Psychosis Group Research Articles

Home practice in mindfulness-based interventions for psychosis groups: a systematic review and qualitative study

BackgroundRegular home practice is considered a core component of mindfulness groups and may be associated with better treatment outcomes. This study aimed to (1) review the existing evidence on how much home practice people do in mindfulness-based interventions for psychosis groups, and (2) explore participants’ experiences of the barriers and facilitators to completing home practice in a mindfulness for psychosis group using a qualitative study.MethodsIn study 1, we conducted a systematic review of mindfulness-based interventions for psychosis studies and extracted data on home practice rates. In study 2, we conducted semi-structured interviews with people who had completed a mindfulness for psychosis group (N = 5) as part of their routine community care, specifically focusing on experiences of home practice.ResultsOut of 43 studies included in the systematic review, only 5 reported any data on amount of home practice, and none examined the relationship between completion of home practice and treatment outcomes. In the qualitative study, participants described home practice as being difficult but important. Arising themes were similar to findings from previous (non-psychosis) studies suggesting that generic challenges are common, rather than being specific to psychosis.ConclusionsWe recommend that future mindfulness-based interventions for psychosis studies record data on home practice rates, in order to investigate any association between home practice and treatment outcome. Our qualitative findings suggest home practice can be a valued part of mindfulness for psychosis group, and a normalising approach could be taken when and if participants encounter common challenges.

The age of violence: Mapping brain age in psychosis and psychopathy

Young chronological age is one of the strongest predictors for antisocial behaviour in the general population and for violent offending in individuals with psychotic disorders. An individual's age can be predicted with high accuracy using neuroimaging and machine-learning. The deviation between predicted and chronological age, i.e., brain age gap (BAG) has been suggested to reflect brain health, likely relating partly to neurodevelopmental and aging-related processes and specific disease mechanisms. Higher BAG has been demonstrated in patients with psychotic disorders. However, little is known about the brain-age in violent offenders with psychosis and the possible associations with psychopathy traits.We estimated brain-age in 782 male individuals using T1-weighted MRI scans. Three machine learning models (random forest, extreme gradient boosting with and without hyper parameter tuning) were first trained and tested on healthy controls (HC, n = 586). The obtained BAGs were compared between HC and age matched violent offenders with psychosis (PSY-V, n = 38), violent offenders without psychosis (NPV, n = 20) and non-violent psychosis patients (PSY-NV, n = 138). We ran additional comparisons between BAG of PSY-V and PSY-NV and associations with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total score as a measure of psychosis symptoms. Psychopathy traits in the violence groups were assessed with Psychopathy Checklist-revised (PCL-R) and investigated for associations with BAG.We found significantly higher BAG in PSY-V compared with HC (4.9 years, Cohen'sd = 0.87) and in PSY-NV compared with HC (2.7 years, d = 0.41). Total PCL-R scores were negatively associated with BAG in the violence groups (d = 1.17, p < 0.05). Additionally, there was a positive association between psychosis symptoms and BAG in the psychosis groups (d = 1.12, p < 0.05).While the significant BAG differences related to psychosis and not violence suggest larger BAG for psychosis, the negative associations between BAG and psychopathy suggest a complex interplay with psychopathy traits. This proof-of-concept application of brain age prediction in severe mental disorders with a history of violence and psychopathy traits should be tested and replicated in larger samples.

Clinical and neuroimmunologic characteristics of late onset of schizophrenia and schizophrenia-like psychoses

BACKGROUND. After dementia and depression, schizophrenia-like psychoses with very late onset is the largest diagnostic group among late onset mental diseases. Last studies have shown the clinical heterogeneity of these psychoses.&#x0D; AIM. Determine the clinical forms of late-onset psychoses, their corresponding immunological correlates and their diagnostic significance.&#x0D; MATERIAL AND METHODS. 25 patients with late onset psychoses, mean age 64.86.0 years, age of onset of the disease 69.87.99 years were examined. The control group consisted of 14 people (9 women, 5 men) without mental disorders, mean age 64.86.0 years. Clinical and psychopathological examination was carried out, and assessment using psychometric scales (PANSS, HAMD, MoCA, MMSE). Immunological parameters were assessed: leukocyte elastase, 1-proteinase inhibitor, their ratio proteinase inhibitor index, levels of autoantibodies to neuroantigens protein S100b and basic myelin protein. Cluster analysis, as well as the t-criteria, KruskalWallis, U MannaWithney methods were used as the main approach to statistical data processing&#x0D; RESULTS. Three groups of patients were identified a group with acute polymorphic psychotic symptoms, characterized by the severity of the pathological process, heterogeneous psychotic symptoms, pronounced cognitive decline, lack of significant dynamics in the treatment process; a group of patients with a predominance of involutional color of psychosis, characterized by a continuous course with incomplete remission and little response to therapy; group of affective-delusional psychoses with paroxysmal course, low severity of cognitive impairment, good response to therapy.&#x0D; CONCLUSION. The clinical heterogeneity of the group of late manifesting psychoses was determined, the immunological features inherent in each group, their prognostic significance were highlighted.

Polygenic risk scores across the extended psychosis spectrum

As early detection of symptoms in the subclinical to clinical psychosis spectrum may improve health outcomes, knowing the probabilistic susceptibility of developing a disorder could guide mitigation measures and clinical intervention. In this context, polygenic risk scores (PRSs) quantifying the additive effects of multiple common genetic variants hold the potential to predict complex diseases and index severity gradients. PRSs for schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) were computed using Bayesian regression and continuous shrinkage priors based on the latest SZ and BD genome-wide association studies (Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, third release). Eight well-phenotyped groups (n = 1580; 56% males) were assessed: control (n = 305), lower (n = 117) and higher (n = 113) schizotypy (both groups of healthy individuals), at-risk for psychosis (n = 120), BD type-I (n = 359), BD type-II (n = 96), schizoaffective disorder (n = 86), and SZ groups (n = 384). PRS differences were investigated for binary traits and the quantitative Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Both BD-PRS and SZ-PRS significantly differentiated controls from at-risk and clinical groups (Nagelkerke’s pseudo-R2: 1.3–7.7%), except for BD type-II for SZ-PRS. Out of 28 pairwise comparisons for SZ-PRS and BD-PRS, 9 and 12, respectively, reached the Bonferroni-corrected significance. BD-PRS differed between control and at-risk groups, but not between at-risk and BD type-I groups. There was no difference between controls and schizotypy. SZ-PRSs, but not BD-PRSs, were positively associated with transdiagnostic symptomology. Overall, PRSs support the continuum model across the psychosis spectrum at the genomic level with possible irregularities for schizotypy. The at-risk state demands heightened clinical attention and research addressing symptom course specifiers. Continued efforts are needed to refine the diagnostic and prognostic accuracy of PRSs in mental healthcare.

Socioeconomic challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic for Veterans with psychosis or recent homelessness.

The COVID‐19 pandemic and social distancing have directly impacted the socioeconomic well‐being of most Americans. Veterans with psychosis (PSY) and Veterans who were recently housed (RHV) through a supportive housing programme may be especially vulnerable to experiencing negative socioeconomic effects of the pandemic. In this study, we investigated socioeconomic experiences and challenges during the pandemic in these two putatively vulnerable Veteran groups and in Veterans with no history of PSY or homeless (i.e., control Veterans, CTL). A total of 231 Veterans (81 PSY, 76 RHV, 64 CTL) participated in the baseline assessment, and 203 in the follow‐up assessment (74 PSY, 63 RHV, 66 CTL). At both assessment points we obtained socioeconomic information, including personal finances, financial concerns, housing concerns, experience of material hardships, and employment status. All groups of Veterans reported socioeconomic challenges during the pandemic, but the pattern of effects differed across groups. Although RHV was in a similar position to the PSY group with respect to personal finances, they reported lower levels of financial well‐being and were more prone to experiencing material hardships compared to the other two groups. CTL was most vulnerable to experiencing negative financial shocks. Contrary to expectations, PSY did not experience disproportionate material hardships compared to CTL. Veterans face significant socioeconomic challenges during the COVID‐19 pandemic. However, RHV disproportionately experienced certain concerns and hardships, and these are a target for intervention by clinicians and service providers. PSY generally fared better than anticipated, possibly reflecting longstanding engagement with VA services that could serve to buffer the socioeconomic impact of the pandemic.

Impact of polygenic risk for coronary artery disease and cardiovascular medication burden on cognitive impairment in psychotic disorders

BackgroundCognitive impairment is a core deficit across psychotic disorders, the causes and therapeutics of which remain unclear. Epidemiological observations have suggested associations between cognitive dysfunction in psychotic disorders and cardiovascular risk factors, but an underlying etiology has not been established. MethodsNeuropsychological performance using the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS) was assessed in 616 individuals of European ancestry (403 psychosis, 213 controls). Polygenic risk scores for coronary artery disease (PRSCAD) were quantified for each participant across 13 p-value thresholds (PT 0.5-5e−8). Cardiovascular and psychotropic medications were categorized for association analyses. Each PRSCAD was examined in relation to the BACS and the optimized PT was confirmed with five-fold cross-validation and independent validation. Functional enrichment analyses were used to identify biological mechanisms linked to PRSCAD-cognition associations. Multiple regression analyses examined PRSCAD under the optimal PT and medication burden in relation to the BACS composite and subtest scores. ResultsHigher PRSCAD was associated with lower BACS composite scores (p = 0.001) in the psychosis group, primarily driven by the Verbal Memory subtest (p < 0.001). Genes linked to multiple nervous system related processes and pathways were significantly enriched in PRSCAD. After controlling for PRSCAD, a greater number of cardiovascular medications was also correlated with worse BACS performance in patients with psychotic disorders (p = 0.029). ConclusionsHigher PRSCAD and taking more cardiovascular medications were both significantly associated with cognitive impairment in psychosis. These findings indicate that cardiovascular factors may increase the risk for cognitive dysfunction and related functional outcomes among individuals with psychotic disorders.

Neurological Soft Signs in Cannabis Use Disorder with or without Psychosis: A Comparative Study from India

Objective The purpose of this study was to assess and compare neurological soft signs in patients of cannabis use disorder (CUD) with and without co-occurring psychosis in a treatment-seeking sample. Methods: We included 30 right-handed male subjects aged 18–65 years diagnosed with CUD (as per DSM-5) without any co-occurring psychiatric disorder in group I and those with co-occurring non-affective psychosis in group II. Group III consisted of 30 age and sex-matched, right-handed, healthy subjects with no psychiatric or medical conditions. Neurological Evaluation Scale (NES) was applied to measure neurological soft signs across the groups. We also used the Severity of Dependence Scale (in CUD with or without co-occurring non-affective psychosis groups) and Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms, Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms, Barnes Akathisia Rating Scale, Abnormal Involuntary Movements Scale, and Simpson Angus Scale (in CUD with co-occurring non-affective psychosis group). Results: Our data suggested higher total NES mean scores in CUD with (20.53 ± 13.77) or without co-occurring non-affective psychosis groups (15.93 ± 9.86) as compared to healthy controls (6.20 ± 5.40) (χ 2 = 23.12; p < .001). However, there were no differences between cannabis use disorder with or without co-occurring non-affective psychosis groups. The mean of subdomain scores of motor incoordination, sequencing of complex motor tasks, sensory integration, and others was significantly higher in CUD with or without co-occurring non-affective psychosis groups compared to healthy controls. Conclusion: Impairment in neurological soft signs is present in patients with CUD regardless of a co-occurring psychosis. Cannabinoids might be interacting with the brain circuits known to be involved in schizophrenia.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Is Treatable With Continuous Positive Airway Pressure in People With Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a highly prevalent condition in people living with schizophrenia or other psychotic disorder. Its treatment with continuous positive airway pressure therapy (CPAP) can dramatically improve daytime and physical health function. People with a psychotic disorder, however, are rarely diagnosed and treated and there are no large-scale studies showing evidence of successful treatment with CPAP. Using a retrospective case-control study approach (N = 554), we examined adherence to and effectiveness of a CPAP trial in individuals with comorbid psychotic disorder and OSA (psychosis group, n = 165) referred for a CPAP trial at the West Australian Sleep Disorders Research Institute. Given that antipsychotic medication is an important confounder, we included a psychiatric (non-psychosis) comparison group taking antipsychotic medication (antipsychotic group, n = 82), as well as a nonpsychiatric control group (OSA control group, n = 307) also diagnosed with OSA and referred for CPAP. Variables included OSA symptom response, CPAP engagement, and usage at 3 months. The Psychosis group had the most severe OSA at baseline and they attended fewer clinic appointments overall. However, there were no other group differences either in CPAP adherence or treatment response. CPAP was equally effective in normalizing OSA symptoms and daytime sleepiness in all groups. CPAP usage was longer per night in the Psychosis and Antipsychotic groups, perhaps suggesting a role of sedation from antipsychotic medications. In conclusion, OSA is treatable and CPAP feasible in people with severe mental illness and antipsychotic medications are not a barrier to treatment response.

Glutamatergic and GABAergic metabolite levels in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders: a meta-analysis of 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies.

The glutamate (Glu) and gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) hypotheses of schizophrenia were proposed in the 1980s. However, current findings on those metabolite levels in schizophrenia have been inconsistent, and the relationship between their abnormalities and the pathophysiology of schizophrenia remains unclear. To summarize the nature of the alterations of glutamatergic and GABAergic systems in schizophrenia, we conducted meta-analyses of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) studies examining these metabolite levels. A systematic literature search was conducted using Embase, Medline, PsycINFO, and PubMed. Original studies that compared four metabolite levels (Glu, glutamine [Gln], Glx [Glu+Gln], and GABA), as measured by 1H-MRS, between individuals at high risk for psychosis, patients with first-episode psychosis, or patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls (HC) were included. A random-effects model was used to calculate the effect sizes for group differences in these metabolite levels of 18 regions of interest between the whole group or schizophrenia group and HC. Subgroup analysis and meta-regression were performed based on the status of antipsychotic treatment, illness stage, treatment resistance, and magnetic field strength. One-hundred-thirty-four studies met the eligibility criteria, totaling 7993 participants with SZ-spectrum disorders and 8744 HC. 14 out of 18 ROIs had enough numbers of studies to examine the group difference in the metabolite levels. In the whole group, Glx levels in the basal ganglia (g = 0.32; 95% CIs: 0.18-0.45) were elevated. Subgroup analyses showed elevated Glx levels in the hippocampus (g = 0.47; 95% CIs: 0.21-0.73) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (g = 0.25; 95% CIs: 0.05-0.44) in unmedicated patients than HC. GABA levels in the MCC were decreased in the first-episode psychosis group compared with HC (g = -0.40; 95% CIs: -0.62 to -0.17). Treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) group had elevated Glx and Glu levels in the MCC (Glx: g = 0.7; 95% CIs: 0.38-1.01; Glu: g = 0.63; 95% CIs: 0.31-0.94) while MCC Glu levels were decreased in the patient group except TRS (g = -0.17; 95% CIs: -0.33 to -0.01). Increased glutamatergic metabolite levels and reduced GABA levels indicate that the disruption of excitatory/inhibitory balance may be related to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia-spectrum disorders.

A-89 Age at First Psychiatric Hospitalization Predicts Deviation from Expected Cognitive Ability in Psychosis Spectrum Disorders

Abstract Objective The present study investigated whether clinical variables related to illness onset (age at symptom onset, diagnosis, first psychiatric hospitalization) predict deviation from expected cognitive ability. Additionally, we examined the potential moderating effect of psychosis groups (“biotypes”). Method Cognitive ability was predicted based on demographic variables and estimated premorbid intelligence modeled in controls. The degree to which current cognitive ability (based on Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia) deviated from predicted ability was computed in 362 schizophrenia, schizoaffective, and bipolar with psychosis patients recruited from the community (Mage = 39.11; 52.2% male; 41.7% White, 41.4% Black, 16.9% Other). Linear regression assessed the relationship between illness onset and deviation scores and moderation analysis was performed using moderated multiple regression. Results Only age at first psychiatric hospitalization predicted deviation scores (F(1,328) = 3.93, p &amp;lt; 0.05), such that younger individuals had a greater deviation from expected cognitive ability. The full moderated regression model significantly predicted deviation scores (F(5,330) = 14.05, p &amp;lt; 0.001), and there was a significant effect of age at first psychiatric hospitalization and deviation scores only for biotype 3 (t = 7.37, p &amp;lt; 0.001). Discussion Findings suggest that severity of illness at a younger age (requiring hospitalization), rather than earlier symptom onset, may be a risk factor for greater disruption of cognitive development. The association between group membership in biotype 3 (characterized by less cognitive impairment) and lower deviation scores may reflect reduced variability in deviation scores and less disruption of cognitive abilities than other biotypes. When assessing psychosis spectrum patients, clinicians should consider how factors related to illness onset and severity may impact developmental cognitive trajectories.

Auditory Oddball Responses Across the Schizophrenia-Bipolar Spectrum and Their Relationship to Cognitive and Clinical Features.

Neural activations during auditory oddball tasks may be endophenotypes for psychosis and bipolar disorder. The authors investigated oddball neural deviations that discriminate multiple diagnostic groups across the schizophrenia-bipolar spectrum (schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, psychotic bipolar disorder, and nonpsychotic bipolar disorder) and clarified their relationship to clinical and cognitive features. Auditory oddball responses to standard and target tones from 64 sensor EEG recordings were compared across patients with psychosis (total N=597; schizophrenia, N=225; schizoaffective disorder, N=201; bipolar disorder with psychosis, N=171), patients with bipolar disorder without psychosis (N=66), and healthy comparison subjects (N=415) from the second iteration of the Bipolar-Schizophrenia Network for Intermediate Phenotypes (B-SNIP2) study. EEG activity was analyzed in voltage and in the time-frequency domain (low, beta, and gamma bands). Event-related potentials (ERPs) were compared with those from an independent sample collected during the first iteration of B-SNIP (B-SNIP1; healthy subjects, N=211; psychosis group, N=526) to establish the repeatability of complex oddball ERPs across multiple psychosis syndromes (r values >0.94 between B-SNIP1 and B-SNIP2). Twenty-six EEG features differentiated the groups; they were used in discriminant and correlational analyses. EEG variables from the N100, P300, and low-frequency ranges separated the groups along a diagnostic continuum from healthy to bipolar disorder with psychosis/bipolar disorder without psychosis to schizoaffective disorder/schizophrenia and were strongly related to general cognitive function (r=0.91). P50 responses to standard trials and early beta/gamma frequency responses separated the bipolar disorder without psychosis group from the bipolar disorder with psychosis group. P200, N200, and late beta/gamma frequency responses separated the two bipolar disorder groups from the other groups. Neural deviations during auditory processing are related to psychosis history and bipolar disorder. There is a powerful transdiagnostic relationship between severity of these neural deviations and general cognitive performance. These results have implications for understanding the neurobiology of clinical syndromes across the schizophrenia-bipolar spectrum that may have an impact on future biomarker research.

Brief coping strategy enhancement for the treatment of distressing voices in the context of borderline personality disorder: A comparison with outcomes in the context of psychosis.

Voice hearing in the context of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) has traditionally been regarded as transient and an experience that lacks legitimacy. Consequently, there are no evidence-based treatments for the voices reported by BPD patients. Contrary to the traditional view, there is a growing literature suggesting that voice hearing in the context of BPD can be an enduring and distressing experience which shares similarities with voice hearing in the context of psychosis. Given these similarities, the aim of this study was to explore whether brief Coping Strategy Enhancement developed in the context of psychosis can be used to treat distressing voice hearing in the context of BPD. This was a service evaluation carried out in a specialist NHS service delivering psychological therapies for distressing voices. Patients with either a BPD (n = 46) or a psychosis diagnosis (n = 125) received four sessions of Coping Strategy Enhancement (CSE). The primary outcome was voice-related distress. The pre-post outcomes for BPD patients were explored and compared with those achieved by the psychosis patients. Both the BPD and psychosis groups experienced a significant reduction in voice-related distress after CSE compared with baseline. The interaction between diagnosis group and time was small and statistically non-significant. These findings suggest a brief CSE intervention developed in the context of psychosis can be an effective starting point in the treatment of distressing voice hearing in the context of BPD. Such interventions have the potential to be integrated into broader BPD treatment programmes for those who hear voices.

#3117 Fregoli syndrome in primary and secondary psychosis: a case level meta-analysis

Objectives/AimsFregoli syndrome is a rare delusion characterised by the misidentification of an individual, typically of someone who the patient has an emotional link towards. The pathoaetiology of Fregoli syndrome remains largely a mystery, however, it has been described in patients experiencing either a primary or secondary (organic) psychosis. We sought to compare the neuropsychiatric features of Fregoli syndrome in primary and secondary psychosis.MethodsA patient-level meta-analysis was conducted. Five databases were searched for any descriptions of Fregoli syndrome. The patients and the psychotic episodes details alongside the co-occurring neuropsychiatric features and treatment responses were extracted. A risk of bias assessment was carried by scoring the methodological quality of all case studies. Random-effects models were used to pool the data and odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were estimated for each of the neuropsychiatric features extracted between primary and secondary psychoses groups.ResultsA total of 119 patients (62 with primary psychosis, 50 with secondary psychosis and 7 with mixed or unknown aetiology) with Fregoli syndrome were identified in the English literature. Persecutory features were more likely to occur in patients with primary Fregoli syndrome (OR = 0.26, 95% CI[0.10;0.67], p &lt; 0.01). In addition, Fregoli syndrome in the context of a first-episode psychosis (OR = 11.00, 95% CI [2.45;49.39], p &lt; 0.01) and in the presence of neuroimaging abnormalities (OR = 20.19, 95% CI [4.36; 93.47], p &lt; 0.01) was significantly associated with secondary aetiology. Patients in the secondary psychosis group (n=14) showed more right hemisphere lesions than patients in the primary psychosis group (n=1), however this trend was not significant (p = 0.10). Furthermore, no statistical differences between psychoses groups were found for the demographic, clinical and neurophysiological features analysed.ConclusionsThis is the first meta-analysis investigating the features of Fregoli syndrome in primary and secondary psychosis.Findings suggest that secondary causes of Fregoli syndrome are associated with a first-episode of psychosis and that neuroimaging abnormalities, particularly in the right hemisphere, are associated with a secondary organic cause.

A neuropsychological study on Leonhard's nosological system.

Phenotype validation of endogenous psychosis is a problem that remains to be solved. This study investigated the neuropsychological performance of endogenous psychosis subtypes according to Wernicke-Kleist-Leonhard's classification system (WKL). The participants included consecutive admissions of patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder or mood disorder with psychotic symptoms (N = 98) and healthy comparison subjects (N = 50). The patients were assessed by means of semi-structured interviews and diagnosed through the WKL system into three groups: a manic-depressive illness and cycloid psychosis group (MDC), unsystematic schizophrenia (USch) and systematic schizophrenia (SSch). All the participants completed a comprehensive neuropsychological battery. The three Leonhard's psychosis subtypes showed a common neuropsychological profile with differences in the severity of impairment relative to healthy controls. MDC patients showed better performance on premorbid intelligence, verbal memory and global cognitive index than USch and SSch patients, and they showed better performance on processing speed, and working memory than SSch patients. USch patients outperformed SSch patients in verbal memory, working memory and global cognitive index. Neuropsychological performance showed a modest accuracy for classification into the WKL nosology. Our results suggest the existence of a common profile of cognitive impairment cutting across WKL subtypes of endogenous psychosis but with significant differences on a severity continuum. In addition, classification accuracy in the three WKL subtypes by means of neuropsychological performance was modest, ranging between 40 and 64% of correctly classified patients.

Cannabidiol for at risk for psychosis youth: A randomized controlled trial.

No biological treatment has been firmly established for the at-risk stage of psychotic disorder. In this study we aim to test if subthreshold psychotic symptoms can be effectively treated with cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive compound of the plant Cannabis sativa. The question has taken on increased importance in the wake of evidence questioning both the need and efficacy of specific pharmacological interventions in the ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis group. Three-arm randomized controlled trial of 405 patients (135 per arm) aged 12-25 years who meet UHR for psychosis criteria. The study includes a 6-week lead-in phase during which 10% of UHR individuals are expected to experience symptom remission. Participants will receive CBD (per oral) at doses 600 or 1000 mg per day (fixed schedule) for 12 weeks. Participants in the third arm of the trial will receive matching placebo capsules. Primary outcome is severity of positive psychotic symptoms as measured by the Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States at 12 weeks. We hypothesize that CBD will be significantly more effective than placebo in improving positive psychotic symptoms in UHR patients. All participants will also be followed up 6months post baseline to evaluate if treatment effects are sustained. This paper reports on the rationale and protocol of the Cannabidiol for At Risk for psychosis Youth (CanARY) study. This study will test CBD for the first time in the UHR phase of psychotic disorder.

Striatal functional connectivity in psychosis relapse: A hypothesis generating study

Most individuals with psychotic disorders relapse over their course of illness, yet the neural processes that may lead to symptom worsening are poorly understood. Importantly, such processes could be potentially affected by antipsychotic adherence status upon relapse (i.e., relapse despite ongoing antipsychotic maintenance vs following antipsychotic discontinuation), reflecting distinct mechanisms. As a first foray into this question, we aim to compare the striatal connectivity index (SCI), a biomarker derived from striatal resting state functional connectivity predictive of treatment response, by adherence status upon relapse. In order to confirm adherence status upon relapse, we compared individuals treated with long-acting injectable antipsychotics upon relapse (i.e., breakthrough psychosis) (n = 23), with individuals who had decided to interrupt antipsychotic treatment and then relapsed (n = 27), as well as healthy controls (n = 26). We acquired for each individual >10 min of resting state fMRI, to generate functional connectivity maps. Region of interest (ROI) analyses were conducted to calculate SCI values for each participant. These values were entered as dependent variable in a linear regression adjusted for sex and age for which adherence status was the independent variable. Individuals in the breakthrough psychosis group had significantly lower SCI values than healthy controls (Cohen's d = 0.99, p < 0.001), and non-adherent individuals upon relapse (Cohen's d = 0.58, p = 0.032), whereas non-adherent individuals had also trend level lower SCI values than healthy controls (Cohen's d = 0.44, p = 0.09). These results suggest the hypothesis that striatal functional connectivity may be aberrant in psychosis relapse, and that this dysfunction may be greater among individuals who developed relapse despite ongoing antipsychotic treatment.

Whole-Brain Functional Network Connectivity Abnormalities in Affective and Non-Affective Early Phase Psychosis.

Psychosis disorders share overlapping symptoms and are characterized by a wide-spread breakdown in functional brain integration. Although neuroimaging studies have identified numerous connectivity abnormalities in affective and non-affective psychoses, whether they have specific or unique connectivity abnormalities, especially within the early stage is still poorly understood. The early phase of psychosis is a critical period with fewer chronic confounds and when treatment intervention may be most effective. In this work, we examined whole-brain functional network connectivity (FNC) from both static and dynamic perspectives in patients with affective psychosis (PAP) or with non-affective psychosis (PnAP) and healthy controls (HCs). A fully automated independent component analysis (ICA) pipeline called “Neuromark” was applied to high-quality functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data with 113 early-phase psychosis patients (32 PAP and 81 PnAP) and 52 HCs. Relative to the HCs, both psychosis groups showed common abnormalities in static FNC (sFNC) between the thalamus and sensorimotor domain, and between subcortical regions and the cerebellum. PAP had specifically decreased sFNC between the superior temporal gyrus and the paracentral lobule, and between the cerebellum and the middle temporal gyrus/inferior parietal lobule. On the other hand, PnAP showed increased sFNC between the fusiform gyrus and the superior medial frontal gyrus. Dynamic FNC (dFNC) was investigated using a combination of a sliding window approach, clustering analysis, and graph analysis. Three reoccurring brain states were identified, among which both psychosis groups had fewer occurrences in one antagonism state (state 2) and showed decreased network efficiency within an intermediate state (state 1). Compared with HCs and PnAP, PAP also showed a significantly increased number of state transitions, indicating more unstable brain connections in affective psychosis. We further found that the identified connectivity features were associated with the overall positive and negative syndrome scale, an assessment instrument for general psychopathology and positive symptoms. Our findings support the view that subcortical-cortical information processing is disrupted within five years of the initial onset of psychosis and provide new evidence that abnormalities in both static and dynamic connectivity consist of shared and unique features for the early affective and non-affective psychoses.

Effects of the Great East Japan Earthquake and the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident on behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia among patients.

BackgroundThe Great East Japan Earthquake triggered accidents at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, becoming the first complex disaster that included both a natural and a nuclear power disaster. This study examines how complex disasters affect patients with dementia.MethodsParticipants included the 331 people diagnosed with dementia out of the 2482 new patients (between January 2008 and December 2015) at a psychiatric hospital located in the indoor sheltering zones nearby mandatory evacuation zones. Medical records were retrospectively examined to identify the number of new patients with dementia, the severity, their chief complaints, and the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) types. BPSD were classified into the hyperactive BPSD group and the hypoactive BPSD group. The hyperactive BPSD group was further subdivided into the hyperactivity‐impulsivity‐irritability‐disinhibition‐aggression‐agitation group, which exhibited agitation, disinhibition, and irritability, and the psychosis group, which exhibited delusions and hallucinations. The hypoactive BPSD group included depression, inactivity, apathy, and anxiety. Results were divided into the period before the complex disaster (2008–2010) and after (2012–2015) and were compared. In addition, the post‐complex‐disaster period was subdivided into the early phase (2012–2013) and the late phase (2014–2015).ResultsThe proportion of new patients with dementia increased significantly after the disaster. Although there was no change in patients' age and the disease's severity, the proportion of patients whose chief complaint was BPSD increased significantly after the disaster. Furthermore, there was a significant increase in the hyperactivity‐impulsivity‐irritability‐disinhibition‐aggression‐agitation group in the early post‐complex‐disaster phase and a significant increase in the psychosis group in the late post‐complex‐disaster phase.ConclusionThis complex disaster caused increased consultations from patients with dementia and increased BPSD. Additionally, it increased participants' symptoms of agitation and irritability in the early post‐complex‐disaster phase and the proportion of hallucinations and delusions in the late post‐complex‐disaster phase.

A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF PHENOMENOLOGY BETWEEN EARLY ONSET AND LATE ONSET PSYCHOSIS

Introduction: Phenomenology is the study of subjective experience. Psychiatric diagnoses are based on cross-sectional psychopathological features, for example, the presence of rst-rank symptoms in the case of schizophrenia. Phenomenological investigation focuses on the form of experience, i.e. the way in which the content is experienced, while the content itself is of secondary importance. This study was conducted to investigate the subtle differences between early-onset group (onset before 18 years of age) and late onset (onset after age of 40 years). Aim And Objectives: To study the socio-demographic prole and phenomenology of early onset psychosis and late onset psychosis compare them based on the variables studied. It is a cross sectional observational Materials And Methods: study carried out in the Department of Psychiatry, Gauhati Medical College and Hospital during the period of June 2018- May 2019. A semi structured, self designed proforma has been used to collect the socio-demographic data and personal details of the patients and their treatment history. The ICD-10 Classication of Mental and Behavioural Disorders, WHO, 1992, Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) Version 4.0, Modied Kuppuswamy Socio-economic status scale were used along with. All the data that was derived from the study were analyzed by using the software IBM SPSS 21.0. Observations And Results: Mean age of presentation in early onset psychosis is 19.22 years with Standard Deviation ±5.69. Mean age of presentation in early onset psychosis is 54.5 years with Standard Deviation ±11.9. Signicantly higher ratio of male was noted in early onset group and higher ratio of female was noted in that of the late onset group. Somatic concern, anxiety, depression and suspiciousness was signicantly more in late onset psychosis. In comparison to the group of late onset psychosis, self-neglect, blunted affect, emotional withdrawn, motor retardation, motor hyperactivity, mannerisms and posturing were signicantly more in early-onset psychosis. Major distinction was noted in the Conclusion: distribution of delusional disorders and acute and transient psychotic disorders. Age of onset was skewed to late adolescence with more number of male patients. Late onset psychosis group had more uneducated patients with considerable proportion of adults left unmarried in the late onset group. Late onset psychosis group shows predominance of somatic concern, anxiety, depression and suspiciousness in contrast to early onset psychosis group which shows predominance of motor hyperactivity, self-neglect, blunted affect, motor retardation, mannerisms and posturing

Listening to voices: understanding and self-management of auditory verbal hallucinations in young adults

AimsAuditory Verbal Hallucinations (AVH) are a hallmark of psychosis, but affect many other clinical populations. Patients’ understanding and self-management of AVH may differ between diagnostic groups, change over time, and influence clinical outcomes.We aimed to explore patients’ understanding and self-management of AVH in a young adult clinical population.Method35 participants reporting frequent AVH were purposively sampled from a youth mental health service, to capture experiences across psychosis and non-psychosis diagnoses. Diary and photo-elicitation methodologies were used – participants were asked to complete diaries documenting experiences of AVH, and to take photographs representing these experiences. In-depth, unstructured interviews were held, using participant-produced materials as a topic guide. Conventional content analysis was conducted, deriving results from the data in the form of themes.ResultThree themes emerged: (1)Searching for answers, forming identities – voice-hearers sought to explain their experiences, resulting in the construction of identities for voices, and descriptions of relationships with them. These identities were drawn from participants’ life-stories (e.g., reflecting trauma), and belief-systems (e.g., reflecting supernatural beliefs, or mental illness). Some described this process as active / volitional. Participants described re-defining their own identities in relation to those constructed for AVH (e.g. as diseased, 'chosen', or persecuted), others considered AVH explicitly as aspects of, or changes in, their personality.(2)Coping strategies and goals – patients’ self-management strategies were diverse, reflecting the diverse negative experiences of AVH. Strategies were related to a smaller number of goals, e.g. distraction, soothing overwhelming emotions, 'reality-checking', and retaining agency.(3)Outlook – participants formed an overall outlook reflecting their self-efficacy in managing AVH. Resignation and hopelessness in connection with disabling AVH are contrasted with outlooks of “acceptance” or integration, which were described as positive, ideal, or mature.ConclusionTrans-diagnostic commonalities in understanding and self-management of AVH are highlighted - answer-seeking and identity-formation processes; a diversity of coping strategies and goals; and striving to accept the symptom. Descriptions of “voices-as-self”, and dysfunctional relationships with AVH, could represent specific features of voice-hearing in personality disorder, whereas certain supernatural/paranormal identities and explanations were clearly delusional. However, no aspect of identity-formation was completely unique to psychosis or non-psychosis diagnostic groups. The identity-formation process, coping strategies, and outlooks can be seen as a framework both for individual therapies and further research.