Plasma cortisol levels and illness appraisal in deficit syndrome schizophrenia.

Research investigating the association between negative symptoms and plasma cortisol levels in individuals with schizophrenia has produced inconsistent findings. This study investigated whether deficit syndrome schizophrenia (characterized by high levels of primary negative symptoms) is associated with comparatively high morning plasma cortisol levels, more negative appraisals about illness and higher levels of depression. Participants were 85 individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia and 85 individuals with no history of contact with psychiatric services matched for age and gender.

A voxel based morphometry study investigating brain structural changes in first episode psychosis.

Schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BP) are associated with neuropathological brain changes, which are believed to disrupt connectivity between brain processes and may have common properties. Patients at first psychotic episode are unique, as one can assess brain alterations at illness inception, when many confounders are reduced or absent. SCZ (N=25) and BP (N=24) patients were recruited in a regional first episode psychosis MRI study.

Structural changes in the hippocampus and amygdala at first episode of psychosis.

Hippocampus and amygdala changes have been implicated in the pathophysiology and symptomatology of both schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BD). However relationships between illness course, neuropathological changes and variations in symptomatology remain unclear. This investigation examined the associations between hippocampus and amygdala volumes and symptom dimensions in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder patients after their first episode of psychosis.

Impact of persistent substance misuse on 1-year outcome in first-episode psychosis.

Background: Substance misuse is a common comorbid problem in people presenting with first-episode psychosis and is associated with a poor short-term outcome.

Aims: The aim of this study is to examine differences in baseline characteristics and 1-year outcome between individuals with first-episode psychosis who have never misused substances, those who stop misusing substances after initial presentation and those who persistently misuse substances over the 1-year assessment period.

Method: Patients were recruited to the Northern Ireland First Episode Psychosis Study (n = 272).

Patterns of neurocognitive impairment in first-episode bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

Background: Researching psychotic disorders in unison rather than as separate diagnostic groups is widely advocated, but the viability of such an approach requires careful consideration from a neurocognitive perspective.

Aims: To describe cognition in people with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia and to examine how known causes of variability in individual's performance contribute to any observed diagnostic differences.

Method: Neurocognitive functioning in people with bipolar disorder (n = 32), schizophrenia (n = 46) and healthy controls (n = 67) was compared using analysis of covariance on data from the Northern Ireland First Episode Psychosis Study.

Errorless learning and memory performance in schizophrenia.

There is evidence that patients with schizophrenia have impaired explicit memory and intact implicit memory. The present study sought to replicate and extend that of O'Carroll et al. [O'Carroll, R.