Allostatic load is associated with positive symptoms in schizophrenia and first-episode psychosis and decreases with antipsychotic therapy

Background: Current pathophysiological models of schizophrenia suggest that stress contributes to the etiology and trajectory of the disorder. We investigated whether cumulative exposure to stress, quantified by allostatic load (AL), an integrative index of immune, metabolic, and neuroendocrine dysregulation, is elevated in patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) and first-episode psychosis (FEP) and related to psychotic symptoms and social and occupational functioning and assessed the temporal dynamics of AL in response to treatment with second-generation antipsychotics. Methods: We assessed AL in a naturalistic study of unmedicated patients with SCZ (n = 28), FEP (n = 28), and healthy controls matched for age and gender (n = 53) at baseline and 6 and 12 weeks after commencement of antipsychotic therapy. Biomarkers for the AL index were selected based on (1) representation of several physiological systems including the cardiovascular, neuroendocrine, immune, and metabolic systems; (2) use in previous AL research; and (3) associations with disease risk. We adopted a scaled AL algorithm whereby each marker proportionally contributes to the overall AL index. Unadjusted and adjusted differences between patients with SCZ, FEP, and controls in AL were tested with ANCOVA, and partial correlations were used to test associations of AL with psychometric variables. Results: AL was higher in patients with SCZ compared to controls (4.91 ± 1.89 vs. 2.87 ± 1.62, P < .001), patients with FEP compared to controls (3.80 ± 1.66 vs. 2.87 ± 1.62, P = .020) but not different between patients with SCZ and patients with FEP (P = .302). Adjusting for age and smoking, we found that positive symptoms were positively correlated with AL across all patients with a psychotic disorder (adjusted R = .520, P < .001) and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scores were negatively correlated with AL at trend level (adjusted R = −.251, P = .070). No significant associations were found for negative symptoms (P = .582). AL decreased after treatment with olanzapine, risperidone, or quetiapine was commenced in patients with SCZ and FEP between the baseline assessment and the 6- and 12-week follow-up. Conclusion: Our data provide evidence for cumulative physiological dysregulation in patients with SCZ and FEP that is linked to the experience of current positive psychotic symptoms. AL could be a useful model that takes stress, long-term adaptation, and its failures into account to further understand the pathophysiology of schizophrenia

Hair cortisol, allostatic load, and depressive symptoms in Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

Chronic stress and adversity are associated with poor mental health and are thought to contribute to the existing mental health gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians. Hair cortisol and allostatic load (AL) are indices of sustained stress and may be mediators of the effects of stress on health. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between hair cortisol, AL, and depressive symptoms. This cross-sectional study comprised 329 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adolescents and adults recruited at two health screening programs operating in three communities in north Queensland. We measured hair cortisol and calculated an AL index from 10 biomarkers. We assessed depressive symptoms with a version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 adapted for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (aPHQ-9). We found differences in cortisol and AL between the screening programs and communities, which were not explained by depressive symptoms. Overall aPHQ-9 scores were unrelated to hair cortisol (p = .25 and p = .94) and AL (p = .30 and p = .88) when age, gender and smoking were taken into account. However, anhedonia (p = .007) and insomnia (p = .006) sub-scores were each significantly associated with AL in one study site. Our present data did not demonstrate overall associations of stress biomarkers and multisystem dysregulation with depressive symptoms, which suggests that the relationship between cumulative stress and depression may be better explained by other factors in this population. The specific association between anhedonia and insomnia with AL indicates that chronic multisystem dysregulation plays a role in these features of depression in this population

PET imaging of putative microglial activation in individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis, recently diagnosed and chronically ill with schizophrenia

We examined putative microglial activation as a function of illness course in schizophrenia. Microglial activity was quantified using [11C](R)-(1-[2-chrorophynyl]-N-methyl-N-[1-methylpropyl]-3 isoquinoline carboxamide (11C-(R)-PK11195) positron emission tomography (PET) in: (i) 10 individuals at ultra-high risk (UHR) of psychosis; (ii) 18 patients recently diagnosed with schizophrenia; (iii) 15 patients chronically ill with schizophrenia; and, (iv) 27 age-matched healthy controls. Regional-binding potential (BPND) was calculated using the simplified reference-tissue model with four alternative reference inputs. The UHR, recent-onset and chronic patient groups were compared to age-matched healthy control groups to examine between-group BPND differences in 6 regions: dorsal frontal, orbital frontal, anterior cingulate, medial temporal, thalamus and insula. Correlation analysis tested for BPND associations with gray matter volume, peripheral cytokines and clinical variables. The null hypothesis of equality in BPND between patients (UHR, recent-onset and chronic) and respective healthy control groups (younger and older) was not rejected for any group comparison or region. Across all subjects, BPND was positively correlated to age in the thalamus (r=0.43, P=0.008, false discovery rate). No correlations with regional gray matter, peripheral cytokine levels or clinical symptoms were detected. We therefore found no evidence of microglial activation in groups of individuals at high risk, recently diagnosed or chronically ill with schizophrenia. While the possibility of 11C-(R)-PK11195-binding differences in certain patient subgroups remains, the patient cohorts in our study, who also displayed normal peripheral cytokine profiles, do not substantiate the assumption of microglial activation in schizophrenia as a regular and defining feature, as measured by 11C-(R)-PK11195 BPND.M A Di Biase, A Zalesky, G O'keefe, L Laskaris, B T Baune, C S Weickert, J Olver, P D McGorry, G P Amminger, B Nelson, A M Scott, I Hickie, R Banati, F Turkheimer, M Yaqub, I P Everall, C Pantelis and V Crople

Online and social networking interventions for the treatment of depression in young people: a systematic review

BACKGROUND: Major depression accounts for the greatest burden of all diseases globally. The peak onset of depression occurs between adolescence and young adulthood, and for many individuals, depression displays a relapse-remitting and increasingly severe course. Given this, the development of cost-effective, acceptable, and population-focused interventions for depression is critical. A number of online interventions (both prevention and acute phase) have been tested in young people with promising results. As these interventions differ in content, clinician input, and modality, it is important to identify key features (or unhelpful functions) associated with treatment outcomes. OBJECTIVE: A systematic review of the research literature was undertaken. The review was designed to focus on two aspects of online intervention: (1) standard approaches evaluating online intervention content in randomized controlled designs (Section 1), and (2) second-generation online interventions and services using social networking (eg, social networking sites and online support groups) in any type of research design (Section 2). METHODS: Two specific literature searches were undertaken. There was no date range specified. The Section 1 search, which focused on randomized controlled trials, included only young people (12-25 years) and yielded 101 study abstracts, of which 15 met the review inclusion criteria. The Section 2 search, which included all study design types and was not restricted in terms of age, yielded 358 abstracts, of which 22 studies met the inclusion criteria. Information about the studies and their findings were extracted and tabulated for review. RESULTS: The 15 studies identified in Section 1 described 10 trials testing eight different online interventions, all of which were based on a cognitive behavioral framework. All but one of the eight identified studies reported positive results; however, only five of the 15 studies used blinded interviewer administered outcomes with most trials using self-report data. Studies varied significantly in presentation of intervention content, treatment dose, and dropout. Only two studies included moderator or clinician input. Results for Section 2 were less consistent. None of the Section 2 studies reported controlled or randomized designs. With the exception of four studies, all included participants were younger than 25 years of age. Eight of the 16 social networking studies reported positive results for depression-related outcomes. The remaining studies were either mixed or negative. Findings for online support groups tended to be more positive; however, noteworthy risks were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Online interventions with a broad cognitive behavioral focus appear to be promising in reducing depression symptomology in young people. Further research is required into the effectiveness of online interventions delivering cognitive behavioral subcomponents, such as problem-solving therapy. Evidence for the use of social networking is less compelling, although limited by a lack of well-designed studies and social networking interventions. A range of future social networking therapeutic opportunities are highlighted

An open label pilot trial of low‐dose lithium for young people at ultra‐high risk for psychosis

Aim: Lithium, even at low doses, appears to offer neuroprotection against a wide variety of insults. In this controlled pilot, we examined the safety (i.e., side‐effect profile) of lithium in a sample of young people identified at ultra‐high risk (UHR) for psychosis. The secondary aim was to explore whether lithium provided a signal of clinical efficacy in reducing transition to psychosis compared with treatment as usual (TAU). Methods: Young people attending the PACE clinic at Orygen, Melbourne, were prescribed a fixed dose (450 mg) of lithium (n = 25) or received TAU (n = 78). The primary outcome examined side‐effects, with transition to psychosis, functioning and measures of psychopathology assessed as secondary outcomes. Results: Participants in both groups were functionally compromised (lithium group GAF = 56.6; monitoring group GAF = 56.9). Side‐effect assessment indicated that lithium was well‐tolerated. 64% (n = 16) of participants in the lithium group were lithium‐adherent to week 12. Few cases transitioned to psychosis across the study period; lithium group 4% (n = 1); monitoring group 7.7% (n = 6). There was no difference in time to transition to psychosis between the groups. No group differences were observed in other functioning and symptom domains, although all outcomes improved over time. Conclusions: With a side‐effect profile either comparable to, or better than UHR antipsychotic trials, lithium might be explored for further research with UHR young people. A definitive larger trial is needed to determine the efficacy of lithium in this cohort

Combining Clinical With Cognitive or Magnetic Resonance Imaging Data for Predicting Transition to Psychosis in Ultra High-Risk Patients:Data From the PACE 400 Cohort

Background: Multimodal modeling that combines biological and clinical data shows promise in predicting transition to psychosis in individuals who are at ultra-high risk. Individuals who transition to psychosis are known to have deficits at baseline in cognitive function and reductions in gray matter volume in multiple brain regions identified by magnetic resonance imaging.Methods: In this study, we used Cox proportional hazards regression models to assess the additive predictive value of each modality—cognition, cortical structure information, and the neuroanatomical measure of brain age gap—to a previously developed clinical model using functioning and duration of symptoms prior to service entry as predictors in the Personal Assessment and Crisis Evaluation (PACE) 400 cohort. The PACE 400 study is a well-characterized cohort of Australian youths who were identified as ultra-high risk of transitioning to psychosis using the Comprehensive Assessment of At Risk Mental States (CAARMS) and followed for up to 18 years; it contains clinical data (from N = 416 participants), cognitive data (n = 213), and magnetic resonance imaging cortical parameters extracted using FreeSurfer (n = 231).Results: The results showed that neuroimaging, brain age gap, and cognition added marginal predictive information to the previously developed clinical model (fraction of new information: neuroimaging 0%–12%, brain age gap 7%, cognition 0%–16%).Conclusions: In summary, adding a second modality to a clinical risk model predicting the onset of a psychotic disorder in the PACE 400 cohort showed little improvement in the fit of the model for long-term prediction of transition to psychosis

Lipidomics Reveals Early Metabolic Changes in Subjects with Schizophrenia: Effects of Atypical Antipsychotics

There is a critical need for mapping early metabolic changes in schizophrenia to capture failures in regulation of biochemical pathways and networks. This information could provide valuable insights about disease mechanisms, trajectory of disease progression, and diagnostic biomarkers. We used a lipidomics platform to measure individual lipid species in 20 drug-naïve patients with a first episode of schizophrenia (FE group), 20 patients with chronic schizophrenia that had not adhered to prescribed medications (RE group), and 29 race-matched control subjects without schizophrenia. Lipid metabolic profiles were evaluated and compared between study groups and within groups before and after treatment with atypical antipsychotics, risperidone and aripiprazole. Finally, we mapped lipid profiles to n3 and n6 fatty acid synthesis pathways to elucidate which enzymes might be affected by disease and treatment. Compared to controls, the FE group showed significant down-regulation of several n3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), including 20:5n3, 22:5n3, and 22:6n3 within the phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine lipid classes. Differences between FE and controls were only observed in the n3 class PUFAs; no differences where noted in n6 class PUFAs. The RE group was not significantly different from controls, although some compositional differences within PUFAs were noted. Drug treatment was able to correct the aberrant PUFA levels noted in FE patients, but changes in re patients were not corrective. Treatment caused increases in both n3 and n6 class lipids. These results supported the hypothesis that phospholipid n3 fatty acid deficits are present early in the course of schizophrenia and tend not to persist throughout its course. These changes in lipid metabolism could indicate a metabolic vulnerability in patients with schizophrenia that occurs early in development of the disease. © 2013 McEvoy et al

Differential expression of the inflammation marker IL12p40 in the at-risk mental state for psychosis: a predictor of transition to psychotic disorder?

Background: The identification of biomarkers of transition from the at-risk mental state (ARMS) to psychotic disorder is important because early treatment of psychosis is associated with improved outcome. Increasing evidence points to an inflammatory contribution to psychosis. We questioned whether raised levels of plasma inflammatory markers predict transition from ARMS to psychotic disorder and whether any such predictors could be reduced by omega-3 (ω-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Methods: We measured the levels of 40 neuroinflammation biomarkers using a commercially available immunoassay kit. Firstly, we compared inflammatory markers in subjects in the ARMS who transitioned to psychotic disorder (n = 11) compared to subjects who did not (n = 28). Then we compared inflammatory markers in all subjects before and after ω-3 PUFA treatment (n = 40). Results: Our data provides preliminary evidence that elevations in the baseline plasma levels of the inflammatory marker IL12/IL23p40 are associated with transition from ARMS to psychotic disorder. IL12/IL23p40 levels did not change following 12 weeks administration of ω-3 PUFAs. These findings provide evidence that elevated plasma IL12/IL23p40 is a potential biomarker of increased risk for transition to psychotic disorder. Conclusion: Further studies are required to confirm and extend this finding. Our results do not provide support for the possibility that administration of ω-3 PUFAs act to reduced transition to psychotic disorder by reducing blood levels of IL12/IL23p40. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, Identifier: NCT00396643, last updated December 20, 2007. Retrospectively registered

White matter integrity in individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis: a systematic review and discussion of the role of polyunsaturated fatty acids

&copy; 2016 The Author(s). Background: Schizophrenia is thought to be a neurodevelopmental disorder with pathophysiological processes beginning in the brain prior to the emergence of clinical symptoms. Recent evidence from neuroimaging studies using techniques such as diffusion tensor imaging has identified white matter abnormalities that are suggestive of disrupted brain myelination and neuronal connectivity. Identifying whether such effects exist in individuals at high risk for developing psychosis may help with prevention and early intervention strategies. In addition, there is preliminary evidence for a role of lipid biology in the onset of psychosis, along with well-established evidence of its role in myelination of white matter tracts. As such, this article synthesises the literature on polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in myelination and schizophrenia, hypothesizing that white matter abnormalities may potentially mediate the relationship between PUFAs and schizophrenia. Methods: Diffusion tensor imaging studies were identified through a systematic search of existing literature. Studies examined white matter integrity in ultra-high risk (UHR) samples, as assessed using structured diagnostic interviews. Data was extracted and summarised as a narrative review. Results: Twelve studies met inclusion criteria, and findings identified reduced fractional anisotropy and higher diffusivity. Although the exact location of abnormalities remains uncertain, fronto-temporal and fronto-limbic connections, including the superior longitudinal and uncinate fasiculus, cingulum, and corpus callosum appear to be implicated. Because of preliminary evidence suggesting lipid biology may be relevant for the onset of psychosis, a discussion is provided of the role of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in myelination and risk for psychosis. Conclusions: While the function of PUFAs in myelination is well-established, there is growing evidence of reduced PUFA concentration in UHR samples, highlighting the need for research to examine the relationship between PUFA and white matter integrity in high-risk samples and age-matched healthy controls. Such investigations will help to better understand the pathophysiology of the disorder, and potentially assist in the development of novel treatment and early intervention strategies