Analysis of clinical characteristics and antipsychotic medication prescribing practices of first-episode schizophrenia in Israel: a naturalistic prospective study.

Background: Investigation of the clinical presentation and treatment of first-episode psychosis is important in order to exclude effects of age, chronic illness, long-term treatment and institutionalization. The aim of this descriptive study was to investigate the management practices of first-episode schizophrenia in a cohort of patients in Israel and to document use of the various "typical" or "atypical" antipsychotic agents.

Method: Fifty-one consecutive patients (26 M, 25 F) with first-episode psychosis were recruited for study participation and were administered either typical or atypical antipsychotic medications in a naturalistic manner.

Analysis of an association between the COMT polymorphism and clinical symptomatology in schizophrenia.

Based on their metabolic inactivation of dopamine and norepinephrine, genes encoding the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) enzyme are appropriate candidates to consider in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. COMT enzyme activity is regulated by a common polymorphism causing substantial variations in enzymatic activity, and evidence for allelic or genotypic association with cognitive and behavioral features of schizophrenia has been noted. Since the role of COMT in schizophrenia remains inconclusive, we determined whether any association exists between COMT genotypes and clinical symptomatology in a large cohort of schizophrenia subjects.

Increased circulatory dehydroepiandrosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone-sulphate in first-episode schizophrenia: relationship to gender, aggression and symptomatology.

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a major circulating neurosteroid in humans and its administration has demonstrated efficacy in the improvement of mood, with increased energy, interest, confidence and activity levels. Since recent findings have suggested the role of neurosteroids in general, and DHEA in particular, in the symptomatology and pharmacotherapy of schizophrenia patients with chronic illness, we investigated DHEA and DHEA-S blood levels in individuals in their first-episode of psychosis in order to exclude effects of age, chronic illness, long-term treatment and institutionalization. Blood levels for DHEA, DHEA-S and cortisol were obtained for 37 first-episode schizophrenia subjects and 27 normal age- and sex-matched controls and correlated with a range of clinical and side-effect rating scales.

The alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor in schizophrenia: decreased mRNA levels in peripheral blood lymphocytes.

Recent studies have suggested that the alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (alpha7 AChR) may play a role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. In search for peripheral biological markers for schizophrenia we have investigated alpha7 mRNA levels in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) of schizophrenic patients and healthy controls. Peripheral blood samples were collected from medicated and non-medicated (drug naive) schizophrenic patients as well as from healthy (non-mentally ill) smokers and non-smokers.

Aggressive behavior in schizophrenia is associated with the low enzyme activity COMT polymorphism: a replication study.

We have previously reported that increased aggressive behavior in schizophrenic patients may be associated with a polymorphism at codon 158 of the catechol O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene that encodes a low enzyme activity variant. The finding has been replicated by one group, but not others. The discordant findings could be due to statistical errors or methodological issues in the assessment of aggressive/violent behavior.

Dehydroepiandrosterone augmentation in the management of negative, depressive, and anxiety symptoms in schizophrenia.

Context: Negative symptoms of schizophrenia are a prominent feature of the illness, and frequently remain refractory to treatment. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), along with its sulfated form, DHEA-S, is an important circulating neurosteroid with several vital neurophysiological functions, including the regulation of neuronal excitability and function.

Objective: Since the administration of DHEA has demonstrated improvement in mood, sense of well-being, interest, activity, and energy in several subpopulations, we investigate the efficacy of DHEA in the management of the negative symptoms of schizophrenia.