Publications by authors named "M P Garcia-Portilla"
Background: Emerging evidence suggests a potential association between "leaky gut syndrome" and low-grade systemic inflammation in individuals with psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia. Gut dysbiosis could increase intestinal permeability, allowing the passage of toxins and bacteria into the systemic circulation, subsequently triggering immune-reactive responses. This study delves into understanding the relationship between plasma markers of intestinal permeability and symptom severity in schizophrenia.
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- Maternal stress during pregnancy can influence the health of offspring, raising the risk for neuropsychiatric disorders through changes in placental DNA methylation.
- The study examined the effects of maternal stress on DNA methylation of cortisol-regulating genes (NR3C1, FKBP5, HSD11B2) using placental samples from 45 mother-infant pairs divided by stress exposure levels.
- Results indicated that higher maternal cortisol in early pregnancy was linked to specific DNA methylation changes in the NR3C1 and FKBP5 genes, but no direct connection to newborn neurodevelopment was established, underscoring the need for more research on placental epigenetics.
The role of the oral microbiome in mental health has recently been appreciated within the proposed oral-brain axis. This study examined the structure and composition of the salivary microbiome in a large-scale population-based cohort of individuals reporting mental health symptoms (n = 306) compared to mentally healthy controls (n = 164) using 16S rRNA sequencing. Mental health symptoms were evaluated using validated questionnaires and included depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with accompanying periodontal outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe dimensional structure of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale in first-episode schizophrenia spectrum disorders: an Exploratory Graph Analysis from the OPTiMiSE trial.
Schizophrenia (Heidelb)
September 2024
The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) is the most widely used rating scale to assess psychotic symptoms in patients with schizophrenia and other primary psychoses. However, a definitive consensus regarding its dimensional structure remains elusive. The present work aims to determine the number of dimensions of the scale through a network analysis approach in a sample of individuals experiencing first-episode schizophrenia spectrum disorder (FE-SSD) with minimal or no prior exposure to antipsychotic treatment.
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