High Risk For Schizophrenia Research Articles

Detecting schizophrenia early: Prediagnosis healthcare utilization characteristics of patients with schizophrenia may aid early detection

IntroductionMany patients exhibit subsyndromal clinical findings of schizophrenia prior to diagnosis. Early treatment may mitigate schizophrenia development, yet little is known about comorbidities and healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) in these patients before diagnosis. MethodsThis retrospective, longitudinal cohort study, conducted between January 1, 2007 and April 30, 2016, used claims data from the US HealthCore Integrated Research Database. Newly diagnosed patients with schizophrenia (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision: 295.x or ICD 10 F20.%) were identified and matched (1:4) with non-schizophrenia comparators. Patients were 15–54 years of age with either ≥1 inpatient/emergency room claim with a primary schizophrenia diagnosis, or ≥2 claims in any setting with any schizophrenia diagnosis. Demographics, comorbidities, physician specialties, medications, and related services, and other HCRU were compared between cohorts for up to 5 years before diagnosis. ResultsThe schizophrenia cohort included 6732 patients (57.4% male, mean age 30.3 years for males and 36.2 years for females). All outcomes were more prevalent in the schizophrenia cohort than the comparator cohort. Substantial comorbidity, medication use, and HCRU were observed in the schizophrenia cohort even 4–5 years before diagnosis with increasing findings approaching diagnosis. From 4–5 years to 0–12 months before diagnosis, resource use increased from 20.5% to 53.3% for atypical antipsychotics, 29.3% to 48.2% for antidepressants, and 15.1% to 35.5% for psychiatric diagnostic examinations. ConclusionsPatients with schizophrenia extensively use healthcare resources up to 5 years before diagnosis. Our findings may help with developing predictive models to identify patients at high risk of schizophrenia.

Penetrance and Pleiotropy of Polygenic Risk Scores for Schizophrenia in 106,160 Patients Across Four Health Care Systems.

Individuals at high risk for schizophrenia may benefit from early intervention, but few validated risk predictors are available. Genetic profiling is one approach to risk stratification that has been extensively validated in research cohorts. The authors sought to test the utility of this approach in clinical settings and to evaluate the broader health consequences of high genetic risk for schizophrenia. The authors used electronic health records for 106,160 patients from four health care systems to evaluate the penetrance and pleiotropy of genetic risk for schizophrenia. Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) for schizophrenia were calculated from summary statistics and tested for association with 1,359 disease categories, including schizophrenia and psychosis, in phenome-wide association studies. Effects were combined through meta-analysis across sites. PRSs were robustly associated with schizophrenia (odds ratio per standard deviation increase in PRS, 1.55; 95% CI=1.4, 1.7), and patients in the highest risk decile of the PRS distribution had up to 4.6-fold higher odds of schizophrenia compared with those in the bottom decile (95% CI=2.9, 7.3). PRSs were also positively associated with other phenotypes, including anxiety, mood, substance use, neurological, and personality disorders, as well as suicidal behavior, memory loss, and urinary syndromes; they were inversely related to obesity. The study demonstrates that an available measure of genetic risk for schizophrenia is robustly associated with schizophrenia in health care settings and has pleiotropic effects on related psychiatric disorders as well as other medical syndromes. The results provide an initial indication of the opportunities and limitations that may arise with the future application of PRS testing in health care systems.

Visual attention in 7-year-old children at familial high risk of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder: The Danish high risk and resilience study VIA 7

BackgroundAttention deficits are found in children at familial high risk of schizophrenia (FHR-SZ) and bipolar disorder (FHR-BP) using assessment methods relying on motor-based response latency. This study compares visual attention functions in children at FHR-SZ or FHR-BP with controls using an unspeeded task unconfounded by motor components. MethodsVisual attention was assessed in 133 7-year-old children at FHR-SZ (N = 56) or FHR-BP (N = 32), and controls (N = 45) using the unspeeded paradigm, TVA-based whole report. We compared four parameters of visual attention: visual processing speed, visual short-term memory, threshold for visual perception, and error rate. Further, we investigated their potential relationships with severity of psychopathology, adequacy of the home environment, and neurocognitive measures. ResultsChildren at FHR-SZ displayed significant deficits in perceptual processing speed of visual attention compared with controls (p < .001; d = 0.75) as did children at FHR-BP (p < .05; d = 0.54). Visual processing speed was significantly associated with spatial working memory (β = -0.23; t(68) = -3.34, p = .01) and psychomotor processing speed (β = 0.14, t(67) = 2.11, p < .05). LimitationsLarger group sizes would have permitted inclusion of more predictors in the search for neurocognitive and other factors associated with the parameters of TVA-based whole report. ConclusionsYoung children at FHR-SZ and FHR-BP display significant deficits in processing speed of visual attention, which may reflect the effect of shared vulnerability risk genes. Early identification of children at FHR-SZ and FHR-BP with perceptual processing speed impairments may represent a low-cost basis for low-risk interventions.

Narrative self and high risk for schizophrenia: remembering the past and imagining the future

ABSTRACTWe examined the narrative self of those at high psychometric risk for schizophrenia (HR). Eighty undergraduate students wrote personal narratives about a turning-point event in their life, and about a possible future. The turning-point narratives were coded for topic, specificity, event valence, valence of causal coherence link, overall level of causal coherence, and agency. The future narratives were coded for the number and valence of goals, topic of goals, and specificity of goals. Word count was applied to all narratives. The HR group expressed lower levels of agency and a trend of lower levels of causal coherence when narrating turning-point events. When imagining their futures, HR participants produced shorter narratives and showed a trend of having fewer goals. Including the dimensions of both the turning point and the future narratives revealed that the HR group membership was best predicted by lower levels of agency and of causal coherence in the turning-point narrative, and fewer words in the future narrative. Narratives differed specifically in those few elements that are critical for the achievement of narrative continuity. Consistent with the theory, people at high risk for schizophrenia already present, to some extent, an impoverishment in their narrative sense of self.

White matter development in infants at risk for schizophrenia

BackgroundSchizophrenia is considered a neurodevelopmental disorder with a pathophysiology that likely begins long before the onset of clinical symptoms. White matter abnormalities have been observed in schizophrenia and we hypothesized that the first 2 years of life is a period in which white matter abnormalities associated with schizophrenia risk may emerge. Methods38 infants at high risk for schizophrenia and 202 healthy controls underwent diffusion tensor MRIs after birth and at 1 and 2 years of age. Quantitative tractography was used to determine diffusion properties (fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD)) of 18 white matter tracts and a general linear model was used to analyze group differences at each age. ResultsAdjusting gestational age at birth, postnatal age at MRI, gender, MRI scanner type, and maternal education, neonates at high risk had significantly lower FA (p = 0.02) and AD (p = 0.03) in the superior segment of the left cingulate, and higher RD in the hippocampal segment of the left cingulate (p = 0.04). High risk one year olds had significantly lower FA (p < 0.01) and AD (p = 0.02) in the hippocampal segment of the left cingulate. High risk two year olds had significantly lower FA in the left prefrontal cortico-thalamic tract (p = 0.04) and higher RD in the right uncinate fasciculus (p = 0.04). None of the tract differences remained significant after correction for multiple comparisons. ConclusionsThere is evidence of abnormal white matter development in young children at risk for schizophrenia, especially in the hippocampal segment of left cingulum. These results support the neurodevelopmental theory of schizophrenia and indicate that impaired white matter may be present in early childhood.

Positive psychotic symptoms are associated with divergent developmental trajectories of hippocampal volume during late adolescence in patients with 22q11DS.

Low hippocampal volume is a consistent finding in schizophrenia and across the psychosis spectrum. However, there is a lack of studies investigating longitudinal hippocampal development and its relationship with psychotic symptoms. The 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) has proven to be a remarkable model for the prospective study of individuals at high risk of schizophrenia to unravel the pathophysiological processes predating the onset of psychosis. Repeated cerebral MRIs were acquired from 140 patients with 22q11DS (53 experiencing moderate-to-severe psychotic symptoms) and 135 healthy controls aged from 6 to 35 years and with up to 5 time points per participant. Hippocampal subfield analysis was conducted using FreeSurfer-v.6 and FIRST-FSL. Then, whole hippocampal and subfield volumes were compared across the groups. Relative to controls, patients with 22q11DS showed a remarkably lower volume of all subfields except for CA2/3. No divergent trajectories in hippocampal development were found. When comparing patients with 22q11DS exhibiting psychotic symptoms to those without psychosis, we detected a volume decrease during late adolescence, starting in CA1 and spreading to other subfields. Our findings suggested that hippocampal volume is consistently smaller in patients with 22q11DS. Moreover, we have demonstrated that patients with 22q11DS and psychotic symptoms undergo a further decrease in volume during adolescence, a vulnerable period for the emergence of psychosis. Interestingly, CA2/3, despite being affected in patients with psychotic symptoms, was the only area not reduced in patients with 22q11DS relative to controls, thus suggesting that its atrophy exclusively correlates with the presence of positive psychotic symptoms.

Risk of schizophrenia among people with obsessive-compulsive disorder: A nationwide population-based cohort study

High comorbidity of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has been reported in patients with schizophrenia. The sequence of OCD and schizophrenia onset might clarify the underlying pathophysiological relationships between these two disorders, but available evidence is limited. In this study, we used a population-based cohort to investigate the risk of schizophrenia in people with newly diagnosed OCD. Patients who were first diagnosed with OCD from 2000 to 2013 were selected from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Research Database. The non-OCD group was randomly sampled, and matched with the OCD group by gender, age, urbanization level, and income. Cox regression analyses and competing risk model were used to estimate the risk of schizophrenia, adjusting for potential confounding factors. In total, 2009 patients with OCD and 8036 controls were identified. The crude incidences of schizophrenia in the OCD and non-OCD groups were 876.2 per 100,000 person-years and 28.7 per 100,000 person-years, respectively. After adjustment, a substantially higher risk of schizophrenia was observed in the OCD group (hazard ratio = 30.29, 95% confidence interval = 17.91–51.21). Male gender, age of OCD onset before 20 years, and antipsychotic prescription were associated with schizophrenia. Patients with comorbidity of autistic disorder have higher risk of schizophrenia (hazard ratio = 4.63, 95% confidence interval = 1.58–13.56). In conclusion, OCD diagnosis, male gender, age of OCD onset before 20 years, comorbidity of autistic disorder, and antipsychotic use were associated with higher risk of schizophrenia. It is essential for psychiatrists to note that OCD may be the initial presentation of schizophrenia.

Long-term effects of prenatal exposure to earthquake on adult schizophrenia.

Maternal exposure to major stressors during pregnancy has been found to increase the risk of neurodevelopmental, cognitive and psychiatric disorders in the offspring. However, the association between prenatal exposure to earthquake and the risk of adult schizophrenia has yet to be examined. To explore the potential long-term effects of prenatal exposure to maternal stress on the risk of schizophrenia in adulthood, using the Great Tangshan Earthquake in 1976 as a natural experiment. We obtained data from the Second China National Sample Survey on Disability, and analysed 94 410 Chinese individuals born between 1975 and 1979. We obtained difference-in-differences estimates of the earthquake effects on schizophrenia by exploiting temporal variation in the timing of earthquake exposure across four birth cohorts born between 1975 and 1979, along with geographical variation in earthquake severity at the prefecture level. Schizophrenia was ascertained by psychiatrists using the ICD-10 classification. Earthquake severity was measured by seismic intensity. Earthquake cohort who experienced prenatal exposure to felt earthquake had higher risk of schizophrenia (odds ratio, 3.38; 95% CI 1.43-8.00) compared with the unexposed reference cohort. After specifying the timing of exposure by the trimester of pregnancy, prenatal exposure to felt earthquake during the first trimester of pregnancy increased the risk of adulthood schizophrenia significantly (odds ratio, 7.45; 95% CI 2.83-19.59). Prenatal (particularly early pregnancy) exposure to maternal stress after a major disaster substantially affects the mental health of Chinese adults.

T162. Association of Semantic Priming Deficits With Role Functioning in Persons at Clinical High Risk for Schizophrenia: Evidence From Event-Related Brain Potentials

Persons exhibiting clinical high-risk (CHR) symptoms similar to but less severe than those of schizophrenia have an elevated risk of developing this disorder. We previously found that CHR patients have reductions in the N400 event-related brain potential (ERP) semantic priming effect, indicating deficits in using meaningful stimuli to activate related concepts in semantic memory. We sought evidence that this abnormality is associated with real-world functional impairment in CHR patients, hypothesizing that N400 semantic priming deficits would correlate with lower social and role functioning in this group.

Olfactory Identification in 7-Year-Old Children with Familial High Risk of Schizophrenia or Bipolar Disorder - The Danish High Risk and Resilience Study VIA 7

Background: Olfactory identification deficits are present in individuals with schizophrenia and their unaffected first-degree relatives, while deficits are less pronounced in individuals with bipolar disorder. We hypothesized that children with familial high-risk for schizophrenia (FHR-SZ) show olfactory identification deficits compared to population-based controls (PBC), and that children with familial high-risk for bipolar disorder (FHR-BP) perform intermediate. Furthermore, we investigated potential relationships with psychopathology, cognition, and home environment. Methods: Olfactory identification was assessed at age 7 in 184 children with FHR-SZ, 106 children with FHR-BD, and 186 PBC with the Brief Smell Identification Test (BSIT). BSIT total score and the proportion of children scoring below pre-defined cut-off scores were the outcomes. Potential relationships with psychopathological, cognitive, and home environmental variables were conducted using hierarchical and logistic multiple regression analyses. Outcomes: ANOVA revealed no between-group differences in olfactory identification. Chi-square test of independence showed a significant greater proportion of boys with FHR-SZ than population-based boys with an abnormal olfactory identification (p<0·05). Regression analyses of all children showed significant positive associations of olfactory identification with girls, social responsiveness, and working memory. Less social responsiveness predicted abnormal olfactory identification in boys with FHR-SZ. Interpretation: Abnormal olfactory identification is more frequent in 7-year-old boys with FHR-SZ than in matched low-risk boys and is linked to a deficit of social responsiveness. This supports the idea that olfactory and social dysfunction share a common pathophysiological and perhaps neurobiological pathway in schizophrenia. Funding Statement: Mental Health Services of the Capital Region of Denmark, Aarhus University, and the Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research. Declaration of Interests: All authors confirmed to have no conflicts of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: The project was approved by The Danish Data Protection Agency. The study procedures were aligned with the guidelines of the National Committee for Health Research Ethics, although formal ethical approval was not required due to its observational design.

Personal Social Capital and Socio-occupational Function of Persons with Schizophrenia: A Comparative Study

Background: Personal social capital is an individual’s networks and connections between individuals that can provide support which is characterized by reciprocity, trustworthiness and resources. Individuals who are excluded from accessing social capital have a higher risk of schizophrenia and may have informal social control. Social functioning of individuals with schizophrenia gets disturbed therefore improving the functioning levels is considered to be an important goal in treating schizophrenia. Aim: To assess and compare personal social capital and socio-occupational functioning of patients with schizophrenia and normal controls. Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of 60 individuals (30 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and 30 normal population) selected from the outpatient department (OPD) of the Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi by using purposive sampling method. Positive and negative syndrome scale (for study group) and General health questionnaire (for normal population) applied for screening. Participants who fulfilled inclusion criteria were informed about study and consent was obtained. Socio-demographic and clinical datasheet, Personal Social Capital Scale and socio-occupational functioning scale were administered. Results: Present study shows a significant difference in personal social capital and socio-occupational functioning of persons with schizophrenia and normal controls. Conclusion: The patients with schizophrenia hold lower personal social capital and socio-occupational functioning than the normal population. Personal social capital and socio-occupational functioning showed a significant positive correlation, therefore, improvement in socio-occupational functioning can help to enhance personal social capital.&#x0D; Keywords: Schizophrenia, personal social capital, socio-occupational functioning

Patients with psoriasis have a higher risk of schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

Background and Objectives:Patients with psoriasis are known to be at a higher risk of several comorbidities, but little is known about their risk of developing schizophrenia.Methods:A systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort and case–control studies that reported relative risk, hazard ratio, odds ratio (OR), or standardized incidence ratio comparing risk of schizophrenia in patients with psoriasis versus subjects without psoriasis was conducted. Pooled OR and 95% confidence interval were calculated using random-effect, generic inverse-variance methods of DerSimonian and Laird.Results:A total of five studies (one retrospective cohort study and four case–control studies) with more than 6 million participants met the eligibility criteria and were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled OR of schizophrenia in patients with psoriasis versus subjects without psoriasis was 1.41 (95% confidence interval, 1.19–1.66). The statistical heterogeneity was low with an I2 of 33%.Conclusion:This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrated a significantly increased risk of schizophrenia among patients with psoriasis.

Acute methamphetamine administration impairs cognitive function in a mouse model of schizophrenia with both of CNV and SNV in ARHGAP10 gene that confer high risk of schizophrenia with severe clinical symptoms.

Acute methamphetamine administration impairs cognitive function in a mouse model of schizophrenia with both of CNV and SNV in ARHGAP10 gene that confer high risk of schizophrenia with severe clinical symptoms.

Instrument-based assessment of motor function yields no evidence of dyskinesia in adult first-degree biological relatives of individuals with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder

There is accruing evidence of spontaneous dyskinesia in individuals with schizophrenia that is independent of medication exposure. Dyskinetic motor behavior is also present in individuals who are at high risk of schizophrenia and appears to have prognostic value for the development of psychosis. Nonetheless, it remains unclear whether dyskinesia is present in first-degree relatives of individuals with schizophrenia and thus associated with genetic liability for schizophrenia (i.e., an endophenotype), or whether the motor abnormality is a biomarker specific to the disease state spectrum. There is also limited information about links between dyskinesia and clinically relevant phenomena such as symptoms and cognition. Because dyskinesia marking genetic liability is likely to be subtle, we used sensitive instrument-based measurement of handwriting fluency to quantify dyskinesia in medicated individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, unaffected first-degree biological relatives of individuals with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, and control participants. Results indicated that medicated individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder exhibited more dyskinesia than both relatives and controls, with no difference between relatives and controls. Dyskinesia in individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder was unrelated to current antipsychotic medication dosage, but associated with worse working memory function and greater positive formal thought disorder. These results provide evidence that dyskinesia is not associated with unexpressed genetic liability for schizophrenia.

Working memory processing of emotional stimuli in individuals at high risk of schizophrenia. A preliminary report of anatomic and neurofunctional correlates

Working memory processing of emotional stimuli in individuals at high risk of schizophrenia. A preliminary report of anatomic and neurofunctional correlates

PMH9 - Association of Cyp2e1 Gene Polymorphisms with the Risk of Schizophrenia in the Bangladeshi Population

Among mental disorders, schizophrenia (SCZ) is the most disabling disease. The genetic polymorphisms of CYP2E1 gene are reported to be related to the development of several mental diseases. The purpose of this present study was to examine the association between the CYP2E1 (rs2070673) gene polymorphisms and schizophrenia in the Bangladeshi population. Genotyping of this gene was done by extracting DNA from 101 Schizophrenic patients and 101 healthy volunteers, after than polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was carried out for amplification of extracted DNA. After amplification, the respective DNA fragments were digested by restriction enzyme BspMI and finally expected DNA fragments were observed by agarose gel electrophoresis technique. We found that patients carrying AT genotype had shown a significantly higher risk (p<0.05) for the development of schizophrenia in compared to patients carrying TT genotype. Whereas patients carrying AA genotype revealed a higher risk for the development of schizophrenia in compared to patients carrying TT genotype and this result was found statistically significant (p<0.05). For combined model i.e. patients carrying AT+AA genotype had shown a similar scenario of higher risk for the development of schizophrenia in compared to patients carrying TT genotype (p<0.05). So, in the context of Bangladeshi Schizophrenia patients, our result indicates that allele rs2070673 (CYP2E1*7) is associated with the higher risk of schizophrenia. As we have identified the genetic basis of the Bangladeshi schizophrenia patients, we hope it will be helpful for the treatment selection of schizophrenia patients.

Assessment of Neurocognitive Functions in 7-Year-Old Children at Familial High Risk for Schizophrenia or Bipolar Disorder

Children at familial high risk of schizophrenia spectrum disorders (FHR-SZ) or bipolar disorder (FHR-BP) exhibit neurocognitive impairments. Large studies of neurocognition in young children at familial high risk at the same age are important to differentiate the pathophysiology and developmental trajectory of these 2 groups. To characterize neurocognitive functions in 7-year-old children with FHR-SZ or FHR-BP and a control population. This multisite population-based cohort study collected data from January 1, 2013, to January 31, 2016, in the first wave of the Danish High Risk and Resilience Study VIA 7 at 2 university hospital research sites in Copenhagen and Aarhus using Danish registries. Participants (n = 514) included 197 children with FHR-SZ, 118 with FHR-BP, and 199 controls matched with the FHR-SZ group for age, sex, and municipality. Assessors were blinded to risk status. Parents with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or neither diagnosis. Neurocognitive functions were measured across 23 tests. Four neurocognitive domains were derived by principal component analysis, including processing speed and working memory, verbal functions, executive and visuospatial functions, and declarative memory and attention. A total of 514 children aged 7 years were included in the analysis (46.3% girls), consisting of 197 children with FHR-SZ (46.2% girls), 118 with FHR-BP (46.6% girls), and 199 controls (46.2% girls). Children with FHR-SZ were significantly impaired compared with controls on processing speed and working memory (Cohen d = 0.50; P < .001), executive and visuospatial functions (Cohen d = 0.28; P = .03), and declarative memory and attention (Cohen d = 0.29; P = .02). Compared with children with FHR-BP, children with FHR-SZ performed significantly poorer in processing speed and working memory (Cohen d = 0.40; P = .002), executive and visuospatial functions (Cohen d = 0.35; P = .008), and declarative memory and attention (Cohen d = 0.31; P = .03). Children with FHR-BP and controls did not differ. Children with FHR-SZ had widespread neurocognitive impairments, supporting the hypothesis of neurocognitive functions as endophenotypes of schizophrenia. The absence of neurocognitive deficits in children with FHR-BP suggests distinct neurodevelopmental manifestations in these familial high-risk groups at this age. Early detection of children with FHR-SZ and cognitive impairments is warranted to investigate associations of neurocognition with transition to psychosis, add to the knowledge of their developmental pathophysiology, and inform early intervention programs.

Variability of ecological executive function in children and adolescents genetically at high risk for schizophrenia: a latent class analysis.

Executive impairments have been observed both in patients with schizophrenia and in their unaffected first-degree relatives. Very few studies have investigated neurocognitive subgroups in unaffected first-degree relatives and in healthy participants using data-driven methods. The study included a high-risk group consisting of 100 unaffected young offspring and siblings of patients with schizophrenia and 198 healthy controls, all aged between 9 and 23years. Executive function, victimization, and emotional and behavioral problems of participants were assessed by a series of self-report scales. Neurocognitive subgroups were investigated using latent class analysis of executive function measures. Four neurocognitive clusters were identified: a good performance cluster, a good self-control cluster, a low self-control cluster, and a severe impairment cluster. Participants in severe impaired executive function cluster reported asignificantly higher level of victimization and had more prominent emotional and behavioral problems than the good performance cluster. Neurocognitive differences between high-risk young people and healthy controls were driven by individuals who have severe and global, rather than selective, executive deficits. Our results may provide clues to an explanation of the mechanisms behind executive impairments in young individuals at genetic risk and help to identify new targets for early interventions.

Sustained Attention and Interference Control Among 7-Year-Old Children With a Familial High Risk of Schizophrenia or Bipolar Disorder—A Nationwide Observational Cohort Study

BackgroundGiven the partially shared genetic liability between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, we aimed to assess whether 7-year-old children with a familial high risk of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder display specific deficits of sustained attention and interference control compared with each other and with control children. MethodsAn observational cohort was identified through Danish registries and consisted of 522 children 7 years of age with no, one, or two parents with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Control subjects were matched based on age, sex, and municipality. Sustained attention and interference control were assessed using Conners’ Continuous Performance Test II and a modified Eriksen flanker task. Assessors were blinded to group membership of participants. The effect of higher genetic loading was not considered in the statistical models owing to low numbers. ResultsAt 7 years of age, children with a familial high risk of schizophrenia displayed deficits of sustained attention and subtle deficits in interference control compared with control children and children with a familial high risk of bipolar disorder. Children with a familial high risk of bipolar disorder displayed similar abilities of sustained attention and interference control as control children except in terms of a lower accuracy. ConclusionsOur findings suggest distinct neurodevelopmental characteristics in middle childhood of sustained attention and interference control for children of parents with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

Promoter Polymorphisms of TNF-α Gene as a Risk Factor for Schizophrenia

The latest data showed a link between mental disorders and altered immune function. Schizophrenia is a multifactorial disease with numerous changes in the immunological system. The TNF-α gene is a strong candidate for schizophrenia susceptibility. The focus of this paper were the -1031T/C, -863C/A, -857C/T, -308G/A single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the TNF-α gene. We conducted a case-control study of 401 patients with schizophrenia and 606 healthy subjects. The connections between tested SNPs and clinical variables (PANSS, age of onset, a family history, and suicide attempts) were also examined. The presence of genotypes: the C/C at -1031T/C; the C/C at -863C/A; the G/G at -308G/A in the TNF-α gene was associated with a higher risk of schizophrenia in men. The presence of A allele at -308G/A increased a risk of schizophrenia in women. Three haplotypes were associated with a higher risk of schizophrenia in men but not women. We did not reveal any associated tested SNPs with intensity of schizophrenia symptoms. Our results indicate that in addition to -308G/A, other promoter polymorphisms of TNF-α gene are associated with schizophrenia susceptibility depending on the sex. Tested SNPs are not associated with the psychopathology of schizophrenia.