Schizoaffective Disorder

Emotion perception (EP) is impaired in schizophrenia, is stable across clinical state, resistant to antipsychotic treatment and linked to symptom severity. Given its pervasive nature, there is a need to quantitatively examine whether this dysfunction impacts functional outcomes. We used a meta-analytic strategy to combine results from several studies and examine synthesized effect sizes.|A Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology standard was used to extract data following a PubMed and PsychInfo search. Studies reporting correlations between measures of EP and functional outcomes in schizophrenia spectrum disorders were selected. The impact of potential methodological (task type), demographic (sex, age, race, education, marital status) and clinical (age of onset, duration of illness, setting, symptoms, anti-psychotic medication) moderators on effect sizes were examined.|Twenty-five studies met inclusion criteria and included 1306 patients who were 37 years old, with 12

Inhibition of return (IOR) is a phenomenon that involves inhibited or delayed orienting to previously cued locations in favor of attending to novel locations. To date, research on IOR in patients with schizophrenia has generated mixed, and seemingly conflicting, results. Some researchers report patients with schizophrenia exhibit blunted or delayed IOR, while other researchers report normal IOR, in terms of time course and magnitude. This meta-analysis summarizes the literature that has employed an IOR task in patients with schizophrenia and with controls while focusing upon a procedural feature, the use of a cue back to fixation, between the cue and target that is known to be important when executive control has been hampered in non-clinical populations. Fifteen experiments were located yielding a total sample of 362 patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and 285 controls. Using a meta-analytic approach, results of the present analyses show that patients with

To clarify the efficacy and tolerability of bupropion sustained release (SR) for the treatment of cigarette smoking in people with schizophrenia.|The first study is a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial with 32 outpatients from the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center. From May 2003 to July 2007, clinically stable people with a DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who smoked at least 10 cigarettes per day and who were interested in quitting smoking or cutting down were recruited for participation. All participated in a 9-week support group and were randomly assigned to receive 12 weeks of bupropion SR or placebo. The primary outcome measure was 4 weeks' sustained abstinence over the last 4 study weeks. Secondary outcome measures included decrease in smoking behavior and change in symptoms, neuropsychological performance, and side effects. In the second study, we performed an electronic literature search of MEDLINE in September 2008. Articles in

Our aim in this article is 2-fold: first, to examine the mid-term to long-term data on efficacy, from controlled and naturalistic and other studies, in order to determine if they are consistent with the quantitative meta-analyses of mostly short-term, randomized controlled trials Our second (and most important) aim is to use these and other data to provide guidance about the potential relationship of these differences among antipsychotics to the individual patient's own experience with antipsychotic drugs in the process of shared decision-making with the patients and their significant others.|A search of PubMed, Embase, and PsychINFO was conducted for articles published in English between January 1, 1999, and April 2011, using the search terms double-blind AND randomized AND olanzapine AND (ziprasidone OR risperidone OR quetiapine OR haloperidol OR fluphenazine OR perphenazine OR aripiprazole).|Studies with a duration 3 months or longer, including patients with schizophrenia or

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) regulates the survival and growth of neurons, and influences synaptic efficiency and plasticity. Several studies report reduced peripheral (blood) levels of BDNF in schizophrenia, but findings are inconsistent. We undertook the first systematic review with meta-analysis of studies examining blood BDNF levels in schizophrenia compared with healthy controls, and examined potential effects of age, gender and medication. Included are individual studies of BDNF blood (serum or plasma) levels in schizophrenia (including schizoaffective disorder, or first episode psychosis), compared with age-matched healthy controls, obtained by electronic Medline and Embase searches, and hand searching. The decision to include or exclude studies, data extraction and quality assessment were completed by two independent reviewers. The initial search revealed 378 records, of which 342 were excluded on reading the Abstract, because they did not examine BDNF blood levels

To examine the effectiveness of a low-intensity home-based aftercare service, 130 patients with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder or bipolar disorder were randomized to receive either home aftercare or treatment-as-usual. In home aftercare, a general practitioner and a social worker made home visits once in a month after discharge from the hospital wherein they provided education and treatment. In a 1-year follow-up, home aftercare led to greater reduction in rehospitalization rate, more improvement in psychotic symptoms and global illness severity, as well as greater service satisfaction. The implementation of this low-intensity aftercare is recommended, especially in less resourceful settings.

22926613 2012 09 05 2013 01 16 1533-712X 32 5 Oct J Clin Psychopharmacol 720-1 10.1097/JCP.0b013e3182683903 Liang Chih-Sung CS Yang Fei-Wen FW Huang Yao-Chin YC eng Case Reports Letter United States J Clin Psychopharmacol 8109496 0271-0749 0

Higher prevalence rates of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in patients with schizophrenia are getting more and more attention. Uric acid (UA) has been frequently reported to be associated with MetS in the general population. Sex difference in this relationship is inconsistent. As a selective antioxidant, UA has also been found to be reduced in patients with schizophrenia, and this effect may be prominent in men. With the inconsistent presentations, higher rate of MetS but possible lower UA concentrations, the aim of this study was to investigate the relationship by sexes between serum UA concentrations and prevalence of MetS in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. A total of 637 patients, 342 male and 295 female, were enrolled from 36 psychiatric rehabilitation institutions. Cross-sectional anthropometrical data, biochemical analysis, and serum UA were measured. Serum UA concentrations were divided into quartiles by sexes. Modified National Cholesterol Education Program

Individuals with schizophrenia have significant deficits in premorbid social and academic adjustment compared to individuals with non-psychotic diagnoses. However, it is unclear how severity and developmental trajectory of premorbid maladjustment compare across psychotic disorders. This study examined the association between premorbid functioning (in childhood, early adolescence, and late adolescence) and psychotic disorder diagnosis in a first-episode sample of 105 individuals: schizophrenia (n=68), schizoaffective disorder (n=22), and mood disorder with psychotic features (n=15). Social and academic maladjustment was assessed using the Cannon-Spoor Premorbid Adjustment Scale. Worse social functioning in late adolescence was associated with higher odds of schizophrenia compared to odds of either schizoaffective disorder or mood disorder with psychotic features, independently of child and early adolescent maladjustment. Greater social dysfunction in childhood was associated with

Catatonia, extrapyramidal signs, psychomotor slowing, and (motoric) neurological soft signs are well-known psychomotor symptoms in schizophrenia. This study aims at investigating the interrelations between these symptoms. In addition, associations between psychomotor symptoms, clinical symptoms, and cognitive functioning will be studied.|An extensive test battery containing psychomotor (Bush Francis Catatonia Rating Scale; St Hans Rating Scale; Salptrire Retardation Rating Scale; Neurological Evaluation Scale) and clinical (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale; Calgary Depression Scale) rating scales as well as instrumental psychomotor tests (Line Copying Task; Finger Tapping Task) and cognitive tasks (Symbol Digit Substitution Test; Stroop Colour Word Test; Continuous Performance Test; Letter Number Sequencing) was administered to a sample of 124 patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.|Correlational analyses showed that two clusters emerge from our data: first, a

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