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Query: UMLS:C0036341 (schizophrenia)
 60,220 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Over the last few years, psychological experiments have provided a major contribution to research in schizophrenia. Historical, practical and theoretical grounds led to investigations mainly in the field of cognitive disorder. Independent psychological theories of schizophrenia emerged from the body of experimental results, at first restricted to mental performance of the patients but later generalized to center on the total problem of schizophrenia. In accordance with psychiatric thinking, psychologists favoured cognitive deficit as the essential schizophrenic characteristic which would possibly generate the basic symptomatology. Apart from methodological considerations, the main question arising is if this feature is truly typical of schizophrenia. The problem of the different concepts of schizophrenia has to be considered in this connection. A survey of theories of schizophrenia which are sufficiently consolidated by psychological experiments reveals that two lines of theoretical reasoning exist: one based on specific cognitive disorder, and the other where this is not the case. Encompassed by the first classification are the considerations of Bannister, Rodnick and Germezy, Shakow, McReynolds, Silvermann, L.J. Chapman, Payne, Mednick, and Epstein, as well as the interference theories (with the exception of Callaway's version)..
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PMID:[Theories of cognitive disorder in schizophrenia based on psychological experiments (author's transl)]. 109 May 48

We present a patient with serologically confirmed Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection who had illusions of size, shape, and colour of objects but none of the typical symptoms and signs peculiar to infectious mononucleosis (IM) except sore throat which developed 2 weeks after the initial visual disturbances. The bizarre feelings about the images of body and objects are called the 'Alice in Wonderland syndrome' due to the similarity with Alice's dreams. The same symptomatology including visual metamorphosia is defined in patients with migraine, epilepsy, intoxication due to hallucinogenic drugs, schizophrenia, hyperpyrexia, and cerebral lesions. Alice in Wonderland syndrome has also been reported in the course of IM.
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PMID:Alice in Wonderland syndrome as an initial manifestation of Epstein-Barr virus infection. 139 May 19

We examined the activity of phospholipase A2 in Epstein-Barr virus-transformed lymphoblast cell lines established from ten schizophrenic patients and ten controls. A novel method for determination of enzyme activity in whole cells was employed, by measuring the hydrolysis of a fluorescent analogue of phosphatidylcholine. No significant difference in phospholipase A2 activity was found between the groups. These results suggest that the previously reported changes in phospholipase A2 activity in plasma and in fresh peripheral cells are indicative of environmental influences and not of "trait" characteristics intrinsic to schizophrenia.
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PMID:Phospholipase A2 activity in Epstein-Barr virus-transformed lymphoblast cells from schizophrenic patients. 173 85

Nine female and 6 male adolescents (mean age 14.5 +/- 1.7 [SD] years) were evaluated for chronic fatigue associated with at least three additional symptoms present for 18.4 +/- 8.4 months. Eleven subjects experienced the onset of symptoms with an acute illness (seven Monospot-positive). Medical history, physical examination, and laboratory testing yielded little helpful information. Serologic testing for Coxsackie B viruses 1 through 6, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, human herpesvirus 6, and Toxoplasma gondii in subjects and healthy controls provided little evidence for an infectious cause of persistent fatigue. Children's Depression Inventory scores and psychiatric interviews with the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Children's Version (K-SADS) identified five subjects with major depression. On the K-SADS, the 10 fatigued subjects without major depression endorsed many secondary symptoms of depression but were less likely than depressed psychiatric clinic patients to endorse primary symptoms such as depressed mood, guilt, and suicidality. At telephone follow-up 13 to 32 months after intake, 4 subjects were completely well, 4 markedly improved, and 7 unimproved or worse. Further research is necessary to determine whether chronic fatigue in adolescents is prodromal depression, a discrete psychosomatic condition, or an infectious or immunologic disorder that mimics depression.
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PMID:Chronic fatigue in adolescents. 841 93

Serum antibody titres to herpes-simplex (HSV-1, 2), cytomegalovirus (CMV), and Epstein-Barr virus capsid antigen (EBV-VCA) were determined in 38 unrelated chronic schizophrenic patients, 11 nuclear families with at least 2 schizophrenic members, and 2 control groups. The distributions of antibody titres to herpes simplex and cytomegalovirus were similar among all groups. Patients had higher anti-EBV-VCA titres than non-hospitalized controls; however, hospital staff members in contact with the patients also had significantly higher antibody titres to EBV-VCA. Antibodies to EBV early antigen (EBV-EA) were also determined for 27 unrelated patients and 24 mental hospital employees. The schizophrenic patients had significantly higher antibody titres to EBV-EA than the hospital worker control group. These data do not support the hypothesis that herpes viruses are associated with the aetiology of schizophrenia. Although elevated anti-EBV early antigen titres may suggest persistent active EBV infection, it is unlikely to be related to the aetiology of the disorder, since discordance for EBV seropositivity was present among sibling pairs concordant for schizophrenia.
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PMID:Herpes simplex virus, cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus antibody titres in sera from schizophrenic patients. 302 88

Fifteen male schizophrenic patients between the ages of 18 and 40 were compared with 15 matched control subjects on their performance on the Facial Affect Recognition Task and on the O'Brien-Epstein Sources of Self-Esteem Inventory. As has been previously reported, schizophrenic subjects score significantly lower than normals in the recognition of emotion in the human face, particularly on the 'negative' emotions of anger, fear and disgust. Significant differences were found between groups on self-esteem domains of 'competence' and 'personal power', with normal subjects scoring higher. However, on the self-esteem scale of 'defensive self-enhancement', schizophrenic patients scored higher than the control group. Thus, the schizophrenic patients do not have uniformly lower self-esteem than normals but, rather, specific domains of self-esteem are affected. In addition, a significant negative correlation was found between affect recognition and defensive self-enhancement. The clinical-theoretical implications of working with schizophrenia are discussed in the light of these findings.
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PMID:Affect recognition and self-esteem in schizophrenia. 345 45

Distribution of antibodies to herpes simplex type 1 (HSV1), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV) and measles virus (MV) was studied in sera and cerebrospinal fluids (CSF) of 41 patients with schizophrenia, 27 patients with primary affective disorders and 25 control patients with neurological diseases. No significant differences in distribution and mean geometric titers (GMT) of antibodies to HSV1 between the psychiatric and control groups were found. Distribution and GMT of antibodies to EBV were highly significant in psychiatric patients as compared to controls with highest titers in the affective disorder group. Antibodies to HSV1 were present in 15 CSF specimens of psychiatric patients with reduced CSF/serum ratio in 4, and low levels of antibodies were detected in 8 control patients. Antibodies to EBV-VCA were detected in 4 CSFs of psychiatric patients. Total protein levels were determined in CSF specimens and no correlation with antibodies was found. No significant differences in distribution of antibodies to CMV or MV in the three study groups were found. No antibodies to CMV were demonstrated in CSFs and in one specimen from a patient and two controls antibodies to MV were detected.
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PMID:Antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus, herpes simplex type 1, cytomegalovirus and measles virus in psychiatric patients. 626 28

Although there have been many studies surveying the prevalence of specific viral antibodies in a large cohort of patients with schizophrenia, changes in antibody levels during the course of acute illness have not been fully investigated. We conducted a preliminary study investigating levels of antibodies to 5 herpesviruses (herpes simplex virus type 1, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, varicella-zoster virus and human herpesvirus type 6) and 6 other viruses (measles, rubella, mumps, influenza A and B and Japanese encephalitis viruses) in paired sera of 8 patients with acute onset or exacerbation of schizophrenia. Assay for specific immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody was also performed for herpesviruses and mumps. Neither any relevant change in antibody levels nor appearance of specific IgM antibody was observed for any of the viruses in any of the patients investigated. It is unlikely that the active infection or reactivation of these viruses has direct causal relationship to schizophrenia in these patients.
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PMID:No changes in paired viral antibody titers during the course of acute schizophrenia. 1047 57

Looking at the field as a whole through metaanalysis, Shadish et al concluded (based on 162 studies) that marital and family therapies were significantly more effective than no treatment and at least as effective as other forms of psychotherapy. Although these reviews and others are positive, individual studies raise many questions. For instance, based on research findings, family treatments increasingly have become standard care for patients with schizophrenia. It remains unclear what degree and type of family involvement is needed for which patients at which stage of their disorder. In the area of anxiety and depression, there are too few studies to make any strong conclusion. Although investigators such as Barrett, Cobham, and Diamond have produced some positive results, the Lewinsohn and Clark studies fail to demonstrate the added benefit of family involvement. Although Brent's study showed CBT to reduce depression faster, family therapy and supportive therapy did just as well in the long run, and family conflict was a strong risk factor for relapse. In the area of anorexia, Russell and Robins produced strong results from family interventions, whereas Geist found no difference between different types of family interventions. Family treatments for obesity have been inconsistent. In a metaanalysis of 41 studies, parental involvement did not contribute significantly to outcomes. In the Epstein study, however, which included 5- and 10-year follow-up, the results of family intervention were impressive. Although many of these studies can be cited for various methodologic flaws, the most consistent problem is that sample sizes are too small to detect difference between two or more active treatments. The most consistent findings (and most well-done, large studies) that support the efficacy of family-based interventions are done with externalizing problems. Work groups led by Patterson, Eisenstadt, Webster-Stratton, Alexander, and Henggeler all have produced impressive reductions of oppositional and antisocial behavior. Clinical programs that treat these populations without using a family-based intervention as at least a component of a treatment package are seriously ignoring the findings of contemporary intervention science. Programs of research by Henggeler, Szapocznik, and Liddle demonstrate similarly impressive results for substance abusing adolescents. Although preliminary results from the Dennis et al study suggest that various treatment approaches may benefit this population. Family interventions have had less success in reducing ADHD symptoms, yet these psychosocial treatments have been essential in reducing much of the family and school behavior problems associated with this disorder. Many investigators would agree that a combined medication and family treatment approach may be the treatment of choice for children with ADHD. In fact, many studies across various disorders suggest that patients respond best to comprehensive treatment packages, of which a family treatment is at least one component. Although the data are promising, many challenges lie ahead. Although collectively many family intervention studies exist, many disorders lack enough rigorous and large-scale investigations to make any strong conclusions. Kazdin argues that sample sizes of 150 are essential to detect significant differences between active treatments, and few of the reviewed studies include these kinds of patient numbers. Furthermore, not enough committed and sophisticated family treatment researchers have carried out some of the major studies. For example, the Brent study on depression and the Barkley study of ADHD, although testing family approaches, lacked well-developed and published treatment manuals, a demonstration of the necessary expertise to supervise these treatments, and data about training and adherence to these models. Although the absence of expertise limits investigator allegiance biases, treatment development and modification are essential for tailoring family treatments to target family processes specific to each disorder. Investigators such as Patterson and Liddle have invested great effort in rigorously dismantling the treatment process, identifying and refining essential ingredients, and repackaging more potent treatment protocols. This process has paid off well. Programmatic treatment development is needed for many disorders to address myriad questions. What are the essential disorder-specific family processes that should be targeted by interventions? Hostility, criticism, communication, attachment and autonomy, attributional sets, and behavior management are important processes of family life, but each may have more relative importance for specific disorders. With a greater understanding of these processes, treatments could be tailored to target these mechanisms more efficiently and effectively. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)
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PMID:Current status of family intervention science. 1144 17

Brain metabolic abnormalities and aberrant dopamine (DA) metabolism have been reported in patients with schizophrenia. The authors hypothesized that mitochondria is a primary target of damage by increased free radical generation secondary to increased DA metabolism by monoamine oxidase (MAO). Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-transformed human B-lymphocytes cell lines derived from patients with schizophrenia and normal controls were incubated in the absence or presence of DA, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), or rotenone (Rot). The cells were then stained with rhodamine 123 (Rh 123) and analyzed for uptake using flow cytometry. Compared with untreated cells, DA significantly decreased Rh 123 uptake by the mitochondria. This effect was similar to the control cells treated with H2O2 or Rot. Nevertheless, there were no differences in Rh 123 uptake between the cells of schizophrenic patients and normal controls. This study shows that DA can impair the mitochondria membrane potential but that mechanism may not be evident in schizophrenia.
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PMID:Dopamine effect on the mitochondria potential in B lymphocytes of schizophrenic patients and normal controls. 1185 5


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