Factors Associated With Psychosocial Functioning and Outcome of Individuals With Recent-Onset Schizophrenia and at Ultra-High Risk for Psychosis.

Patients with schizophrenia have impairments in social functioning and are readmitted to healthcare institutions frequently. Individuals at ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis already present poor social functioning; among those individuals, the conversion rate from the putative prodromal phase to overt psychosis is 20%-30% within 1-2 years. Here, we analyzed the factor structure of self-related variables and neuro- and socio-cognitive function, and investigated whether these factors were associated with psychosocial function and prognostic outcome in individuals with recent-onset schizophrenia (ROSPR) or at UHR for psychosis.

Psychotic conversion of individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis: The potential roles of schizotypy and basic symptoms.

Aim: To improve strategies for the early identification of individuals at a heightened risk for the development of psychosis, we investigated the relationships and interactions between 3 psychosis-proneness dimensions for the development of schizophrenia spectrum psychosis: schizotypy, basic symptoms and the ultra-high risk (UHR) criteria.

Methods: Seventy-seven UHR individuals and 79 healthy controls were assessed for schizotypy and basic symptoms using self-report questionnaires at baseline. UHR participants were monthly assessed for conversion to psychosis over a mean period of 25.

Experiential pleasure deficits in the prodrome: A study of emotional experiences in individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis and recent-onset schizophrenia.

Background: Previous studies report deficits in noncurrent but not current pleasure experience in schizophrenia, but little is known about pleasure experiences of the prodrome. This study investigated noncurrent and current pleasure experiences and its relationship with neurocognitive function and self-esteem in ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis and recent-onset schizophrenia (ROSPR).

Methods: Twenty-four UHR, 25 ROSPR and 42 normal controls completed the physical and social anhedonia scales for noncurrent emotional experience and the laboratory-based assessment of valence and arousal evoked by positive, neutral and negative emotional stimuli for current emotional experience.

Impaired facial emotion recognition in individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis and with first-episode schizophrenia, and their associations with neurocognitive deficits and self-reported schizotypy.

Objective: This study aims to quantify facial emotion recognition abnormalities and their relation to neurocognitive dysfunction and schizotypy in individuals at ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis and patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FES).

Methods: Forty individuals at UHR for psychosis, 24 patients with FES and 46 normal controls performed a facial emotion recognition task that presented facial photographs encompassing all basic emotions. The perceptual aberration scale and revised social anhedonia scale were employed for self-reported assessment of schizotypy.

Neurocognitive impairments in individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis: Who will really convert?

Objective: Impairments in neurocognitive function are considered as core features of schizophrenia. Individuals at ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis, the 'putative' prodrome of schizophrenia, generally show levels of impairments intermediate between schizophrenia patients and healthy controls. We investigated the neurocognitive performance of individuals at UHR for psychosis, comparing them with patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FES) and healthy controls (HC), and explored the predictivity of baseline neurocognitive function in the UHR group for transition to overt psychosis.

Theory of mind as a mediator of reasoning and facial emotion recognition: findings from 200 healthy people.

Objective: It was proposed that the ability to recognize facial emotions is closely related to complex neurocognitive processes and/or skills related to theory of mind (ToM). This study examines whether ToM skills mediate the relationship between higher neurocognitive functions, such as reasoning ability, and facial emotion recognition.

Methods: A total of 200 healthy subjects (101 males, 99 females) were recruited.

Genetic influence of COMT and BDNF gene polymorphisms on resilience in healthy college students.

Purpose: Resilience refers to the individual positive capacity to cope with stress and to restore homeostasis, which may be mediated by adaptive neurobiological changes in the brain. We investigated the genetic influence of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met and the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met for individual differences in resilience in healthy Korean college students.

Methods: A sample of 321 healthy college volunteers (167 males, 154 females) was assessed by genotyping and with the 25-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale.

Temperament and character in individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis and with first-episode schizophrenia: associations with psychopathology, psychosocial functioning, and aspects of psychological health.

Objective: The psychobiological model of temperament and character indicates that personality traits are heritable and, during development, constantly influence one's susceptibility to schizophrenia. Our objective was to evaluate temperament and character in subjects at ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis and individuals with first-episode schizophrenia.

Methods: UHR for psychosis subjects (n = 50), first-episode schizophrenia patients (n = 33), and normal controls (n = 120) were compared on temperament and character dimensions, and correlation analysis of each personality dimension with psychopathologies, global and social functioning, and self-esteem.

The relationship between psychosocial functioning and resilience and negative symptoms in individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis.

Objective: Decline in psychosocial functioning seems to be a core feature in schizophrenia across various phases of the disorder. Little is known about the relationship between psychosocial functioning and protective factors or psychopathologies in individuals in the prodrome phase of psychosis. We aimed to investigate whether psychosocial functioning is impaired in individuals in the putative prodromal phase of schizophrenia, and, if so, to identify factors associated with compromised psychosocial functioning.

Attributional style in healthy persons: its association with 'theory of mind' skills.

Objective: Attributional style, especially external personal attribution bias, was found to play a pivotal role in clinical and non-clinical paranoia. The study of the relationship of the tendency to infer/perceive hostility and blame with theory of mind skills has significant theoretical importance as it may provide additional information on how persons process social situations. The aim of this study was whether hostility perception bias and blame bias might be associated with theory of mind skills, neurocognition and emotional factors in healthy persons.

Associated factors of quality of life in first-episode schizophrenia patients.

Objective: Improving quality of life is an important goal in the treatment of schizophrenia. In previous research, quality of life has been reported to be compromised in patients with schizophrenia. The aim of this study was to investigate whether quality of life may be impaired in first-episode schizophrenia patients and to identify the associated factors of quality of life in first-episode schizophrenia.

Temporomandibular joint bony ankylosis: comparison of treatment with transport distraction osteogenesis or the matthews device arthroplasty.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) bony ankylosis with micrognathia is a rare congenital condition that is difficult to treat and may result in recurrence. In a series of affected patients, we compared two new methods of treatment: transport distraction osteogenesis and Matthews Device arthroplasty. All patients had computed tomography scan documented bilateral TMJ bony ankylosis.