Season of birth and schizotypy in a sample of undergraduate students.

Purpose: In line with the psychotic continuum theory, the study of psychometric schizotypy in non-clinical samples has been proposed as a convenient yet powerful method for studying the etiology of psychosis. Based on this paradigm, several studies explored the association between season of birth (SoB) and schizotypy but led to inconsistent results. Building on the analysis of the previous studies, in the present study, we aimed to advance our understanding by improving the methodology (using a homogeneous group, eliminating unreliable respondents, taking into account potential confounders) and the reporting.

Healthcare Professionals' Specialists' Perception of Telemedicine in Romania-A Quantitative Study of Beliefs, Practices, and Expectations.

Background: Telemedicine is the service of delivering medical care from a distance through the means of modern technology. It has many advantages, including improved access, decreased costs for both patients and clinics, more flexibility and availability, as well as more precise and individualized therapies. However, it is equally important to take into consideration all the challenges associated with this innovative way of providing care.

Schizotypal dimensions are associated with current but not former tobacco consumption.

Objectives: We aimed to study the relationship between tobacco smoking and attenuated psychosis measures taking into account several aspects of tobacco consumption that to date have not been explored and that could help understand this association, such as age of onset, the influence of former consumption and the duration of abstinence.

Methods: We investigated, in a sample of 580 students, the relationship between schizotypy (using the schizotypal personality questionnaire-brief in a Likert format) and smoking status, nicotine dependence (measured with the Fagerström test for nicotine dependence), age of onset of smoking and in former smokers, duration of smoking abstinence.

Results: 35.

Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire-Brief: Effect of invalid responding on factor structure analysis and scores of schizotypy.

Objectives: We assessed the effect of invalid responding on factor structure and on scores of schizotypy through the factor analysis of the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire-Brief (SPQ-B) in a sample of 580 Romanian students using 3 validity items and 5 social desirability items.

Methods: We examined the factor structure of the SPQ-B, we compared the mean SPQ-B scores between reliable and unreliable responders and between high vs. low social desirability responders, and we re-run the factor analysis restricting the sample to the reliable or low social desirability responders.

Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels in depressed women treated with open-label escitalopram.

Background: Recent studies suggest the important role of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the etiopathogenesis of major depressive disorder (MDD) and the mechanism of action of antidepressants. This study aimed to correlate serum levels of BDNF and clinical symptoms in patients with MDD before and after 6 months treatment with escitalopram.

Subjects And Methods: Twenty women diagnosed with MDD and 20 aged-matched healthy female controls were recruited.