Treatment outcomes in schizophrenia: qualitative study of the views of family carers

Background: Schizophrenia is a complex, heterogeneous disorder, with highly variable treatment outcomes, and relatively little is known about what is important to patients. The aim of the study was to understand treatment outcomes informal carers perceive to be important to people with schizophrenia. Method: Qualitative interview study with 34 individuals and 8 couples who care for a person with schizophrenia/ schizoaffective disorder. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed by a thematic framework based approach. Results: Carers described well-recognised outcomes of importance, alongside more novel outcomes relating to: Safety (of the patient/others); insight (e.g. into non-reality of psychotic phenomena); respite from fear, distress or pain; socially acceptable behaviour; getting out of the house; attainment of life milestones; changes in personality and/or temperament; reduction of vulnerability to stress; and several aspects of physical health. Conclusions: These findings have the potential to inform the development of patient- or carer- focused outcome measures that take into account the full range of domains that carers feel are important for patients.EUFAM

The synthesis of [3,4,1 '-C-13(3)]genistein

A facile synthesis is described for [3,4, 1'-C-13(3)]genistein for use as an internal standard in isoflavone analysis by mass spectrometric methods. Ethyl 4-hydroxy[1-C-13]benzoate was first prepared from the reaction of diethyl [2-C-13]malonate and 4H-pyran-4-one. Two further C-13 atoms were incorporated using potassium [C-13]cyanide as the source to give 4'-benzyloxy-[1,2, 1'-C-13(3)]phenylacetonitrile. [3,4, 1'-C-13(3)]Genistein was then constructed through coupling of the isotopically labelled phenylacetonitrile with phloroglucinol under Hoesch conditions, followed by formylation and cyclization. Copyright (C) 2007 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.</p