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Negative symptoms of schizophrenia can be related to social cognition. The aim was to measure a relationship between the results on the new scales for the assessment of negative symptoms such as the Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS) and Self-evaluation of Negative Symptoms (SNS), and the measures of social cognition.The study included 80 patients (40 men, 40 women) with schizophrenia, aged 19-63 (mean 38 years), during the improvement period. They were assessed using the BNSS, SNS, Personal and Social Performance (PSP) scales, and the tests for social cognition such as the Facial Emotion Identification Test, Reading the Mind in Eyes Test, Strange Stories and Faux Pas Test.Male patients obtained higher scores than females when assessed by the BNSS. No gender differences were observed for the SNS scale. Female patients scored better in the PSP and both parts of the Faux Pas test and obtained a significant correlation between the results of the SNS scale, BNSS, PSP, and the affective part of the Faux-Pas test what was not the case in males.Gender differences were found in the assessment of negative symptoms by a clinical scale and the relationship between negative symptoms and social cognition.KEY POINTSFemale patients scored better in the BNSS, PSP and both parts of the Faux-Pas testGender differences were present in the assessment of negative symptoms by clinical (BNSS) but not the self-assessment (SNS) scale.Female patients obtained a significant correlation between the results of the SNS scale, BNSS, PSP, and the affective part of the Faux-Pas test what was not the case in male subjects.

In the second decade of the twenty-first century, there has been an eruption of studies on the pathogenic role of stress in early life, named also ‘early life adversity’ or ‘childhood trauma’, in p...

Chronotype is a stable trait presenting one's circardian preference. Since chronotype disturbances are common in patients with affective disorders, our aim is to evaluate chronotypes related to affective temperaments, measured with the temperament evaluation of Memphis, Pisa and San Diego-Autoquestionnaire (TEMPS-A). The study included 618 subjects (151 men and 467 women) within the framework of web-based design. They all fulfilled a questionnaire, consisting of the Composite Scale of Morningness (CSM), Sleep Wake Pattern Assessment Questionnaire (SWPAQ), and the TEMPS-A scale. Multiple regression models revealed that after controlling for age and gender: irritable and cyclothymic temperaments were negatively associated with total CSM score, CSM morning affect and circadian preference components, Sleepability (S), Vigilance (V), Wakeability (W) and positively with Morningness (M) and Eveningness (E) subscales of SWPAQ; anxious temperament was negatively associated with total CSM scores, CSM morning affect and with S, V, W subscales of SWPAQ; depressive temperament was negatively associated with Falling asleep, S, V, W subscales of SWPAQ; hyperthymic temperament was positively associated with CSM morning affect and V, W and negatively with M subscales of SWPAQ. The results show distinctiveness of the associations between hyperthymic temperament and circadian preferences, compared to all other TEMPS-A temperaments (depressive, cyclothymic, irritable and anxious). In the CMS scale, only hyperthymic temperament was related to morning affect. In the SWPAQ scale, hyperthymic temperament was the only one associated with earlier morningness (earlier wake up time preference), increased parameters of vigor - wakeability, vigilance, and also the only one not associated with decreased plasticity of circadian rhythm (sleepability and falling asleep). Results also point to some similarities between cyclothymic and irritable temperaments in some aspects of the chronotype.

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the most effective treatment for drug-resistant depression (DRD). We estimated the short- and long-term effects of ECT on cognitive functions in patients with unipolar and bipolar DRD.We investigated 63 patients (18 male, 45 female), aged 34-75 years. Cognitive assessments were performed before, immediately after 6-12 ECT sessions, and 3 months thereafter, using the Benton Visual Retention, Trail Making (TMT), Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure (ROCF) tests, the Digit Span of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, and the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning (RAVLT), verbal fluency and Stroop tests.Immediately after ECT, a significant worsening was noted in some indices of memory and verbal fluency. However, 3 months after ECT, the indices of both RAVLT and verbal fluency significantly improved compared to baseline, and those of the Benton and ROCF were significantly better than before ECT. The Digit Span, Stroop and TMT were not affected by the treatment.The negative effects of ECT on the reported measures of cognition are transient. After 3 months, the indices of memory were significantly better than before the treatment. In addition to its antidepressant effect in DRD, ECT may also exert a long-term favourable influence on some cognitive functions.

The aim of the study was to assess neurobiological and temperamental correlates in offspring of lithium-treated patients, related to parental lithium response.The study comprised 27 female and 23 male subjects, aged 17-54 years, the offspring of 36 bipolar patients receiving lithium for 5-38 years. Thirteen subjects were offspring of excellent lithium responders (ELR), 25 of partial lithium responders and 12 of lithium non-responders. In all subjects, serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) were measured, and the subjects were assessed by the Temperament Scale of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego Auto-questionnaire (TEMPS-A) and the Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences (O-LIFE) scale.In offspring of the ELR, the percentage of persons treated for mood disorder was higher (46 vs. 16%), and higher mean BDNF and MMP-9 levels and lower IL-6 levels were found, compared with the remaining subjects. There were also differences between the ELR and the remaining patients on the TEMPS-A and O-LIFE scale, and within the ELR, between subjects treated for mood disorders and the healthy ones.The offspring of ELR show distinct neurobiological and temperamental profiles compared to other lithium-treated patients.

The aim of this study was to assess cognitive functions in 30 non-depressed patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), compared with 30 age-, gender- and education-matched patients with acute depressive episode, and with 30 healthy subjects. Neuropsychological assessment included the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), memory tests as well as the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and the N-back test. Patients with MCI obtained significantly worse results on all domains of the WCST and the N-back test compared to both depressed and healthy subjects. Depressed patients showed significantly worse performance than controls on most scores. In the MCI group, no association with MMSE was found with any of WCST domains, or with reaction time in the N-back test. Three tests, WCST-P, N-back %CORR and WCST 1st CAT obtained highest ranks (>90) as predictors for differentiating between groups. The results suggest a usefulness of employing WCST and N-back tests for a neuropsychological evaluation of patients with MCI.

We investigated three polymorphisms in the NMDA receptor 2B subunit gene (GRIN2B), involved in glutamatergic neurotransmission, as a candidate gene for bipolar disorder. In the study we included 419 patients with bipolar disorder. Consensus diagnosis by at least two psychiatrists was made, according to DSM-IV criteria, using SCID. The control group consisted of 487 healthy subjects. Genotypes for − 200G/T, 366C/G and rs890G/T of GRIN2B polymorphisms were established by PCR-RFLP method. Linkage disequilibrium analysis was done with Haploview. Genotype distributions were in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium for the three polymorphisms in the group of patients and control subjects. No association was found between the three polymorphisms and bipolar disorder. In linkage disequilibrium analysis we did not find linkage between the three polymorphisms of GRIN2B gene. The polymorphisms of GRIN2B gene analysed in this study are not likely to be associated with bipolar disorder.

The serotonin neurotransmitter has been associated with the pathogenesis of mood disorders and schizophrenia. Serotonin receptors genes may therefore be candidate genes for the study of the genetics of these disorders. In this study, patients with schizophrenia (n=235) and controls (nn=344) were analysed to determine the correlation between the 5HT2A receptor gene T102C polymorphism and schizophrenia. No association was found between the studied polymorphism and schizophrenia (pn=0.854 for alleles and pn=0.945 for genotypes). Results were also not significant when analysed by gender (for male p-0.861—allele frequency and pn=0.467—genotype frequency, for female pn=0.857—allele frequency and pn=0.833—genotype frequency). Subgroups with regard to schizophrenia subtypes, age of onset and clinical course of schizophrenia were analysed with negative results.

Theaimofthestudywastocomparetheeffectsofrisperidone, olanzapine and phenothiazines on cognitive functions in schizophrenia during short-term (4#45 6 weeks) and long-term (3#45 4 months) treatment.Seventy patients with schizophrenia were investigated: 30 treated with risperidone, 20 with olanzapine and 20 with phenothiazines, in standard doses. Psychometric measurements were made with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and neuropsychological tests included the Trail Making Test (TMT), the Stroop Test and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST).PANSS negative symptoms decreased significantly after risperidone and olanzapine, did not change after short-term, and improved marginally after long-term, phenothiazine treatment. Risperidone treatment resulted in significant amelioration of performance on all neuropsychological tests after both short- and long-term treatment. Olanzapine gave benefit on five out of seven subtests, although in most instances this effect was noted only after long-term treatment. Olanzapine was inferior to risperidone in improving WCST performance. Treatment with phenothiazines brought about improvement on two subtests while the results on three showed significant deterioration.The results obtained suggest that novel antipsychotics show differential effect on cognition, with risperidone especially improving working memory; however, their effect on negative symptoms and cognitive functions is better than that of typical neuroleptics.