Schizophrenic Symptomatology Research Articles

Insulin-like Growth Factor 2 (IGF-2) and Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein 7 (IGFBP-7) Are Upregulated after Atypical Antipsychotics in Spanish Schizophrenia Patients.

Insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF-2) and IGF binding protein 7 (IGFBP-7) have been related to schizophrenia (SZ) due to their implication in neurodevelopment. The purpose of this study was to assess whether the alterations in IGF-2 and IGFBP-7 in SZ patients are intrinsically related to the psychiatric disorder itself or are a secondary phenomenon due to antipsychotic treatment. In order to test this hypothesis, we measured plasma IGF-2 and IGFBP-7 in drug-naïve first episode (FE) and multiple episodes or chronic (ME) SZ Caucasian patients who have been following treatment for years. A total of 55 SZ patients (FE = 15, ME = 40) and 45 healthy controls were recruited. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Self-Assessment Anhedonia Scale (SAAS) were employed to check schizophrenic symptomatology and anhedonia, respectively. Plasma IGF-2 and IGFBP-7 levels were measured by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). The FE SZ patients had much lower IGF-2, but not IGFBP-7, than controls. Moreover, both IGF-2 and IGFBP-7 significantly increased after atypical antipsychotic treatment (aripiprazole, olanzapine, or risperidone) in these patients. On the other hand, chronic patients showed higher levels of both proteins when compared to controls. Our study suggests that circulatory IGF-2 and IGFBP-7 increase after antipsychotic treatment, regardless of long-term conditions and being lower in drug-naïve FE patients.

Chronic neuroleptic treatment combined with a high fat diet elevated [3H] flunitrazepam binding in the cerebellum

Clinical and preclinical studies have shown dysfunctions in genetic expression and neurotransmission of γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), GABAA receptor subunits, and GABA-synthesizing enzymes GAD67 and GAD65 in schizophrenia. It is well documented that there is significant weight gain after chronic neuroleptic treatment in humans. While there are limited studies on the effects of diet on GABA signaling directly, a change in diet has been used clinically as an adjunct to treatment for schizophrenic relief. In this study, rats chronically consumed either a chow diet (CD) or a 60% high-fat diet (HFD) and drank from bottles that contained one of the following solutions: water, haloperidol (1.5 mg/kg), or olanzapine (10 mg/kg) for four weeks. Rats were then euthanized and their brains were processed for GABAA in-vitro receptor autoradiography using [3H] flunitrazepam. A chronic HFD treatment yielded significantly increased [3H] flunitrazepam binding in the rat cerebellum independent of neuroleptic treatment. The desynchronization between the prefrontal cortex and the cerebellum is associated with major cognitive and motor dysfunctions commonly found in schizophrenic symptomatology, such as slowed reaction time, motor dyscoordination, and prefrontal activations related to speech fluency and cognitive alertness. These data support the notion that there is a dietary effect on GABA signaling within the cerebellum, as well as the importance of considering nutritional intervention methods as an adjunct treatment for patients chronically treated with neuroleptics. Finally, we indicate that future studies involving the analysis of individual patient's genetic profiles will further assist towards a precision medicine approach to the treatment of schizophrenia.

Psychopathological Impact and Resilient Scenarios in Inpatient with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders Related to Covid Physical Distancing Policies: A Systematic Review.

The COVID-19 epidemic posed great challenges to the healthcare community. To contain the epidemiological emergency, confinement measures were instituted, affecting the entire population. The lack of social contact, as well as the disruption of daily life, caused the exacerbation of anxiety and depressive symptoms. The present review of the literature aims to investigate what the effects of the pandemic have been on patients with schizophrenia, hypothesizing, an exacerbation of psychotic symptomatology (positive, negative, disorganized symptoms). Between November 2020 and January 2021, 5353 articles were collected and analyzed from the databases of the ResearchGate, Pubmed, and Psycnet websites, subjected to PRISMA methodology. Of these, 11 were evaluated for eligibility, but only three were included in the study because they met all inclusion criteria. The research did not confirm the expected results, showing that any kind of worsening of schizophrenic symptomatology involved the study samples. However, interesting outcomes were highlighted, such as a significant increase in general well-being during the early period of the pandemic, especially by women, or an increase in CPR (C-reactive Protein) levels in the blood, signaling an inflammatory state. Although the systematic review refuted the initial hypothesis, this must be a starting point: the topic is recent and these findings leave ample room for further investigation, particularly in long-term longitudinal research. It is possible that the true response to this disruption of daily life that occurred only during the past year may manifest itself later in time. On the other hand, interesting outcomes have been brought to light that may provide further interesting research insights.

Anti-Stress Properties of Atypical Antipsychotics.

Stress exposure represents a major environmental risk factor for schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders, as it plays a pivotal role in the etiology as well as in the manifestation of disease symptomatology. It may be inferred that pharmacological treatments must be able to modulate the behavioral, functional, and molecular alterations produced by stress exposure to achieve significant clinical outcomes. This review aims at examining existing clinical and preclinical evidence that supports the ability of atypical antipsychotic drugs (AAPDs) to modulate stress-related alterations. Indeed, while the pharmacodynamic differences between AAPDs have been extensively characterized, less is known on their ability to regulate downstream mechanisms that are critical for functional recovery and patient stabilization. We will discuss stress-related mechanisms, spanning from neuroendocrine function to inflammation and neuronal plasticity, which are relevant for the manifestation of schizophrenic symptomatology, and we will discuss if and how AAPDs may interfere with such mechanisms. Considering the impact of stress in everyday life, we believe that a better understanding of the potential effects of AAPDs on stress-related mechanisms may provide novel and important insights for improving therapeutic strategies aimed at promoting coping mechanisms and enhancing the quality of life of patients affected by psychiatric disorders.

Altered insulin-like growth factor-2 signaling is associated with psychopathology and cognitive deficits in patients with schizophrenia.

BackgroundSchizophrenia is linked with abnormal brain neurodevelopment, on which IGF-2 (insulin-like growth factor-2) has a great impact. The purpose of this study was to assess the levels of serum IGF-2 and its binding proteins IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-7 in schizophrenia patients and the associations of these proteins with schizophrenia psychopathology and cognitive deficits.MethodsThirty-two schizophrenia patients and 30 healthy controls were recruited. The PANSS and a neurocognitive test battery were used to assess schizophrenic symptomatology and cognition, respectively. Serum IGF-2, IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-7 levels were determined using ELISA.ResultsThe schizophrenia patients had a much lower content of serum IGF-2, IGFBP-3 and IGFBP-7 than controls. For the patients, IGF-2 levels were negatively correlated with the PANSS negative scores and positively associated with working memory, attention, and executive function. The correlations between IGF-2 and the PANSS negative scores, working memory or executive function were still significant after controlling for age, sex, education level, BMI, illness history and age of onset. No significant associations of IGFBP-3 or IGFBP-7 with the PANSS scores and cognitive function were observed in the patients.ConclusionsOur study demonstrates that serum IGF-2 was significantly correlated with negative and cognitive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia, suggesting that altered IGF-2 signaling may be implicated in the psychopathology and cognitive deficits in schizophrenia.

Alteration of Serum Levels of Cytokines in Schizophrenic Patients before and after Treatment with Risperidone.

A growing body of evidence suggests the existence of abnormalities in the immune system of schizophrenic patients. The current study examined serum levels of interleukin (IL) -1β, IL-6, IL-2,interferon(IFN) -γ, and tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α in schizophrenic patients before and after treatment with risperidone and correlated levels of these cytokines with symptomatology.The study group consisted of 24 schizophrenic patients as defined by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th edition (DSM-IV) criteria and 24 healthy controls. Serum cytokine levels were examined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Schizophrenic symptomatology was assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) questionnaire. The serum levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 were significantly higher in participants before treatment compared with the healthy controls and after treatment (p<0.001). IFN-γ and IL-2 levels were significantly lower in participants after treatment compared with before treatment and the healthy controls (p<0.001). Except for IL-6 (p<0.05), there was no significant difference in the levels of TNF-α and IL-1β between the patients receiving treatment and the healthy subjects. Moreover, there was no significant difference in levels of IFN-γ and IL-2 between patients before treatment and the healthy subjects.There were no significant correlations between the concentration of cytokines studied and the PANSS. Positive intercorrelations between the production of IFN-γ and IL-2 were detected for sums of all groups(r=0.33, p=0.005). Clinical improvement of treated patients was associated with a reduction in the studied cytokines. It seems that changes in the cytokines level may play a significant role in the psychopathology of these patients.

Resilience, Sense of Coherence, and Coping with Stress as Predictors of Psychological Well-Being in the Course of Schizophrenia. The Study Design.

The main research objective was seeking for the predictive role of such personal resources as resilience, sense of coherence, and coping with stress in psychological well-being of schizophrenia patients and their treatment. The study group comprised 201 individuals with schizophrenia, aged between 18 and 62. The following instruments were used: The sense of coherence scale SOC-29, The resilience scale for adults, polish adaptation of the stress appraisal measure, semistructured clinical interview, the positive and negative syndrome scale, the mood scale, and the general health questionnaire. A stepwise regression analysis aimed at selecting a group of significant predictors for the verified factors of psychological well-being in patients suffering from schizophrenia was carried out. The results of the study demonstrated the following to be significant predictors of psychological well-being in patients with schizophrenia: Resilience (explaining significantly the level of schizophrenic symptomatology Beta = −0.30, negative symptoms Beta = −0.385, and cognitive disorders Beta = −0.303), sense of coherence, which significantly predicted mood (in the case of manageability, Beta = 0.580 for positive mood, and Beta = 0.534 for negative mood) and psychiatric symptomatology (comprehensibility, Beta = 0.311 for negative symptoms, Beta = 0.173 for excessive arousal, and Beta = 0.330 for cognitive disorganization). The level of perceived stress appraised as challenge predicted positive mood (Beta = 0.164), while stress appraisal in terms of threat served as a predictor for negative mood and depressiveness (Beta = 0.190). The study results can prove helpful in creating therapeutic and programs and psychiatric rehabilitation for patients with schizophrenia.

Decreased plasma levels of gasotransmitter hydrogen sulfide in patients with schizophrenia: correlation with psychopathology and cognition.

Aberrant N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) function has been implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is an endogenous gasotransmitter that regulates NMDAR function. The current study investigated the relationship between plasma H2S levels and both psychopathological and cognitive symptoms in schizophrenia. Forty-one patients with schizophrenia and 40 healthy control subjects were recruited in present study. Schizophrenic symptomatology was assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Cognitive function was evaluated with a neuropsychological battery including seven neurocognitive tests. Plasma H2S levels were measured by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). Patients with schizophrenia performed worse in all of the cognitive tests than the healthy controls except for the visual memory. Plasma H2S levels were significantly lower in patients with schizophrenia relative to healthy control subjects (F= 3.821, p= 0.007). Correlation analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between the H2S levels and the PANSS general scores (r= - 0.413, p= 0.007). Additionally, a positive association was observed between plasma H2S levels and working memory (r= 0.416, p= 0.007), visual memory (r= 0.363, p= 0.020), or executive function (r= 0.344, p= 0.028) in patients. Partial correlation analysis showed that the correlations between the H2S levels and the PANSS general scores, working memory, visual memory, or executive function were still significant when controlling for age, gender, years of education, BMI, duration of illness, and age of onset. The significant relations observed in the current study between H2S and the general psychopathological as well as cognitive symptoms suggest that decreased H2S is involved in the psychopathology and cognitive deficits of schizophrenia, and it might be a promising peripheral biomarker of schizophrenia.

Imbalance between abstract and concrete repetitive thinking modes in schizophrenia

ObjectiveRepetitive thoughts can be divided in two modes: abstract/analytic (decontextualized and dysfunctional) and concrete/experiential (problem-focused and adaptive). They constitute a transdiagnostic process involved in many psychopathological states but have received little attention in schizophrenia, as earlier studies only indexed increased ruminations (related to dysfunctional repetitive thoughts) without jointly exploring both modes. This study explored the two repetitive thinking modes, beyond ruminations, to determine their imbalance in schizophrenia. MethodsThirty stabilized patients with schizophrenia and 30 matched controls completed the Repetitive Response Scale and the Mini Cambridge-Exeter Repetitive Thought Scale, both measuring repetitive thinking modes. Complementary measures related to schizophrenic symptomatology, depression and anxiety were also conducted. ResultsCompared to controls, patients with schizophrenia presented an imbalance between repetitive thinking modes, with increased abstract/analytic and reduced concrete/experiential thoughts, even after controlling for comorbidities. Schizophrenia is associated with stronger dysfunctional repetitive thoughts (i.e. abstract thinking) and impaired ability to efficiently use repetitive thinking for current problem-solving (i.e. concrete thinking). ConclusionThis imbalance confirms the double-faced nature of repetitive thinking modes, whose influence on schizophrenia's symptomatology should be further investigated. The present results also claim for evaluating these processes in clinical settings and for rehabilitating the balance between opposite repetitive thinking modes.

Singularitarianism and schizophrenia

Given the contemporary ambivalent standpoints toward the future of artificial intelligence, recently denoted as the phenomenon of Singularitarianism, Gregory Bateson’s core theories of ecology of mind, schismogenesis, and double bind, are hereby revisited, taken out of their respective sociological, anthropological, and psychotherapeutic contexts and recontextualized in the field of Roboethics as to a twofold aim: (a) the proposal of a rigid ethical standpoint toward both artificial and non-artificial agents, and (b) an explanatory analysis of the reasons bringing about such a polarized outcome of contradictory views in regard to the future of robots. Firstly, the paper applies the Batesonian ecology of mind for constructing a unified roboethical framework which endorses a flat ontology embracing multiple forms of agency, borrowing elements from Floridi’s information ethics, classic virtue ethics, Felix Guattari’s ecosophy, Braidotti’s posthumanism, and the Japanese animist doctrine of Rinri. The proposed framework wishes to act as a pragmatic solution to the endless dispute regarding the nature of consciousness or the natural/artificial dichotomy and as a further argumentation against the recognition of future artificial agency as a potential existential threat. Secondly, schismogenic analysis is employed to describe the emergence of the hostile human–robot cultural contact, tracing its origins in the early scientific discourse of man–machine symbiosis up to the contemporary countermeasures against superintelligent agents. Thirdly, Bateson’s double bind theory is utilized as an analytic methodological tool of humanity’s collective agency, leading to the hypothesis of collective schizophrenic symptomatology, due to the constancy and intensity of confronting messages emitted by either proponents or opponents of artificial intelligence. The double bind’s treatment is the mirroring “therapeutic double bind,” and the article concludes in proposing the conceptual pragmatic imperative necessary for such a condition to follow: humanity’s conscience of habitualizing danger and familiarization with its possible future extinction, as the result of a progressive blurrification between natural and artificial agency, succeeded by a totally non-organic intelligent form of agency.

Depressive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia

IntroductionDepression is common among patients with schizophrenia and is associated with a wide range of poor outcomes, including psychotic relapse and suicide. The aim of the study is to evaluate the presence of depressive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia and to compare depression intensity in schizophrenic patients and patients with depressive disorder.MethodsIn this cross sectional study were included 40 patients from both genders. Patients were divided in 2 groups: (1) examined group: 20 schizophrenic patients who presented depressive symptomatology. Depressive symptoms-evaluated with the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. Inclusion criteria: schizophrenic disorder by ICD-10 (F20.0-F20.9), total score higher than 7 on the HRSD-17 and age between 25 and 65; (2) control group: 20 patients with depressive disorder. Inclusion criteria: recurrent depressive disorder by ICD-10 (F33.0-F33.9), total score higher than 7 on the HRSD-17 and age between 25 and 65. Psychiatric rating scales for clinical evaluation of prominence of symptomatology: 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HRSD-17) and PANSS (Positive And Negative Syndrome Scale).ResultsThe prevalence of patients with depressive symptoms among the schizophrenic patients was 45% i.e. out of 20 evaluated patients with schizophrenia, 9 showed depressive symptoms. The total score in the remaining 11 patients on the HRSD-17 was lower than 7 and they were excluded. Difference between the two groups for gender difference was not statistically significant.ConclusionsThe percentage of patients with depressive symptoms among the patients with schizophrenic disorder was 45%. Schizophrenic patients more frequently presented mild and moderate depression in comparison to the control group. In the majority of subjects with schizophrenia and depressive symptoms positive schizophrenic symptomatology was predominant.Disclosure of interestThe author has not supplied his/her declaration of competing interest.

Decreased serum TNF-alpha levels in chronic schizophrenia patients on long-term antipsychotics: correlation with psychopathology and cognition.

A substantial body of evidence implicates TNF-alpha (TNFα) and TNFα-related signaling pathways in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. The current study examined the relationship between TNFα serum levels and both psychopathological as well as cognitive symptoms in schizophrenia. Serum TNFα levels were assessed in 89 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and compared to 43 healthy control subjects matched for age and gender. Schizophrenic symptomatology was assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and serum TNFα levels were measured by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). TNFα levels were significantly lower in patients with chronic schizophrenia relative to healthy control subjects (p<0.01). Correlation analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between the TNFα levels and the PANSS total score (p<0.01). Additionally, TNFα levels were significantly negatively correlated with scores on general psychopathology (p<0.01), positive (p<0.05) and cognitive subscales (p<0.05). Stepwise multiple regression analysis identified TNFα levels as a significant predictor of scores on the general psychopathology subscale of the PANSS. The significant relations observed in the current study between TNFα and the PANSS and its subscales suggest that immune disturbance may be involved in the psychopathology and cognitive deficits of schizophrenia.

Therapeutic Potential of Cannabinoids in Schizophrenia

Increasing evidence suggests a close relationship between the endocannabinoid system and schizophrenia. The endocannabinoid system comprises of two G protein-coupled receptors (the cannabinoid receptors 1 and 2 [CB1 and CB2] for marijuana's psychoactive principle Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol), their endogenous small lipid ligands (namely anandamide [AEA] and 2-arachidonoylglycerol [2-AG], also known as endocannabinoids), and proteins for endocannabinoid biosynthesis and degradation. It has been suggested to be a pro-homeostatic and pleiotropic signalling system activated in a time- and tissue-specific manner during pathophysiological conditions. In the brain, activation of this system impacts the release of numerous neurotransmitters in various systems and cytokines from glial cells. Hence, the endocannabinoid system is strongly involved in neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia. Therefore, adolescence use of Cannabis may alter the endocannabinoid signalling and pose a potential environmental risk to develop psychosis. Consistently, preclinical and clinical studies have found a dysregulation in the endocannabinoid system such as changed expression of CB1 and CB2 receptors or altered levels of AEA and 2-AG . Thus, due to the partial efficacy of actual antipsychotics, compounds which modulate this system may provide a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of schizophrenia. The present article reviews current available knowledge on herbal, synthetic and endogenous cannabinoids with respect to the modulation of schizophrenic symptomatology. Furthermore, this review will be highlighting the therapeutic potential of cannabinoid-related compounds and presenting some promising patents targeting potential treatment options for schizophrenia.

Dopaminergic Contributions to Hippocampal Pathophysiology in Schizophrenia: A Computational Study

Since the original formulation of the dopamine hypothesis, a number of other cellular-level abnormalities--eg, NMDA receptor hypofunction, GABA system dysfunction, neural connectivity disturbances--have been identified in schizophrenia, but the manner in which these potentially interact with hyperdopaminergia to lead to schizophrenic symptomatology remains uncertain. Previously, we created a neuroanatomically detailed, biophysically realistic computational model of hippocampus in the control (unaffected) and schizophrenic conditions, implemented on a 72-processor supercomputer platform. In the current study, we apply the effects of dopamine (DA), dose-dependently, to both models on the basis of an exhaustive review of the neurophysiologic literature on DA's ion channel and synaptic level effects. To index schizophrenic behavior, we use the specific inability of the model to attune to the 40 Hz (gamma band) frequency, a finding that has been well replicated in the clinical electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography literature. In trials using 20 'simulated patients', we find that DA applied to the control model produces modest increases in 40 Hz activity, similar to experimental studies. However, in the schizophrenic model, increasing DA induces a decrement in 40 Hz resonance. This modeling work is significant in that it suggests that DA's effects may vary based on the neural substrate on which it acts, and--via simulated EEG recordings-points to the neurophysiologic mechanisms by which this may occur. We also feel that it makes a methodological contribution, as it exhibits a process by which a large amount of neurobiological data can be integrated to run pharmacologically relevant in silico experiments, using a systems biology approach.

Schizophrenia and periodontal disease: An oro-neural connection? A cross-sectional epidemiological study.

Background:Schizophrenia is a psychosis characterized by delusions and hallucinations occurring in clear consciousness. Studies have shown that the cytokines may modulate dopaminergic metabolism and schizophrenic symptomatology in schizophrenia. Cytokine involvement in periodontal disease is also well documented. To date, however, there has been relatively little research assessing periodontal status of patients with schizophrenia. The present study was therefore mainly intended to understand the exact link, if any, between periodontal disease and schizophrenia.Materials and Methods:A total of 250 schizophrenic patients (140 males and 110 females), between 25 and 55 years of age, were selected from the out patient department of National Institute of Mental Health and Neural Sciences, Bangalore and their periodontal status was assessed as part of this cross-sectional epidemiological survey.Results:ANOVA showed that there was increased evidence of poor periodontal condition, as evidenced by gingival index and plaque index in patients who had been schizophrenic for a longer duration of time (P < 0.001). So also, higher probing pocket depths were found in schizophrenics suffering from a longer period of time than others (P < 0.001).Conclusions:Although oral neglect might be a cause of poor periodontal health in schizophrenics, the possible link between periodontal diseases giving rise to schizophrenia cannot be overlooked due to the presence of cytokine activity which is present both in schizophrenia and periodontal disease.

Pattern of Attentional Task Impairment in Schizophrenic Patients: A Study Report

The present study attempted to find out the relationship between positive and negative clinical symptoms and various attentional task impairment in a group of schizophrenic patients. METHODS: Fifty schizophrenic patients were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) by a trained psychiatrist (TKA) who was blind to attentional test measures and two groups, each of 25 positive symptom and 25 negative symptom schizophrenic patients, were formed. On these 50 patients with schizophrenia and 15 normal control groups, various attentional test measures were applied by a clinical psychologist (SS) who remained blind to the PANSS score. RESULTS: It was found that schizophrenic patients were deficient in performing simple auditory and visual attentional tasks in comparison to normal subjects. The results of this study are inconsistent with the assumption that deficits in attention are uniquely associated with negative symptoms. The findings clearly support the hypothesis of a relationship between type of attentional processing and “dimensions” of schizophrenic symptomatology. The positive symptoms patients seem to be associated with attentional dysfunction especially selective attention and short term recall, whereas negative symptoms patients seem to be associated with different types of attentional deficits, e.g., sustained attention and visual attention. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of our study are consistent with the existing literature that schizophrenic patients in general perform poorly on various measures of attentional tasks. Positive and negative symptoms schizophrenics have some correlation with distinct attentional deficits.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jucms.v1i2.8402 Journal of Universal College of Medical Sciences Vol.1(2) 2013: 1-7

Free radicals, antioxidant defense systems, and schizophrenia

The etiopathogenic mechanisms of schizophrenia are to date unknown, although several hypotheses have been suggested. Accumulating evidence suggests that excessive free radical production or oxidative stress may be involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia as evidenced by increased production of reactive oxygen or decreased antioxidant protection in schizophrenic patients. This review aims to summarize the basic molecular mechanisms of free radical metabolism, the impaired antioxidant defense system and membrane pathology in schizophrenia, their interrelationships with the characteristic clinical symptoms and the implications for antipsychotic treatments. In schizophrenia, there is accumulating evidence of altered antioxidant enzyme activities and increased levels of lipid peroxidation, as well as altered levels of plasma antioxidants. Moreover, free radical-mediated abnormalities may contribute to specific aspects of schizophrenic symptomatology and complications of its treatment with antipsychotic drugs, as well as the development of tardive dyskinesia (TD). Finally, the potential therapeutic strategies implicated by the accumulating data on oxidative stress mechanisms for the treatment of schizophrenia are discussed.

Remarques sur l’autisme de la schizophrénie

After a brief overview of the psychiatric literature dedicated to the autism, as introduced by Bleuler in the clinic of schizophrenia, this article focuses on the status of autistic syndrome in the schizophrenic symptomatology. In a first part based on the study of the negative symptomatology, the author underlines the paradoxical situation of affects in such clinical pictures, and highlights how autistic withdrawal cannot be understood as a “loss of affective contact”. The second part, focused on the positive symptomatology, shows the particularities of the “autistic thought” and settles what the relevant study owes to the dream-paradigm. Finally, the author formulates the contradiction between Bleulerian and Freudian's approaches: autism is not a withdrawal on the “intimate world”, but merely an effect of its exclusion.

Deep brain stimulation on schizophrenic symptoms in the WIN rat model of schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric affliction with a significant proportion of treatment-resistant patients that challenge existing therapeutic methods. In this context, deep brain stimulation (DBS) may appear to be a promising therapeutic alternative. In compliance with that, we previously demonstrated that DBS affects behavioural deficits phenotypic of schizophrenia, i.e. PPI, in the Polyl:C model of this disorder. In order to further validate our previous findings, we here utilized an additional approach for modelling schizophrenic symptomatology in the rat – the repeated application of cannabinoids during puberty. Juvenile rats were chronically injected with either the cannabinoid receptor 1 agonist WIN 55,21-2 or saline. At early adulthood, all rats were implanted bilaterally with electrodes in either the mPFC, the dorsomedial thalamus (DM) or the nucleus accumbens (Nacc). DBS effects were then assessed in two behavioural paradigms, PPI and object recognition. DBS was found to differentially affect behavioral performance of WIN treated rats in both tested paradigms depending on the stimulation target. These results allow drawing implications regarding the relevance of the investigated brain sites and functional circuits in the manifestation and therapy of schizophrenia symptoms. In addition, effects partially resembled our previous results highlighting the necessity of complimentary approaches for a comprehensive modeling of schizophrenia symptomatology.

Obstetrical Complications, Social Class and Type of Schizophrenia

The emerging neurodevelopmental model posits that prenatal and perinatal factors can play an etiological role in schizophrenia. Consistently, the research on obstetrical complications (OCs) reports an association with the development of more severe schizophrenic symptoms. Low socioeconomic status (SES) has also been linked to both limited prenatal healthcare and to worse prognosis of schizophrenic symptoms. A large sample (n=437) of patients from a state hospital population in the U. S. was screened for study variables. A sequential analysis was conducted, first applying cross tabulations using the chi-square test, and then building separate logit models for poor and nonpoor patients. The cross tabulations indicated an association between OCs and negative symptoms for poor schizophrenic patients, but not for nonpoor patients. Multivariate logit models further supported this result. This is the first study to examine the interaction of OCs, schizophrenic symptomatology and SES of origin.