A family study of endophenotypes for psychosis within an early intervention programme in Hong Kong: Rationale and preliminary findings

The study of endophenotypes may be a viable strategy to tackle the genetic complexity and phenotypic heterogeneity of psychosis, but this research direction is relatively under-developed in China as compared to Western countries. We have recently initiated one of the first family studies of endophenotypes for psychosis in China. Patients entering an established early psychosis intervention service are recruited into this research project for phenotyping, endophenotyping and genotyping. At the endophenotypic level, four domains (neurological soft signs, neurocognition of prospective memory, social cognition of facial emotion recognition, and affective cognition of anticipatory and consummatory pleasure) are studied in the sample of patients with psychosis and their unaffected siblings. This article illustrates the benefit of a research-oriented clinical programme and its findings based on the data collected as of early 2011. © 2011 Science China Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

A randomized controlled trial of social cognition and interaction training for persons with first episode psychosis in Hong Kong

Data availability statement: The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation.Supplementary material: The Supplementary material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1098662/full#supplementary-materialCopyright © 2023 Lo, Lui, Law, Roberts and Siu. . Social cognitive impairment is a core limiting factor of functional recovery among persons with first episode psychosis (FEP). Social Cognition and Interaction Training (SCIT) is a group-based, manualized training with demonstrated evidence in improving social cognitive performance among people with schizophrenia. However, there are few studies on the effect of SCIT for people with FEP and for people in non-Western societies. This study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability and initial effectiveness of the locally-adapted SCIT in improving social cognitive functioning in Chinese people with FEP. The SCIT was delivered two sessions per week over a 10-weeks period, each session lasted for 60–90 min. A total of 72 subjects with FEP were recruited from an outpatient clinic and randomized to conventional rehabilitation (“Rehab”) and experimental (“SCIT and Rehab”) groups. Primary outcome measures included four social cognitive domains including emotion perception, theory-of-mind, attributional bias and jumping-to-conclusion, and secondary measures included neurocognition, social competence and quality of life. Participants were assessed at baseline, post-treatment, and 3-months post-treatment. Repeated measures ANCOVAs, with baseline scores as covariates, were used to compare the group differences in various outcomes across time. The results showed that the SCIT was well-accepted, with a satisfactory completion rate and subjective ratings of relevance in the experimental group. Moreover, treatment completers (n = 28) showed evidence of an advantage, over conventional group (n = 31), in reduced attributional bias and jumping-to-conclusions at treatment completion, lending initial support for the SCIT in Chinese people with FEP. Future research should address the limitations of this study, using more refined outcome measurements and higher treatment intensity of the SCIT

Variation in foreign affiliate performance: a legitimacy perspective

Conference Theme: Managing for Peak Performanc

Medication adherence and subjective weight perception in patients with first-episode psychotic disorder

Introduction: Medication adherence is critical to the management of psychotic disorder. Different factors associated with medication adherence have been investigated in previous studies. However, the association with subjective weight perception, which is related to the weight gain side effect of antipsychotics, has not been thoroughly investigated. Subjective weight perception may not equal objective weight status. This study tests the hypothesis that medication adherence is related to subjective weight perception in a group of patients with first-episode psychotic disorder who have taken antipsychotics for one year. Methods: This study recruited 160 participants with one-year histories of first-episode psychotic disorder and measured their actual and perceived weights, amount of weight gain in the past year, body size satisfaction and medication adherence levels. The associations between medication adherence and both the actual and perceived weight status were analyzed controlling for other confounding factors including insight, drug attitude, illness severity and other medication side effects. Results: Stepwise multiple regression analysis found that the participants' perceived weight status, negative attitude toward their drugs and insight were the major factors associated with poor medication adherence. Of the participants who perceived themselves as being overweight, 86% believed that antipsychotics were responsible. Among those who had such beliefs, 72% had reduced their antipsychotic dosages on their own. About half of the participants had gained more than 7% of their baseline weight and 43.1% of the participants were found to be overweight after one year of treatment with antipsychotics. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that medication adherence is associated with perceived weight status. Healthcare professionals should be aware of this relationship and address this issue early in the management of patients. Apart from weight management programs, education on a correct weight perception should be carried out with the promotion of proper drug attitudes and better insight for the improvement of medication adherence in the early course of psychotic disorder.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Effect of rapamycin on renal ischemia reperfusion injury

Background: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of rapamycin (Rapa), a relatively new immunosuppressive drug, on renal ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) in the mouse. Methods: Renal IRI was induced in male Balb/c mice by clamping both renal pedicles for 45 minutes. The mice were treated with either vehicle or Rapa (2 mg/kg/day) by oral gavage, starting 2 days before the IRI and continued daily until sacrifice. The mice were sacrificed at 1, 3, and 7 days after the operation. The severity of the IRI was assessed by serum creatinine levels and renal histology. Proliferation of renal tubular cells was quantified by immunohistochemical staining for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Results: One day after the IRI, the serum creatinine levels of Rapa-treated mice were significantly higher than those of vehicle-treated mice. Kidney sections from Rapa-treated mice also showed more marked tubular damage on day 1. The number of PCNApositive cells in Rapa-treated mice was significantly lower than that in vehicle-treated mice on days 1 and 3 after IRI. By day 7 after IRI, there was no significant difference between Rapa- and vehicle-treated mice in terms of serum creatinine levels, renal histology and positive PCNA staining. Conclusion: We conclude that Rapa treatment aggravates renal IRI during the first 1 to 3 days after the insult. This effect might be partly mediated through inhibition of renal tubular cell regeneration

Cardiac valvular calcification as a marker of atherosclerosis and arterial calcification in end-stage renal disease

Background: Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are at increased risk for tissue calcifications as a result of deranged mineral metabolism. We tested the hypothesis that valvular calcification is a marker of atherosclerosis in patients with ESRD. Methods: Echocardiography was performed in 92 patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis with no background atherosclerotic vascular complications to detect valvular calcification. We used B-mode ultrasonography to determine carotid artery intima-media thickness and the presence of plaque and calcification. Results: Compared with patients without valvular calcification (n=66), those with valvular calcification (n=26) had higher C-reactive protein levels (P=.01) and greater mean±SE carotid intima-media thickness (1.12±0.06 vs 0.88±0.04 mm; P=.003). Carotid artery calcification was present unilaterally and bilaterally in 4 patients (15%) and 17 patients (65%) with valvular calcification vs 11 (17%) and 14 (21%) without, respectively (P<.001). Carotid artery plaque was present unilaterally and bilaterally in 11 patients (12%) and 16 patients (65%) with valvular calcification vs 3 (17%) and 17 (24%) without, respectively (P=.001). Using multiple logistic regression analysis, every 1-mm increase in carotid intima-media thickness was independently associated with a 6.51-fold (95% confidence interval, 1.58-26.73; P=.009) increased risk of valvular calcification, and calcification and plaque in the carotid arteries were associated with a 7.18-fold (95% confidence interval, 2.39-21.51; P<.001) and a 5.00-fold (95% confidence interval, 1.77-14.13; P=.002) increased risk of valvular calcification, respectively. Conclusion: The associations among valvular calcification, inflammation, carotid atherosclerosis, and arterial calcification suggest that valvular calcification is a marker of atherosclerosis and arterial calcification in patients with ESRD.link_to_subscribed_fulltex