Exposure to childhood trauma as a risk factor for affective and psychotic disorders

Introduction: Traumatic experiences in childhood include maltreatment of an individua aged up to 18, which comprises all kinds of physical and/or emotional abuse and physical and/ or emotional neglect, as well as sexual abuse, which lead to the real or potential health hazard. Aim: The aim of present research was to examine the relationship of childhood trauma with symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress in the general population, as well as to compare the exposure to childhood trauma among the three groups of subjects: non-clinical population, clinical population with affective disorders and clinical population with schizophrenia spectrum psychosis. Materials and methods: Medical documentation of 179 adult subjects (healthy controls 92, affective disorders 35 and subjects with psychosis 52) was retrospectively analyzed, using Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale and socio-demographic data. Methods of descriptive statistics, between group differences and correlation analysis were applied for the purpose of the data analysis. Results: In the non-clinical sample, a positive correlation between childhood trauma and DASS (depression, anxiety and stress scale) has been noticed (r = 0,265, p = 0,013). When subtypes of trauma were analyzed in this group, it has been noticed that emotional abuse was associated with sub-depression (β = 0,427, p = 0,003), whereas other types of childhood trauma did not influence DASS scores significantly. In addition, we showed that the overall level of trauma did not differ between subjects with psychosis and those with affective disorders. In comparison to the control group, subjects with psychosis had more emotional and sexual abuse, alongside more emotional and physical neglect (p < 0,05). In affective disorders, only sexual abuse was not higher in comparison to the control group (p = 0,390). Conclusion: This research focused on exposure to childhood trauma in patients with affective and psychotic disorders, showing that early adversities have to be considered as a common risk factor in the etiology of the aforementioned disorders. A timely identification of traumatization in childhood and prevention of its consequences by early interventions are important goals of the prevention of mental diroders in adulthood

Contact process in a wedge

We prove that the supercritical one-dimensional contact process survives in certain wedge-like space-time regions, and that when it survives it couples with the unrestricted contact process started from its upper invariant measure. As an application we show that a type of weak coexistence is possible in the nearest-neighbor ``grass-bushes-trees'' successional model introduced in Durrett and Swindle (1991).Comment: 11 pages, 4 figure

Existence and perfect simulation of one-dimensional loss networks.

Abstract Perfect simulation of an one-dimensional loss network on R with length distribution π and cable capacity C can performed using the clan of ancestors method. Domination of the clan of ancestors by a branching process with dependency in two generations improves the known sufficient conditions for the perfect scheme to be applicable

Clustering and phase transitions on a neutral landscape

Recent computational studies have shown that speciation can occur under neutral conditions, i.e., when the simulated organisms all have identical fitness. These works bear comparison with mathematical studies of clustering on neutral landscapes in the context of branching and coalescing random walks. Here, we show that sympatric clustering/speciation can occur on a neutral landscape whose dimensions specify only the simulated organisms’ phenotypes. We demonstrate that clustering occurs not only in the case of assortative mating, but also in the case of asexual fission; it is not observed in the control case of random mating. We find that the population size and the number of clusters undergo a second-order non-equilibrium phase transition as the maximum mutation size is varied

Sex differences in fluid and crystalized intelligence focus on people with psychosis

Introduction: Fluid intelligence is described as ability to rapidly solve novel problems and capacity to manage and easily adapt to new situations. Crystallized intelligence reflects ability to timely use lifetime-learned information and skills. Bearing in mind that intelligence is one of the impaired cognitive functions in psychosis, a question arises there are if any sex differences in patients, regarding total IQ, fluid or crystallized intelligence. Aim: To evaluate sex differences in psychosis and to analyze the differences between patients and sex, age and origin matched healthy controls. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated schizophrenia spectrum patients (F20-29 based on ICD10; n = 52, age = 29,3±5,9 years, illness duration <10 years) and controls (n = 51, age = 29,8±6,3 years). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze data. Results: Analyzing sex differences in total IQ, fluid and crystalized IQ, it has been found that women exhibited lower crystallized intelligence scores both in the patient group (p = 0,039) and in the control group (p = 0,016). Among male patients, lower scores were found in comparison to the healthy male controls in all of the categories, while female patients scores in crystallized intelligence were not significantly different in comparison to female healthy group ((p = 0,160). Conclusion: In the male subjects with psychosis, a deficit was found in both subdomains of intelligence, while in female subjects it was found in fluid intelligence only. Factors which could serve as protective from greater cognitive impairment in female patients need further evaluation, as a sign of potential mechanisms that could ameliorate the course and prognosis of schizophrenia spectrum disorders

USE OR UNDERUSE OF THERAPEUTIC GUIDELINES IN PSYCHIATRY?

A rapid expansion of new treatment options in recent decades and the increasing volume of scientific evidence published on a daily basis have been followed by the necessity of introduction of clinical guidelines and therapeutic algorithms. The development of these guidelines and algorithms has also been driven by increased cost-awareness and the increasing pressure to improve cost-efficiency. The Serbian Physicians Society published “Therapeutic Guidelines for the Treatment of Schizophrenia” in 2003 and “Therapeutic Guidelines for the Treatment of Bipolar Affective Disorder” in 2004. The School of Medicine, University of Belgrade published “Therapeutic Guidelines for the Treatment of Depression” in 2004. All of these national guidelines, at the moment of development, were based upon up-todate scientific evidence. According to the recently conducted survey at the Institute of Psychiatry, Clinical Centre of Serbia, about 65% of psychiatrists stated that they adhere to the national or relevant international therapeutic guidelines. When asked to cite which international or foreign guidelines in particular they used, approximately 50% failed to do so, while the other half cited mostly the APA Guidelines or NICE Guidelines. Among the national guidelines, physicians are, according to the survey, familiar with the Therapeutic Guidelines for the treatment of Schizophrenia (46,3%), Therapeutic Guidelines of Depression (41,5%) and Therapeutic Guidelines for the Treatment of Bipolar Affective Disorder (34,1%). The majority of Serbian psychiatrists rely on the efficacy and safety of the drugs as the major determining factors in the choice of therapy, bearing in mind the patients\u27 best interests. However, it is unclear why such a discrepancy between practice and guidelines still persists, since guidelines also recommend therapy based on their safety and efficacy data. It is possible that a substantial percentage of psychiatrists obtain indicators on drugs\u27 efficacy and safety from their personal professional experience. It is doubtful whether this knowledge is valid, or just represents unproven prescribers\u27 habits. Furthermore, the influence on other factors, such as treatment costs or drug availability should be further investigated