Development and Evaluation of a Visual Remediation Intervention for People with Schizophrenia

Molecular physiology unlocks the mystery that relates cognitive impairment with the retina in schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders: a perspective review

Schizophrenia and Autism spectrum disorders (SSD and ASD) are neurodevelopmental disorders involving cognitive impairment. Timely diagnosis is important for early intervention; currently, no tools are available to help with early diagnosis. Molecular biomarkers of cognitive impairment have been extensively studied, but clinical correlation is crucial in screening for cognitive impairment in SSD and ASD. There has been growing interest in examining the retina to scan for neurological disorders since the retina is the only part of the central nervous system that can be directly imaged non-invasively and in a timely manner. This review discusses biomarkers of cognitive impairment and their correlation to the retina in SSD and ASD. It also discusses the possible involvement of the retina and molecular biomarkers, specifically Disintegrin and metalloproteinase domain-containing protein 10 (ADAM10) and ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) in the pathophysiology of SSD and ASD. A protocol for early diagnosing cognitive impairment and its severity in SSD and ASD is also suggested. This review also mentions insights into the potential use of molecular biomarkers of cognitive impairment to enhance cognitive performance in ASD and SSD and areas where more research is needed to solve the mystery of the relationship between the retina and cognitive impairment in neurodevelopmental psychiatric disorders.

Psychiatry and sensation: the epigenetic links

A complex interaction among sensory, social and epigenetic determinants in psychiatric conditions was described across all age strata. The high prevalence of mental disorders in individuals with sensory deficits might be attributed to the interaction among social isolation, cognitive functioning and sensory processing. The epigenetic implications of such interactions were examined: environmental and social factors can affect gene expression and impact the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders also through sensory processing. This article discussed the role of social determinants, in other words, social isolation, loneliness and chronic stress, in promoting psychiatric disorders and, in a vicious circle, sensory deficits (vision, hearing, olfaction and somatosensation). We emphasized the importance of integrating social, sensory and epigenetic factors to target different treatments for psychiatric conditions.