SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER RIGHT MIDDLE CEREBRAL ARTERY BLOOD FLOW VELOCITY IN THE FIRST EPISODE OF PSYCHOSIS DURING NEUROCOGNITIVE TESTING

Background: Changes in cerebral hemodynamics have been reported in schizophrenia and proposed as underlying the cognitive deficits seen in patients. The objective of our study was to compare changes of the cerebral blood flow velocity (BFV) during neurocognitive tasks between the patients with the first episode of psychosis and healthy controls. Subjects and methods: We recruited 46 patients with the first episode of psychosis (FEP), admitted to the University Hospital Centre Zagreb during 2016-2017 and 41 control subjects. Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography monitoring of BFV in both middle cerebral arteries was recorded during 25-minute long neurocognitive assessment with Phonemic Verbal Fluency test, Trial Making Test B and Stroop test. Between every consecutive test resting periods were recorded. Results: After the adjustment for age, sex and education by quantile regression, patients with FEP had significantly lower BFV in middle cerebral arteries during the 3rd

NEUROCOGNITIVE PROFILES OF PATIENTS WITH THE FIRST EPISODE OF PSYCHOSIS AND SCHIZOPHRENIA DO NOT DIFFER QUALITATIVELY: A NESTED CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Background: The aim of study was to analyze neurocognitive profiles in patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP) and patients with schizophrenia (SCH), and their correlations with other clinical features. Subjects and methods: We performed a multicentric cross sectional study including 100 FEP and 100 SCH recruited from three Croatian hospitals during 2015-2017. Assessment included a set of neurocognitive tests, psychiatric scales and self-reporting questionnaires. The main analysis was done by multigroup latent profile analysis. Results: Multigroup latent profile analysis resulted in three structurally equivalent neurocognitive profiles ("Best", "Medium", "Worst"), with differences in the severity of neurocognitive deficits measured with successfulness in solving domain specific tasks. The "Best" profile was statistically significantly more prevalent in FEP and "Worst" profile in the SCH. Negative symptom score was the highest in patients with the "Worst" profile and the lowest among those with the "Best" profiles. Conclusions: Differences in neurocognitive profiles between FEP and SCH appear to be quantitative rather than qualitative nature, possibly reflecting a specific trait of illness that may progress over time. Defining neurocognitive profiles from the first episode of psychosis could help in tailoring individualized treatment options with focus on neurocognitive and negative symptoms and possible influence on patients\u27 overall clinical outcome

INTEGRATION OF COMPLEMENTARY BIOMARKERS IN PATIENTS WITH FIRST EPISODE PSYCHOSIS: RESEARCH PROTOCOL OF A PROSPECTIVE FOLLOW UP STUDY

In this project, we recruited a sample of 150 patients with first episode of psychosis with schizophrenia features (FEP) and 100 healthy controls. We assessed the differences between these two groups, as well as the changes between the acute phase of illness and subsequent remission among patients over 18-month longitudinal follow-up. The assessments were divided into four work packages (WP): WP1- psychopathological status, neurocognitive functioning and emotional recognition; WP2- stress response measured by saliva cortisol during a stress paradigm; cerebral blood perfusion in the resting state (with single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and during activation paradigm (with Transcranial Ultrasonography Doppler (TCD); WP3-post mortem analysis in histologically prepared human cortical tissue of post mortem samples of subjects with schizophrenia in the region that synaptic alteration was suggested by WP1 and WP2; WP4- pharmacogenetic analysis (single gene polymorphisms and genome wide association study (GWAS). We expect that the analysis of these data will identify a set of markers that differentiate healthy controls from patients with FEP, and serve as an additional diagnostic tool in the first episode of psychosis, and prediction tool which can be then used to help tailoring individualized treatment options. In this paper, we describe the project protocol including aims and methods and provide a brief description of planned post mortem studies and pharmacogenetic analysis

Pregnancy during COVID-19: social contact patterns and vaccine coverage of pregnant women from CoMix in 19 European countries

CoMix Europe Working Group: Daniela Paolotti, André Karch, Veronika Jäger, Joaquin Baruch, Tanya Melillo, Henrieta Hudeckova, Magdalena Rosinska, Marta Niedzwiedzka-Stadnik, Krista Fischer, Sigrid Vorobjov, Hanna Sõnajalg, Christian Althaus, Nicola Low, Martina Reichmuth, Kari Auranen, Markku Nurhonen, Goranka Petrović, Zvjezdana Lovric Makaric, Sónia Namorado, Constantino Caetano, Ana João Santos, Gergely Röst, Beatrix Oroszi, Márton Karsai, Mario Fafangel, Petra Klepac, Natalija Kranjec, Cristina Vilaplana, Jordi Casabona.CoMix Europe Working Group: Sónia Namorado, Constantino Caetano, and Ana João Santos (Department of Epidemiology, National Institute of Health Dr Ricardo Jorge, Portugal)Background: Evidence and advice for pregnant women evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic. We studied social contact behaviour and vaccine uptake in pregnant women between March 2020 and September 2021 in 19 European countries. Methods: In each country, repeated online survey data were collected from a panel of nationally-representative participants. We calculated the adjusted mean number of contacts reported with an individual-level generalized additive mixed model, modelled using the negative binomial distribution and a log link function. Mean proportion of people in isolation or quarantine, and vaccination coverage by pregnancy status and gender were calculated using a clustered bootstrap. Findings: We recorded 4,129 observations from 1,041 pregnant women, and 115,359 observations from 29,860 non-pregnant individuals aged 18-49. Pregnant women made slightly fewer contacts (3.6, 95%CI = 3.5-3.7) than non-pregnant women (4.0, 95%CI = 3.9-4.0), driven by fewer work contacts but marginally more contacts in non-essential social settings. Approximately 15-20% pregnant and 5% of non-pregnant individuals reported to be in isolation and quarantine for large parts of the study period. COVID-19 vaccine coverage was higher in pregnant women than in non-pregnant women between January and April 2021. Since May 2021, vaccination in non-pregnant women began to increase and surpassed that in pregnant women. Interpretation: Limited social contact to avoid pathogen exposure during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenge to many, especially women going through pregnancy. More recognition of maternal social support desire is needed in the ongoing pandemic. As COVID-19 vaccination continues to remain an important pillar of outbreak response, strategies to promote correct information can provide reassurance and facilitate informed pregnancy vaccine decisions in this vulnerable group.HPRU in Modelling & Health Economics,NIHR200908,European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme,EpiPose 101003688,TransMID 682540,TransMID 682540,TransMID 682540,EpiPose 101003688,Wellcome Trust,213589/Z/18/Z,National Institute for Health Research,CV220-088—COMIX,CV220-088—COMIX,CV220-088— COMIX,Global Challenges Research Fund,ES/P010873/1,Medical Research Council,MC_PC_19065,NIHR,PR-OD-1017-20002 HPRU in Modelling & Health Economics (NIHR200908: KLMW); European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme – (EpiPose 101,003,688: AG, WJE). Wellcome Trust (213,589/Z/18/Z: ESP). European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (TransMID 682,540: CF, PN, NH). This research was partly funded by the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) project RECAP managed through RCUK and ESRC (ES/P010873/1: CIJ). NIHR (PR-OD-1017–20,002: WJE) UK MRC (MC_PC_19065—Covid 19: Understanding the dynamics and drivers of the COVID-19 epidemic using real-time outbreak analytics: WJE).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Social contact patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic in 21 European countries - evidence from a two-year study

CoMix Europe Working Group: Daniela Paolotti, Michele Tizzani, Ciro Cattuto, Andrea Schmidt, Gerald Gredinger, Sophie Stumpfl, Joaquin Baruch, Tanya Melillo, Henrieta Hudeckova, Jana Zibolenova, Zuzana Chladna, Magdalena Rosinska, Marta Niedzwiedzka-Stadnik, Krista Fischer, Sigrid Vorobjov, Hanna Sõnajalg, Christian Althaus, Nicola Low, Martina Reichmuth, Kari Auranen, Markku Nurhonen, Goranka Petrović, Zvjezdana Lovric Makaric, Sónia Namorado, Constantino Caetano, Ana João Santos, Gergely Röst, Beatrix Oroszi, Márton Karsai, Mario Fafangel, Petra Klepac, Natalija Kranjec, Cristina Vilaplana, Jordi Casabona.Sónia Namorado, Constantino Caetano, and Ana João Santos (Department of Epidemiology, National Institute of Health Dr Ricardo Jorge, Portugal).Background: Most countries have enacted some restrictions to reduce social contacts to slow down disease transmission during the COVID-19 pandemic. For nearly two years, individuals likely also adopted new behaviours to avoid pathogen exposure based on personal circumstances. We aimed to understand the way in which different factors affect social contacts - a critical step to improving future pandemic responses. Methods: The analysis was based on repeated cross-sectional contact survey data collected in a standardized international study from 21 European countries between March 2020 and March 2022. We calculated the mean daily contacts reported using a clustered bootstrap by country and by settings (at home, at work, or in other settings). Where data were available, contact rates during the study period were compared with rates recorded prior to the pandemic. We fitted censored individual-level generalized additive mixed models to examine the effects of various factors on the number of social contacts. Results: The survey recorded 463,336 observations from 96,456 participants. In all countries where comparison data were available, contact rates over the previous two years were substantially lower than those seen prior to the pandemic (approximately from over 10 to < 5), predominantly due to fewer contacts outside the home. Government restrictions imposed immediate effect on contacts, and these effects lingered after the restrictions were lifted. Across countries, the relationships between national policy, individual perceptions, or personal circumstances determining contacts varied. Conclusions: Our study, coordinated at the regional level, provides important insights into the understanding of the factors associated with social contacts to support future infectious disease outbreak responses.The following funding sources are acknowledged as providing funding for the named authors. HPRU in Modelling & Health Economics (NIHR200908: KLMW); European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (EpiPose 101003688: AG, WJE); European Research Council under the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (TransMID 682540: CF, PB, NH) This research was partly funded by the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) project RECAP managed through RCUK and ESRC (ES/P010873/1: CIJ) NIHR (PR_OD_1017_20002: WJE) UK MRC (MC_PC_19065—Covid 19: Under standing the dynamics and drivers of the COVID-19 epidemic using real-time outbreak analytics: WJE). In Belgium, CoMix data collection in Belgium was made possible with fnancial support of Janssen Pharmaceuticals and the national public health institute of Belgium, Sciensano. In Germany, the COVIMOD project is funded by intramural funds of the Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, University of Münster, and of the Institute of Medical Epidemiology, Biometry and Informatics, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, as well as by funds provided by the Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, the Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft Deutscher Forschungszentren e.V. via the HZEpiAdHoc "The Helmholtz Epidemiologic Response against the COVID-19 Pandemic" project, the Saxonian COVID-19 Research Consortium SaxoCOV (co-fnanced with tax funds on the basis of the budget passed by the Saxon state parliament), the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as part of the Network University Medicine (NUM) via the egePan Unimed project (funding code: 01KX2021) and the Deutsche Forschungsge meinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation, project number 458526380)info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Carbamazepine for schizophrenia (Review)

Many people with schizophrenia do not achieve a satisfactory treatment response with just antipsychotic drug treatment and various adjunct medications are used to promote additional response. The antiepileptic carbamazepine is one such dru

Tercerización del trabajo + Univesidad y política : Programa 61

Fil: Makaric, Esteban. Universidad de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Molina y Vedia, Agustín. Universidad de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaEn esta emisión, contamos con la participación de Esteban Makaric, Politólogo y Antropólogo, y de Agustín Molina y Vedia, Lic. en Sociología. El tema del primer invitado fue "Procesos de trabajo y tercerización en el caso de una metalúrgica". El tema del segundo invitado fue "El discurso estatal sobre el conocimiento y la universidad (2003-2008) y la experiencia de los estudiantes"

Vaccination Attitudes and Experiences of Medical Doctors in Croatia amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Social Roles Conflict?

The study aimed to investigate the range of experiences and attitudes of Croatian medical doctors (MDs) related to vaccination and vaccine hesitancy. In January 2021 three asynchronous online focus groups were held using MRQual, a web-based platform, which included 46 MDs from all three levels of the healthcare system in Croatia. NVivo, a qualitative data analysis software package, was used for the thematic analysis of collected data. The participants expressed a high level of support for the Croatian immunization program and vaccines in general. However, some skepticism was expressed regarding new vaccines and the regulatory processes of their approval. A significant number of participants raised concerns over the approval of COVID-19 vaccines, especially given their rapid development. The results also revealed that the process of communication with patients is often based on the very elaborate categorizations of patients based on previous experience, which leads to prioritizing and a communication breakup when dealing with &ldquo;problematic patients&rdquo;. MDs find themselves in a delicate situation where a fine balance between time-consuming communication with patients and the demands for maintaining satisfying vaccination uptake is needed. The situation arises from a social roles conflict that is embedded in wider social values and expectations, since communication problems do not arise in the doctor&rsquo;s office, and therefore cannot be solved without addressing the social forces that cause trust deficiencies. To achieve better immunization results public health leaders need to better understand the social contexts and constraints of MDs vaccine-related behaviors

Effects of long-term multimodal psychosocial treatment on antipsychotic-induced metabolic changes in patients with first episode psychosis

Background: Antipsychotic-induced weight gain and metabolic abnormalities are one of the major challenges in the treatment of psychosis, contributing to the morbidity, mortality and treatment non-adherence. Different approaches were used to counteract these side effects but showed only limited or short-term effects. This study aims to analyse the effects of a long-term multimodal treatment program for first episode psychosis on antipsychotic-induced metabolic changes. ----- Methods: We enrolled 71 patients with first episode psychosis treated at the Zagreb University Hospital Centre from 2016 until 2018. Participants were assigned to one of the two groups: day hospital program vs. treatment as usual (TAU). Outcomes were: body weight, blood glucose, lipids and cholesterol, psychopathology and global level of functioning during the 18-months follow-up. ----- Results: Although the TAU group gained more weight and had higher increase of blood glucose, while the day hospital group had a higher increase in total cholesterol at 18th month follow-up, after the adjustment for age, gender and baseline measures, the type of treatment was not significantly associated with any of the primary outcome measures. Patients' psychopathology measures significantly decreased and their functional level significantly increased at month 18th in both groups. ----- Conclusion: While both types of treatment were effective in reducing psychopathology and restoring the patients' level of functioning, both were relatively ineffective in counteracting antipsychotic-induced metabolic abnormalities and antipsychotic-induced weight gain