Early Response in Adolescents with Schizophrenia is not Associated with Remission at Six Months.

Objective: The objectives of present study were to determine the frequency of early response (ER), defined as a 20% decrease in total baseline PANSS score at three weeks and to compare the rate of symptomatic and functional remission between schizophrenic adolescents with and without ER.

Methods: The sample included 61 patients (65% males) with a mean age of 15 (+ 1.54) y.

Neuroanatomical features and its usefulness in classification of patients with PANDAS.

Objective: An obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) subtype has been associated with streptococcal infections and is called pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococci (PANDAS). The neuroanatomical characterization of subjects with this disorder is crucial for the better understanding of its pathophysiology; also, evaluation of these features as classifiers between patients and controls is relevant to determine potential biomarkers and useful in clinical diagnosis. This was the first multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) study on an early-onset OCD subtype.

Effectiveness of a treatment guideline for schizophrenia in adolescents: Lessons from a middle-income country.

Introduction: Treatment guidelines for schizophrenia represent a standard way to manage patients, especially in countries with limited staff resources. However, they have not been compared on their efficacy with treatment as usual, despite adult studies suggesting they can be more effective.

Methods: Inpatient and outpatient adolescents with schizophrenia were randomly allocated to be either treated according to a guideline-based treatment ( n = 43) or treatment as usual ( n = 44).

Association between obesity and the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene polymorphism Val66Met in individuals with bipolar disorder in Mexican population.

Background: The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been considered as an important candidate gene in bipolar disorder (BD); this association has been derived from several genetic and genome-wide studies. A polymorphic variant of the BDNF (Val66Met) confers some differences in the clinical presentation of affective disorders. In this study, we evaluated a sample population from Mexico City to determine whether the BDNF (rs6265) Val66Met polymorphism is associated with the body mass index (BMI) of patients with BD.

Validity and reliability of the Spanish version of the Personal and Social Performance scale in adolescents with schizophrenia.

Background: The Personal and Social Performance (PSP) scale is a widely used tool to evaluate adults with schizophrenia; however, more studies are needed regarding its usefulness in the assessment of adolescent patients, since the evaluation of their functioning could require adaptations according to development.

Objective: To examine construct validity, convergent validity, internal consistency and interrater reliability of the PSP in a sample of Mexican adolescents with schizophrenia.

Methods: A total of 40 patients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizophreniform disorder were evaluated with PSP, CGAS, PANSS and the MATRICS battery.