Blood Viscosity and Inflammation in First-Episode and Acute Exacerbations of Schizophrenia: A Case-Control Study with Healthy Controls.

Introduction: Elevated proinflammatory status and alterations in blood flow, both of which are associated with the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, may be linked with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. However, such a relationship at different acute stages of schizophrenia has not been evaluated. We aimed to examine whether blood viscosity and systemic inflammatory status varied between first-episode schizophrenia (FES) and acute exacerbations of schizophrenia.

Can diffusion tensor imaging have a diagnostic utility to differentiate early-onset forms of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia: A neuroimaging study with explainable machine learning algorithms.

Background/aim: Accurate diagnosis of early-onset psychotic disorders is crucial to improve clinical outcomes. This study aimed to differentiate patients with early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) from early-onset bipolar disorder (EBD) with machine learning (ML) algorithms using white matter tracts (WMT).

Method: Diffusion tensor imaging was obtained from adolescents with either EOS (n = 43) or EBD (n = 32).

Statistical shape analysis of corpus callosum in delusional disorder.

Neurobiological foundations of delusional disorder (DD) have been studied less with neuroimaging techniques when compared to other psychotic disorders. The present study aimed to delineate the neural substrates of DD by investigating neuroanatomical characteristics of the corpus callosum (CC) with statistical shape analysis (SSA) conducted on magnetic resonance images (MRI). Twenty (female:male=1:1) DSM-5 DD patients and 20 age- and gender-matched healthy individuals were included.

No gender differences in the pharmacological emergency treatment of schizophrenia: results of a 21-year observation.

Patients suffering from schizophrenia are at high risk for admission and treatment in locked units. This study investigated gender differences in the pharmacological emergency treatment of schizophrenia patients over a 21-year observation period. The current retrospective study was conducted at the Division of Psychiatry I of the Medical University Innsbruck.

Psychometric properties of the German Penn Alcohol Craving Scale.

Craving for alcohol is an important diagnostic criterion in alcohol use disorder (AUD) and an established predictor of future relapse. The 5-item Penn Alcohol Craving Scale (PACS) is one of the most widely used questionnaires to quantify craving and has been translated into different languages. It is assumed that the PACS constitutes one factor, although theoretical considerations suggest an additional second factor.

Exploring the "Insight Paradox" in Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia: Correlations Between Dimensions of Insight and Depressive Symptoms in Patients Receiving Clozapine.

Objective: There remains a lack of clarity as to the possible cross talk of insight into illness and depressive symptoms in treatment-resistant schizophrenia. We therefore set our primary aim to evaluate relationship between insight dimensions and depressive symptoms in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia receiving clozapine.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional, non-interventional study, conducted in daily clinical practice conditions.

Training in neuropsychiatry: views of early career psychiatrists from across the world.

Background: Training and practice in neuropsychiatry varies across the world. However, little is known about the experiences and opinions of early career psychiatrists (ECPs) across different countries regarding neuropsychiatry.

Aims And Method: To investigate neuropsychiatry training experiences, practices and opinions among ECPs across different countries.

Patterns of amyloid accumulation in amyloid-negative cases.

Amyloid staging models showed that regional abnormality occurs before global positivity. Several studies assumed that the trajectory of amyloid spread is homogeneous, but clinical evidence suggests that it is highly heterogeneous. We tested whether different amyloid-β (Aβ) patterns exist by applying clustering on negative scans and investigating their demographics, clinical, cognitive, and biomarkers correlates, and cognitive trajectories.

Stability of mental motor-imagery classification in EEG depends on the choice of classifier model and experiment design, but not on signal preprocessing.

Introduction: Modern consciousness research has developed diagnostic tests to improve the diagnostic accuracy of different states of consciousness via electroencephalography (EEG)-based mental motor imagery (MI), which is still challenging and lacks a consensus on how to best analyse MI EEG-data. An optimally designed and analyzed paradigm must detect command-following in all healthy individuals, before it can be applied in patients, e.g.

Anatomy and Histology of the Petrous Carotid Membrane: Application to Skull Base Surgery.

Background: Published reports regarding the tissue types that surround the internal carotid artery (ICA) as it travels through the carotid canal vary. Reports have variably defined this membrane as periosteum, loose areolar tissue, or dura mater. With such discrepancies and realizing that knowledge of this tissue might be important for skull base surgeons who expose or mobilize the ICA at this location, the present anatomical/histological study was performed.

Effects of serotonergic psychedelics on mitochondria: Transdiagnostic implications for mitochondria-related pathologies.

The use of serotonergic psychedelics has gained increasing attention in research, clinical practice and society. Growing evidence suggests fast-acting, transdiagnostic health benefits of these 5-hydroxytryptamine 2A receptor agonists. Here, we provide a brief overview of their benefits for psychological, cardiovascular, metabolic, neurodegenerative, and immunological pathologies.

Microsurgical and fiber tract anatomy of the interthalamic adhesion.

Objective: The authors of this study aimed to define the microanatomy of the interthalamic adhesion (ITA) using microfiber dissection, magnetic resonance (MR) tractography, and histological analysis.

Methods: Sagittal, coronal, and axial MR images from 160 healthy individuals 2-82 years of age were examined. The relationships between age range and ITA morphology as well as between gender and ITA morphology were evaluated statistically.

Personality Traits Interact With Sleep and Biological Rhythm in Patients With Bipolar Disorder.

Sleep disturbances and circadian rhythm changes in bipolar disorder (BD) may have behavioral components as well as biological components. This study aimed to examine the relationship between personality traits, sleep and circadian rhythm in BD. A total of 150 participants with BD, and 150 healthy controls completed the Big Five Personality Test-50 (B5PT-50-TR), Biological Rhythm Interview of Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (BRIAN), Functioning Assessment Short Test (FAST), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Young Mania Rating Scale and Beck Depression Inventory.

Direct Hemi-Hypoglossal Nerve and Hypoglossal Nerve for Suprascapular Nerve/Proximal Brachial Plexus Neurotization: A Cadaveric Feasibility Study.

Introduction Partial restoration of shoulder function is important in upper brachial plexus lesions, and the suprascapular nerve is often the target for such neurotization procedures. Although there is an extensive history of peripheral nerve surgeons using the hypoglossal nerve for various local nerve transfers, some have reported using this nerve as a donor for upper brachial plexus grafting procedures. We discuss our anatomical findings for the use of a direct hypoglossal to suprascapular nerve transfer.

Comparison of Social-Evaluative Anxiety and Theory of Mind Functions in Social Anxiety Disorder, Schizophrenia, and Healthy Controls.

Introduction: Despite the similarities in poor social competence and clinical manifestations of poor social behavior, no study has compared the theory of mind performance between social anxiety disorder (SAD) and schizophrenia, considering the effect of social-evaluative anxiety and neurocognitive functions. In our study, we aimed to compare the theory of mind functions and social-evaluative anxiety between patients with SAD and schizophrenia and healthy controls and to examine the relationship between the theory of mind, neurocognitive skills, and social-evaluative anxiety.

Methods: Thirty-four consecutive patients with schizophrenia, 29 patients with SAD, and 30 controls matched by age, education level, and sex were enrolled in the study.

Psychiatric manifestations of post-COVID-19 syndrome: the potential benefit of Silexan.

Psychiatric symptoms are common and bothersome in individuals with post-COVID-19 syndrome. Because they are often mixed and subthreshold, established treatment regimens cannot be applied. There is an urgent need to identify therapeutics for affected patients.

Prevention of First-Episode Psychosis in People at Clinical High Risk: A Randomized Controlled, Multicentre Trial Comparing Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Clinical Management Plus Low-Dose Aripiprazole or Placebo (PREVENT).

Background: There is limited knowledge of whether cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) or second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) should be recommended as the first-line treatment in individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHRp).

Hypothesis: To examine whether individual treatment arms are superior to placebo and whether CBT is non-inferior to SGAs in preventing psychosis over 12 months of treatment.

Study Design: PREVENT was a blinded, 3-armed, randomized controlled trial comparing CBT to clinical management plus aripiprazole (CM + ARI) or plus placebo (CM + PLC) at 11 CHRp services.

Using naltrexone to validate a human laboratory test system to screen new medications for alcoholism (TESMA)- a randomized clinical trial.

This registered clinical trial sought to validate a laboratory test system devised to screen medications for alcoholism treatment (TESMA) under different contingencies of alcohol reinforcement. Forty-six nondependent, but at least medium-risk drinkers were given the opportunity to earn intravenous infusions of ethanol, or saline, as rewards for work in a progressive-ratio paradigm. Work demand pattern and alcohol exposure dynamics were devised to achieve a gradual shift from low-demand work for alcohol (WFA) permitting quickly increasing breath alcohol concentrations (BrAC) to high-demand WFA, which could only decelerate an inevitable decrease of the previously earned BrAC.

The emotions experienced by family medicine residents and interns during their clinical trainings: a qualitative study.

Background: The family medicine residents and final year medical students are challenged with increased workload and they experience various emotions during their clinical trainings. They are confronted with uncertainties in their role descriptions and they witness illness, suffering and deaths as part of their everyday duties which may lead to burnout. Only several studies have focused on these experiences to find out what the family medicine residents and medical students were literally feeling.