The role of attachment anxiety in the relationship between childhood trauma and schizophrenia-spectrum psychosis.

Childhood trauma (CT) is a comprehensive concept encompassing experiences of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, and neglect during childhood and adolescence. Patients with schizophrenia-spectrum psychosis (SSP) display higher rates of CT than healthy controls. Among the potential mediators of this association, insecure attachment has gained attention and empirical validation.

Evidence for increased immune mobilization in First Episode Psychosis compared with the prodromal stage in males.

The aim of the study was to gauge both the immune and neuroendocrine function in Ultra High Risk for psychosis (UHR) subjects and compare them with a cohort presenting with First Episode Psychosis (FEP). We recruited two groups, the first group consisted of 12 UHR males and the second of 25 males with FEP. We measured serum cortisol levels at 08:00, 12:00, 18:00 with their Area Under Curve with respect to the ground (AUCg) and the increase (AUCi) and we measured serum cytokines levels, Interleukin-1a, IL-1a, IL-2, IL-4,IL-5,IL-6,IL-8, IL-10,IL-12, IL-17a, Tumor Necrosis Factor-a (TNF-a), Interferon-γ (IFN-γ).

The role of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in the perception of insincere speech in first-episode psychosis.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of comorbid obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) on the perception of insincere speech (e.g., sarcasm and white lies) in patients with first-episode psychosis.

The role of cortisol in first episode of psychosis: a systematic review.

The stress diathesis hypothesis is currently one of the prevailing models of etiology of psychotic disorders. Cortisol is the most researched stress hormone; yet its role in first episode psychosis (FEP) was only recently investigated. The aim of the present study is to systematically review the evidence on the potential role of cortisol in FEP.

Emotional perception and theory of mind in first episode psychosis: the role of obsessive-compulsive symptomatology.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of comorbid obsessive-compulsive symptoms on emotional perception and theory of mind (ToM) in patients with first-episode psychosis. Participants were 65 patients with non-affective first episode psychosis (FEP) and 47 healthy controls. The patient group was divided into two subgroups, those with (FEP+; n=38) and those without obsessive-compulsive symptomatology (FEP-; n=27).

Humor appreciation of captionless cartoons in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Background: It seems that the core neural regions and cognitive processes implicated in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) pathophysiology may overlap with those involved in humor appreciation. However, to date, there have been no studies that have explored humor appreciation in OCD. The purpose of the present work was to investigate humor appreciation in a group of patients with OCD.

Comorbidity of obsessive-compulsive disorder with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder: Does it imply a specific subtype of obsessive-compulsive disorder?

The present study examined whether the comorbidity of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) constitute a specific subtype of OCD. The study sample consisted of 146 consecutive outpatients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of OCD. Diagnoses were established using MINI, IPDE, YBOCS and YBOCS-SC.

Sex differences in neuropsychological functioning among schizophrenia patients.

Objectives: Evidence from the literature addressing sex differences in cognition in schizophrenia remains equivocal, with some researchers suggesting that male schizophrenia patients are more impaired than female subjects, while others report no significant sex differences in cognitive functioning. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the differential pattern of cognitive performance observed in healthy men and women is preserved in male and female schizophrenia patients.

Method: Ninety-six schizophrenia patients (56 men) were compared with 62 age- and gender-ratio matched healthy controls (31 men), on a battery of neuropsychological tests that assessed basic cognitive abilities: attention, working memory, abstraction, inhibition, fluency, verbal learning and memory, visual memory, visuospatial skills, and psychomotor speed.

Emotion perception in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the ability to perceive facial and vocal affect in a group of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and to explore the specific emotions that might be troublesome for them. Participants were 25 patients with OCD and 25 healthy controls, matched for age, education, and gender. They were assessed with computerized tests of affect perception using visual faces [Kinney's Affect Matching Test (KAMT)], visual everyday scenarios [Fantie's Cartoon Test (FCT)], and prosody [Affective Prosody Test (APT)], as well as a facial recognition test [Kinney's Identity Matching Test (KIMT)].

Personality profile of patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy.

In the study described here we attempted to evaluate the personality profiles of 25 patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) at the time of diagnosis, before treatment, and to explore a potential relationship between behavioral aspects and clinical outcome. For this purpose we employed a standardized and objective instrument, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), and found that patients with JME have a personality profile similar to that of the control group, which corresponds to the 3,1 code type MMPI profile. We also noted that the characteristics of this personality type include those described in patients with long-duration JME by previous researchers.

Factor structure of the Greek translation of the Scale for the Assessment of Thought, Language and Communication.

Objective: The Scale for the Assessment of Thought, Language and Communication (TLC) is a widely used instrument for the assessment of formal thought disorder. TLC disorders were initially conceptualized as having only two underlying dimensions, a negative and a positive one. But studies of the factorial structure of the TLC have not provided confirmation for the positive-versus-negative distinction.

Humor appreciation in remitted patients with bipolar disorder.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate humor appreciation in a group of remitted patients with bipolar disorder. We examined 19 patients (8 men) with bipolar disorder I, currently remitted, and 22 (9 men) healthy controls, matched on age, education, and gender, on a computerized test comprising captionless cartoons, the Penn's Humor Appreciation Test (PHAT). Residual manic symptoms were evaluated with the Young Mania Rating Scale and residual depressive symptoms with the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale.

Urinary hesitancy and retention caused by ziprasidone.

We report the case of a patient with schizophrenia who developed urinary hesitancy and eventually urinary retention, 6 months after continuous treatment with ziprasidone; he had been administered no other medication during this time. The micturition difficulties resolved immediately upon discontinuation of ziprasidone.

Tardive nocturnal akathisia due to clozapine treatment.

In the following case report we present a 43-year-old male patient diagnosed with schizophrenia, paranoid type, who exhibited nocturnal tardive akathisia or pseydoakathisia approximately one year after being treated with clozapine 300 mg per day. Because of the low occurrence of akathisia due to clozapine, the episodes of restlessness were at first considered as a sign of worsening of the patient's psychopathology. Since the patient was resistant to other antipsychotic agents, clozapine was reinitiated.

Olanzapine-induced leucopenia and neutropenia.

Atypical antipsychotics, including olanzapine, were originally expected to reduce the risk of haematological toxicity and to be safe alternatives to clozapine. We report a case of patient who developed leucopenia and neutropenia during treatment with olanzapine.