Determining cut-off values and predictors for the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale: comparison between clinical and school settings.

Background: Few previous studies have established Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (SHAPS) cut-off values using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and applied these values to compare predictors of anhedonia between clinical and nonclinical groups.

Aims: To determine the optimal cut-off values for the SHAPS and use them to identify predictors of anhedonia in clinical and nonclinical groups in Taiwan.

Method: This cross-sectional and correlational study used convenience sampling to recruit 160 patients from three hospitals and 412 students from two universities in northern Taiwan.

The effect of exercise on cognition and clinical symptoms of patients with schizophrenia: A systematic review of randomized controlled trial.

Physical activity has been viewed as a potential non-pharmacological therapeutic strategy to improve the clinical symptoms and neurocognitive deficits in patients with schizophrenia. However, there are various types of physical activities, and different exercise prescriptions might produce inconsistent benefits. Thus, this study aimed to conduct a systematic review of exercise interventions for patients with schizophrenia, clarifying the benefits of these interventions on cognitive function and clinical symptoms.

Linking childhood trauma to the psychopathology of schizophrenia: the role of oxytocin.

Childhood trauma has been linked to schizophrenia, but underlying biological mechanisms remain elusive. This study explored the potential role of plasma oxytocin as a mediator in the relationship between childhood trauma and the psychopathology of schizophrenia. 160 patients with schizophrenia and 80 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were assessed for childhood trauma experiences using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and structured interviews.

Negative emotionality downregulation affects moral choice but not moral judgement of harm: a pharmacological study.

Previous neuroscientific research has expounded on the fundamental role played by emotion during moral decision-making. Negative emotionality has been observed to exert a general inhibitory effect towards harmful behaviors against others. Nevertheless, the downregulation of negative affects at different levels of moral processing (e.

The interplay of childhood trauma, oxytocin, and impulsivity in predicting the onset of methamphetamine use.

Background: Childhood trauma is associated with substance use disorders, including methamphetamine use disorder (MUD). Oxytocin, involved in social bonding, stress regulation, and reward processing, may influence addiction vulnerability and impulsivity in individuals with a history of childhood trauma.

Objective: To investigate the relationships among childhood trauma, oxytocin levels, impulsivity, and the age of first methamphetamine use in individuals with MUD.

Targeting cravings in substance addiction with transcranial direct current stimulation: insights from a meta-analysis of sham-controlled trials.

Addiction is a substantial health concern; craving-the core symptom of addiction-is strongly associated with relapse. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a noninvasive brain stimulation technique that reduces cravings by altering cortical excitability and connectivity in brain regions. This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted (following the PRISMA guidelines) to evaluate the efficacy of tDCS in reducing cravings for substances.

The impact of childhood trauma exposure on social functioning in schizophrenia: the moderated mediation role of oxytocin and oxytocin receptor gene polymorphisms.

Background: Childhood trauma has been linked to increased risk of schizophrenia and social dysfunction, and oxytocin and its receptor gene have been implicated in regulating social behavior. This study investigated the potential role of oxytocin and oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) in mediating the effects of childhood trauma on social functioning in schizophrenia.

Methods: The study consisted of 382 patients with schizophrenia and 178 healthy controls who were assessed using the Taiwanese version of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-SF), the Social Functioning Scale (SFS), and plasma oxytocin levels.

Revisiting the hidden wound: Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on domestic violence and divorce in Taiwan (2020-2021).

Background: Data from some countries showed a worrisome increase in domestic violence but a paradoxical decrease in divorce during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. We investigated the impact of the pandemic on domestic violence and divorce in Taiwan in 2020-2021.

Method: Data for reported domestic violence and divorce by month and county/city (2017-2021) were from Taiwan government's registries.

Effectiveness of cognitive behavioural-based interventions for adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder extends beyond core symptoms: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Objectives: To provide an updated systematic review of randomized controlled studies for the efficacy of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in treating adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Design: Meta-analysis.

Methods: PROSPERO registration: CRD42021273633.

Neutropenia after the coadministration of clozapine and nirmatrelvir-ritonavir in a patient with SARS-CoV-2 infection: A case report with a literature review.

Background: Schizophrenia is considered one of the major risk factors for mortality from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Early antiviral treatment is important to decrease the risk of mortality. Currently, Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir-ritonavir) has been widely used in SARS-CoV-2 patients with risk factors.

Relationship between the domains of theory of mind, social dysfunction, and oxytocin in schizophrenia.

Social dysfunction, manifested by impaired social cognition, is contributing to poorer prognosis of patients with schizophrenia. Growing evidence indicates that oxytocin acts as a neurotransmitter in the regulation of social cognition. It still lacks a thorough understanding of how oxytocin is linked with deficits in social cognition and social functioning in schizophrenia.

Efficacy and safety of intermittent theta-burst stimulation in patients with schizophrenia: A meta-analysis of randomized sham-controlled trials.

Theta-burst stimulation is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique that was introduced as a potential augmentation treatment for patients with schizophrenia. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to investigate the therapeutic efficacy and safety of intermittent theta-burst stimulation in patients with schizophrenia. Following the PRISMA guidelines, the MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane, Scopus, Web of Science, and CNKI databases were searched for relevant studies from database inception to 9 January 2022.

Crosstalk between Schizophrenia and Metabolic Syndrome: The Role of Oxytocinergic Dysfunction.

The high prevalence of metabolic syndrome in persons with schizophrenia has spurred investigational efforts to study the mechanism beneath its pathophysiology. Early psychosis dysfunction is present across multiple organ systems. On this account, schizophrenia may be a multisystem disorder in which one organ system is predominantly affected and where other organ systems are also concurrently involved.

Renaming Schizophrenia and Stigma Reduction: A Cross-Sectional Study of Nursing Students in Taiwan.

Schizophrenia is one of the most stigmatized mental disorders. In 2014, schizophrenia was renamed in Mandarin in Taiwan, from the old name of "mind-splitting disease" to new name "disorder with dysfunction of thought and perception", in an attempt to reduce the stigmatization of schizophrenia. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the effects of renaming schizophrenia on its stigma in nursing students.

Metabolic disturbances associated with antipsychotic drug treatment in patients with schizophrenia: State-of-the-art and future perspectives.

Metabolic disturbances and obesity are major cardiovascular risk factors in patients with schizophrenia, resulting in a higher mortality rate and shorter life expectancy compared with those in the general population. Although schizophrenia and metabolic disturbances may share certain genetic or pathobiological risks, antipsychotics, particularly those of second generation, may further increase the risk of weight gain and metabolic disturbances in patients with schizophrenia. This review included articles on weight gain and metabolic disturbances related to antipsychotics and their mechanisms, monitoring guidelines, and interventions.

Effects of Renaming Schizophrenia on Destigmatization among Medical Students in One Taiwan University.

The stigma associated with serious mental illnesses causes a huge burden on patients, their families, and society. In October 2012, in Taiwan, schizophrenia was renamed to reduce the stigma associated with this disease. The aim of this study was to compare the differences of public stigma, self-stigma, and social distance associated with schizophrenia between old and new name of schizophrenia in medical students.

Childhood Trauma and Aggression in Persons Convicted for Homicide: An Exploratory Study Examines the Role of Plasma Oxytocin.

Evidence has demonstrated the association between childhood trauma and criminality in adulthood, however, less is known about how best to explain the route from childhood trauma to adulthood aggression. Results from both human and animal studies have generated the hypothesis that dysfunction of the oxytocinergic system may correlate with pathological aggression. The current study represents a first exploratory examination to investigate the trajectory from childhood trauma to aggression, specifically, plasma oxytocin's role in this association.

The Relationships Between Hyperprolactinemia, Metabolic Disturbance, and Sexual Dysfunction in Patients With Schizophrenia Under Olanzapine Treatment.

The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between prolactin levels and sexual dysfunction in patients with schizophrenia who use olanzapine medication. The potential risk factors of hyperprolactinemia and sexual dysfunction were also investigated. Patients with schizophrenia undergoing olanzapine monotherapy were invited to participate in this cross-sectional study.

Oxytocin in Schizophrenia: Pathophysiology and Implications for Future Treatment.

Schizophrenia is a form of mental disorder that is behaviorally characterized by abnormal behavior, such as social function deficits or other behaviors that are disconnected from reality. Dysregulation of oxytocin may play a role in regulating the expression of schizophrenia. Given oxytocin's role in social cognition and behavior, a variety of studies have examined the potential clinical benefits of oxytocin in improving the psychopathology of patients with schizophrenia.

Effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids supplements on psychopathology and metabolic parameters in schizophrenia: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Several monotherapy and augmentation strategies have been introduced to improve the treatment of schizophrenia. The benefits of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in patients with mental disorders is becoming increasingly acknowledged. However, its role in the treatment of schizophrenia raises complex considerations about which there has been little consensus.

The Role of Adiponectin in the Pathogenesis of Metabolic Disturbances in Patients With Schizophrenia.

Antipsychotic-induced metabolic disturbance is a common adverse event occurring in patients treated with antipsychotic drugs. The mechanisms underlying metabolic dysregulation are complex, involving various neurochemical and hormonal systems, the interaction of genetic and lifestyle risk factors, and the antipsychotic drug prescribed. Recently, there has been increasing interest in the relationship between antipsychotic-induced metabolic disturbances and body weight regulatory hormones such as adiponectin.

Efficacy of -methyl--aspartate receptor modulator augmentation in schizophrenia: A meta-analysis of randomised, placebo-controlled trials.

Background: Dysfunction of the -methyl--aspartate glutamate receptor is involved in the putative pathology of schizophrenia. There is growing interest in the potential of -methyl--aspartate receptor modulators to improve the symptoms of schizophrenia, but the evidence for the use of glutamatergic agents for augmenting schizophrenia remains inconclusive.

Aims: We conducted a meta-analysis to test the efficacy and safety of -methyl--aspartate receptor modulator supplements in patients with schizophrenia.

Younger, more senior, and most vulnerable? Interaction effects of age and job seniority on psychological distress and quality of life among firefighters.

Objectives: Firefighters are exposed to repeated traumatic events while the robustness of cumulative effects of repeated exposure to trauma on psychological distress among them are inconsistent. Considering the length of service and seniority are risk factors, the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of the interaction between age and seniority on psychological distress and quality of life among firefighters.

Methods: Participants were 229 firefighters of the Hualien County Fire Bureau in Taiwan who worked full time in response to emergency services and disaster rescues activities.