Mentalization and empathy as predictors of violence in schizophrenic patients: Comparison with nonviolent schizophrenic patients, violent controls and nonviolent controls.

There are conflicting results concerning risk of violence in schizophrenia. Empathy and mentalization deficits are associated both with schizophrenia and violence, however, there are only a few studies with equivocal results concerning their relationship. 88 violent and nonviolent paranoid schizophrenic and violent and nonviolent control males in psychiatric, forensic psychiatric and correctional institutions completed the Ekman 60 Faces test, Faux Pas Recognition Test, Eysenck IVE test, Interpersonal Reactivity Index, and the Spielberger Anger Expression Scale.

Symptom profiles and parental bonding in homicidal versus non-violent male schizophrenia patients.

Background And Purpose: To compare the intensity and the profile of psychotic symptoms and the characteristics of parental bonding of male schizophrenia patients with a history of homicide and those without a history of violent behaviour. Clinical question - We hypothesized more intense psychotic symptoms, especially positive symptoms as signs of a more severe psychopathology in the background of homicidal behaviour. We also hypothesized a more negatively perceived pattern (less Care more Overprotection) of parental bonding in the case of homicidal schizophrenia patients than in non-violent patients and non-violent healthy controls.

Minor physical anomalies in bipolar I and bipolar II disorders - Results with the Méhes Scale.

Minor physical anomalies (MPAs) are external markers of abnormal brain development, so the more common appearence of these signs among bipolar I and bipolar II patients can confirm the possibility of a neurodevelopmental deficit in these illnesses. The aim of the present study was to investigate the rate and topological profile of minor physical anomalies in patients with bipolar I and - first in literature - with bipolar II disorders compared to matched healthy control subjects. Using a list of 57 minor physical anomalies (the Méhes Scale), 30 bipolar I and 30 bipolar II patients, while as a comparison 30 matched healthy control subjects were examined.

Minor physical anomalies are more common among the first-degree unaffected relatives of schizophrenia patients - Results with the Méhes Scale.

Minor physical anomalies are external markers of abnormal brain development,so the more common appearance of these signs among the relatives of schizophrenia patients can confirm minor physical anomalies as intermediate phenotypes. The aim of the present study was to investigate the rate and topological profile of minor physical anomalies in the first-degree unaffected relatives of patients with schizophrenia compared to matched normal control subjects. Using a list of 57 minor physical anomalies (the Méhes Scale), 20 relatives of patients with the diagnosis of schizophrenia and as a comparison 20 matched normal control subjects were examined.

Minor physical anomalies are more common in schizophrenia patients with the history of homicide.

Minor physical anomalies may be external markers of abnormal brain development, so the more common appearance of these signs in homicidal schizophrenia might suggest the possibility of a more seriously aberrant neurodevelopment in this subgroup. The aim of the present study was to investigate the rate and topological profile of minor physical anomalies in patients with schizophrenia with the history of committed or attempted homicide comparing them to patients with schizophrenia without homicide in their history and to normal control subjects. Using a list of 57 minor physical anomalies, 44 patients with the diagnosis of schizophrenia were examined with the history of committed or attempted homicide, as a comparison 22 patients with the diagnosis of schizophrenia without the history of any kind of homicide and violence and 21 normal control subjects were examined.

[Social cognitive differences in first-degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia. A systematic review].

The impairment of social functioning and difficulties in social integration are frequently found in patients with schizophrenia, and may affect the quality of life, thus revealing the underlying mechanisms of these differences appear to be of high importance. The impairment of social functioning has been reported in first-degree relatives of schizophrenia patients and individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis. Two meta-analyses and 15 studies were reviewed, in which various ToM tests were performed involving first-degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia,with diverse findings, both positive and negative results have been found, and in addition other cognitive deficits were reported in some cases.

[Minor physical anomalies in the relatives of schizophrenia patients. A systematic review of the literature].

Minor physical anomalies are mild, clinically and cosmetically insignificant errors of morphogenesis which have a prenatal origin and may bear major informational value for diagnostic, prognostic and epidemiological purposes. Since both the central nervous system and the skin are derived from the same ectodermal tissue in utero, minor physical anomalies can be external markers of abnormal brain development and they appear more commonly in neurodevelopmental disorders. Recently studies were published on the prevalence of minor physical anomalies in the relatives of patients with schizophrenia.

[Psychosis and violence -- literature review from a preventive point of view].

Clinical experience shows that being diagnosed with a serious mental illness (SMI) significantly increases the risk of violent behaviour. The study gives a brief overview of literature on the neurophysiological, cognitive and emotional factors hypothesized behind the violent behaviour of psychotic patients. Clinical profiles show that a distinct constellation of psychotic symptoms known as threat/control-override, comorbid substance abuse, decreased adherence to and compliance with treatment as well as a higher level of hostility as measured by the PANSS, are characteristic for these patients.

Psychosis as a process--new implications of staging models of schizophrenia.

The article discusses contributing factors in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. In the last fifteen years, the emphasis has shifted from curative to prodromal and premorbid characteristics of later schizophrenia patients. Nevertheless, most studies are limited to the area of early detection and intervention of schizophrenia with much fewer focusing on actual prevention.

[Minor physical anomalies in autism].

Background And Purpose: Minor physical anomalies are mild, clinically and cosmetically insignificant errors of morphogenesis which have a prenatal origin and may bear major informational value for diagnostic, prognostic and epidemiological purposes. Since both the central nervous system and the skin are derived from the same ectodermal tissue in utero, minor physical anomalies can be external markers of abnormal brain development and they appear more commonly in neurodevelopmental disorders. In a recently published meta-analysis Ozgen et al.

[The mystery of schizophrenia. The role of a preventive approach in the treatment of mental illness].

Despite decades of research, there is still a disquieting amount of unanswered questions concerning the genesis as well as the efficient therapy of schizophrenia. The classic approaches emphasizing genetic and family influences were followed by more comprehensive ones that focus on the interplay between the cognitive and the emotional social symptoms of the illness. The demand-access-matching model and, perhaps even more clearly, the cognitive appraisal model seek to integrate biological and early childhood experience factors and show their impact on cognitive as well as emotional functioning.