Exploring the associations between momentary cortisol levels and psychotic-like experiences in young adults: Results from a temporal network analysis of daily-life data.

Dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis has been implicated in the development of psychosis and subthreshold psychotic symptoms commonly referred to as psychotic-like experiences (PLEs). The exact mechanisms linking the HPA axis responses with the emergence of PLEs remain unknown. The present study aimed to explore real-life associations between stress, negative affect, salivary cortisol levels (a proxy of the HPA axis activity) as well as PLEs together with their underlying cognitive biases (i.

Does social isolation predict the emergence of psychotic-like experiences? Results from the experience sampling method study.

Background: Several studies have shown that social isolation and loneliness are associated with the occurrence of psychotic experiences. However, dynamics of these phenomena in people with subclinical experiences, commonly referred to as psychotic-like experiences (PLEs), remains largely unknown. Therefore, in this study we performed a temporal network analysis to model dynamic predictions between social isolation, loneliness, negative affect, social stress, and PLEs.

Risk factors of deficit and non-deficit schizophrenia: Results from a cross-sectional study.

Aim: It has been observed that deficit and non-deficit schizophrenia (SCZ-D and SCZ-ND) might be characterized by different risk factors. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess as to whether previously reported risk factors of schizophrenia are specifically associated with SCZ-D and SCZ-ND.

Method: This study was based on a cohort of 118 stable outpatients with schizophrenia.

Neurodevelopmental aspects of adverse childhood experiences in psychosis: Relevance of the allostatic load concept.

Previous studies have shown that neurodevelopmental characteristics of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), such as their accumulation and minimal age at exposure, might moderate their impact on clinical expression of psychosis. However, it remains unknown as to whether specific neurodevelopmental characteristics of ACEs are associated with biological alterations observed in psychosis. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that younger minimal age at exposure as well as greater accumulation and severity of ACEs are associated with systemic biological dysregulations captured by the allostatic load (AL) index in patients with psychosis.

The Relationship between Cognitive Functions and Psychopathological Symptoms in First Episode Psychosis and Chronic Schizophrenia.

Impairments in cognitive functions are one of the main features of schizophrenia. A variety of factors can influence the extent of cognitive deficits. In our study, we examined the severity of cognitive deficits at different stages of the disease and the relationship between psychopathological symptoms and cognitive functions.

Adverse Childhood Experiences and Methylation of the Gene in Patients with Psychotic Disorders.

Altered methylation of the gene has been observed in various mental disorders and attributed to the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). However, the level of methylation has not been investigated in patients with psychotic disorders. Therefore, in this study we aimed to determine the methylation in patients with psychosis and controls, taking into account the effects of ACEs.