Psychophysiological aspects in DiGeorge syndrome: psychotic risk and ERPs correlates

Introduction: The 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (Velocardiofacial/DiGeorge syndrome; 22qDS) is aneurogenetic disorder resulting from a hemizygous deletion. Individuals with 22q11DS present with a wide range of clinical manifestations ( congenital cardiac and palate defects, calcium deficiencies, immune problems); an increased risk ofbehavioraland neurocognitive sequelae throughout developmenthave been reported. Approximately 30% of individuals develops a psychotic disorder in adolescenceor early adulthood, making this syndrome one of the largest known genetic risk factors for schizophrenia.Attentional deficits and anxiety disorder are core symptoms of schizophrenia. ERPs could represent an useful approach to detectpsychophysiological changes over the course of the disease. The aim of this study is to evaluate some psychophysiological aspects in patients with DiGeorge syndrome in the attempt to recognize earlier specific features able to provide pre-clinic evidence predictive of a possibleevolution towards schizophrenia. Methods: Eightsubjects with 22q11DS, (median age 28,6-29,8±..ys), eight psychotic patients and eight matched healthy controls underwent a psychophysiological assessment. CNVand P300 (oddball and Novel paradigm) were recorded.CNV amplitude (total area and two temporal windows, W1 and W2), and P3 parameters were measured. Results: A total CNV areadecrease wasfound in 22q11DS patients with respect to psychotic andhealthycontrols (p=0.04 and p=0.07 respectively). A slight difference was evident at W1 in 22q11DS patients and psychotics vs controls.A N1 latency reduction was observed in 22q11DS patients during Novelty P3 paradigm (p=0.03). Conclusions: Psychophysiological changes in CNV and P3 latency and amplitudehave been repeatedly found in schizophrenic patients and interpreted as a deficit in attentional processes. Data related to our Di George subjects suggest a possible frontal involvement of attentional processes in absence of a psychiatric symptoms. A follow-up study could confirm a predictive role of these ERPs findings in this syndrome

The relationship of personal resources with symptom severity and psychosocial functioning in persons with schizophrenia: results from the Italian network for Research on Psychoses study

The relationships of personal resources with symptom severity and psychosocial functioning have never been tested systematically in a large sample of people with schizophrenia. We applied structural equation models to a sample of 921 patients with schizophrenia collected in a nationwide Italian study, with the aim to identify, among a large set of personal resources, those that may have an association with symptom severity or psychosocial functioning. Several relevant demographic and clinical variables were considered concurrently. Poor service engagement and poor recovery style, as well as older age and younger age at onset, were related to greater symptom severity and poorer social functioning. Higher resilience and higher education were related to better social functioning only. Poor problem-focused coping and internalized stigma, as well as male gender and depression, were related to symptom severity only. The explored variables showed distinctive and partially independent associations with symptom severity and psychosocial functioning. A deeper understanding of these relationships may inform treatment decisions

Schizotypy and personality profiles of Cluster A in a group of schizophrenic patients and their siblings.

Background: Schizotypy, or the set of personality traits related to schizophrenia, is considered an endophenotypic manifestation that is more represented in first-degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia than in the general population. The assessment of schizotypy is primarily based on self-reports, and for this reason it presents several limitations. In order to assess schizotypy, this study proposes a diagnostic instrument based on clinical reports. Methods: A sample of 66 subjects, composed of 25 outpatients with schizophrenia, 18 siblings of these patients and 23 healthy controls, was subjected to the personality assessment test SWAP-200 by trained clinical interviewers. To test the hypothesis of the difference between the profiles of the Personality Disorders within the schizophrenia spectrum, a Multivariate Analysis of Variance and subsequent planned comparisons were conducted. Results: Patients with schizophrenia scored higher than both their siblings and the controls on all SWAP-200 scales; their siblings, compared to the healthy controls, showed significant statistical differences, with higher mean scores for paranoid (F-(1,F-63) = 7.02; p = 0.01), schizoid (F-(1,F-63) = 6.56; p = 0.013) and schizotypal (F-(1,F-63) = 6.47; p = 0.013) traits (PD T scores of Cluster A and Q-factor scores for the schizoid scale [F-(1,F-63) = 6.47; p = 0.013]). Conclusions: Consistent with previous data, first-degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia scored higher on schizophrenia-related personality traits than a general population comparison sample. SWAP-200, as an alternative diagnostic instrument to self-report measures, is able to reveal the higher prevalence of schizotypal traits in siblings of patients with schizophrenia, suggesting its possible use as a complementary instrument for the assessment of schizophrenia

The relationships of personal resources with symptom severity and psychosocial functioning in persons with schizophrenia: results from the Italian Network for Research on Psychoses study

The relationships of personal resources with symptom severity and psychosocial functioning have never been tested systematically in a large sample of people with schizophrenia. We applied structural equation models to a sample of 921 patients with schizophrenia collected in a nationwide Italian study, with the aim to identify, among a large set of personal resources, those that may have an association with symptom severity or psychosocial functioning. Several relevant demographic and clinical variables were considered concurrently. Poor service engagement and poor recovery style, as well as older age and younger age at onset, were related to greater symptom severity and poorer social functioning. Higher resilience and higher education were related to better social functioning only. Poor problem-focused coping and internalized stigma, as well as male gender and depression, were related to symptom severity only. The explored variables showed distinctive and partially independent associations with symptom severity and psychosocial functioning. A deeper understanding of these relationships may inform treatment decisions