64 results on '"Velakoulis, Dennis"'
Search Results
2. The NUCOG: validity and reliability of a brief cognitive screening tool in neuropsychiatric patients
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Walterfang, Mark, Siu, Ronald, and Velakoulis, Dennis
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- 2006
3. Neuropsychiatry of complex visual hallucinations
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Mocellin, Ramon, Walterfang, Mark, and Velakoulis, Dennis
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- 2006
4. Diseases of white matter and schizophrenia-like psychosis
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Walterfang, Mark, Wood, Stephen J., Velakoulis, Dennis, Copolov, David, and Pantelis, Christos
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- 2005
5. Cortical release signs in psychiatry
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Walterfang, Mark and Velakoulis, Dennis
- Published
- 2005
6. Early and late neurodevelopmental disturbances in schizophrenia and their functional consequences
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Pantelis, Christos, Yücel, Murat, Wood, Stephen J., McGorry, Patrick D., and Velakoulis, Dennis
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- 2003
7. Thalamic and caudate volumes in monozygotic twins discordant for schizophrenia
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Bridle, Nicola, Pantelis, Christos, Wood, Stephen J., Coppola, Richard, Velakoulis, Dennis, McStephen, Michael, Tierney, Paul, Le, Thai Ly, Torrey, E. Fuller, and Weinberger, Daniel R.
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- 2002
8. Implications of lipid biology for the pathogenesis of schizophrenia
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Berger, Gregor E., Wood, Stephen J., Pantelis, Christos, Velakoulis, Dennis, Wellard, R. Mark, and McGorry, Patrick D.
- Published
- 2002
9. Thalamic and caudate volumes in monozygotic twins discordant for schizophrenia
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Bridle, Nicola, primary, Pantelis, Christos, additional, Wood, Stephen J, additional, Coppola, Richard, additional, Velakoulis, Dennis, additional, McStephen, Michael, additional, Tierney, Paul, additional, Le, Thai Ly, additional, Torrey, E. Fuller, additional, and Weinberger, Daniel R, additional
- Published
- 2001
- Full Text
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10. Evidence for progression of brain structural abnormalities in schizophrenia: beyond the neurodevelopmental model
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Velakoulis, Dennis, primary, Wood, Stephen J., additional, McGorry, Patrick D., additional, and Pantelis, Christos, additional
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- 2000
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11. What have We Learned from Functional Imaging Studies in Schizophrenia? the Role of Frontal, Striatal and Temporal Areas
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Velakoulis, Dennis and Pantelis, Christos
- Abstract
Objectives: Functional imaging technologies allow assessment of cerebral blood flow, cerebral metabolism, cellular metabolic processes, cerebral receptor density and occupancy. This review examines the contribution of such studies to our understanding of schizophrenia. The role of the frontal lobes, the basal ganglia, the temporal lobes and the neuronal circuits which connect them is examined with respect to this literature.Method: All studies in schizophrenia using positron emission tomography, single photon emission computerised tomography, xenon studies, functional and spectroscopic magnetic resonance imaging formed the basis of this review. Only those studies published in English were reviewed.Results: The most consistent finding in schizophrenia has been that of hypofrontality, while the results of studies examining subcortical structures provide preliminary support for the concept of fronto-striatal dysfunction. Functional imaging has not yet provided consistent results in the study of temporal lobe function. Although receptor studies have shed light on the actions of antipsychotic medications, the findings for dopamine receptor numbers remain controversial. Spectroscopic and functional MRI remain in their infancy as research tools in schizophrenia.Conclusions: Although there are significant methodological issues to be addressed, functional imaging technology is providing increasing insights into schizophrenia and its treatment. Future research will be truly multidisciplinary as it will require the collaboration of psychiatrists, imaging physicians, neuropsychologists and neuroscientists.
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- 1996
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12. Plasma neurofilament light in behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia compared to mood and psychotic disorders.
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Eratne D, Kang M, Malpas C, Simpson-Yap S, Lewis C, Dang C, Grewal J, Coe A, Dobson H, Keem M, Chiu WH, Kalincik T, Ooi S, Darby D, Brodtmann A, Hansson O, Janelidze S, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, Walker A, Dean O, Berk M, Wannan C, Pantelis C, Loi SM, Walterfang M, Berkovic SF, Santillo AF, and Velakoulis D
- Subjects
- Humans, Biomarkers, Intermediate Filaments, Alzheimer Disease diagnosis, Bipolar Disorder diagnosis, Depressive Disorder, Major diagnosis, Frontotemporal Dementia diagnosis, Psychotic Disorders
- Abstract
Objective: Blood biomarkers of neuronal injury such as neurofilament light (NfL) show promise to improve diagnosis of neurodegenerative disorders and distinguish neurodegenerative from primary psychiatric disorders (PPD). This study investigated the diagnostic utility of plasma NfL to differentiate behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD, a neurodegenerative disorder commonly misdiagnosed initially as PPD), from PPD, and performance of large normative/reference data sets and models., Methods: Plasma NfL was analysed in major depressive disorder (MDD, n = 42), bipolar affective disorder (BPAD, n = 121), treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS, n = 82), bvFTD ( n = 22), and compared to the reference cohort (Control Group 2, n = 1926, using GAMLSS modelling), and age-matched controls (Control Group 1, n = 96, using general linear models)., Results: Large differences were seen between bvFTD (mean NfL 34.9 pg/mL) and all PPDs and controls (all < 11 pg/mL). NfL distinguished bvFTD from PPD with high accuracy, sensitivity (86%), and specificity (88%). GAMLSS models using reference Control Group 2 facilitated precision interpretation of individual levels, while performing equally to or outperforming models using local controls. Slightly higher NfL levels were found in BPAD, compared to controls and TRS., Conclusions: This study adds further evidence on the diagnostic utility of NfL to distinguish bvFTD from PPD of high clinical relevance to a bvFTD differential diagnosis, and includes the largest cohort of BPAD to date. Using large reference cohorts, GAMLSS modelling and the interactive Internet-based application we developed, may have important implications for future research and clinical translation. Studies are underway investigating utility of plasma NfL in diverse neurodegenerative and primary psychiatric conditions in real-world clinical settings., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: O.H. has acquired research support (for the institution) from ADx, AVID Radiopharmaceuticals, Biogen, Eli Lilly, Eisai, Fujirebio, GE Healthcare, Pfizer, and Roche. In the past 2 years, he has received consultancy/speaker fees from AC Immune, Amylyx, Alzpath, BioArctic, Biogen, Cerveau, Eisai, Fujirebio, Genentech, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Roche, and Siemens. M.W. has received research support from Eli Lilly, Bristol-Myers Squib, Pfizer, Roche, Vtesse, and Actelion. He has also received consultancy/speaking fees from Biomarin, Actelion, Mallinckrodt and Orphan Pharmaceuticals. A.J.W. has received grant/fellowship support from the Trisno Family Gift and Deakin University. H.Z. has served at scientific advisory boards and/or as a consultant for Abbvie, Acumen, Alector, Alzinova, ALZPath, Annexon, Apellis, Artery Therapeutics, AZTherapies, CogRx, Denali, Eisai, Nervgen, Novo Nordisk, Optoceutics, Passage Bio, Pinteon Therapeutics, Prothena, Red Abbey Labs, reMYND, Roche, Samumed, Siemens Healthineers, Triplet Therapeutics, and Wave, has given lectures in symposia sponsored by Cellectricon, Fujirebio, Alzecure, Biogen, and Roche, and is a co-founder of Brain Biomarker Solutions in Gothenburg AB (BBS), which is a part of the GU Ventures Incubator Programme (outside submitted work). K.B. has served as a consultant and at advisory boards for Acumen, ALZPath, BioArctic, Biogen, Eisai, Julius Clinical, Lilly, Novartis, Ono Pharma, Prothena, Roche Diagnostics, and Siemens Healthineers; has served at data monitoring committees for Julius Clinical and Novartis; has given lectures, produced educational materials and participated in educational programmes for Biogen, Eisai and Roche Diagnostics; and is a co-founder of Brain Biomarker Solutions in Gothenburg AB (BBS), which is a part of the GU Ventures Incubator Programme, outside the work presented in this paper.
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- 2024
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13. Principles for delivering improved care of people with functional seizures: Closing the treatment gap.
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Winton-Brown T, Wilson SJ, Felmingham K, Rayner G, O'Brien TJ, O'Brien P, Mohan A, Velakoulis D, and Kanaan R
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- Humans, Australia, Delivery of Health Care, Dissociative Disorders, Electroencephalography, Seizures therapy, Epilepsy therapy, Epilepsy psychology
- Abstract
Patients diagnosed with functional (psychogenic nonepileptic) seizures have similar or greater levels of disability, morbidity and mortality than people with epilepsy, but there are far fewer treatment services. In contrast to epilepsy, the current understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms and the development of evidence-based treatments for functional seizures is rudimentary. This leads to high direct healthcare costs and high indirect costs to the patient, family and wider society. There are many patient, clinician and system-level barriers to improving outcomes for functional seizures. At a patient level, these include the heterogeneity of symptoms, diagnostic uncertainty, family factors and difficulty in perceiving psychological aspects of illness and potential benefits of treatment. Clinician-level barriers include sub-specialism, poor knowledge, skills and attitudes and stigma. System-level barriers include the siloed nature of healthcare, the high prevalence of functional seizures and funding models relying on individual medical practitioners. Through the examination of international examples and expert recommendations, several themes emerge that may address some of these barriers. These include (1) stepped care with low-level, brief generalised interventions, proceeding to higher level, extended and individualised treatments; (2) active triage of complexity, acuity and treatment readiness; (3) integrated interdisciplinary teams that individualise formulation, triage, and treatment planning and (4) shared care with primary, emergency and community providers and secondary consultation. Consideration of the application of these principles to the Australian and New Zealand context is proposed as a significant opportunity to meet an urgent need., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
- Published
- 2023
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14. Clinico-demographics of people with younger-onset dementia and neuropsychiatric symptoms referred to an Australian dementia support service: A comparison study with older-onset dementia.
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Loi SM, Atee M, Morris T, Whiting D, Macfarlane S, Cunningham C, and Velakoulis D
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- Male, Female, Humans, Aged, Middle Aged, Cross-Sectional Studies, Retrospective Studies, Australia epidemiology, Referral and Consultation, Demography, Dementia epidemiology, Dementia psychology
- Abstract
Objective: Younger-onset dementia accounts for about 5-10% of all dementias in Australia. Little data is available on neuropsychiatric symptoms in people with younger-onset dementia compared to those with older-onset dementia. This study aims to compare the types of neuropsychiatric symptoms and their clinico-demographic characteristics of people with younger-onset dementia and older-onset dementia who are referred to a specific dementia support service., Methods: A 2-year retrospective observational cross-sectional analysis was undertaken on referrals with neuropsychiatric symptoms from Dementia Support Australia programmes. Neuropsychiatric symptoms were measured using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory total severity scores and distress scores. Contributing factors to neuropsychiatric symptoms for dementia groups were examined. Logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between individual neuropsychiatric symptoms and having older-onset dementia vs younger-onset dementia., Results: Of the 15,952 referrals, about 5% ( n = 729, mean age: 60.7 years, standard deviation = 5.4) were individuals with younger-onset dementia. Referrals with older-onset dementia were more likely to be female (56%), whereas referrals with younger-onset dementia were more likely to be male (54%). There was a four times greater rate of frontotemporal dementia for those with younger-onset dementia (16.0%, n = 117) compared to those with older-onset dementia (2.8%, n = 427), χ
2 (1) = 366.2, p < 0.001. Referrals with younger-onset dementia were more likely to be referred from community settings and those with older-onset dementia were more likely to be from residential aged care. Overall, there was no difference in the severity and distress of neuropsychiatric symptoms between the two groups. Contributing factors to neuropsychiatric symptoms were different between the groups, with pain being more frequently endorsed for individuals with older-onset dementia whereas communication difficulties were more commonly identified for those with younger-onset dementia., Conclusion: Clinico-demographics of referrals with younger-onset dementia differ from those with older-onset dementia. There were some differences in the characteristics of neuropsychiatric symptoms between younger-onset dementia and older-onset dementia. Our findings have implications for service provision and support for people with dementia at different ages.- Published
- 2022
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15. Deep brain stimulation for treatment-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder: Opportunities and challenges.
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Mosley PE, Velakoulis D, Farrand S, Marsh R, Mohan A, Castle D, and Sachdev P
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- Humans, Treatment Outcome, Deep Brain Stimulation, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder therapy
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- 2022
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16. Plasma neurofilament light chain protein is not increased in treatment-resistant schizophrenia and first-degree relatives.
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Eratne D, Janelidze S, Malpas CB, Loi S, Walterfang M, Merritt A, Diouf I, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, Cilia B, Wannan C, Bousman C, Everall I, Zalesky A, Jayaram M, Thomas N, Berkovic SF, Hansson O, Velakoulis D, Pantelis C, and Santillo A
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- Biomarkers, Child, Humans, Intermediate Filaments, Neurofilament Proteins, Schizophrenia, Treatment-Resistant, Alzheimer Disease metabolism, Clozapine therapeutic use, Frontotemporal Dementia metabolism, Neurodegenerative Diseases, Schizophrenia metabolism
- Abstract
Objective: Schizophrenia, a complex psychiatric disorder, is often associated with cognitive, neurological and neuroimaging abnormalities. The processes underlying these abnormalities, and whether a subset of people with schizophrenia have a neuroprogressive or neurodegenerative component to schizophrenia, remain largely unknown. Examining fluid biomarkers of diverse types of neuronal damage could increase our understanding of these processes, as well as potentially provide clinically useful biomarkers, for example with assisting with differentiation from progressive neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer and frontotemporal dementias., Methods: This study measured plasma neurofilament light chain protein (NfL) using ultrasensitive Simoa technology, to investigate the degree of neuronal injury in a well-characterised cohort of people with treatment-resistant schizophrenia on clozapine ( n = 82), compared to first-degree relatives (an at-risk group, n = 37), people with schizophrenia not treated with clozapine ( n = 13), and age- and sex-matched controls ( n = 59)., Results: We found no differences in NfL levels between treatment-resistant schizophrenia (mean NfL, M = 6.3 pg/mL, 95% confidence interval: [5.5, 7.2]), first-degree relatives (siblings, M = 6.7 pg/mL, 95% confidence interval: [5.2, 8.2]; parents, M after adjusting for age = 6.7 pg/mL, 95% confidence interval: [4.7, 8.8]), controls (M = 5.8 pg/mL, 95% confidence interval: [5.3, 6.3]) and not treated with clozapine (M = 4.9 pg/mL, 95% confidence interval: [4.0, 5.8]). Exploratory, hypothesis-generating analyses found weak correlations in treatment-resistant schizophrenia, between NfL and clozapine levels (Spearman's r = 0.258, 95% confidence interval: [0.034, 0.457]), dyslipidaemia ( r = 0.280, 95% confidence interval: [0.064, 0.470]) and a negative correlation with weight ( r = -0.305, 95% confidence interval: [-0.504, -0.076])., Conclusion: Treatment-resistant schizophrenia does not appear to be associated with neuronal, particularly axonal degeneration. Further studies are warranted to investigate the utility of NfL to differentiate treatment-resistant schizophrenia from neurodegenerative disorders such as behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia, and to explore NfL in other stages of schizophrenia such as the prodome and first episode.
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- 2022
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17. How many Early Career Psychiatrists participate in research and what are the motivating factors?
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Frederick P, Eratne D, Velakoulis D, and Loi SM
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- Career Choice, Humans, Psychiatry
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- 2022
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18. Mortality in dementia is predicted by older age of onset and cognitive presentation.
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Loi SM, Tsoukra P, Chen Z, Wibawa P, Mijuskovic T, Eratne D, Di Biase MA, Evans A, Farrand S, Kelso W, Goh AM, Walterfang M, and Velakoulis D
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- Age of Onset, Aged, Australia epidemiology, Child, Cognition, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Male, Retrospective Studies, Alzheimer Disease, Dementia mortality
- Abstract
Objectives: Survival information in dementia is important for future planning and service provision. There have been limited Australian data investigating survival duration and risk factors associated with mortality in younger-onset dementia., Methods: This was a cross-sectional retrospective study investigating survival in inpatients with a diagnosis of dementia admitted to a tertiary neuropsychiatry service from 1991 to 2014. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare National Death Index was used to obtain mortality information., Results: A total of 468 inpatients were identified, of which 75% had symptom onset at ⩽65 years of age (defined as younger-onset dementia). Dementia was categorised into four subtypes, Alzheimer's dementia, frontotemporal dementia, vascular dementia and other dementias; 72% of the patients had died. Overall median survival duration was 10.6 years with no significant differences in duration within the dementia subtypes ( p = 0.174). Survival in older-onset dementia (symptom onset at >65 years of age) was about half of that in younger-onset dementia (median survival 6.3 years compared to 12.7 years, respectively). Independent predictors of mortality were having older-onset dementia (hazard ratio: 3.2) and having initial presenting symptoms being cognitive in nature (hazard ratio: 1.5). Females with an older-onset dementia had longer survival compared to males with an older-onset dementia, and this was reversed for younger-onset dementia. Older-onset dementia and younger-onset dementia conferred 3 and 6 times, respectively, increased risk of death compared to the general population., Conclusion: This is the largest Australian study to date investigating survival and risk factors to mortality in dementia. We report important clinical information to patients with dementia and their families about prognosis which will assist with future planning. Our findings suggest that for both older-onset dementia and younger-onset dementia, 'new onset' psychiatric symptoms precede the cognitive symptoms of a neurodegenerative process. This, and sex differences in survival depending on the age of onset of the dementia warrant further investigation.
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- 2022
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19. Occam's razor trumped by Hickam's dictum: A case of a patient having as many diseases as they (darn) well please.
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Eratne D and Velakoulis D
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- Diagnosis, Differential, Humans, Tomography, X-Ray Computed
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- 2022
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20. A case of Cotard syndrome associated with central pontine myelinolysis as a result of normally corrected hyponatremia.
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El-Masri S, Dwyer C, Price S, and Velakoulis D
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- Delusions, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Hyponatremia complications, Myelinolysis, Central Pontine complications, Myelinolysis, Central Pontine diagnostic imaging
- Published
- 2022
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21. Cerebrospinal fluid Alzheimer disease biomarkers for assessing cognitive and neuropsychiatric symptoms: Expanding the 'toolkit' in the psychiatrist's diagnostic armamentarium.
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Eratne D, Li QX, Loi SM, Walterfang M, Farrand S, Evans A, Mocellin R, Masters CL, Collins S, and Velakoulis D
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- Biomarkers cerebrospinal fluid, Cognition, Humans, Alzheimer Disease cerebrospinal fluid, Alzheimer Disease diagnosis, Psychiatry
- Published
- 2022
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22. Deep brain stimulation for treatment-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder should be an accepted therapy in Australia.
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Mosley PE, Velakoulis D, Farrand S, Marsh R, Mohan A, Castle D, and Sachdev PS
- Subjects
- Australia, Humans, New Zealand, Treatment Outcome, Deep Brain Stimulation, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder therapy, Psychiatry
- Abstract
Deep brain stimulation has shown promise for the treatment of severe, treatment-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder. With the recent publication of the first Australian, randomised, sham-controlled trial of deep brain stimulation for obsessive-compulsive disorder, there are now four placebo-controlled trials demonstrating the efficacy of this therapy. Together with recent data identifying a biological substrate of effective stimulation that can predict response and that has been successfully reproduced, studies comparing and finding equivalent efficacy among different targets, as well as recent, large, open trials supporting the long-term effectiveness of deep brain stimulation, we argue that this should now be considered an accepted therapy for a select group of patients in the Australasian setting. We call on the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists to revise their memorandum describing deep brain stimulation for obsessive-compulsive disorder as an ' experimental ' treatment and recognise that it has proven efficacy. We stress that this should remain a therapy offered only to those with high treatment-refractory illnesses and only at specialised centres where there is an experienced multidisciplinary team involved in work-up, implantation and follow-up and also where frameworks are in place to provide careful clinical governance and ensure appropriate fully informed consent.
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- 2022
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23. A call to action for the improved identification, diagnosis, treatment and care of people with young onset dementia.
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Cations M, Loi SM, Draper B, Swaffer K, Velakoulis D, and Goh AM
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- Age of Onset, Humans, Alzheimer Disease, Dementia diagnosis, Dementia therapy
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- 2021
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24. Bringing psychiatrists into the picture: Automated measurement of regional MRI brain volume in patients with suspected dementia.
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Wibawa P, Matta G, Das S, Eratne D, Farrand S, Desmond P, Velakoulis D, and Gaillard F
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- Brain diagnostic imaging, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Retrospective Studies, Dementia diagnostic imaging, Psychiatry
- Abstract
Objective: The volumes of various brain regions can be rapidly quantified using automated magnetic resonance imaging tools. While these appear to be useful at face value, their formal clinical utility is not yet understood, particularly for non-neuroradiologists and in patients presenting with suspected dementia. This study investigated the utility of an automated normative morphometry tool on determinations of brain atrophy by psychiatrists and radiologists in a tertiary hospital., Methods: Consecutive magnetic resonance scans ( n = 110) of patients referred with suspected neurodegenerative disorders were obtained retrospectively and rated by two neuroradiologists, two general radiologists and four psychiatrists over two sessions. First, conventional magnetic resonance sequences were shown. Then, morphometry colour-coded maps, which segmented T1-weighted magnetisation prepared rapid gradient echo images into brain regions and visualised these regions in colour according to their volumetric standard deviation from a normative population, were added to the second reading which occurred ⩾6 weeks later. Presence and laterality of atrophy in frontal, parietal and temporal lobes and hippocampal regions were measured using a digital checklist. The primary outcome of inter-rater agreement on atrophy was measured with Fleiss' Kappa (κ). We also evaluated the accuracy of the atrophy ratings for differentiating post hoc diagnosis of subjective cognitive impairment, mild cognitive impairment and dementia., Results: Agreement among all raters was fair in frontal lobe and moderate in other regions with conventional method (κ = 0.362-0.555). With morphometry, higher agreement was seen in all regions (κ = 0.551-0.654), reaching significant improvement in the frontal and temporal lobes. No significant improvement was seen within the various disciplines, except in frontal lobes rated by psychiatrists. Accuracy of atrophy ratings on determining post hoc diagnosis was significantly improved for distinguishing subjective cognitive impairment versus dementia., Conclusion: In routine clinical assessment, automated normative morphometry complements the determination of regional atrophy and improves inter-rater agreement regardless of neuroradiology experience.
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- 2021
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25. Neurological, neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental complications of COVID-19.
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Pantelis C, Jayaram M, Hannan AJ, Wesselingh R, Nithianantharajah J, Wannan CM, Syeda WT, Choy KC, Zantomio D, Christopoulos A, Velakoulis D, and O'Brien TJ
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- Anosmia physiopathology, Anosmia virology, COVID-19 epidemiology, Female, Humans, Inflammation physiopathology, Longitudinal Studies, Nervous System Diseases physiopathology, Nervous System Diseases virology, Pandemics, Pregnancy, Seizures physiopathology, Seizures virology, Anosmia etiology, COVID-19 complications, Epilepsy, Mental Disorders etiology, Nervous System Diseases etiology, SARS-CoV-2, Seizures etiology
- Abstract
Although COVID-19 is predominantly a respiratory disease, it is known to affect multiple organ systems. In this article, we highlight the impact of SARS-CoV-2 (the coronavirus causing COVID-19) on the central nervous system as there is an urgent need to understand the longitudinal impacts of COVID-19 on brain function, behaviour and cognition. Furthermore, we address the possibility of intergenerational impacts of COVID-19 on the brain, potentially via both maternal and paternal routes. Evidence from preclinical models of earlier coronaviruses has shown direct viral infiltration across the blood-brain barrier and indirect secondary effects due to other organ pathology and inflammation. In the most severely ill patients with pneumonia requiring intensive care, there appears to be additional severe inflammatory response and associated thrombophilia with widespread organ damage, including the brain. Maternal viral (and other) infections during pregnancy can affect the offspring, with greater incidence of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism, schizophrenia and epilepsy. Available reports suggest possible vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2, although longitudinal cohort studies of such offspring are needed. The impact of paternal infection on the offspring and intergenerational effects should also be considered. Research targeted at mechanistic insights into all aspects of pathogenesis, including neurological, neuropsychiatric and haematological systems alongside pulmonary pathology, will be critical in informing future therapeutic approaches. With these future challenges in mind, we highlight the importance of national and international collaborative efforts to gather the required clinical and preclinical data to effectively address the possible long-term sequelae of this global pandemic, particularly with respect to the brain and mental health.
- Published
- 2021
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26. Cerebrospinal fluid neurofilament light chain is elevated in Niemann-Pick type C compared to psychiatric disorders and healthy controls and may be a marker of treatment response.
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Eratne D, Loi SM, Li QX, Varghese S, McGlade A, Collins S, Masters CL, Velakoulis D, and Walterfang M
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- Adult, Aged, Biomarkers cerebrospinal fluid, Case-Control Studies, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Treatment Outcome, Intermediate Filaments chemistry, Mental Disorders cerebrospinal fluid, Neurofilament Proteins cerebrospinal fluid, Niemann-Pick Disease, Type C cerebrospinal fluid, Niemann-Pick Disease, Type C therapy
- Published
- 2020
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27. A pilot study of the utility of cerebrospinal fluid neurofilament light chain in differentiating neurodegenerative from psychiatric disorders: A 'C-reactive protein' for psychiatrists and neurologists?
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Eratne D, Loi SM, Walia N, Farrand S, Li QX, Varghese S, Walterfang M, Evans A, Mocellin R, Dhiman K, Gupta V, Malpas CB, Collins S, Masters CL, and Velakoulis D
- Subjects
- Aged, Alzheimer Disease cerebrospinal fluid, Alzheimer Disease diagnosis, Biomarkers cerebrospinal fluid, Cross-Sectional Studies, Depressive Disorder, Major cerebrospinal fluid, Depressive Disorder, Major diagnosis, Diagnosis, Differential, Female, Frontotemporal Dementia cerebrospinal fluid, Frontotemporal Dementia diagnosis, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Pilot Projects, Schizophrenia cerebrospinal fluid, Schizophrenia diagnosis, Mental Disorders cerebrospinal fluid, Mental Disorders diagnosis, Neurodegenerative Diseases cerebrospinal fluid, Neurodegenerative Diseases diagnosis, Neurofilament Proteins cerebrospinal fluid
- Abstract
Objective: Neurofilament light has shown promise as a biomarker for diagnosis, staging and prognosis in a wide range of neurological and neurodegenerative disorders. This study explored the utility of cerebrospinal fluid neurofilament light in distinguishing primary psychiatric disorders from neurodegenerative and neurological disorders, a common diagnostic dilemma for psychiatrists and neurologists., Methods: This cross-sectional retrospective pilot study assessed cerebrospinal fluid neurofilament light on patients referred to a tertiary neuropsychiatry service from 2009 to 2017 for diagnostic assessment of neuropsychiatric and neurocognitive symptoms, where a neurodegenerative disorder was a differential diagnosis, who received lumbar punctures as part of a comprehensive workup. The most recent gold-standard clinical consensus diagnosis was categorised into psychiatric disorder or neurodegenerative or neurological disorder. Data from healthy controls were available for comparison. Data extraction and diagnostic categorisation was blinded to neurofilament light results., Results: A total of 129 participants were included: 77 neurodegenerative or neurological disorder (mean age 57 years, including Alzheimer's dementia, frontotemporal dementia), 31 psychiatric disorder (mean age 51 years, including schizophrenia, major depressive disorder) and 21 healthy controls (mean age 66 years). Neurofilament light was significantly higher in neurodegenerative or neurological disorder (M = 3560 pg/mL, 95% confidence intervals = [2918, 4601]) compared to psychiatric disorder (M = 949 pg/mL, 95% confidence intervals = [830, 1108]) and controls (M = 1036 pg/mL, 95% confidence intervals = [908, 1165]). Neurofilament light distinguished neurodegenerative or neurological disorder from psychiatric disorder with an area under the curve of 0.94 (95% confidence intervals = [0.89, 0.98]); a cut-off of 1332 pg/mL was associated with 87% sensitivity and 90% specificity., Conclusion: Cerebrospinal fluid neurofilament light shows promise as a diagnostic test to assist with the often challenging diagnostic dilemma of distinguishing psychiatric disorders from neurodegenerative and neurological disorders. Further studies are warranted to replicate and expand on these findings, including on plasma neurofilament light.
- Published
- 2020
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28. The clinical utility of structural neuroimaging in first-episode psychosis: A systematic review.
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Forbes M, Stefler D, Velakoulis D, Stuckey S, Trudel JF, Eyre H, Boyd M, and Kisely S
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- Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Neuroimaging, Tomography, X-Ray Computed, Brain pathology, Psychotic Disorders pathology
- Abstract
Background: Australian and US guidelines recommend routine brain imaging, either computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, to exclude structural lesions in presentations for first-episode psychosis. The aim of this review was to examine the evidence for the appropriateness and clinical utility of this recommendation by assessing the frequency of abnormal radiological findings in computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans among patients with first-episode psychosis., Methods: PubMed and Embase database were searched from inception to April 2018 using appropriate MeSH or Emtree terms. Studies were included in the review if they reported data on computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging scan findings of individuals with first-episode psychosis. No restriction on the geographical location of the study or the age of participants was applied. We calculated the percentage of abnormal radiological findings in each study, separately by the two diagnostic methods., Results: There were 16 suitable studies published between 1988 and 2017, reporting data on an overall 2312 patients with first-episode psychosis. Most were observational studies with a retrospective design and the majority examined patients with computed tomography. While structural abnormalities were a relatively common finding, these rarely required clinical intervention (range across studies: 0-60.7%; median: 3.5%) and were very rarely the cause of the psychotic symptoms (range: 0-3.3%; median: 0%). Only 2 of the 16 studies concluded that brain imaging should be routinely ordered in first-episode psychosis., Conclusion: There is insufficient evidence to suggest that brain imaging should be routinely ordered for patients presenting with first-episode psychosis without associated neurological or cognitive impairment. The appropriate screening procedure for structural brain lesions is conventional history-taking, mental status and neurological examination. If intracranial pathology is suspected clinically, a magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography scan should be performed depending on the clinical signs, the acuity and the suspected pathology. National guidelines should reflect evidence-based data.
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- 2019
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29. Deep brain stimulation for severe treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder: An open-label case series.
- Author
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Farrand S, Evans AH, Mangelsdorf S, Loi SM, Mocellin R, Borham A, Bevilacqua J, Blair-West S, Walterfang MA, Bittar RG, and Velakoulis D
- Subjects
- Adult, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Nucleus Accumbens surgery, Septal Nuclei surgery, Severity of Illness Index, Deep Brain Stimulation methods, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder therapy, Outcome Assessment, Health Care
- Abstract
Objective: Deep brain stimulation can be of benefit in carefully selected patients with severe intractable obsessive-compulsive disorder. The aim of this paper is to describe the outcomes of the first seven deep brain stimulation procedures for obsessive-compulsive disorder undertaken at the Neuropsychiatry Unit, Royal Melbourne Hospital. The primary objective was to assess the response to deep brain stimulation treatment utilising the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale as a measure of symptom severity. Secondary objectives include assessment of depression and anxiety, as well as socio-occupational functioning., Methods: Patients with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder were referred by their treating psychiatrist for assessment of their suitability for deep brain stimulation. Following successful application to the Psychosurgery Review Board, patients proceeded to have deep brain stimulation electrodes implanted in either bilateral nucleus accumbens or bed nucleus of stria terminalis. Clinical assessment and symptom rating scales were undertaken pre- and post-operatively at 6- to 8-week intervals. Rating scales used included the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, Obsessive Compulsive Inventory, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale and Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale., Results: Seven patients referred from four states across Australia underwent deep brain stimulation surgery and were followed for a mean of 31 months (range, 8-54 months). The sample included four females and three males, with a mean age of 46 years (range, 37-59 years) and mean duration of obsessive-compulsive disorder of 25 years (range, 15-38 years) at the time of surgery. The time from first assessment to surgery was on average 18 months. All patients showed improvement on symptom severity rating scales. Three patients showed a full response, defined as greater than 35% improvement in Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale score, with the remaining showing responses between 7% and 20%., Conclusion: Deep brain stimulation was an effective treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder in these highly selected patients. The extent of the response to deep brain stimulation varied between patients, as well as during the course of treatment for each patient. The results of this series are comparable with the literature, as well as having similar efficacy to ablative psychosurgery techniques such as capsulotomy and cingulotomy. Deep brain stimulation provides advantages over lesional psychosurgery but is more expensive and requires significant multidisciplinary input at all stages, pre- and post-operatively, ideally within a specialised tertiary clinical and/or academic centre. Ongoing research is required to better understand the neurobiological basis for obsessive-compulsive disorder and how this can be manipulated with deep brain stimulation to further improve the efficacy of this emerging treatment.
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
30. A case of early-onset familial Alzheimer's disease with both APP and novel PSEN2 mutations presenting with non-amnestic features.
- Author
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Chee KY, Yee OK, Gaillard F, Velakoulis D, Mohd Zain NR, Yogendren L, Khim CL, and Ariffin R
- Subjects
- Age of Onset, Alzheimer Disease diagnostic imaging, Female, Humans, Middle Aged, Alzheimer Disease genetics, Alzheimer Disease physiopathology, Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor genetics, Presenilin-2 genetics
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
31. A case of TREM2 mutation presenting with features of progressive non-fluent aphasia and without bone involvement.
- Author
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Chee KY, Gaillard F, Velakoulis D, Ang CL, Chin LK, and Ariffin R
- Subjects
- Adult, Dementia genetics, Dementia pathology, Dementia physiopathology, Female, Humans, Mutation, Primary Progressive Nonfluent Aphasia genetics, Primary Progressive Nonfluent Aphasia pathology, Primary Progressive Nonfluent Aphasia physiopathology, Dementia diagnosis, Membrane Glycoproteins genetics, Primary Progressive Nonfluent Aphasia diagnosis, Receptors, Immunologic genetics
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
32. Ventricular volumes across stages of schizophrenia and other psychoses.
- Author
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Berger GE, Bartholomeusz CF, Wood SJ, Ang A, Phillips LJ, Proffitt T, Brewer WJ, Smith DJ, Nelson B, Lin A, Borgwardt S, Velakoulis D, Yung AR, McGorry PD, and Pantelis C
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Cerebral Ventricles diagnostic imaging, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Psychotic Disorders diagnostic imaging, Risk, Schizophrenia diagnostic imaging, Young Adult, Cerebral Ventricles pathology, Disease Progression, Psychotic Disorders pathology, Schizophrenia pathology
- Abstract
Objective: Ventricular enlargement is common in established schizophrenia; however, data from ultra high-risk for psychosis and first-episode psychosis studies are inconclusive. This study aims to investigate ventricular volumes at different stages of psychosis., Methods: Ventricular volumes were measured using a semi-automated and highly reliable method, for 89 established schizophrenia, 162 first-episode psychosis, 135 ultra high-risk for psychosis and 87 healthy controls using 1.5T magnetic resonance images. Clinical outcome diagnoses for ultra high-risk for psychosis were evaluated at long-term follow-up (mean: 7.5 years)., Results: Compared to controls, we identified significant ventricular enlargement of 36.2% in established schizophrenia ( p < 0.001). Ventricular enlargement was not significant in first-episode psychosis (6%) or ultra high-risk for psychosis (-3%). Examination across stages of schizophrenia-spectrum diagnoses subgroups revealed a significant linear trend ( p = 0.006; established schizophrenia = 36.2%, first-episode psychosis schizophrenia = 18.5%, first-episode psychosis schizophreniform = -4.2% and ultra high-risk for psychosis-schizophrenia converters = -18.5%)., Conclusion: Ventricular enlargement is apparent in patients with established schizophrenia but is not a feature at the earliest stages of illness (ultra high-risk for psychosis and first-episode psychosis). Further research is needed to fully characterize the nature and timing of ventricular volume changes early in the course of illness and how these changes impact outcomes.
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
33. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, cerebral amyloid angiopathy and Aβ-related angiitis with neuropsychiatric manifestations.
- Author
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Matta G, Velakoulis D, Gaillard F, McLean CA, and Yerra R
- Subjects
- Aged, Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy metabolism, Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy pathology, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome cerebrospinal fluid, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome diagnostic imaging, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome pathology, Humans, Male, Vasculitis metabolism, Vasculitis pathology, Amyloid beta-Peptides metabolism, Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy diagnosis, Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome diagnosis, Delusions diagnosis, Vasculitis diagnosis
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
34. Delayed diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in a patient with schizoaffective disorder: a case of 'diagnostic overshadowing'.
- Author
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Hayhow B, Gaillard F, Velakoulis D, and Walterfang M
- Subjects
- Adult, Comorbidity, Humans, Male, Multiple Sclerosis epidemiology, Delayed Diagnosis, Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis, Psychotic Disorders epidemiology
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
35. Neuropsychiatric presentation following acute hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy.
- Author
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Hayhow B, Velakoulis D, Dewhurst R, and Gaillard F
- Subjects
- Adult, Humans, Male, Cognition Disorders etiology, Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain complications, Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain diagnosis
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
36. Metachromatic leukodystrophy presenting as bipolar disorder.
- Author
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Velakoulis D, Ting A, Winton-Brown T, Walterfang M, and Gaillard F
- Subjects
- Adult, Bipolar Disorder pathology, Humans, Leukodystrophy, Metachromatic pathology, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, White Matter, Bipolar Disorder etiology, Brain pathology, Leukodystrophy, Metachromatic complications
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
37. Neuropsychiatric symptoms as the presenting feature of acquired hepatocerebral degeneration.
- Author
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Gleason A, Hayhow B, Walterfang M, Evans A, Mocellin R, Gates P, and Velakoulis D
- Subjects
- Hepatolenticular Degeneration diagnosis, Hepatolenticular Degeneration physiopathology, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Hepatolenticular Degeneration etiology, Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic complications
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
38. Comparing neurocognition in severe chronic schizophrenia and frontotemporal dementia.
- Author
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Chan HM, Stolwyk R, Kelso W, Neath J, Walterfang M, Mocellin R, Pavlis A, and Velakoulis D
- Subjects
- Adult, Aged, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Neuropsychological Tests, Young Adult, Cognition, Executive Function, Frontotemporal Dementia psychology, Schizophrenic Psychology
- Abstract
Objective: Previous research has suggested cognitive similarities between schizophrenia and frontotemporal dementia. In the current study, we compared neurocognition in a group of hospitalised patients with chronic schizophrenia, who may have a more severe form of schizophrenia resembling Emil Kraepelin's dementia praecox, with patients with frontotemporal dementia. We hypothesised minimal group differences in cognitive performance, and a large overlap in between-group score distributions in each cognitive domain., Methods: Retrospective neuropsychological data for 26 patients with severe chronic schizophrenia and 34 patients with frontotemporal dementia (behavioural variant) was collated. Neuropsychological measures were categorised into 16 cognitive domains. Raw scores were converted into standardised z-scores for each measure, which were then averaged across measures within each domain. In addition to difference analysis, equivalence testing was utilised, whereby overlap percentages were computed to reflect the amount of score distribution overlap in each domain between groups., Results: A statistically significant difference was observed only in the executive function sub-domain of Switching. Small-to-moderate and moderate effect sizes were noted in four other domains. Equivalence testing showed more than 85% of overlap in score distribution in most domains., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that some patients with severe chronic schizophrenia have cognitive deficits similar in degree and pattern to patients with frontotemporal dementia. The few differences observed between both groups of patients are important for differential diagnostic purposes. One limitation is the retrospective nature of the study. Suggestions for future research include longitudinal follow-up studies of these two patient populations and studies of aspects beyond neurocognition. An implication of our findings is that the 'dementia of schizophrenia' concept may be applicable to patients with severe chronic schizophrenia., (© The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2014.)
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
39. Frontal meningioma mimicking relapse of schizophrenia.
- Author
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Velakoulis D, Gleason A, Hayhow B, McNeil P, and Gaillard F
- Subjects
- Aged, Brain Neoplasms pathology, Diagnosis, Differential, Female, Frontal Lobe pathology, Humans, Meningeal Neoplasms pathology, Meningioma pathology, Recurrence, Schizophrenic Psychology, Brain Neoplasms diagnosis, Meningeal Neoplasms diagnosis, Meningioma complications, Meningioma diagnosis, Schizophrenia complications, Schizophrenia diagnosis
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
40. The subcortical connectome: hubs, spokes and the space between - a vision for further research in neurodegenerative disease.
- Author
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Looi JC, Walterfang M, Nilsson C, Power BD, van Westen D, Velakoulis D, Wahlund LO, and Thompson PM
- Subjects
- Brain Mapping, Endophenotypes, Humans, Brain physiopathology, Connectome, Neurodegenerative Diseases physiopathology
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
41. Communicating hydrocephalus with reversible cognitive impairment.
- Author
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Hayhow B, Begic F, Evans A, Velakoulis D, and Gaillard F
- Subjects
- Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts methods, Cognition Disorders complications, Female, Humans, Hydrocephalus complications, Middle Aged, Cognition Disorders surgery, Hydrocephalus surgery
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
42. Major and minor neurocognitive disorders in DSM-5: the difference between the map and the terrain.
- Author
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Looi JC and Velakoulis D
- Subjects
- Cognition Disorders psychology, Humans, Neuropsychological Tests, Severity of Illness Index, Cognition Disorders diagnosis, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
43. Osmotic demyelination syndrome: An under-recognised cause of delirium?
- Author
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Hassan I, Shing C, Bajraszewski CE, Gleason A, Hayhow BD, and Velakoulis D
- Subjects
- Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Syndrome, Delirium etiology, Demyelinating Diseases complications, Osmotic Pressure
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
44. Differential putaminal morphology in Huntington's disease, frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
- Author
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Looi JC, Rajagopalan P, Walterfang M, Madsen SK, Thompson PM, Macfarlane MD, Ching C, Chua P, and Velakoulis D
- Subjects
- Adult, Age Factors, Atrophy, Behavioral Symptoms pathology, Behavioral Symptoms physiopathology, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Intelligence Tests, Male, Middle Aged, Neural Pathways physiopathology, Organ Size, Sex Factors, Alzheimer Disease diagnosis, Alzheimer Disease pathology, Alzheimer Disease physiopathology, Alzheimer Disease psychology, Frontotemporal Dementia diagnosis, Frontotemporal Dementia pathology, Frontotemporal Dementia physiopathology, Frontotemporal Dementia psychology, Huntington Disease diagnosis, Huntington Disease pathology, Huntington Disease physiopathology, Huntington Disease psychology, Magnetic Resonance Imaging methods, Motor Cortex physiopathology, Putamen pathology, Putamen physiopathology
- Abstract
Objective: Direct neuronal loss or deafferentation of the putamen, a critical hub in corticostriatal circuits, may result in diverse and distinct cognitive and motoric dysfunction in neurodegenerative disease. Differential putaminal morphology, as a quantitative measure of corticostriatal integrity, may thus be evident in Huntington's disease (HD), Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), diseases with differential clinical dysfunction., Methods: HD (n = 17), FTD (n = 33) and AD (n = 13) patients were diagnosed according to international consensus criteria and, with healthy controls (n = 17), were scanned on the same MRI scanner. Patients underwent brief cognitive testing using the Neuropsychiatry Unit Cognitive Assessment Tool (NUCOG). Ten MRI scans from this dataset were manually segmented as a training set for the Adaboost algorithm, which automatically segmented all remaining scans for the putamen, yielding the following subset of the data: 9 left and 12 right putamen segmentations for AD; 25 left and 26 right putamina for FTD; 16 left and 15 right putamina for HD; 12 left and 12 right putamina for controls. Shape analysis was performed at each point on the surface of each structure using a multiple regression controlling for age and sex to compare radial distance across diagnostic groups., Results: Age, but not sex and intracranial volume (ICV), were significantly different in the segmentation subgroups by diagnosis. The AD group showed significantly poorer performance on cognitive testing than FTD. Mean putaminal volumes were HD < FTD < AD ≤ controls, controlling for age and ICV. The greatest putaminal shape deflation was evident in HD, followed by FTD, in regions corresponding to the interconnections to motoric cortex., Conclusions: Differential patterns of putaminal atrophy in HD, FTD and AD, with relevance to corticostriatal circuits, suggest the putamen may be a suitable clinical biomarker in neurodegenerative disease.
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
45. Frontotemporal dementia as a frontostriatal disorder: neostriatal morphology as a biomarker and structural basis for an endophenotype.
- Author
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Looi JC, Walterfang M, Velakoulis D, Macfarlane MD, Svensson LA, and Wahlund LO
- Subjects
- Biomarkers cerebrospinal fluid, Corpus Striatum physiopathology, Frontal Lobe physiopathology, Frontotemporal Dementia diagnosis, Frontotemporal Dementia physiopathology, Humans, Models, Neurological, Nerve Degeneration pathology, Neural Pathways pathology, Neural Pathways physiopathology, Neuroimaging psychology, Corpus Striatum pathology, Endophenotypes, Frontal Lobe pathology, Frontotemporal Dementia pathology
- Abstract
Objective: This article reviews the evidence for a re-conceptualisation of a subtype of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), as a frontostriatal disorder, working towards an endophenotype., Method: We provide an overview of the role of frontostriatal circuits relevant to FTLD and FTD, as a subset of larger-scale distributed brain networks. We discuss the role of a strategic structure in these circuits, the neostriatum. Then we review the relationship of the clinical features of FTLD to frontostriatal circuits, correlating this with neuropsychological and neuropathological data., Conclusion: The unique structure and linkages of the neostriatum make it an ideal structure for in vivo neuroimaging to understand the neuroanatomical basis of FTD. We develop a frontostriatal endophenotypic model for FTD as a platform for further investigation.
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
46. Size and shape of the caudate nucleus in individuals with bipolar affective disorder.
- Author
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Ong D, Walterfang M, Malhi GS, Styner M, Velakoulis D, and Pantelis C
- Subjects
- Adult, Case-Control Studies, Female, Functional Laterality, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging methods, Magnetic Resonance Imaging psychology, Male, Neuroimaging methods, Statistics, Nonparametric, Bipolar Disorder pathology, Caudate Nucleus pathology, Hypertrophy pathology, Neuroimaging psychology
- Abstract
Objective: The caudate nucleus (CN) is a crucial component of the ventral striatum, which is part of a prefrontal-striatal-thalamic circuit that is modulated by limbic structures to subserve emotional processing. Bipolar disorder is thought to be underpinned by dysfunctional anterior limbic networks, although MRI studies examining the CN have shown equivocal results. As gross volumetric analyses may not detect subtle regional change, we aimed to clarify the role of the CN in bipolar disorder by undertaking shape analysis to detect regional reductions., Methods: The CN was manually traced on MRI scans from 27 patients with bipolar-I disorder and 24 matched controls. A non-parametric spherical harmonic shape analysis was undertaken using the SPHARM toolkit., Results: Whilst the left CN volume was consistently larger in the sample, there was no effect of group or gender or significant interactions between these variables. Volume did not correlate with illness duration or lithium dosage, but was larger in those with a history of psychosis at trend level. However, left caudate shape differed significantly between groups, with deflation in an area along the ventromedial surface (connecting to dorsolateral prefrontal regions) in bipolar patients. Psychotic patients showed increases in the dorsal head and body at trend level overall, in regions connecting to medial and orbitofrontal regions., Conclusions: These findings suggest that subtle rather than gross structural changes occur in the CN, which may not be detectable by volumetric analysis alone, and reflect alterations in specific frontostriatal circuitry in the disorder.
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
47. Pseudoneurotic schizophrenia revisited.
- Author
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O'Connor K, Nelson B, Walterfang M, Velakoulis D, and Thompson A
- Subjects
- Diagnosis, Differential, Humans, Young Adult, Schizotypal Personality Disorder diagnosis
- Abstract
Objectives: 'Pseudoneurotic schizophrenia' was a diagnostic term coined in the 1940s by Hoch and Polatin. It described a subgroup of patients who presented with prominent anxiety symptoms, which masked a latent psychotic disorder. Pseudoneurotic schizophrenia as a diagnostic entity has fallen out of clinical use., Methods: Described herein is a case that meets the Hoch and Polatin definition of pseudoneurotic schizophrenia., Results: The history of the concept is reviewed and a discussion is given of why it was forgotten., Conclusion: The concepts that underlie the diagnostic entity of pseudoneurotic schizophrenia remain relevant to current practice. Recent findings in patients with an emerging psychotic disorder lend modern support to the idea that schizophrenia may present with significant neurotic symptoms.
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
48. Corpus callosum size and shape in established bipolar affective disorder.
- Author
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Walterfang M, Malhi GS, Wood AG, Reutens DC, Chen J, Barton S, Yücel M, Velakoulis D, and Pantelis C
- Subjects
- Adult, Bipolar Disorder complications, Case-Control Studies, Family Health, Female, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Psychotic Disorders complications, Psychotic Disorders pathology, Time Factors, Bipolar Disorder pathology, Corpus Callosum pathology
- Abstract
Objective: Callosal structural and functional alterations have been demonstrated in a range of neuropsychiatric illnesses, including bipolar disorder, but no study has examined regional callosal thickness in this phenotype. The aim of the present study was therefore to examine callosal size and shape in a well-defined group of bipolar affective disorder patients and controls., Methods: The participants included 24 patients with DSM-IV bipolar I disorder and 24 matched healthy controls. The corpus callosum was extracted from mid-callosal images from T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scans on all participants, and callosal area, length, bending angle and regional callosal thickness measures were computed from these images., Results: The callosum was thinner in the bipolar group overall, with a disproportionately reduced thickness in the splenium. Psychotic and non-psychotic patients did not differ, although patients without a family history of mood disorders had a thinner callosum., Conclusion: Callosal reductions are present in established bipolar disorder, and affect posterior regions more than anterior regions. This may reflect a primary disturbance to myelination, or a secondary effect of grey matter changes.
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
49. Seizures initially diagnosed as panic attacks: case series.
- Author
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Plotnik AN, Carney P, Schweder P, O'Brien TJ, Velakoulis D, and Drummond KJ
- Subjects
- Adult, Diagnosis, Differential, Female, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Middle Aged, Panic Disorder diagnosis, Seizures diagnosis
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
50. Anterior cingulate glutamate-glutamine levels predict symptom severity in women with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
- Author
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Yücel M, Wood SJ, Wellard RM, Harrison BJ, Fornito A, Pujol J, Velakoulis D, and Pantelis C
- Subjects
- Adult, Aspartic Acid analogs & derivatives, Aspartic Acid metabolism, Biomarkers metabolism, Choline metabolism, Creatine metabolism, Female, Gyrus Cinguli drug effects, Humans, Inositol metabolism, Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy instrumentation, Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy methods, Male, Neuropsychological Tests, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder drug therapy, Predictive Value of Tests, Severity of Illness Index, Sex Factors, Glutamic Acid metabolism, Glutamine metabolism, Gyrus Cinguli metabolism, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder diagnosis, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder metabolism
- Abstract
Objective: Abnormalities of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) have consistently been identified in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), but very few studies have examined the biochemical basis of such changes. The purpose of the present study was to investigate how ACC biochemistry in OCD varies as a function of gender, hemisphere, subregion, and symptomatology., Method: 3 T proton-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was used to probe ACC biochemistry in 20 OCD patients (10 male, 10 female) and a comparable group of 26 healthy comparison subjects. Data were acquired from the left and right dorsal and rostral subregions of the ACC. Metabolites assessed included N-acetylaspartate (NAA), glutamate-glutamine (Glx), choline-containing compounds (Cho), creatine/phosphocreatine (Cr), and myoinositol-containing compounds (mI)., Results: Female OCD patients had significantly reduced levels of Glx in all but one subregion of the ACC when compared to matched controls. Levels of Glx were correlated with clinical measures of symptom severity in female but not male patients. State levels of anxiety and depression did not explain this association. In addition, both male and female OCD patients had relatively higher concentrations of mI in their right ACC (rostral and dorsal) compared with healthy controls. No other compounds had any statistically significant group differences, nor were the concentrations of any other compounds correlated with symptom measures., Conclusions: To the authors' knowledge this is the first study to demonstrate gender-specific neurochemical changes in OCD. Although these findings are tentative and require replication, they raise the possibility that MRS techniques may be of use in objectively monitoring patient progress and assessing the effectiveness of various treatments.
- Published
- 2008
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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