Transdiagnostic structural neuroimaging features in depression and psychosis: A systematic review.

Background: Previous research suggests that there may be similarities in structural brain changes seen in patients with depression and psychosis compared to healthy controls. However, there is yet no systematic review collating studies comparing structural brain changes in depression and psychosis. Establishing shared and specific neuroanatomical features could aid the investigation of underlying biological processes.

Neurobiologically Based Stratification of Recent-Onset Depression and Psychosis: Identification of Two Distinct Transdiagnostic Phenotypes.

Background: Identifying neurobiologically based transdiagnostic categories of depression and psychosis may elucidate heterogeneity and provide better candidates for predictive modeling. We aimed to identify clusters across patients with recent-onset depression (ROD) and recent-onset psychosis (ROP) based on structural neuroimaging data. We hypothesized that these transdiagnostic clusters would identify patients with poor outcome and allow more accurate prediction of symptomatic remission than traditional diagnostic structures.

Prevalence and assessment of self-disorders in the schizophrenia spectrum: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Self-disorders have been proposed as the "clinical core" of the schizophrenia spectrum. This has been explored in recent studies using self-disorder assessment tools. However, there are few systematic discussions of their quality and utility.

An Investigation of Behavioural and Self-Reported Cognitive Empathy Deficits in Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorders and Adolescents With Behavioural Difficulties.

Deficits in empathy have been considered hallmarks in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) but are also considered to underlie antisocial behaviour associated with individuals with callous unemotional traits (CU). Research has suggested that individuals with autism spectrum disorders show more difficulties with cognitive empathy, and that individuals diagnosed with behaviours difficulties, characterised by CU traits and antisocial behaviour, demonstrate low affective empathy. In the current manuscript we present findings of two studies.

A review of functional and structural neuroimaging studies to investigate the inner speech model of auditory verbal hallucinations in schizophrenia.

Although the pathophysiology of auditory verbal hallucinations remains uncertain, the inner speech model remains a prominent theory. A systematic review and meta-analyses of both functional and structural neuroimaging studies were performed to investigate the inner speech model. Of the 417 papers retrieved, 26 met the inclusion criteria.

Gender differences in the experience of psychotic-like experiences and their associated factors: A study of adolescents from the general population.

"Psychotic-Like Experiences" (PLEs) are common in the general population. While they are usually transient and resolve spontaneously, they can be distressing and signify increased risk for later psychosis or other psychopathology. It is important to investigate factors associated with PLEs which could be targeted to reduce their prevalence and impact.

Heterogeneity and Classification of Recent Onset Psychosis and Depression: A Multimodal Machine Learning Approach.

Diagnostic heterogeneity within and across psychotic and affective disorders challenges accurate treatment selection, particularly in the early stages. Delineation of shared and distinct illness features at the phenotypic and brain levels may inform the development of more precise differential diagnostic tools. We aimed to identify prototypes of depression and psychosis to investigate their heterogeneity, with common, comorbid transdiagnostic symptoms.

A Narrative Review of Stigma Related to Infectious Disease Outbreaks: What Can Be Learned in the Face of the Covid-19 Pandemic?

Infectious disease pandemics are associated with social consequences and stigma that are noticeably similar in various health conditions, health systems, and cultures. Stigma impacts health-related outcomes, not only as a barrier to receiving the timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment but also as an important variable that increases mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. The COVID-19 outbreak has been associated with stigma too.

Does cortical brain morphology act as a mediator between childhood trauma and transition to psychosis in young individuals at ultra-high risk?

Background: Childhood trauma, particularly sexual abuse, has been associated with transition to psychosis in individuals at "ultra-high risk" (UHR). This study investigated whether the effects of various forms of childhood trauma on transition to psychosis are mediated by cortical thickness and surface area abnormalities.

Methods: This prospective study used data from 62 UHR individuals from a previous (PACE 400) cohort study.

Adding a Dimension to the Dichotomy: Affective Processes Are Implicated in the Relationship Between Autistic and Schizotypal Traits.

Introduction: There is a recognized increase in vulnerability to psychosis in autistic people (AP). However, the construct of psychosis (particularly schizophrenia) contains several distinct factors, making understanding the relationship between autism and psychosis complex. Previous research has suggested that affective lability may be particularly related to psychotic experiences for AP who have experienced psychosis (AP-P).

Neural correlates of top-down guidance of attention to food: An fMRI study.

We investigated the neural correlates of working memory guided attentional selection of food versus non-food stimuli in young women. Participants were thirty-two women, aged 20.6y (± 0.

The Psychopathology and Neuroanatomical Markers of Depression in Early Psychosis.

Depression frequently occurs in first-episode psychosis (FEP) and predicts longer-term negative outcomes. It is possible that this depression is seen primarily in a distinct subgroup, which if identified could allow targeted treatments. We hypothesize that patients with recent-onset psychosis (ROP) and comorbid depression would be identifiable by symptoms and neuroanatomical features similar to those seen in recent-onset depression (ROD).

Depressive and socially anxious symptoms, psychosocial maturity, and risk perception: Associations with risk-taking behaviour.

Risk-taking behaviour and onset of mental illness peak in adolescence and young adulthood. This study evaluated the interconnectedness of the domains of risk-taking behaviour, mental health (symptoms of depression and social anxiety), psychosocial maturity, risk perception, age, and gender in a sample of 306 adolescents and young adults. Participants between the ages of 16 and 35 completed online self-report measures assessing risk-taking behaviour, depressive symptoms, socially anxious symptoms, psychosocial maturity and risk perception.

The impact of psychotic experiences in the early stages of mental health problems in young people.

Background: Anxiety and depressive symptoms and psychotic experiences constitute common features of emerging mental disorders in young people. Psychotic experiences and the ultra-high risk (UHR) state for psychosis appear to have a particular importance for clinical presentation, progression of symptomatology, quality of life and functioning, but the impact of psychotic experiences in individuals seeking help at non-UHR services, compared to UHR services, is under-researched.

Methods: Sixty-nine young people (M ± SD at baseline = 20.

The role of coping in the association between subclinical psychotic experiences and functioning: A within study replication in two independent adolescent samples.

An inverse association between psychosocial functioning and psychotic experiences is now established in both clinical and non-clinical populations, however the mechanisms which drive this are unclear. Adolescents with subclinical psychotic experiences (SPE) are more likely to use maladaptive coping strategies and less likely to use adaptive ones, and maladaptive coping has also been associated with poor functioning. A within study replication in two adolescent samples from the general populations of Melbourne, Australia (n = 723) and Birmingham, United Kingdom (n = 239), was conducted to determine whether the association between SPE and psychosocial functioning is mediated by coping style.

Psychometric properties of the questionnaire of cognitive and affective empathy in a Portuguese sample.

Empathy is an important concept in psychology and cognitive neuroscience. Despite the controversy around its definition, most researchers would agree that empathy is a multidimensional phenomenon which involves a vicarious experience of another person's affective state and an understanding of another person's affective experience. Self-report measures of empathy constitute an important tool for both research and clinical practice.

A pilot study to assess the effect of acute exercise on brain glutathione.

The brain is highly susceptible to oxidative stress due to its high metabolic demand. Increased oxidative stress and depletion of glutathione (GSH) are observed with aging and many neurological diseases. Exercise training has the potential to reduce oxidative stress in the brain.

Stress hormones and verbal memory in young people over the first 12 weeks of treatment for psychosis.

Aims: Memory impairment in psychosis may be mediated through detrimental effects of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function. This study prospectively investigated the relationship between cortisol, sulphate dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA(S) and cortisol: DHEA(S) ratio and memory in 35 first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients during the first 12 weeks of treatment and 23 healthy controls (HC).

Methods: Morning blood sampling and tests of attention, working memory and verbal memory occurred at baseline and 12-week follow-up.

Neuroanatomical Predictors of Functional Outcome in Individuals at Ultra-High Risk for Psychosis.

Most individuals at ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis do not transition to frank illness. Nevertheless, many have poor clinical outcomes and impaired psychosocial functioning. This study used voxel-based morphometry to investigate if baseline grey and white matter brain densities at identification as UHR were associated with functional outcome at medium- to long-term follow-up.

Risk Perception and Risk-Taking Behaviour during Adolescence: The Influence of Personality and Gender.

This study investigated the influence of personality characteristics and gender on adolescents' perception of risk and their risk-taking behaviour. Male and female participants (157 females: 116 males, aged 13-20) completed self-report measures on risk perception, risk-taking and personality. Male participants perceived behaviours as less risky, reportedly took more risks, were less sensitive to negative outcomes and less socially anxious than female participants.

Is it all in the reward? Peers influence risk-taking behaviour in young adulthood.

The presence of peers is suggested to increase risk-taking behaviour by heightening response to reward. The current study investigated this using a computerized financial risk-taking task which was performed twice by a group of young adults (n = 201, median age 19.8 years): once alone and once while in the presence of two peers.