Screening for schizophrenia in initial prodromal phase: Detecting the sub-threshold psychosis.

Objectives: The aim of the study is to screen and evaluate the efficacy of the screening tools in detecting subjects with sub-threshold psychosis among asymptomatic individuals at genetic risk, as compared with persons in the general public.

Methods: This was a two-stage study of the relatives of patients with schizophrenia and general individuals. Subjects were screened with a Screening Questionnaire (SQ) and General Health Questionnaires (GHQ-12) in the initial stage.

Modified assertive community treatment: effectiveness on hospitalization and length of stay.

The objective is to assess the efficacy of a modified Assertive Community treatment (ACT). This is a retrospective cross-sectional study with a comparative group. The study group was patients with schizophrenia who had completed modified ACT, while the control group was those who did not receive modified ACT.

Public stigma towards patients with schizophrenia of ethnic Malay: a comparison between the general public and patients' relatives.

Background: The stigma attached to mental disorders has been recognized as a major concern in healthcare services across societies.

Aims: To compare the stigmatizing attitude towards patients with schizophrenia between the general public, relatives of patient with schizophrenia and relatives of patient with neurotic illnesses.

Method: The study sample of 600 subjects of Malay families was equally divided into three groups.

Pain symptoms in Malay patients with major depression.

Objectives: There is a strong association between depression and pain, which is influenced by various biological and psychological mechanisms. The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence and severity of pain symptoms among patients with major depression; and to determine the correlation between pain with clinical variables, neurotic pathology and severity of depression.

Methods: Fifty-one Malay patients with major depressive disorder without psychotic feature enrolled for the study.

A Nested Allele-Specific Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction Method for the Detection of DRD2 Polymorphisms.

Background: The dopamine D2 receptor gene (DRD2) plays a role in many diseases such as schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease, and addictive behaviour. Methods currently available for the detection of DRD2 polymorphisms are costly and cannot detect all 8 polymorphisms of our research interest simultaneously (Val96Ala, Leu141Leu, Val154Ile, Pro310Ser, Ser311Cys, TaqI A, A-241G, and -141C Ins/Del). Therefore, we developed a nested multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for simultaneous detection of these polymorphisms.

Influence of DRD2 polymorphisms on the clinical outcomes of patients with schizophrenia.

Objective: Variations in the gene for dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) might have an influence on the outcome of antipsychotic treatment in schizophrenia. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of DRD2 polymorphisms on treatment outcomes in patients with schizophrenia.

Methods: The sample composed of 156 Malaysian outpatients with stable schizophrenia on maintenance antipsychotic treatment at a psychiatric clinic.

Influence of CYP2D6 polymorphisms on symptomatology and side-effects of patients with schizophrenia in Malaysia.

Background: Our objective was to investigate the association of CYP2D6 polymorphisms with symptoms and side-effects of patients with schizophrenia.

Methods: The subjects were 156 patients with schizophrenia undergoing antipsychotic treatment at a psychiatric clinic. Patients with co-morbid diagnoses of substance abuse or mental retardation were excluded from the study.

Life event, stress and illness.

The relationship between stress and illness is complex. The susceptibility to stress varies from person to person. Among the factors that influenced the susceptibility to stress are genetic vulnerability, coping style, type of personality and social support.

Complementary treatment of psychotic and epileptic patients in malaysia.

The objective of this article is to describe and compare the use of traditional/complementary medicine (T/CM) among psychotic (schizophrenia and schizophreniform disorder) and epileptic Malay patients in peninsular Malaysia. There were 60 patients in each group. T/CM consultation was uniformly spread across all levels of education and social status.

The genetics of schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is a complex biological disorder with multifactorial mode of transmission where non-genetic determinants are also play important role. It is now clear that it involves combined effect of many genes, each conferring a small increase in liability to the illness. Thus no causal disease genes or single gene of major effects, only susceptible genes are operating.