Cognitive Remediation in Schizophrenia

Cognitive deficits in schizophrenia are pervasive, severe, and largely independent of the positive and negative symptoms of the illness. These deficits are increasingly considered to be core features of schizophrenia with evidence that the extent of cognitive impairment is the most salient predictor of daily functioning. Unfortunately, current schizophrenia treatment has been limited in addressing the cognitive deficits of the illness. Alterations in neuroplasticity are hypothesized to underpin these cognitive deficits, though preserved neuroplasticity may offer an avenue towards cognitive remediation. Key neuroplastic principles to consider in designing remediation interventions include ensuring sufficient intensity and duration of remediation programs, "bottom-up" training that proceeds from simple to complex cognitive processes, and individual tailoring of remediation regimens. We discuss several cognitive remediation programs, including cognitive enhancement therapy, which embrace these principles to target neurocognitive and social cognitive improvements and which havebeen demonstrated to be effective in schizophrenia. Future directions in cognitive remediation research include potential synergy with pharmacologic treatment, non-invasive stimulation techniques, and psychosocial interventions, identification of patient characteristics that predict outcome with cognitive remediation, and increasing the access to these interventions in front-line settings

Premorbid Cognitive Deficits in Young Relatives of Schizophrenia Patients

Neurocognitive deficits in schizophrenia (SZ) are thought to be stable trait markers that predate the illness and manifest in relatives of patients. Adolescence is the age of maximum vulnerability to the onset of SZ and may be an opportune “window” to observe neurocognitive impairments close to but prior to the onset of psychosis. We reviewed the extant studies assessing neurocognitive deficits in young relatives at high risk (HR) for SZ and their relation to brain structural alterations. We also provide some additional data pertaining to the relation of these deficits to psychopathology and brain structural alterations from the Pittsburgh Risk Evaluation Program (PREP). Cognitive deficits are noted in the HR population, which are more severe in first-degree relatives compared to second-degree relatives and primarily involve psychomotor speed, memory, attention, reasoning, and social-cognition. Reduced general intelligence is also noted, although its relationship to these specific domains is underexplored. Premorbid cognitive deficits may be related to brain structural and functional abnormalities, underlining the neurobiological basis of this illness. Cognitive impairments might predict later emergence of psychopathology in at-risk subjects and may be targets of early remediation and preventive strategies. Although evidence for neurocognitive deficits in young relatives abounds, further studies on their structural underpinnings and on their candidate status as endophenotypes are needed

Recent advances in understanding schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a highly disabling disorder whose causes remain to be better understood, and treatments have to be improved. However, several recent advances have been made in diagnosis, etiopathology, and treatment. Whereas reliability of diagnosis has improved with operational criteria, including Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, (DSM) Fifth Edition, validity of the disease boundaries remains unclear because of substantive overlaps with other psychotic disorders. Recent emphasis on dimensional approaches and translational bio-behavioral research domain criteria may eventually help move toward a neuroscience-based definition of schizophrenia. The etiology of schizophrenia is now thought to be multifactorial, with multiple small-effect and fewer large-effect susceptibility genes interacting with several environmental factors. These factors may lead to developmentally mediated alterations in neuroplasticity, manifesting in a cascade of neurotransmitter and circuit dysfunctions and impaired connectivity with an onset around early adolescence. Such etiopathological understanding has motivated a renewed search for novel pharmacological as well as psychotherapeutic targets. Addressing the core features of the illness, such as cognitive deficits and negative symptoms, and developing hypothesis-driven early interventions and preventive strategies are high-priority goals for the field. Schizophrenia is a severe, chronic mental disorder and is among the most disabling disorders in all of medicine. It is estimated by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) that 2.4 million people over the age of 18 in the US suffer from schizophrenia. This illness typically begins in adolescence and derails the formative goals of school, family, and work, leading to considerable suffering and disability and reduced life expectancy by about 20 years. Treatment outcomes are variable, and some people are successfully treated and reintegrated (i.e. go back to work). Despite the effort of many experts in the field, however, schizophrenia remains a chronic relapsing and remitting disorder associated with significant impairments in social and vocational functioning and a shortened lifespan. Comprehensive treatment entails a multi-modal approach, including psychopharmacology, psychosocial interventions, and assistance with housing and financial sustenance. Research to date suggests a network of genetic, neural, behavioral, and environmental factors to be responsible for its development and course. This article aims to summarize and explain recent advancements in research on schizophrenia, to suggest how these recent discoveries may lead to a better understanding and possible further development of effective therapies, and to highlight the paradigm shifts that have taken place in our understanding of the diagnosis, etiopathology, and treatment

Deconstructing psychosis with human brain imaging

This review synthesizes our current knowledge on the neurobiology of psychosis from an array of in vivo brain-imaging studies. The evidence base consists of hundreds of studies of patients with schizophrenia and fewer on bipolar disorder but rarely providing direct comparisons between the disorders or integration across methods. Replicated findings in schizophrenia include reduced whole-brain and hippocampal volume as potential vulnerability markers, with further progression at onset; reduced N-acetyl aspartate concentrations in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex; striatal dopamine D(2) receptors upregulation; and alteration in the relation between frontal and temporal activation. These findings are not attributable to medication effects but are of unclear specificity and may apply across the psychosis spectrum. There are consistently replicated associations of psychotic symptoms and cognitive impairment in both structural and functional imaging in schizophrenia but not, as yet, in bipolar disorder. Therefore, it would be premature to dispense with current diagnostic categories because direct comparisons among them are rare, insufficient studies have examined longitudinal changes, and long-term imaging outcome studies in first-episode psychosis have not yet been done. To address these issues and make neuroimaging “clinically relevant,” investigators will need to standardize their approaches to data acquisition and analysis, and construct the necessary range of “human brain maps,” to implement studies that are sufficiently powered to provide reliable data pertinent to deconstructing psychosis

Frontal Hypoactivation During a Working Memory Task in Children With 22q11 Deletion Syndrome

Impairments in executive function, such as working memory, are almost universal in children with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. Delineating the neural underpinnings of these functions would enhance understanding of these impairments. In this study, children and adolescents with 22q11 deletion syndrome were compared with healthy control participants in an fMRI study of working memory. When the 2-back condition was contrasted with the 1-back and 0-back conditions, the participants with 22q11 deletion syndrome showed lower activation in several brain areas involved in working memory—notably dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate, and precuneus. This hypoactivation may be due to reduced gray matter volumes or white matter connectivity in frontal and parietal regions, differences that have previously been documented in children with 22q11 deletion syndrome. Understanding differences in brain function will provide a foundation for future interventions to address the wide range of neurodevelopmental deficits observed in 22q11 deletion syndrome

Associations between purine metabolites and clinical symptoms in schizophrenia

Background: The antioxidant defense system, which is known to be dysregulated in schizophrenia, is closely linked to the dynamics of purine pathway. Thus, alterations in the homeostatic balance in the purine pathway may be involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Methodology/Principal Findings: Breakdown products in purine pathway were measured using high-pressure liquid chromatography coupled with a coulometric multi-electrode array system for 25 first-episode neuroleptic-naïve patients with schizophrenia at baseline and at 4-weeks following initiation of treatment with antipsychotic medication. Associations between these metabolites and clinical and neurological symptoms were examined at both time points. The ratio of uric acid and guanine measured at baseline predicted clinical improvement following four weeks of treatment with antipsychotic medication. Baseline levels of purine metabolites also predicted clinical and neurological symtpoms recorded at baseline; level of guanosine was associated with degree of clinical thought disturbance, and the ratio of xanthosine to guanosine at baseline predicted degree of impairment in the repetition and sequencing of actions. Conclusions/Significance: Findings suggest an association between optimal levels of purine byproducts and dynamics in clinical symptoms and adjustment, as well as in the integrity of sensory and motor processing. Taken together, alterations in purine catabolism may have clinical relevance in schizophrenia pathology

A Longitudinal Pilot Proton MRS Investigation of the Manic and Euthymic States of Bipolar Disorder

Several lines of evidence implicate dysfunction in brain energy production as a key component of bipolar disorder. In particular, elevated brain lactate levels observed in this condition suggest a shift from aerobic to anaerobic metabolism, possibly as a result of mitochondrial abnormalities. Most prior imaging studies of brain metabolites were performed in either euthymic or depressed bipolar patients or compared different populations in different mood states. We sought to measure brain metabolite concentrations in the same patients in both manic and euthymic states. Given the dramatic changes in clinical state of bipolar disorder patients, we hypothesized that previously observed abnormalities in lactate concentrations in bipolar disorder might show state dependent changes. In this study 15 patients (mean age 36.1 years) diagnosed with bipolar I disorder underwent proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the anterior cingulate cortex and parieto-occipital cortex during hospitalization for acute mania (mean Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) 22.1). Seven of these subjects returned (mean interval 21.16 months) to have imaging repeated while euthymic (mean YMRS 2.0). A group of age- and gender-matched control participants (N=6) were scanned as well. We report that during mania, bipolar disorder subjects had lactate levels comparable to healthy control subjects but during euthymia these levels were significantly reduced. No significant change was observed for other metabolites. These results implicate mood dependent alterations in energy metabolism in the biology of bipolar disorder. Additionally, this finding has potential use as a biomarker for both evaluating novel treatments as well as diagnostic clarification between mood disorders

Sleep spindle deficits in antipsychotic-naïve early course schizophrenia and in non-psychotic first-degree relatives

Introduction: Chronic medicated patients with schizophrenia have marked reductions in sleep spindle activity and a correlated deficit in sleep-dependent memory consolidation. Using archival data, we investigated whether antipsychotic-naïve early course patients with schizophrenia and young non-psychotic first-degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia also show reduced sleep spindle activity and whether spindle activity correlates with cognitive function and symptoms. Method: Sleep spindles during Stage 2 sleep were compared in antipsychotic-naïve adults newly diagnosed with psychosis, young non-psychotic first-degree relatives of schizophrenia patients and two samples of healthy controls matched to the patients and relatives. The relations of spindle parameters with cognitive measures and symptom ratings were examined. Results: Early course schizophrenia patients showed significantly reduced spindle activity relative to healthy controls and to early course patients with other psychotic disorders. Relatives of schizophrenia patients also showed reduced spindle activity compared with controls. Reduced spindle activity correlated with measures of executive function in early course patients, positive symptoms in schizophrenia and IQ estimates across groups. Conclusions: Like chronic medicated schizophrenia patients, antipsychotic-naïve early course schizophrenia patients and young non-psychotic relatives of individuals with schizophrenia have reduced sleep spindle activity. These findings indicate that the spindle deficit is not an antipsychotic side-effect or a general feature of psychosis. Instead, the spindle deficit may predate the onset of schizophrenia, persist throughout its course and be an endophenotype that contributes to cognitive dysfunction

Feasibility and preliminary efficacy data from a computerized cognitive intervention in children with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome

Children with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) are significantly impaired in their academic performance and functionality due to cognitive deficits, especially in attention, memory, and other facets of executive function. Compounding these cognitive deficits is the remarkably high risk of major psychoses, occurring in 25% of adolescents and adults with the disorder. There are currently no evidence-based interventions designed to improve the cognitive deficits in these individuals. We implemented a neuroplasticity-based computerized cognitive remediation program for 12 weeks in 13 adolescents with 22q11DS, assessed feasibility, and measured changes in cognition before and after the intervention compared to a control group of 10 age- and gender-matched children with 22q11DS. Our results indicated that despite their cognitive impairments, this intervention is feasible in children with 22q11DS, with high rates of adherence and satisfaction. Our preliminary analyses indicate that gains in cognition occur with the intervention. Further study in a larger randomized controlled trial would enable assessment of efficacy of this novel intervention

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