by impact factor (Anaesthesia, Anesthesia & Analgesia, Anesthesiology, British Journal of Anaesthesia, Canadian Journal of Anesthesia, and European Journal of Anaesthesiology) during the years 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2015. A manual search of each journal's Table of Contents was performed (in duplicate) to identify eligible RCTs. An adequately registered trial was defined as being registered in a publicly available trials registry before the first patient being enrolled with an unambiguously defined primary outcome. For adequately registered trials, the outcomes registered in the trial registry were compared with the outcomes reported in the article, with outcome discrepancies documented and analyzed by the type of discrepancy. During the 4 years studied, there were 860 RCTs identified, with 102 RCTs determined to be adequately registered (12%). The proportion of adequately registered trials increased over time, with 38% of RCTs being adequately registered in 2015. The most common reason in 2015 for inadequate registration was registering the RCT after the first patient had already been enrolled. Among adequately registered trials, 92% had at least 1 primary or secondary outcome discrepancy. In 2015, 42% of RCTs had at least 1 primary outcome discrepancy, while 90% of RCTs had at least 1 secondary outcome discrepancy

[Cognitive performance in schizophrenia (paranoid vs residual subtype)].

Science.gov (United States)

Dillon, Carol; Taragano, Fernando; Sarasola, Diego; Iturry, Mónica; Serrano, Cecilia; Raczkowski, Amalia; Allegri, Ricardo

2007-01-01

Several studies refer to the relationship between schizophrenia and cognitive dysfunctions. The most frequent disturbances accepted are the deficits in the executive, memory and verbal tests. However, there are few comparative data about the cognitive functioning of the different subtypes of schizophrenia. Analyze and compare the neuropsychological disturbances present in patients with paranoid and residual schizophrenia. Eleven patients with paranoid schizophrenia, eleven patients with residual schizophrenia (DSM-IV criteria), and thirty one normal subjects matched by age, educational level, and general cognitive level (Mini Mental State Examination (Folstein, 1975), were assessed with a semistructured psychiatric examination and an extensive neuropsychological battery. Significant differences were found in memory, language, and executive functions when schizophrenics were compared with normal subjects. Differences in similarities were found between paranoid and residual schizophrenics. Residual schizophrenics had more disturbances in neuropsychological tests in comparison with paranoid schizophrenics. Schizophrenics demonstrated disturbances in memory, language, executive functions and attention. Residual schizophrenics had more impairment in neuropsychological tests than paranoid schizophrenics.

Impact of preexisting depression on length of stay and discharge destination among patients hospitalized for acute stroke - Linked register-based study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nuyen, Jasper; Spreeuwenberg, Peter M.; Groenewegen, Peter P.; van den Bos, Geertrudis A. M.; Schellevis, Francois G.

2008-01-01

Background and Purpose-There exists limited knowledge regarding the relation between depression and healthcare utilization in stroke patients. The objective of this register-based study was to examine the impact of having preexisting depression at the time of hospital admission for acute stroke on

Impact of Preexisting Depression on Length of Stay and Discharge Destination Among Patients Hospitalized for Acute Stroke : Linked Register-Based Study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nuyen, Jasper; Spreeuwenberg, Peter M.; Groenewegen, Peter P.; Bos, Geertrudis A.M. van den; Schellevis, Francois G.

2008-01-01

Background and Purpose—There exists limited knowledge regarding the relation between depression and healthcare utilization in stroke patients. The objective of this register-based study was to examine the impact of having preexisting depression at the time of hospital admission for acute stroke on

Impact of preexisting depression on length of stay and discharge destination among patients hospitalized for acute stroke: linked register-based study.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nuyen, J.; Spreeuwenberg, P.; Groenewegen, P.P.; Bos, G.A.M. van den; Schellevis, F.G.

2008-01-01

Background and Purpose: There exists limited knowledge regarding the relation between depression and healthcare utilization in stroke patients. The objective of this register-based study was to examine the impact of having preexisting depression at the time of hospital admission for acute stroke on

Treatment-seeking patients with binge-eating disorder in the Swedish national registers: clinical course and psychiatric comorbidity.

Science.gov (United States)

Welch, Elisabeth; Jangmo, Andreas; Thornton, Laura M; Norring, Claes; von Hausswolff-Juhlin, Yvonne; Herman, Barry K; Pawaskar, Manjiri; Larsson, Henrik; Bulik, Cynthia M

2016-05-26

We linked extensive longitudinal data from the Swedish national eating disorders quality registers and patient registers to explore clinical characteristics at diagnosis, diagnostic flux, psychiatric comorbidity, and suicide attempts in 850 individuals diagnosed with binge-eating disorder (BED). Cases were all individuals who met criteria for BED in the quality registers (N = 850). We identified 10 controls for each identified case from the Multi-Generation Register matched on sex, and year, month, and county of birth. We evaluated characteristics of individuals with BED at evaluation and explored diagnostic flux across eating disorders presentations between evaluation and one-year follow-up. We applied conditional logistic regression models to assess the association of BED with each comorbid psychiatric disorder and with suicide attempts and explored whether risk for depression and suicide were differentially elevated in individuals with BED with or without comorbid obesity. BED shows considerable diagnostic flux with other eating disorders over time, carries high psychiatric comorbidity burden with other eating disorders (OR 85.8; 95 % CI: 61.6, 119.4), major depressive disorder (OR 7.6; 95 % CI: 6.2, 9.3), bipolar disorder (OR 7.5; 95 % CI: 4.8, 11.9), anxiety disorders (OR 5.2; 95 % CI: 4.2, 6.4), and post-traumatic stress disorder (OR 4.3; 95 % CI: 3.2, 5.7) and is associated with elevated risk for suicide attempts (OR 1.8; 95 % CI: 1.2, 2.7). Depression and suicide attempt risk were elevated in individuals with BED with and without comorbid obesity. Considerable flux occurs across BED and other eating disorder diagnoses. The high psychiatric comorbidity and suicide risk underscore the severity and clinical complexity of BED.

Healthcare resource use, comorbidity, treatment and clinical outcomes for patients with primary intracranial tumors: a Swedish population-based register study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bergqvist, Jenny; Iderberg, Hanna; Mesterton, Johan; Bengtsson, Nils; Wettermark, Björn; Henriksson, Roger

2017-03-01

Primary intracranial tumors are relatively uncommon and heterogeneous, which make them challenging to study. We coupled data from unique Swedish population-based registries in order to deeper analyze the most common intracranical tumor types. Patient characteristics (e.g. comorbidities), care process measures like adherence to national guidelines, healthcare resource use and clinical outcome was evaluated. A register-based study including several population-based registries for all patients living in Stockholm-Gotland, diagnosed with primary intracranial tumor between 2001 and 2013 was performed. Patient characteristics were captured and investigated in relation to survival, healthcare resource use (inpatient-, outpatient- and primary care) and treatment process. High-grade glioma and meningioma were the most common tumor types and most patients (76%) were above the age of 40 in the patient population (n = 3664). Older age, comorbidity (Elixhauser comorbidity index) and type of tumor (high-grade glioma) were associated with lower survival rate and increased use of healthcare resources, analyzed for patients living in Stockholm (n = 3031). The analyses of healthcare use and survival showed no differences between males and females, when stratifying by tumor types. Healthcare processes were not always consistent with existing national treatment recommendations for patients with high-grade gliomas (n = 474) with regard to specified lead times, analyzed in the Swedish Brain Tumor Registry, as also observed at the national level. Age, comorbidity and high-grade gliomas, but not sex, were associated with decreased survival and increased use of healthcare resources. Fewer patients than aimed for in national guidelines received care according to specified lead times. The analysis of comprehensive population-based register data can be used to improve future care processes and outcomes.

Attitudes and beliefs about mental illness among relatives of patients ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2017-08-03

Aug 3, 2017 ... Objective: To explore the different attitudes and beliefs amongst relatives of patients having schizophrenia ... across racial and socioeconomic factors. ... the beliefs about schizophrenia, also among health .... Schizophrenic people should not be living with people and spend money like other family members.

The Sluggishness of Early-Stage Face Processing (N170 is Correlated with Negative and General Psychiatric Symptoms in Schizophrenia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yingjun Zheng

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Patients with schizophrenia exhibit consistent abnormalities in face-evoked N170. However, the relation between face-specific N170 abnormalities in schizophrenic patients and schizophrenia clinical characters, which probably based on common neural mechanisms, is still rarely discovered. Using event-related potentials (ERPs recording in both schizophrenic patients and healthy controls, the amplitude and latency of N170 were recorded when participants were passively watching face and non-face (table pictures. The results showed a face-specific N170 latency sluggishness in schizophrenic patients, i.e., the N170 latencies of schizophrenic patients were significantly longer than those of healthy controls under both upright face and inverted face conditions. Importantly, the face-related N170 latencies of the left temporo-occipital electrodes (P7 and PO7 were positively correlated with negative symptoms and general psychiatric symptoms. Besides the analysis of latencies, the N170 amplitudes became weaker in schizophrenic patients under both inverted face and inverted table conditions, with a left hemisphere dominant. More interestingly, the FIEs (the difference of N170 amplitudes between upright and inverted faces were absent in schizophrenic patients, which suggested the abnormality of holistic face processing. These results above revealed a marked symptom-relevant neural sluggishness of face-specific processing in schizophrenic patients, supporting the demyelinating hypothesis of schizophrenia.

Association of schizophrenia and autoimmune diseases: linkage of Danish national registers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eaton, William W.; Byrne, Majella; Ewald, Henrik

2006-01-01

the association of schizophrenia with these disorders as well as a range of other autoimmune diseases in a single large epidemiologic study. METHOD: The Danish Psychiatric Register, the National Patient Register, and a register with socioeconomic information were linked to form a data file that included all 7......,704 persons in Denmark diagnosed with schizophrenia from 1981 to 1998 and their parents along with a sample of matched comparison subjects and their parents. The data linkage required that the autoimmune disease occur before the diagnosis of schizophrenia. RESULTS: A history of any autoimmune disease...

Brain functional connectivity during the experience of thought blocks in schizophrenic patients with persistent auditory verbal hallucinations: an EEG study.

Science.gov (United States)

Angelopoulos, Elias; Koutsoukos, Elias; Maillis, Antonis; Papadimitriou, George N; Stefanis, Costas

2014-03-01

Thought blocks (TBs) are characterized by regular interruptions in the stream of thought. Outward signs are abrupt and repeated interruptions in the flow of conversation or actions while subjective experience is that of a total and uncontrollable emptying of the mind. In the very limited bibliography regarding TB, the phenomenon is thought to be conceptualized as a disturbance of consciousness that can be attributed to stoppages of continuous information processing due to an increase in the volume of information to be processed. In an attempt to investigate potential expression of the phenomenon on the functional properties of electroencephalographic (EEG) activity, an EEG study was contacted in schizophrenic patients with persisting auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs) who additionally exhibited TBs. In this case, we hypothesized that the persistent and dense AVHs could serve the role of an increased information flow that the brain is unable to process, a condition that is perceived by the person as TB. Phase synchronization analyses performed on EEG segments during the experience of TBs showed that synchrony values exhibited a long-range common mode of coupling (grouped behavior) among the left temporal area and the remaining central and frontal brain areas. These common synchrony-fluctuation schemes were observed for 0.5 to 2s and were detected in a 4-s window following the estimated initiation of the phenomenon. The observation was frequency specific and detected in the broad alpha band region (6-12Hz). The introduction of synchrony entropy (SE) analysis applied on the cumulative synchrony distribution showed that TB states were characterized by an explicit preference of the system to be functioned at low values of synchrony, while the synchrony values are broadly distributed during the recovery state. Our results indicate that during TB states, the phase locking of several brain areas were converged uniformly in a narrow band of low synchrony values and in a

Perioperative mortality in hip fracture patients treated with cemented and uncemented hemiprosthesis: a register study of 11,210 patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Talsnes, Ove; Vinje, Tarjei; Gjertsen, Jan Erik; Dahl, Ola E; Engesæter, Lars B; Baste, Valborg; Pripp, Are Hugo; Reikerås, Olav

2013-06-01

Adverse events associated with the use of bone cement for fixation of prostheses is a known complication. Due to inconclusive results in studies of hip fracture patients treated with cemented and uncemented hemiprostheses, this study was initiated. Our study is based on data reported to the Norwegian Hip Fracture Register on 11,210 cervical hip fractures treated with hemiprostheses (8,674 cemented and 2,536 uncemented). Significantly increased mortality within the first day of surgery was found in the cemented group (relative risk 2.9, 95 % confidence interval 1.6-5.1, p=0.001). The finding was robust giving the same results after adjusting for independent risk factors such as age, sex, cognitive impairment and comorbidity [American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score]. For the first post-operative day the number needed to harm was 116 (one death for every 116 cemented prosthesis). However, in the most comorbid group (ASA worse than 3), the number needed to harm was only 33. We found increased mortality for the cemented hemiprosthesis the first post-operative day compared to uncemented procedures. This increased risk is closely related to patient comorbidity estimated by the patient's ASA score.

The Scandinavian Sarcoma Group Central Register: 6,000 patients after 25 years of monitoring of referral and treatment of extremity and trunk wall soft-tissue sarcoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Trovik, Clement; Bauer, Henrik C F; Styring, Emelie; Sundby Hall, Kirsten; Vult Von Steyern, Fredrik; Eriksson, Sigvard; Johansson, Ingela; Sampo, Mika; Laitinen, Minna; Kalén, Anders; Jónsson, Halldór; Jebsen, Nina; Eriksson, Mikael; Tukiainen, Erkki; Wall, Najme; Zaikova, Olga; Sigurðsson, Helgi; Lehtinen, Tuula; Bjerkehagen, Bodil; Skorpil, Mikael; Egil Eide, Geir; Johansson, Elisabeth; Alvegard, Thor A

2017-06-01

Purpose - We wanted to examine the potential of the Scandinavian Sarcoma Group (SSG) Central Register, and evaluate referral and treatment practice for soft-tissue sarcomas in the extremities and trunk wall (STS) in the Nordic countries. Background - Based on incidence rates from the literature, 8,150 (7,000-9,300) cases of STS of the extremity and trunk wall should have been diagnosed in Norway, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden from 1987 through 2011. The SSG Register has 6,027 cases registered from this period, with 5,837 having complete registration of key variables. 10 centers have been reporting to the Register. The 5 centers that consistently report treat approximately 90% of the cases in their respective regions. The remaining centers have reported all the patients who were treated during certain time periods, but not for the entire 25-year period. Results - 59% of patients were referred to a sarcoma center untouched, i.e. before any attempt at open biopsy. There was an improvement from 52% during the first 5 years to 70% during the last 5 years. 50% had wide or better margins at surgery. Wide margins are now achieved less often than 20 years ago, in parallel with an increase in the use of radiotherapy. For the centers that consistently report, 97% of surviving patients are followed for more than 4 years. Metastasis-free survival (MFS) increased from 67% to 73% during the 25-year period. Interpretation - The Register is considered to be representative of extremity and trunk wall sarcoma disease in the population of Scandinavia, treated at the reporting centers. There were no clinically significant differences in treatment results at these centers.

Registered Nurses' perceptions of their work and professional development.

Science.gov (United States)

Hallin, Karin; Danielson, Ella

2008-01-01

This paper is a report of a study to elucidate Registered Nurses' perceptions of their work and professional development 6 years after graduation. Nursing education and health care has rapidly changed in the last two decades. Education and experience are important components in Registered Nurses' ability to promote a high quality of care, but a great deal depends on their work circumstances. This study emphasizes Registered Nurses' view of their work in health care, at a time in their career when they have several years of experience. Data were collected in 2003 from in-depth interviews with 15 Registered Nurses 6 years after their graduation. The interviews were semi-structured and analysed with interpretive content analysis. The findings revealed two themes and five sub-themes. The first theme, An appropriate but demanding profession, consisted of two sub-themes: 'having found one's niche' and 'growing old in nursing may be difficult'. The second theme, A profession with opportunities and obstacles, consisted of three sub-themes: 'being aware of Registered Nurses' potential', 'having knowledge that is seldom made use of' and 'attaining professional growth is no matter of course'. Keeping Registered Nurses' satisfied and avoiding their dissatisfaction is crucial for both educators and employers. It is essential that employers give priority to Registered Nurses' time with patients and to motivate and support them in professional development. Further intervention studies regarding a change of the balance between obstacles and opportunities are needed.

Cotard Syndrome without Depressive Symptoms in a Schizophrenic Patient

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Pedro Morgado

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Cotard syndrome is a rare condition characterized by nihilistic delusions concerning body or life that can be found in several neuropsychiatry conditions. It is typically associated with depressive symptoms. Method. We present a case of Cotard syndrome without depressive symptoms in the context of known paranoid schizophrenia. A literature review of Cotard syndrome in schizophrenia was performed. Results. Although there are few descriptions of this syndrome in schizophrenia, patients usually present depressive mood and psychomotor retardation, features not seen in our patient. Loss of the sense of the inner self, present in schizophrenia, could explain patient’s symptomatology but neurobiological bases of this syndrome remain unclear. Conclusion. Despite not being considered in actual classifications, Cotard syndrome is still relevant and psychiatric evaluation is critical to diagnosing and treating this condition in psychiatric patients.

Inductive Reasoning in Patients with Paranoid Type Schizophrenia

OpenAIRE

Mehmet Emrah Karadere; Yasir Safak; Halime Seyma Ozcelik; Emre Demir; Mehmet Hakan Turkcapar

2017-01-01

The goal of our study is to evaluate the decision making and reasoning of the paranoid type schizophrenic patients, and their confidence in reasoning and perseverance in keeping to their decisions via using Reasoning with Inductive Argument Test (RIAT). Thirty-two delusional patients and 30 healthy volunteers were included in the study. After the diagnostic interview was conducted by SCID-I to the patients who were asked to participate in the study, RIAT test was applied by the interviewe...

Patient-reported outcomes at hospital discharge from Heart Centres, a national cross-sectional survey with a register-based follow-up

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Berg, Selina Kikkenborg; Svanholm, Jette; Lauberg, Astrid

2014-01-01

Introduction: Patient reported health status, which includes symptom burden, functional status and quality of life, is an important measure of health. Differences in health status between diagnostic groups within cardiology have only been sparsely investigated. These outcomes may predict morbidity...... in national registers. The following instruments are used: SF-12, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, EQ-5D, Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (B-IPQ), HeartQoL and Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale. The following variables are collected from national registers: action diagnosis, procedures......, comorbidity, length of hospital stay, type of hospitalisation, visits to general practitioners and other agents in primary healthcare, dispensed prescription medication, vital status and cause of death. Labour market affiliation, sick leave, early retirement pension, educational degree and income...

Predictors of natural and unnatural mortality among patients with personality disorder: evidence from a large UK case register.

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Marcella Lei-Yee Fok

Full Text Available People with personality disorder have reduced life expectancy, yet, within this population, little is known about the clinical predictors of natural and unnatural deaths. We set out to investigate this, using a large cohort of secondary mental health patients with personality disorder.We identified patients with an ICD-10 diagnosis of personality disorder, aged ≥15 years in a large secondary mental healthcare case register. The case register was linked to national mortality tracing. Using Cox regression, we modelled the effect of a number of pre-specified clinical variables on all-cause, natural cause and unnatural cause mortality.2,440 patients were identified. Eighty-five deaths (3.5% of cohort occurred over a 5-year observation period, of which over 50% were from natural causes. All-cause mortality was associated with alcohol or drug use (adjusted Hazard Ratio [aHR] 2.3; 95% CI 1.3-4.1, physical illness (aHR 1.9; 95% CI 1.0-3.6, and functional impairment (aHR 1.9; 95% CI 1.0-3.6. Natural cause mortality was associated with mild problems of alcohol or drug use (aHR 3.4; 95% CI 1.5-7.4, and physical illness (aHR 2.4; 95% CI 1.0-5.6. Unnatural cause mortality was associated only with severe alcohol or drug use (aHR 3.1; 95% CI 1.3-7.3.Alcohol and drug use, physical illness, and functional impairment are predictors of mortality in individuals with personality disorder. Clinicians should be aware of the existence of problems in these domains, even at mild levels, when assessing the needs of patients with personality disorder.

The effectiveness of delegation interventions by the registered nurse to the unlicensed assistive personnel and their impact on quality of care, patient satisfaction, and RN staff satisfaction: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Hopkins, Una; Itty, Any Sajan; Nazario, Helen; Pinon, Miriam; Slyer, Jason; Singleton, Joanne

Delegation by the registered nurse is a decision making process that includes assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. Due to an ever-expanding global shortage of nurses, registered nurses are increasingly dependent on unlicensed assistive personnel to assist in the provision of safe patient care. Delegation is recognised as a fundamental nursing skill that can be utilised effectively to improve quality care. To examine and synthesize the best available evidence regarding the impact of delegation interventions used by the registered nurse with the unlicensed assistive personnel and their impact on quality of care, patient satisfaction, and registered nurse staff satisfaction. Registered nurses and unlicensed assistive personnel in patient care settings where delegation occurs.This review considered studies that evaluated the effectiveness of delegation interventions by registered nurses to unlicensed assistive personnel.The outcomes examined were quality of care, patient satisfaction, and/or registered nurse staff satisfaction as measured by validated and reliable tools.The review first considered randomised controlled trials; in their absence other research designs, such as non-randomised controlled trials, or other quasi-experimental studies, observational studies and descriptive studies were considered for inclusion in the systematic review. The search strategy aimed to find both published and unpublished studies in the English language from the inception of the included databases through December 2011. The databases searched included the Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), EMBASE, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Healthsource Nursing/Academic edition, and PsycINFO. A search of the grey literature and electronic hand searching of relevant journals was also performed. The studies selected for retrieval were critically evaluated by two independent reviewers for methodological quality using standardised critical appraisal instruments from the Joanna

Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation for the treatment of auditory hallucinations: a preliminary open-label study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zangen Abraham

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Schizophrenia is a chronic and disabling disease that presents with delusions and hallucinations. Auditory hallucinations are usually expressed as voices speaking to or about the patient. Previous studies have examined the effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS over the temporoparietal cortex on auditory hallucinations in schizophrenic patients. Our aim was to explore the potential effect of deep TMS, using the H coil over the same brain region on auditory hallucinations. Patients and methods Eight schizophrenic patients with refractory auditory hallucinations were recruited, mainly from Beer Ya'akov Mental Health Institution (Tel Aviv university, Israel ambulatory clinics, as well as from other hospitals outpatient populations. Low-frequency deep TMS was applied for 10 min (600 pulses per session to the left temporoparietal cortex for either 10 or 20 sessions. Deep TMS was applied using Brainsway's H1 coil apparatus. Patients were evaluated using the Auditory Hallucinations Rating Scale (AHRS as well as the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms scores (SAPS, Clinical Global Impressions (CGI scale, and the Scale for Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS. Results This preliminary study demonstrated a significant improvement in AHRS score (an average reduction of 31.7% ± 32.2% and to a lesser extent improvement in SAPS results (an average reduction of 16.5% ± 20.3%. Conclusions In this study, we have demonstrated the potential of deep TMS treatment over the temporoparietal cortex as an add-on treatment for chronic auditory hallucinations in schizophrenic patients. Larger samples in a double-blind sham-controlled design are now being preformed to evaluate the effectiveness of deep TMS treatment for auditory hallucinations. Trial registration This trial is registered with clinicaltrials.gov (identifier: NCT00564096.

iConsent an Electronic Consent Platform with the MS Register

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rod Middleton

2017-04-01

Patients who have been e-consented have expressed satisfaction in the ease of use and security of the software. Patients being unable to rest their hands on the screen is being examined. Newer tablets can ignore inputs other than the stylus. The MS Register intends to use the software in additional centres to capture patient consent.

Efficacy of yoga therapy on subjective well-being and basic living skills of patients having chronic schizophrenia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Babu Paikkatt

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Scientific studies demonstrate efficacy of yogic treatment methods in stress and anxiety related disorders, psychosomatic disorders and physical illness. Very few studies have been conducted on schizophrenic patients. Aims: This study was conducted to determine the efficacy of yoga therapy on subjective well-being, basic living skills, self-care, interpersonal, communicational and routine functions of schizophrenic patients. Materials and Methods: Thirty chronic schizophrenic hospitalized patients were selected from Ranchi Institute of Neuro-Psychiatry and Allied Sciences, Ranchi and were randomly assigned to the experimental group (yoga therapy along with Pharmacotherapy, n=15, and to control group (Pharmacotherapy alone, n=15. Baseline assessment was done using Post Graduate Institute general well-being measure (GWBM, Checklist for basic living skills and Indian disability evaluation and assessment scale (IDEAS. The experimental group attended yoga therapy every day for about 1΍ h including motivational and feedback session. After 1 month post-assessment was done for both the groups. Statistical Analysis: Pearson Chi-square test was used for comparing the results. Results: At the end of 1 month experimental group showed better rating in comparison to control group in PGI GWBM, basic living skills and IDEAS. Conclusion: Yoga could improve patients′ subjective well-being, their daily basic living functioning, personal hygiene, self-care, interpersonal activities and communication, and prompted more involvement in routine work.

The Danish Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Register

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Magyari M

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Melinda Magyari,1,3 Nils Koch-Henriksen,1,2 Per Soelberg Sørensen3 1Danish Multiple Sclerosis Registry, Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, 2Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Clinical Institute, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, 3Danish Multiple Sclerosis Center, Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark Aim of the database: The Danish Multiple Sclerosis Treatment Register (DMSTR serves as a clinical quality register, enabling the health authorities to monitor the quality of the disease-modifying treatment, and it is an important data source for epidemiological research. Study population: The DMSTR includes all patients with multiple sclerosis who had been treated with disease-modifying drugs since 1996. At present, more than 8,400 patients have been registered in this database. Data are continuously entered online into a central database from all sites in Denmark at start and at regular visits. Main variables: Include age, sex, onset year and year of the diagnosis, basic clinical information, and information about treatment, side effects, and relapses. Descriptive data: Notification is done at treatment start, and thereafter at every scheduled clinical visit 3 months after treatment start, and thereafter every 6 months. The longitudinally collected information about the disease activity and side effects made it possible to investigate the clinical efficacy and adverse events of different disease-modifying therapies. Conclusion: The database contributed to a certain harmonization of treatment procedures in Denmark and will continue to be a major factor in terms of quality in clinical praxis, research and monitoring of adverse events, and plays an important role in research. Keywords: multiple sclerosis, epidemiology, immunomodulatory treatment, neutralizing antibodies, observational studies, registry research, disease modifying therapy

Spirit at work and hope among the ruins: registered nurses' covenant of care.

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, Joan I J; Gregory, David M

2015-09-01

To explore registered nurses' (RNs) perspectives about the health care system, management/leadership, patients and spirit at work (SAW). Researchers investigating RNs experiences of reduced job satisfaction and diminishing organisational commitment are looking carefully at spirit at work as a means to foster healthier workplaces. A descriptive, cross-sectional mixed methods design was used to measure and explore the relationships between spirit at work, job satisfaction and organisational commitment. A 2012 postal survey sent by the provincial licensing body to a random sample of 217 surgical and 158 home care registered nurses' in western Canada returned 179 surveys. Seventy-five respondents answered the open-ended survey question. Their responses warrant further content analysis and serve as the foundation of this article. Participants noted that organisational structures and policies, combined with unsupportive leadership, were associated with a reduced sense of community, lack of trust and diminished accountability. Spirit at work was described as sustaining registered nurses' and providing them with hope as they fulfilled their covenant of care with patients. Leadership attention to the advancement of SAW may support the covenant of care between the registered nurses and patient while fostering healthier workplaces. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Clinical leadership, structural empowerment and psychological empowerment of registered nurses working in an emergency department.

Science.gov (United States)

Connolly, Megan; Jacobs, Stephen; Scott, Karyn

2018-04-19

To examine clinical leadership of registered nurses in an emergency department, based on evidence that it is important for nurses to feel psychologically and structurally empowered in order to act as clinical leaders. Every registered nurse has the ability to act as a clinical leader. Clinical leadership is the registered nurse's behaviours that provide direction and support to patients and the team in the delivery of patient care. This study explores the connection between the need for structural and psychological empowerment and clinical leadership behaviours. A mixed method, non-experimental survey design was used to examine the psychological empowerment, structural empowerment and clinical leadership of registered nurses working in an emergency department. Emergency department nurses believe they show clinical leadership behaviours most of the time, even though their sense of being psychologically empowered is only moderate. While registered nurses believe they perform clinical leadership behaviours, it is also clear that improvements in structural and psychological empowerment would improve their ability to act as clinical leaders. The results show that for nurses to be able to provide clinical leadership to their patients and colleagues, management must create empowering environments. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Registered nurses' perception of self-efficacy and competence in smoking cessation after participating in a web-based learning activity.

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Rosvall, Annica; Carlson, Elisabeth

2017-12-01

To describe how registered nurses having undergone a web-based learning activity perceive their self-efficacy and competence to support patients with smoking cessation in connection with surgery. Smoking cessation in connection with surgery reduces postoperative complications, and the support patients get from registered nurses may be important in helping them become smoke-free in connection with their surgery. Therefore, registered nurses are in need of enhanced understanding about which kind of counselling is the most effective for smoking cessation. Educating large groups of registered nurses in a digital environment appears to be a flexible and cost-effective way. A convergent mixed-method design with data collection was done using questionnaires (n = 47) and semistructured interviews (n = 11). Inclusion criteria were registered nurses in surgical wards. The samples were nonprobability and modified nested. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used for data analysis. After completing the web-based learning activity, the registered nurses perception was that of good self-efficacy and increased competence in supporting patients with smoking cessation in connection with surgery. They improved their understanding of how to talk about smoking cessation with patients in dialogue using open-ended questions. Nevertheless, the registered nurses requested opportunities for dialogue and interaction with colleagues or topic experts. The results indicate that registered nurses can enhance their competence in supporting patients to embrace smoking cessation by learning in a digital environment. Self-efficacy and understanding of the topic seems to motivate registered nurses to counsel patients about smoking cessation. Findings from this study will be of particular interest to educators in healthcare settings who can devise further development of web-based learning activities. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Cannabis abuse in patients with schizophrenia pattern and effects on symptomatology

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Rehman, I U; Farooq, S [Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar (Pakistan). Dept. of Provincial Health

2007-03-15

To determine the relationship between cannabis abuse and its impact on the short-term outcome and severity of illness. ICD-10 criteria were used for diagnosis of schizophrenia. Severity and type of schizophrenic symptoms were assessed with the help of PANSS. Cases were identified as having problem with cannabis use with the help of section 12 of Schedule for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN) W.H.O. 1994. Amount, duration and frequency of cannabis use was also noted. Patients with cannabis use were younger had shorter duration of illness and earlier age at onset of illness. They exhibited more positive symptoms. A total of 20% cases met ICD-10 criteria of harmful use of cannabinoid, 76% met ICD-10 criteria of cannabinoid dependence syndrome. Schizophrenic patients with comorbid cannabis abuse exhibited more positive symptoms and violent behavior, and may be more likely to lead to dependence in persons with schizophrenia. This has implication for service development to meet the perceived needs of this group. (author)

Cannabis abuse in patients with schizophrenia pattern and effects on symptomatology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rehman, I.U.; Farooq, S.

2007-01-01

To determine the relationship between cannabis abuse and its impact on the short-term outcome and severity of illness. ICD-10 criteria were used for diagnosis of schizophrenia. Severity and type of schizophrenic symptoms were assessed with the help of PANSS. Cases were identified as having problem with cannabis use with the help of section 12 of Schedule for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN) W.H.O. 1994. Amount, duration and frequency of cannabis use was also noted. Patients with cannabis use were younger had shorter duration of illness and earlier age at onset of illness. They exhibited more positive symptoms. A total of 20% cases met ICD-10 criteria of harmful use of cannabinoid, 76% met ICD-10 criteria of cannabinoid dependence syndrome. Schizophrenic patients with comorbid cannabis abuse exhibited more positive symptoms and violent behavior, and may be more likely to lead to dependence in persons with schizophrenia. This has implication for service development to meet the perceived needs of this group. (author)

Registered nurses' clinical reasoning in home healthcare clinical practice: A think-aloud study with protocol analysis.

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Johnsen, Hege Mari; Slettebø, Åshild; Fossum, Mariann

2016-05-01

The home healthcare context can be unpredictable and complex, and requires registered nurses with a high level of clinical reasoning skills and professional autonomy. Thus, additional knowledge about registered nurses' clinical reasoning performance during patient home care is required. The aim of this study is to describe the cognitive processes and thinking strategies used by recently graduated registered nurses while caring for patients in home healthcare clinical practice. An exploratory qualitative think-aloud design with protocol analysis was used. Home healthcare visits to patients with stroke, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in seven healthcare districts in southern Norway. A purposeful sample of eight registered nurses with one year of experience. Each nurse was interviewed using the concurrent think-aloud technique in three different patient home healthcare clinical practice visits. A total of 24 home healthcare visits occurred. Follow-up interviews were conducted with each participant. The think-aloud sessions were transcribed and analysed using three-step protocol analysis. Recently graduated registered nurses focused on both general nursing concepts and concepts specific to the domains required and tasks provided in home healthcare services as well as for different patient groups. Additionally, participants used several assertion types, cognitive processes, and thinking strategies. Our results showed that recently graduated registered nurses used both simple and complex cognitive processes involving both inductive and deductive reasoning. However, their reasoning was more reactive than proactive. The results may contribute to nursing practice in terms of developing effective nursing education programmes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characteristics of the tree-drawing test in chronic schizophrenia.

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Kaneda, Ayako; Yasui-Furukori, Norio; Saito, Manabu; Sugawara, Norio; Nakagami, Taku; Furukori, Hanako; Kaneko, Sunao

2010-04-01

A tree-drawing test acts as both a projective psychological examination as well as a supplementary psychodiagnostic tool. There is little information relating the characteristics of schizophrenia and the tree-drawing test. The present study compared the structural and morphological differences in the results of the tree-drawing test between schizophrenic patients and healthy individuals, as well as between schizophrenic patients who responded well to treatment and those who responded poorly. The subjects included 202 chronic schizophrenic patients and 113 healthy individuals. The schizophrenic patients were categorized as 'good responders' or 'poor responders' based on their response to medical treatments. The tree-drawing test was performed on all subjects. The tree drawn by each subject was analyzed structurally and morphologically. There were significant differences between the trunk and branches drawn by schizophrenic patients and those drawn by healthy controls. There were no significant differences between the good responders and the poor responders in any aspect of the tree drawings. Multiple regression models showed that the ratio of the tree area to the total area of the drawing paper, the width of the trunk, the trunk base opening, and the size of the branch ends were significantly associated with schizophrenia. The present study suggests that the trees drawn by schizophrenic patients are significantly different from those drawn by healthy individuals, but among schizophrenic patients, it is difficult to distinguish between good responders and poor responders using the tree-drawing test.

Debug register rootkits : A study of malicious use of the IA-32 debug registers

OpenAIRE

Persson, Emil; Mattsson, Joel

2012-01-01

The debug register rootkit is a special type of rootkit that has existed for over a decade, and is told to be undetectable by any scanning tools. It exploits the debug registers in Intel’s IA-32 processor architecture. This paper investigates the debug register rootkit to find out why it is considered a threat, and which malware removal tools have implemented detection algorithms against this threat. By implementing and running a debug register rootkit against the most popular Linux tools, ne...

Reproductive Function in Patients with Non-functioning Pituitary Adenoma According to the Register of the Republic of Uzbekistan

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Dinara A. Alieva

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The main aim of our study was to evaluate the reproductive system status and gonadotropic pituitary function in patients with non-functioning pituitary adenoma (NFPA according to the register data. Depending on the state of the reproductive system at the time of NFPA diagnosis, men and women can be classified into three groups: secondary hypogonadism (40.7%; normal state of the sexual system (22.0%; and PCOS in women (36.5% and reduced testicular size in men (11.2%. Menstrual irregularities took place in 77.8% NFPA women of reproductive age (41.3% of them had galactorea-oligo/amenorrhea combined with moderate hyperprolactinemia, and sexual dysfunction occurred in 42.0% of male patients with NFPA.

The Danish Adoption Register.

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Petersen, Liselotte; Sørensen, Thorkild I A

2011-07-01

The Danish Adoption Register was established in 1963-1964 to explore the genetic and environmental contribution to familial aggregation of schizophrenia. The register encompass information on all 14,425 non-familial adoptions of Danish children legally granted in Denmark 1924-1947. It includes name and date of birth of each adoptee and his or her biological and adoptive parents, date of transfer to adoptive parents and date of formal adoption. The linkage to biological and adoptive parents is close to complete, even biological fathers are registered for 91.4% of the adoptees. Adoption registers are a unique source allowing disentangling of genetic and familial environmental influences on traits, risk of diseases, and mortality.

External review and validation of the Swedish national inpatient register

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Kim Jeong-Lim

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Swedish National Inpatient Register (IPR, also called the Hospital Discharge Register, is a principal source of data for numerous research projects. The IPR is part of the National Patient Register. The Swedish IPR was launched in 1964 (psychiatric diagnoses from 1973 but complete coverage did not begin until 1987. Currently, more than 99% of all somatic (including surgery and psychiatric hospital discharges are registered in the IPR. A previous validation of the IPR by the National Board of Health and Welfare showed that 85-95% of all diagnoses in the IPR are valid. The current paper describes the history, structure, coverage and quality of the Swedish IPR. Methods and results In January 2010, we searched the medical databases, Medline and HighWire, using the search algorithm "validat* (inpatient or hospital discharge Sweden". We also contacted 218 members of the Swedish Society of Epidemiology and an additional 201 medical researchers to identify papers that had validated the IPR. In total, 132 papers were reviewed. The positive predictive value (PPV was found to differ between diagnoses in the IPR, but is generally 85-95%. Conclusions In conclusion, the validity of the Swedish IPR is high for many but not all diagnoses. The long follow-up makes the register particularly suitable for large-scale population-based research, but for certain research areas the use of other health registers, such as the Swedish Cancer Register, may be more suitable.

Danish registers on aspects of reproduction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Blenstrup, Lene Tølbøll; Knudsen, Lisbeth B.

2011-01-01

Introduction: The establishing of three Danish population based registers, namely the Fertility Database, the Register of Legally Induced Abortions and the In Vitro Fertilisation register aimed at providing data for surveying of reproductive outcome. Content: The registers include information...... on births, abortions and assisted reproduction as well as selected characteristics of the women (and men) involved. Validity and Coverage: Both the validity and coverage of each register is considered of high quality. Conclusions: These registers provide, both individually and in combination, unique...

Research participation registers can increase opportunities for patients and the public to participate in health services research.

Science.gov (United States)

Leach, Verity; Redwood, Sabi; Lasseter, Gemma; Walther, Axel; Reid, Colette; Blazeby, Jane; Martin, Richard; Donovan, Jenny

2016-07-01

Members of the public and patients repeatedly indicate their willingness to take part in research, but current United Kingdom research governance involves complex rules about gaining consent. Research participation registers that seek consent from participants to be approached about future studies have several potential benefits, including: increased research participation across clinical and healthy populations; simplified recruitment to health care research; support for people's autonomy in decision making; and improved efficiency and generalizability of research. These potential benefits have to be balanced against ethical and governance considerations. With appropriate processes in place, seeking prospective consent from patients and members of the public to be approached about future studies could potentially increase public participation in health research without compromising informed consent and other ethical principles. © The Author(s) 2016.

Decreased frontal serotonin2A receptor binding in antipsychotic-naive patients with first-episode schizophrenia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, Hans; Erritzoe, David; Andersen, Rune

2010-01-01

, in vivo studies of serotonin(2A) binding report conflicting results, presumably because sample sizes have been small or because schizophrenic patients who were not antipsychotic-naive were included. Furthermore, the relationships between serotonin(2A) binding, psychopathology, and central neurocognitive...

Use of the terms "schizophrenia" and "schizophrenic" in the South Korean news media: a content analysis of newspapers and news programs in the last 10 years.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Jun-Hyun; Choi, Young-Min; Kim, Bongseog; Lee, Dong-Woo; Gim, Min-Sook

2012-03-01

In this study, we explored the meaning attributed to the words "jungshinbunyeolbyung" (schizophrenia) and "jungshinbunyeol" (schizophrenic) in South Korean newspapers and news programs in the last 10 years. We screened the websites of three national newspapers and the broadcasts of three nationwide television news programs from January 1, 2001, to December 31, 2010. We classified a total of 490 articles and 257 news segments by category and quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed them. The articles and news segments were assigned to one of the following categories based on their use of the term "schizophrenia": 1) negative, 2) neutral or positive, 3) incidental, and 4) metaphorical. The negative viewpoint accounted for 349 incidences (46.7%), while the neutral and positive viewpoints included 225 incidences (30.1%). Incidental uses accounted for 95 incidences (12.7%), and metaphorical uses accounted for 78 incidences (10.4%). The majority of the negative uses focused on violence or dangers posed by patients (137 mentions, 37.8%), while the metaphorical uses mainly focused on the idea of splitting (51 mentions, or 65%). This study showed that the South Korean news media do not provide balanced information about schizophrenia to the public. This study also showed that no significant move has been made toward a more positive use of the term since a previous study was conducted on the subject. Although the term schizophrenia has given way to "attunement disorder," it will be difficult to establish the new term as the standard if the South Korean media continue to use the term "schizophrenic symptom." Even though the term has been changed, guidelines are necessary to encourage the mass media to provide balanced articles and reduce prejudice.

Educators' expectations of roles, employability and career pathways of registered and enrolled nurses in Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacob, Elisabeth R; McKenna, Lisa; D'Amore, Angelo

2016-01-01

In Australia, like other countries, two levels of nurse are registered for entry to practice. Educational changes for second level nurses in Australia have led to questions regarding roles and career options. This paper reports on interviews with nursing course coordinators to examine educator expectations of roles and career pathways of registered and enrolled nurses. Coordinators of eight degree (registered) and diploma (enrolled) nursing programs were interviewed to determine their opinions on roles and careers that students were prepared for. Transcripts were thematically analysed. Educators reported similar graduate roles, although high acuity care was primarily the role of registered nurses. Career expectations differed with enrolled nurses having limited advancement opportunity, and registered nurses greater career options. Health organisations were unprepared to accommodate increased practice scope of enrolled nurses and limited work practice through policies stipulating who could perform procedures. Organisational health policies need to accommodate increased enrolled nurse skill base. Education of practising nurses is necessary regarding increased scope of enrolled nurse practice to ensure they are used to their full potential. Increasing patient acuity requires more registered nurses, as enrolled nurses are unprepared to care for complex or deteriorating patients. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

CHARACTERISTICS OF PATIENTS WITH CEREBRAL STROKE OR TRANSIENT ISCHEMIC ATTACK, INCLUDED INTO THE LIS-2 REGISTER (LYUBERTSY STUDY OF MORTALITY IN PATIENTS AFTER STROKE

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S. Yu. Martsevich

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Aim. To provide final data on the three-year period of the inclusion of patients; to give most accurate "portrait" of patients hospitalized with a brain stroke within the framework of the LIS-2 register (Lyubertsy study of mortality in patients after stroke.Material and methods. All patients (n=960 admitted to the Lyubertsy district hospital №2 with stroke for the period from 01.2009 to 12.2011 were included into the study.Results. Men accounted for 37.5%, women - 62.5%, mean age was 71.1±9.8 years. The history of hypertension was present in 833 patients (86.8%, atrial fibrillation in 252 (26.8% patients, 199 (20.7% patients had previously undergone stroke. In-hospital mortality was 21.6% (207 patients had died; mean age 72.9±9.8 years. Low frequency of the antihypertensive therapy (34.5%, lipid-lowering therapy (0.7%, antiplatelet agents (5.7%, anticoagulation therapy prescription in patients with atrial fibrillation was detected.Conclusion. Insufficient assignment of drugs with a proven effect on the prognosis in patients with risk factors prior to the development of the reference stroke draws attention. High incidence of recurrent strokes indicates an underactive secondary prevention.

Autism phenotype versus registered diagnosis in Swedish children: prevalence trends over 10 years in general population samples.

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Lundström, Sebastian; Reichenberg, Abraham; Anckarsäter, Henrik; Lichtenstein, Paul; Gillberg, Christopher

2015-04-28

To compare the annual prevalence of the autism symptom phenotype and of registered diagnoses for autism spectrum disorder during a 10 year period in children. Population based study. Child and Adolescent Twin Study and national patient register, Sweden. 19, 993 twins (190 with autism spectrum disorder) and all children (n=1,078,975; 4620 with autism spectrum disorder) born in Sweden over a 10 year period from 1993 to 2002. Annual prevalence of the autism symptom phenotype (that is, symptoms on which the diagnostic criteria are based) assessed by a validated parental telephone interview (the Autism-Tics, ADHD and other Comorbidities inventory), and annual prevalence of reported diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder in the national patient register. The annual prevalence of the autism symptom phenotype was stable during the 10 year period (P=0.87 for linear time trend). In contrast, there was a monotonic significant increase in prevalence of registered diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder in the national patient register (Pautism symptom phenotype has remained stable in children in Sweden while the official prevalence for registered, clinically diagnosed, autism spectrum disorder has increased substantially. This suggests that administrative changes, affecting the registered prevalence, rather than secular factors affecting the pathogenesis, are important for the increase in reported prevalence of autism spectrum disorder. © Lundström et al 2015.

Dementia in affective disorder

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kessing, L V; Olsen, E W; Mortensen, P B

1999-01-01

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to investigate whether patients with affective disorder have increased risk of developing dementia compared to other groups of psychiatric patients and compared to the general population. METHOD: In the Danish psychiatric central register, 3363 patients...... with unipolar affective disorder, 518 patients with bipolar affective disorder, 1025 schizophrenic and 8946 neurotic patients were identified according to the diagnosis at the first ever discharge from psychiatric hospital during the period from 1970 to 1974. The rate of discharge diagnosis of dementia...... on readmission was estimated during 21 years of follow-up. In addition, the rates were compared with the rates for admission to psychiatric hospitals with a discharge diagnosis of dementia for the total Danish population. RESULTS: Patients with unipolar and with bipolar affective disorder had a greater risk...

Management of violent behaviour in acutely relapsed schizophrenics

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L. Koen

2004-09-01

Full Text Available The management of aggressive behaviour has always been a criticai issue in psychiatry. Finding measures that can be used to accurately predict the likelihood of assaultative behaviour and thus ensure timeous appropriate pharmacological management remains a dilemma. The study objective was to investigate the naturalistic, pharmacological management of inpatient aggressive behaviour in a group of 50 schizophrenic subjects with a view to determine: (1 whether a presenting history of recent violence lead to altered pharmacological management and (2 whether the NOSIE could be regarded as a useful assessment tool with regards to inpatient behaviour management. No significant difference could be demonstrated between the 2 subsets of subjects (history of violence vs none with respect to total doses of medication administered. No statistical correlation could be found between the total NOSIE score and the dose of psychotropic medication used. The relationship between a subset of NOSIE-items and the total dose of medication was more complex and a clear linear relationship could be demonstrated for a total score of 0 to 5. In this particular ward setting a presenting history of recent violent behaviour did not influence the administration of medication and neither could the clinical judgement employed by the nursing staff to manage inpatient behaviour be captured by the NOSIE. However, a five-item subset of the NOSIE with questions relating to aggression and irritability warrants further scrutiny in this regard.

[On the "folkloric" psychotherapy to schizophrenic patients--based on phenomenological study].

Science.gov (United States)

Yamada, T; Yamada, Y

1998-01-01

Psychotherapeutic treatment of schizophrenia is generally considered difficult. One reason for this is that the doctor and patient can easily fall into a relationship of conflict with each other concerning the propriety of "judgments which are morbidly and mistakenly made (K. Jaspers)", referred to as delusions. We carried out close phenomenological structure-analyses of the delusions and of patients' fundamental experiences, based on the premise that a patient with delusions probably has some actual grounding for these in the patient's own concepts, considering the fact that the patient firmly believes these delusions. As a result, we have clarified the following matters from the primary experience of delusions. 1) We found that patients are in a conflicted mental condition which can be considered a collapse of adaptability to "Seken". 2) In this condition of conflict, patients feel guilt relative to "Seken" or feel that they are indebted and should be punished. When patients complained of their primary experience, we were able to persuade them to reserve their judgment of their primary experience, by 3) having each patient listen to the folktale "Torikuyou" in which the "logic of stealing" and the "logic of being stolen", appear in a reciprocal relationship relative to the constitution of crime and punishment, by 4) explaining to each patient about the ambiguity and reciprocity of reality experienced, 5) instead of disputing the propriety of patient's judgment about primary experience, doctor and patient worked together to enable the patient to form a positive understanding of the primary experience. 6) We reduced the patient's psychological conflict relative to primary experience, and were able to defuse and distance the patient's delusions caused by erroneous judgment of primary experience. 7) Regarding the area in which this type of psychotherapeutic approach shows efficacy, we analyzed the concept of "Seken" as a world which can cause conflicts relative to

Regional gray matter abnormalities in patients with schizophrenia determined with optimized voxel-based morphometry

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, XiaoJuan; Yao, Li; Jin, Zhen; Chen, Kewei

2006-03-01

This study examined regional gray matter abnormalities across the whole brain in 19 patients with schizophrenia (12 males and 7 females), comparing with 11 normal volunteers (7 males and 4 females). The customized brain templates were created in order to improve spatial normalization and segmentation. Then automated preprocessing of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data was conducted using optimized voxel-based morphometry (VBM). The statistical voxel based analysis was implemented in terms of two-sample t-test model. Compared with normal controls, regional gray matter concentration in patients with schizophrenia was significantly reduced in the bilateral superior temporal gyrus, bilateral middle frontal and inferior frontal gyrus, right insula, precentral and parahippocampal areas, left thalamus and hypothalamus as well as, however, significant increases in gray matter concentration were not observed across the whole brain in the patients. This study confirms and extends some earlier findings on gray matter abnormalities in schizophrenic patients. Previous behavior and fMRI researches on schizophrenia have suggested that cognitive capacity decreased and self-conscious weakened in schizophrenic patients. These regional gray matter abnormalities determined through structural MRI with optimized VBM may be potential anatomic underpinnings of schizophrenia.