Urbanicity and familial liability interact and influence auditory verbal hallucinations in first-episode schizophrenia patients

In this study, we tested whether proxy genetic risk (defined as positive family history of schizophrenia in first- and second-degree relatives) and the level of urbanicity interact and influence the expression of auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) in first-episode schizophrenia patients. We recruited 112 first-episode schizophrenia patients with age 29.24±6.63years old. The lifetime occurrence of AVH was also assessed using the The Operational Criteria for Psychotic Illness (OPCRIT), which includes the following categories of AVH: thought echo, third person auditory hallucinations, running commentary voices, abusive/accusatory/persecutory voices and other (nonaffective) auditory hallucinations. Hallucinatory behavior on the day of recruitment was evaluated using the P3 item of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Our results show a significant effect of the interaction between family history of schizophrenia (i.e., genetic liability) and current place of residence on the total number of AVH categories (F=4.41, p=0.038) and the PANSS P3 item score (F=4.21, p=0.042). The implications of the findings are discussed within an epigenetic framework and in relation to the Differential Susceptibility Hypothesis (DSH), which states that individuals who are most at risk to adversity will most likely benefit from supportive environments. An integrative therapeutic approach is suggested as a means to improve the quality of life of first-episode schizophrenia patients living in urban environments

A pilot study of escape, avoidance, and approach behaviors in treated alcohol-dependent males

Alcohol-dependent individuals are often reported to use behavioral strategies both to escape from and avoid negative affective states, and also to approach positive affective states. However, there has been little examination of how these individuals acquire and express these types of behaviors. In this study, male adults meeting the International Classification of Diseases–10th Revision (ICD–10) criteria for alcohol dependence recruited from an outpatient treatment clinic and healthy male controls were given a computer-based task to assess learning and performance of escape, avoidance, and approach behaviors. In this task, participants control a spaceship and can either gain points by shooting an enemy spaceship or hide in safe areas to escape or avoid on-screen aversive events. We found that patients with alcohol dependence exhibited greater escape and approach behaviors, tended to show greater avoidance behavior, and achieved higher total score on the computer task than healthy controls. This is the first demonstration of such behavioral differences in this population, supporting the overactivation of both positive and negative reinforcement systems in alcohol dependence, and suggesting that such behavioral biases are not limited to alcohol-related cues. The contribution of this work to behavioral assessment and therapeutic approaches, as well as possible future directions, are discussed

Masking impairments in schizophrenia and schizotypal personality disorder

In this chapter, studies analyzing perceptual impairment in schizophrenia and schizotypal personality disorder are reviewed. Schizophrenia is characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking or behavior (including abnormal motor behavior), and negative symptoms. On the other hand, a schizotypal personality disorder is a pervasive pattern of social and interpersonal deficits marked by acute discomfort, reduced capacity for close relationships, cognitive or perceptual impairments, and behavioral eccentricities. Moreover, the commonalities and differences found in the pattern of perceptual and backward masking impairments between these two groups are highlighted in this chapter. Lastly, we summarize the gaps and limitations of previous studies, which will become the focus of future research

Religious delusions in psychotic patients : prevalence, possible origin, and effects

This chapter assessed the prevalence of religious delusions among a group of inpatients from an Egyptian mental health hospital (El-Abbassyia, Cairo). The main purpose was to investigate the frequency of religious delusions in psychotic patients, and how this affected their prognosis. Specifically, this study was carried out because there is insufficient research within Arabic-speaking cultures on the role religion plays in mental health illnesses. To achieve this goal, we investigated whether self-reported religious orientation, as well as the degree of insight patients had concerning their beliefs was related to the frequency of religious delusions. It is important to ascertain what social and interpersonal factors increase the chances of suffering delusions with religious content as it will affect the individual’s health belief model, and therefore, its adherence to treatment. The results indicate that 38% of patients suffered religious delusions, and it was found that higher religious orientation and higher conviction in their beliefs was associated with increased chances of experiencing religious delusions. This growing body of knowledge underscores the need to attend more fully to the potentially destructive (and constructive) roles of religion in psychiatric diagnosis, assessment, and treatment

Working-memory impairment in schizophrenia and schizotypal personality disorder

Working memory (WM) refers to the temporary maintenance, updating, and manipulation of information. It is a key component in cognitive neuroscience research as it improves our understanding of cognitive operations such as comprehension, problem-solving, and planning. Impairment in WM can impact day-to-day functioning and its severity can predict long-term outcome in psychosis-spectrum disorders such as schizophrenia. The goal of this chapter is to review prior studies on WM disturbances in schizophrenia and schizotypal personality disorder using N-Back Paradigm and AX-Continuous Performance Test, two commonly used WM measures for clinical trials. In addition, the commonalities and differences in WM impairment patterns between both groups are discussed. Last, we provide summary of the gaps and limitations of previous studies which will then become the focus of future research