Brain structure in different psychosis risk groups in the Northern Finland 1986 Birth Cohort

We tested the hypothesis that family risk for psychosis (FR) and clinical risk for psychosis (CR) are associated with structural brain abnormalities, with increased deficits in those at both family risk and clinical risk for psychosis (FRCR). The study setting was the Oulu Brain and Mind Study, with subjects drawn from the Northern Finland 1986 Birth Cohort (n = 9479) using register and questionnaire based screening, and interviews using the Structured Interview for Prodromal Symptoms. After this procedure, 172 subjects were included in the study, classified as controls (n = 73) and three risk groups: FR excluding CR (FR, n = 60), CR without FR (CR, n = 26), and individuals at both FR and CR (FRCR, n = 13). T1-weighted brain scans were acquired and processed in a voxel-based analysis using permutation-based statistics. In the comparison between FRCR versus controls, we found lower grey matter volume (GMV) in a cluster (1689 voxels at − 4.00, − 72.00, − 18.00 mm) covering both cerebellar hemispheres and the vermis. This cluster was subsequently used as a mask to extract mean GMV in all four groups: FR had a volume intermediate between controls and FRCR. Within FRCR there was an association between cerebellar cluster brain volume and motor function. These findings are consistent with an evolving pattern of cerebellar deficits in psychosis risk with the most pronounced deficits in those at highest risk of psychosis

Brain structure in different psychosis risk groups in the Northern Finland 1986 Birth Cohort

We tested the hypothesis that family risk for psychosis (FR) and clinical risk for psychosis (CR) are associated with structural brain abnormalities, with increased deficits in those at both family risk and clinical risk for psychosis (FRCR). The study setting was the Oulu Brain and Mind Study, with subjects drawn from the Northern Finland 1986 Birth Cohort (n = 9479) using register and questionnaire based screening, and interviews using the Structured Interview for Prodromal Symptoms. After this procedure, 172 subjects were included in the study, classified as controls (n = 73) and three risk groups: FR excluding CR (FR, n = 60), CR without FR (CR, n = 26), and individuals at both FR and CR (FRCR, n = 13). T1-weighted brain scans were acquired and processed in a voxel-based analysis using permutation-based statistics. In the comparison between FRCR versus controls, we found lower grey matter volume (GMV) in a cluster (1689 voxels at − 4.00, − 72.00, − 18.00 mm) covering both cerebellar hemispheres and the vermis. This cluster was subsequently used as a mask to extract mean GMV in all four groups: FR had a volume intermediate between controls and FRCR. Within FRCR there was an association between cerebellar cluster brain volume and motor function. These findings are consistent with an evolving pattern of cerebellar deficits in psychosis risk with the most pronounced deficits in those at highest risk of psychosis

Different vulnerability indicators for psychosis and their neuropsychological characteristics in the Northern Finland 1986 Birth Cohor

This study is one of very few that has investigated the neuropsychological functioning of both familial and clinical high risk subjects for psychosis. Participants (N = 164) were members of the Northern Finland 1986 Birth Cohort in the following four groups: familial risk for psychosis (n = 62), clinical risk for psychosis (n = 20), psychosis (n = 13), and control subjects (n = 69). The neurocognitive performance of these groups was compared across 19 cognitive variables. The two risk groups did not differ significantly from controls, but differed from the psychosis group in fine motor function. Neuropsychological impairments were not evident in a non-help-seeking high-risk sample

Association between Dopamine Receptor D2 (DRD2) Variations rs6277 and rs1800497 and Cognitive Performance According to Risk Type for Psychosis : A Nested Case Control Study in a Finnish Population Sample

Background There is limited research regarding the association between genes and cognitive intermediate phenotypes in those at risk for psychotic disorders. Methods We measured the association between established psychosis risk variants in dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) and cognitive performance in individuals at age 23 years and explored if associations between cognition and these variants differed according to the presence of familial or clinical risk for psychosis. The subjects of the Oulu Brain and Mind Study were drawn from the general population-based Northern Finland 1986 Birth Cohort (NFBC 1986). Using linear regression, we compared the associations between cognitive performance and two candidate DRD2 polymorphisms (rs6277 and rs1800497) between subjects having familial (n=61) and clinical (n=45) risk for psychosis and a random sample of participating NFBC 1986 controls (n=74). Cognitive performance was evaluated using a comprehensive battery of tests at follow-up. Results Principal components factor analysis supported a three-factor model for cognitive measures. The minor allele of rs6277 was associated with poorer performance on a verbal factor (p=0.003) but this did not significantly interact with familial or clinical risk for psychosis. The minor allele of rs1800497 was associated with poorer performance on a psychomotor factor (p=0.038), though only in those at familial risk for psychotic disorders (interaction p=0.049). Conclusion The effect of two DRD2 SNPs on cognitive performance may differ according to risk type for psychosis, suggesting that cognitive intermediate phenotypes differ according to the type (familial or clinical) risk for psychosis.Peer reviewe

Skitsofreniapotilaiden kognitiivisen kuntoutuksen arviointi neuropsykologisesta näkökulmasta

Tässä tutkimuksessa tarkasteltiin kuuden psykiatrisen potilaan kognitiivisen kuntoutusryhmän jälkeisiä muutoksia potilaiden kognitiivisessa suoriutumisessa ja oireissa. Tutkittaviksi kognitiivisiksi osa-alueiksi valittiin työmuisti ja tarkkaavaisuus. Osallistuneilta kysyttiin myös mielipiteitä ryhmästä. Tutkittavat olivat iältään keskimäärin 30 -vuotiaita ja miehiä heistä oli neljä ja naisia kaksi. Viisi heistä sairasti skitsofreniaa. Tutkimuksen kognitiivinen ryhmä muodostaa osan Nuorten aikuisten psykoosipotilaiden hoidon ja kuntoutuksen kehittämishanketta, joka toteutettiin Seinäjoella vuosina 2003 - 2005. Kognitiivinen ryhmä kokoontui kahden kuukauden ajan neljästi viikossa. Ryhmässä tehtiin enimmäkseen erilaisia kynä-paperitehtäviä, jotka harjaannuttivat päättely- ja kielellisiä taitoja. Tarkkaavaisuus koheni tutkittavilla selvemmin kuin työmuisti. Tarkkaavaisuus koheni osalla tutkituista kaikilla käytetyillä mittareilla eli keskittymiskykytestillä ja WAIS-R -osatesteillä. Työmuistissa oli havaittavissa osalla lievää tulosten kohenemista Numerosarjat -osatestin perusteella. Visuaalista työmuistikapasiteettia mittaavan KIM -testin perusteella muutoksia työmuistissa ei ilmennyt. Oireita mitattiin BPRS/PANSS -yhdistelmämittarilla ja GAS -mittarilla, joiden mukaan kaikki oireet vähenivät tarkastellun ajanjakson aikana. Positiiviset ja negatiiviset oireet vähenivät selvemmin kuin yleiset oireet. Tutkimusta varten kehitetyllä kyselylomakkeella tiedusteltiin lisäksi potilaiden mielipiteitä, joiden mukaan ryhmä koettiin mielekkääksi ja hyödylliseksi. Kaiken kaikkiaan kokemukset ryhmästä ovat rohkaisevia. Erityisesti tarkkaavaisuuden kohe-neminen on merkittävä tulos paitsi potilaiden elämän myös kognitiivisten kuntoutusohjelmien merkityksen kannalta. Oireiden väheneminen auttaa osaltaan potilaita pärjäämään paremmin yhteiskunnan vaatimuksista. Työmuistin osalta näyttäisi siltä, että se ei tarkkaavaisuuden tavoin kohene merkittävästi ilman spesifiä ja intensiivistä harjoittelua. Kokonaisuutena arvioiden saavutetut tulokset antavat kuitenkin aihetta kognitiivisten kuntoutusryhmien jatkamiseen sekä edelleen kehittämiseen. Asiasanat: skitsofrenia, kognitiivinen kuntoutus, neuropsykologia, tarkkaavaisuus, työmuist

Loadings of baseline performance for individual tests to three main factors (n = 181).

<p>Loadings of baseline performance for individual tests to three main factors (n = 181).</p

Association between polymorphisms and cognitive outcomes, controlling for gender and education level, in the entire sample of those at risk for psychosis and population controls.

<p>Association between polymorphisms and cognitive outcomes, controlling for gender and education level, in the entire sample of those at risk for psychosis and population controls.</p