Effects of the neurogranin variant rs12807809 on thalamocortical morphology in schizophrenia

10.1371/journal.pone.0085603PLoS ONE812-POLN

Neurocognitive functioning in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder: Clarifying concepts of diagnostic dichotomy versus continuum

The Kraepelinian dichotomy posits that patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BD) present as two separate psychotic entities such that they differ in terms of clinical severity including neurocognitive functioning. Our study aimed to specifically compare and contrast the level of neurocognitive functioning between SCZ and BD patients and identify predictors of their poor neurocognitive functioning. We hypothesized that patients with SCZ had a similar level of neurcognitive impairment compared with BD. Forty-nine healthy controls (HC), 72 SCZ and 42 BD patients who were matched for age, gender, and premorbid IQ were administered the Brief Assessment of Cognition battery (BAC). Severity of psychopathology and socio-occupational functioning were assessed for both patients groups. Both BD and SCZ groups demonstrated similar patterns of neurocognitive deficits across several domains (verbal memory, working memory, semantic fluency, processing speed) compared with HC subjects. However, no significant difference was found in neurocognitive functioning between BD and SCZ patients, suggesting that both patient groups suffer the same degree of neurocognitive impairment. Patients with lower level of psychosocial functioning (F(1,112) = 2.661, p = 0.009) and older age (F(1,112) = -2.625, p = 0.010), not diagnosis or doses of psychotropic medications, predicted poorer overall neurocognitive functioning as measured by the lower BAC composite score. Our findings of comparable neurocognitive impairments between SCZ and BD affirm our hypothesis and support less the Kraepelinian concept of dichotomy but more of a continuum of psychotic spectrum conditions. This should urge clinicians to investigate further the underlying neural basis of these neurocognitive deficits, and be attentive to the associated socio-demographic and clinical profile in order to recognize and optimize early the management of the widespread neurocognitive deficits in patients with SCZ and BD

sj-docx-1-hpq-10.1177_13591053231222162 – Supplemental material for Self-compassion and parenting efficacy among mothers who are breast cancer survivors: Implications for psychological distress

Supplemental material, sj-docx-1-hpq-10.1177_13591053231222162 for Self-compassion and parenting efficacy among mothers who are breast cancer survivors: Implications for psychological distress by Carissa Nadia Kuswanto, Lesley Stafford, Penelope Schofield and Jessica Sharp in Journal of Health Psychology</p

GRIN2B Gene and Associated Brain Cortical White Matter Changes in Bipolar Disorder: A Preliminary Combined Platform Investigation

Abnormalities in glutamate signaling and glutamate toxicity are thought to be important in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder (BD). Whilst previous studies have found brain white matter changes in BD, there is paucity of data about how glutamatergic genes affect brain white matter integrity in BD. Based on extant neuroimaging data, we hypothesized that GRIN2B risk allele is associated with reductions of brain white matter integrity in the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital regions and cingulate gyrus in BD. Fourteen patients with BD and 22 healthy controls matched in terms of age, gender and handedness were genotyped using blood samples and underwent diffusion tensor imaging. Compared to G allele, brain FA values were significantly lower in BD patients with risk T allele in left frontal region (P=0.001), right frontal region (P=0.002), left parietal region (P=0.001), left occipital region (P=0.001), right occipital region (P<0.001), and left cingulate gyrus (P=0.001). Further elucidation of the interactions between different glutamate genes and their relationships with such structural, functional brain substrates will enhance our understanding of the link between dysregulated glutamatergic neurotransmission and neuroimaging endophenotypes in BD

Statistical maps of thalamic shape differences between schizophrenia T-allele homozygotes and control T-allele homozygotes (top panel); schizophrenia T-allele homozygotes and control C-allele carriers (middle panel).

<p>T-values are shown only in the regions with significant group differences after the correction of multiple comparisons. Keys: S – superior; I – inferior; A – anterior; P – posterior; L – left; R – right.</p