Virtual Reality Interventions and Psychosocial Functioning in Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Review.

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) intervention programs that aim to improve psychosocial functioning in schizophrenia spectrum disorders and evaluate the quality assessment of these studies.

Methods: PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) guideline was followed to conduct this systematic review. The literature search was performed in Web of Science (WoS) and PubMed, by two independent researchers on two occasions, on 1 March 2023 and 20 August 2023.

Reliability and validity study of the Turkish version of the Schizophrenia Cognition Rating Scale (SCoRS-TR).

Background: Schizophrenia is characterized by significant dysfunction in cognitive domains. Despite its crucial role in prognosis, evaluating neurocognitive impairments is challenging in outpatient settings because of the time-consuming nature of neurocognitive assessments. SCoRS "Schizophrenia Cognition Rating Scale" is a scale that provides brief cognitive evaluation.

The impact of affective and negative symptoms on the development of psychosis in a six-year follow-up of a community-based population.

Purpose: The Clinical High Risk (CHR) concept has a limited transition risk to psychotic disorders (PD). This study investigates the association between affective and negative symptoms, currently not included in the CHR concept, and the risk of transition to PD in a community-based population of 2185 participants in Turkey.

Methods: Participants were assessed twice over six years using a multistage sampling technique.

Relationship between the Use of Mobile Applications and Social Functioning in Patients with Schizophrenia.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to examine the prevalence of digital technology tool use in individuals with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder in Turkey, as well as evaluating the association between the use and psychosocial functionality and clinical symptoms.

Method: Data were collected from 100 patients who were diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder based on the DSM-5 criteria. The use of technology was evaluated with a questionnaire developed for this study.

Early and late contingent negative variation (CNV) reflect different aspects of deficits in schizophrenia.

Abnormal reward processing and psychomotor slowing are well-known in schizophrenia (SZ). As a slow frontocentral potential, contingent negative variation (CNV) is associated with anticipatory attention, motivation and motor planning. The present study aims to evaluate the early and late amplitude and latencies of CNV in patients with SZ compared to healthy controls during a reward processing task and to show its association with clinical symptoms.

The relationship between childhood trauma, psychotic symptoms, and cognitive schemas in patients with schizophrenia, their siblings, and healthy controls: results from the EU-GEI study.

Background: The relationship between childhood trauma (CT) and psychotic symptoms in patients with schizophrenia (SCZ), and subthreshold psychotic experiences in non-clinical populations is well-established. However, little is known about the relationship between subtypes of trauma and specific symptoms in patients, their siblings, and controls. It is also not clear which variables mediate the relationship between trauma and psychotic symptoms.

A Real Environment Based Virtual Reality Psychosocial Treatment May Help Patients with Schizophrenia to Increase Social Functioning: A Preliminary Study.

Unlabelled: disorders. The aim of the study is to investigate the impact of the VR Psychosocial Treatment Program (PTP) on psychosocial functioning and symptoms in people with schizophrenia.

Method: Seven schizophrenia patients who have been admitted to the Schizophrenia Outpatient Unit of Dokuz Eylül University School of Medicine and met the diagnosis of schizophrenia according to DSM-V diagnostic criteria were included in the study.

Reduced Reward Processing in Schizophrenia: A Comprehensive EEG Event-Related Oscillation Study.

It is well known that abnormal reward processing is a characteristic feature of various psychopathologies including schizophrenia (SZ). Reduced reward anticipation has been suggested as a core symptom of SZ. The present study aims to evaluate the event-related oscillations (EROs) delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma in patients with SZ during the Monetary Incentive Delay (MID) task, which elicits the neural activity of reward processing.

Effect of dual tasking on postural control in individuals with schizophrenia.

Objective: To investigate the effect of dual tasking on postural control in individuals with schizophrenia.

Methods: Fifteen outpatients with schizophrenia and 15 healthy controls were included. Postural control was assessed with postural sway velocity (PSV) using Balance Master System during three different tasks: single task (standing on a force platform), cognitive task (categorical verbal fluency) and motor task (holding a cup of water) in four conditions: on firm surface with eyes open (1) and closed (2), on foam surface with eyes open (3) and closed (4).

Treated incidence of first episode psychosis in Sinop, Turkey: results of a 4-year admission-based study - SINOPsy.

Background: The incidence of psychotic disorders varies in different geographic areas. As there has been no report from Turkey, this study aimed to provide the treated incidence rate of first-episode psychosis (FEP) in a defined area.

Methods: All individuals, aged 15-64 years, presenting with FEP (ICD-10 F20-29, F30-33) to mental health services in a defined catchment-area in Sinop which is located in the Black Sea region of the northern Turkey were recorded over a 4-year period (2009 to 2012).

Enhanced Punishment Responses in Patients With Schizophrenia: An Event-Related Potential Study.

It is well known that abnormal reward processing is a characteristic feature of various psychopathologies including schizophrenia. Reduced reward anticipation has been suggested as a core symptom of schizophrenia. The Monetary Incentive Delay Task (MID) is frequently used to detect reward anticipation.

Deficits in Analytic and Common-Sense Reasoning in Schizophrenia.

Human rationality has a dual nature including analytic and common-sense thinking. Symptoms of schizophrenia have been suggested to be related to deficits in these aspects of logical reasoning. However, empirical studies investigating logical reasoning errors in schizophrenia and their clinical and neurocognitive correlates are scarce.

The association of social inequality with the onset, persistence, and progression of psychotic experiences along the extended psychosis phenotype: a 6-year follow-up study in a community-based sample.

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate associations between early childhood and current indicators of socioeconomic inequality and the onset (incident), persistence and progression (increase in severity) of psychotic experiences (PEs) in a longitudinal follow-up of a community-based population.

Methods: Households in the metropolitan area of Izmir, Turkey were contacted in a multistage clustered probability sampling frame, at baseline (T, n = 4011) and at 6-year follow-up (T, n = 2185). Both at baseline and follow-up, PEs were assessed using Composite International Diagnostic Interview 2.

Clinical and developmental characteristics of cognitive subgroups in a transdiagnostic sample of schizophrenia spectrum disorders and bipolar disorder.

Evidence suggests that neurocognitive dysfunction is a transdiagnostic feature of individuals across the continuum between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. However, there is significant heterogeneity of neuropsychological and social-cognitive abilities in schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder. The current study aimed to investigate the clinical and developmental characteristics of cognitive subgroups within the schizo-bipolar spectrum.

Quality of Life of Individuals with Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia.

Introduction: Quality of life (QoL) is a concept defined as a subjective perception of one's position in life and is negatively affected in many psychiatric illnesses such as bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SCZ). It is hypothesized that therapeutic approaches based on QoL can increase the patient's adherence to treatment and contribute to a satisfactory life. This study aimed to compare the QoL of individuals having BD and schizophrenia with that of healthy controls (HCs) and to investigate the impact of the state of remission on QoL.

Thought Disorder as a Neglected Dimension in Schizophrenia.

Thought disorder (TD) is one of the main symptom domains of schizophrenia. TD is a construct that can be seen in both acute and chronic periods in patients with schizophrenia. It is associated with a poor prognosis and relapses, and it disrupts social-occupational functioning.

The association between cannabis use and facial emotion recognition in schizophrenia, siblings, and healthy controls: Results from the EUGEI study.

Schizophrenia is frequently accompanied with social cognitive disturbances. Cannabis represents one established environmental factor associated with the onset and progression of schizophrenia. The present cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the association of facial emotion recognition (FER) performance with cannabis use in 2039 patients with schizophrenia, 2141 siblings, and 2049 healthy controls (HC).

A 6-year follow-up study in a community-based population: Is neighbourhood-level social capital associated with the risk of emergence and persistence of psychotic experiences and transition to psychotic disorder?

Background: Social capital is thought to represent an environmental factor associated with the risk of psychotic disorder (PD). This study aims to investigate the association between neighbourhood-level social capital and clinical transitions within the spectrum of psychosis.

Methods: In total, 2175 participants, representative of a community-based population, were assessed twice (6 years apart) to determine their position within an extended psychosis spectrum: no symptoms, subclinical psychotic experiences (PE), clinical PE, PD.

The Relationship between Alcohol-Cannabis Use and Stressful Events with the Development of Incident Clinical Psychosis in a Community-Based Prospective Cohort.

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the associations between alcohol-cannabis use and forensic/stressful events with the risk of incident clinical psychosis during follow-up.

Method: A community-based sample (n: 2142) was screened for clinical psychosis (schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, affective disorders with psychotic features) at baseline and follow-up. Thus, incident clinical psychosis cases to develop during follow-up (individuals with no clinical psychosis at the baseline assessment and with clinical psychosis at the follow-up assessment) were detected (n: 27).

Letter to the Editor: THE IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON SCHIZOPHRENIA PATIENTS.

Dear Editor, The Covid-19 pandemic affected human life globally, inducing much stress on daily living (Çakıroğlu et al. 2020). Although assessments of general mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic have been widely reported, there is not adequate research on how schizophrenia patients have been affected.

Pharmacotherapy of Schizophrenia in Acute and Maintenance Phase.

Schizophrenia is one of the leading disorders causing impairment in society. Therefore, it is crucial to review evidence-based treatment approaches which are both effective and causing minimum side effects. In this paper, treatment recommendations for first episode schizophrenia, patients in acute phase with a history of multiple episodes, and patients in the maintenance phase will be discussed in light of the Psychiatric Association of Turkey Guideline for Treatment of Schizophrenia, other recent national and international guidelines as well as expert consensus reports in the literature.

Letter to the Editor: THE IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON SCHIZOPHRENIA PATIENTS.

Dear Editor, The Covid-19 pandemic affected human life globally, inducing much stress on daily living (Çakıroğlu et al. 2020). Although assessments of general mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic have been widely reported, there is not adequate research on how schizophrenia patients have been affected.