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Jayakumar S, Ahmed AO, Butler PD, Silverstein SM, Thompson JL, Seitz AR. Performance on a contour integration task as a function of contour shape in schizophrenia and controls. Vision Res 2024; 219:108394. [PMID: 38579407 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2024.108394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Contour Integration (CI) is the ability to integrate elemental features into objects and is a basic visual process essential for object perception and recognition, and for functioning in visual environments. It is now well documented that people with schizophrenia (SZ), in addition to having cognitive impairments, also have several visual perceptual deficits, including in CI. Here, we retrospectively characterize the performance of both SZ and neurotypical individuals (NT) on a series of contour shapes, made up of Gabor elements, that varied in terms of closure and curvature. Participants in both groups performed a CI training task that included 7 different families of shapes (Lines, Ellipse, Blobs, Squiggles, Spiral, Circle and Letters) for up to 40 sessions. Two parameters were manipulated in the training task: Orientation Jitter (OJ, i.e., orientation deviations of individual Gabor elements from ideal for each shape) and Inducer Number (IN, i.e., number of Gabor elements defining the shape). Results show that both OJ and IN thresholds significantly differed between the groups, with higher (OJ) and lower (IN) thresholds observed in the controls. Furthermore, we found significant effects as a function of the contour shapes, with differences between groups emerging with contours that were considered more complex, e.g., due to having a higher degree of curvature (Blobs, Spiral, Letters). These data can inform future work that aims to characterize visual integration impairments in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samyukta Jayakumar
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, United States.
| | - Anthony O Ahmed
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, United States.
| | - Pamela D Butler
- Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, United States.
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Baldini V, Stefano RD, Rindi LV, Ahmed AO, Koola MM, Solmi M, Papola D, De Ronchi D, Barbui C, Ostuzzi G. Association between adverse childhood experiences and suicidal behavior in schizophrenia spectrum disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychiatry Res 2023; 329:115488. [PMID: 37769371 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
Assessing and managing suicide behaviors is highly relevant to individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Our study aims to assess the association between adverse childhood experiences and suicidal behaviors in individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. We included observational studies comparing the probability of suicide behaviors in adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorders exposed and unexposed to adverse childhood experiences. Odds ratio estimates were obtained by pooling data using a random-effects pairwise meta-analysis. Standardized criteria were used to assess the strength of the association of the pooled estimate. We found 21 eligible studies reporting outcomes for 6257 individuals from 11 countries. The primary outcome revealed an association between any suicidal behavior and adverse childhood experiences, which resulted "highly suggestive" according to validated Umbrella Criteria. Similarly, a positive association was confirmed for suicidal ideation and suicide attempt and for any subtype of adverse childhood experience. This meta-analysis showed that exposure to adverse childhood experiences strongly increases the probability of suicide behaviors in people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Baldini
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy; Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy.
| | - Ramona Di Stefano
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Vittorio Rindi
- Department of Systems Medicine, Infectious Disease Clinic, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
| | - Anthony O Ahmed
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, White Plains, NY, United States
| | - Maju Mathew Koola
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Cooper University Health Care, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ, United States
| | - Marco Solmi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; The Champlain First Episode Psychosis Program, Department of Mental Health, The Ottawa Hospital, Ontario, Canada; Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) Clinical Epidemiology Program University of Ottawa Ontario; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Davide Papola
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States; WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health and Service Evaluation, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Psychiatry, Verona, Italy
| | - Diana De Ronchi
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy
| | - Corrado Barbui
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health and Service Evaluation, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Psychiatry, Verona, Italy
| | - Giovanni Ostuzzi
- WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health and Service Evaluation, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Psychiatry, Verona, Italy
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Khan A, Lindenmayer JP, Insel B, Seddo M, Demirli E, DeFazio K, Sullivan M, Hoptman MJ, Ahmed AO. Computerized cognitive and social cognition training in schizophrenia for impulsive aggression. Schizophr Res 2023; 256:117-125. [PMID: 36424289 PMCID: PMC11046975 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2022.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schizophrenia is associated with an elevated risk for impulsive aggression for which there are few psychosocial treatment options. Neurocognitive and social cognitive deficits have been associated with aggression with social cognitive deficits seemingly a more proximal contributor. The current study examined the effects of combining cognitive and social cognition treatment on impulsive aggression among inpatients with chronic schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder and a history of aggression compared to cognitive remediation treatment alone. METHODS The two-center study randomized 130 participants to receive 36 sessions of either a combination of cognitive remediation and social cognition treatment or cognitive remediation plus a computer-based control. Participants had at least one aggressive incident within the past year or a Life History of Aggression (LHA) score of 5 or more. Participants completed measures of neurocognition, social cognition, symptom severity, and aggression at baseline and endpoint. RESULTS Study participants were mostly male (84.5 %), had a mean age 34.9 years, and 11.5 years of education. Both Cognitive Remediation Training (CRT) plus Social Cognition Training (SCT) and CRT plus control groups were associated with significant reductions in aggression measures with no group differences except on a block of the Taylor Aggression Paradigm (TAP), a behavioral task of aggression which favored the CRT plus SCT group. Both groups showed significant improvements in neurocognition and social cognition measures with CRT plus SCT being associated with greater improvements. CONCLUSION CRT proved to be an effective non-pharmacological treatment in reducing impulsive aggression in schizophrenia inpatient participants with a history of aggressive episodes. The addition of social cognitive training did not enhance this anti-aggression treatment effect but did augment the CRT effect on cognitive functions, on emotion recognition and on mentalizing capacity of our participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anzalee Khan
- Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 140 Orangeburg Road, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA; Manhattan Psychiatric Center, 1 Wards Island Complex, Wards Island, NY 10035, USA.
| | - Jean-Pierre Lindenmayer
- Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 140 Orangeburg Road, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA; Manhattan Psychiatric Center, 1 Wards Island Complex, Wards Island, NY 10035, USA; New York University School of Medicine, 550 1st Ave., New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Beverly Insel
- Mount Sinai Medical Center, 5 East 98th Street, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Mary Seddo
- Long Island University, 1 University Plaza, Brooklyn, NY 11201, USA
| | - Ecem Demirli
- Weill Cornell Medical Center, 21 Bloomingdale Road, White Plains, NY 10605, USA
| | - Kayla DeFazio
- Weill Cornell Medical Center, 21 Bloomingdale Road, White Plains, NY 10605, USA
| | - Mark Sullivan
- Weill Cornell Medical Center, 21 Bloomingdale Road, White Plains, NY 10605, USA
| | - Matthew J Hoptman
- Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, 140 Orangeburg Road, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA; New York University School of Medicine, 550 1st Ave., New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Anthony O Ahmed
- Weill Cornell Medical Center, 21 Bloomingdale Road, White Plains, NY 10605, USA
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Cheon EJ, Male AG, Gao B, Adhikari BM, Edmond JT, Hare SM, Belger A, Potkin SG, Bustillo JR, Mathalon DH, Ford JM, Lim KO, Mueller BA, Preda A, O'Leary D, Strauss GP, Ahmed AO, Thompson PM, Jahanshad N, Kochunov P, Calhoun VD, Turner JA, van Erp TGM. Five negative symptom domains are differentially associated with resting state amplitude of low frequency fluctuations in Schizophrenia. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2023; 329:111597. [PMID: 36680843 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2023.111597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
This study examined associations between resting-state amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and negative symptoms represented by total scores, second-order dimension (motivation and pleasure, expressivity), and first-order domain (anhedonia, avolition, asociality, alogia, blunted affect) factor scores in schizophrenia (n = 57). Total negative symptom scores showed positive associations with ALFF in temporal and frontal brain regions. Negative symptom domain scores showed predominantly stronger associations with regional ALFF compared to total scores, suggesting domain scores may better map to neural signatures than total scores. Improving our understanding of the neuropathology underlying negative symptoms may aid in addressing this unmet therapeutic need in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun-Jin Cheon
- Clinical Translational Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Yeungnam University College of Medicine, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Alie G Male
- Clinical Translational Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Bingchen Gao
- Clinical Translational Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Bhim M Adhikari
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, United States
| | - Jesse T Edmond
- Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), GSU/GATech/Emory, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Stephanie M Hare
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, United States
| | - Aysenil Belger
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, United States
| | - Steven G Potkin
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Juan R Bustillo
- Departments of Psychiatry & Neuroscience, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Daniel H Mathalon
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States; Veterans Affairs San Francisco Healthcare System, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Judith M Ford
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States; Veterans Affairs San Francisco Healthcare System, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Kelvin O Lim
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Bryon A Mueller
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Adrian Preda
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Daniel O'Leary
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, IA, United States
| | - Gregory P Strauss
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Anthony O Ahmed
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, White Plains, NY, United States
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, United States
| | - Neda Jahanshad
- Imaging Genetics Center, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, United States
| | - Peter Kochunov
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, United States
| | - Vince D Calhoun
- Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), GSU/GATech/Emory, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Jessica A Turner
- Department of Psychiatry, Ohio State University, OH, United States
| | - Theo G M van Erp
- Clinical Translational Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA, United States; Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States.
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5
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Moscarelli M, Min JY, Kopelowicz A, Torous J, Chavez O, Gómez-de-Regil L, Salvador-Carulla L, Ochoa S, Gamez MM, Vila-Badia R, Romero-Lopez-Alberca C, Ahmed AO. The scale for the assessment of the passively received experiences (PRE) in schizophrenia and digital mental health. Schizophr Res 2023; 251:91-93. [PMID: 36608602 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2022.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jung-Yun Min
- Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY, USA.
| | - Alex Kopelowicz
- Professor of Psychiatry, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - John Torous
- Department of Psychiatry and Division of Clinical Informatics, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | | | | | - Luis Salvador-Carulla
- Health Research Institute, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, ACT, Australia.
| | - Susana Ochoa
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Sant Boi de Llobregat (Barcelona), Fundació Sant Joan de Déu, Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Spain; Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Spain.
| | | | - Regina Vila-Badia
- Etiopatogènia i Tractament dels Trastorns Mentals Greus (MERITT), Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Cristina Romero-Lopez-Alberca
- Department of Psychology, University of Cadiz, Cadiz, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Anthony O Ahmed
- Psychology in Clinical Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian/Westchester, White Plains, NY, USA.
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Yaghoubi KC, Jayakumar S, Ahmed AO, Butler PD, Silverstein S, Thompson JL, Seitz AR. Characterization of training profiles between individuals with schizophrenia and healthy individuals on Contrast Detection and Contour Integration tasks. J Vis 2022. [DOI: 10.1167/jov.22.14.3728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
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7
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Jayakumar S, Yaghoubi KC, Ahmed AO, Butler PD, Silverstein S, Thompson JL, Seitz AR. Performance on a Contour Integration task as a function of Contour Shapes: A comparison study between individuals with schizophrenia and Neurotypical Individuals. J Vis 2022. [DOI: 10.1167/jov.22.14.3727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
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8
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Becker Wright ML, Ahmed AO, Barchard KA, Benning SD, John SE, Allen DN. Latent structure of cognitive tests is invariant in men and women with schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2022; 250:127-133. [PMID: 36403294 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2022.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Studies comparing the cognitive functioning of men and women with schizophrenia have produced conflicting results which could arise from sex-based differences in the latent structure of cognitive abilities. The current study used multigroup confirmatory factor analysis to examine invariance in latent structure of cognitive abilities to between men and women with schizophrenia. Confirmatory factor analysis of an initial neurocognitive assessment (men n = 612, women n = 201) and cross-validation using second assessment (men n = 549, women n = 198) demonstrated that a bifactor seven-factor model fit the data best for both men and women. Invariance analyses further indicated this model was invariant across men and women at both assessments. Group comparisons indicated women had significantly higher scores for Semantic Memory, Verbal Memory, and General Cognitive factors, whereas men exhibited better performance on the Vigilance factor. Results indicate that cognition in SZ is characterized by both a general cognitive factor and specific domains for both men and women. Invariance analysis provides evidence that cognitive differences between men and women do not result from sex-based differences in the latent structure of cognitive abilities. Current results also indicate small but statistically significant neurocognitive differences between men and women with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan L Becker Wright
- Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, United States of America
| | - Anthony O Ahmed
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, White Plains, NY, United States of America
| | - Kimberly A Barchard
- Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, United States of America
| | - Stephen D Benning
- Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, United States of America
| | - Samantha E John
- Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, United States of America; Department of Brain Health, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, United States of America
| | - Daniel N Allen
- Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, United States of America.
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9
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Moscarelli M, Min JY, Kopelowicz A, Chavez O, Gómez-de-Regil L, Salvador-Carulla L, Gamez MM, Vila-Badía R, Romero-Lopez-Alberca C, Ahmed AO. The "PRE" scale: The assessment of the elementary passively received experiences of schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2022; 241:218-220. [PMID: 35151963 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2022.01.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jung-Yun Min
- Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY, USA.
| | - Alex Kopelowicz
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | | | | | - Luis Salvador-Carulla
- Health Research Institute, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, ACT, Australia.
| | | | - Regina Vila-Badía
- Research Unit of Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu-SSM (Research Unit) CIBER-SAM, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.
| | | | - Anthony O Ahmed
- Clinical Psychiatry, Departmet of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian/Westchester, White Plains, NY, USA.
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10
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Kelly RE, Ahmed AO, Hoptman MJ. What Do These Findings Tell Us? Comment on Tinella et al. Cognitive Efficiency and Fitness-to-Drive along the Lifespan: The Mediation Effect of Visuospatial Transformations. Brain Sci. 2021, 11, 1028. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12020165. [PMID: 35203929 PMCID: PMC8870651 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12020165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Robert E. Kelly
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, White Plains, NY 10605, USA;
- Correspondence:
| | - Anthony O. Ahmed
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, White Plains, NY 10605, USA;
| | - Matthew J. Hoptman
- Clinical Research Division, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, USA; or
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
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11
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Ahmed AO, Kirkpatrick B, Granholm E, Rowland LM, Barker PB, Gold JM, Buchanan RW, Outram T, Bernardo M, Paz García-Portilla M, Mane A, Fernandez-Egea E, Strauss GP. Two Factors, Five Factors, or Both? External Validation Studies of Negative Symptom Dimensions in Schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull 2022; 48:620-630. [PMID: 35020936 PMCID: PMC9077418 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbab148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Negative symptom studies frequently use single composite scores as indicators of symptom severity and as primary endpoints in clinical trials. Factor analytic and external validation studies do not support this practice but rather suggest a multidimensional construct. The current study used structural equation modeling (SEM) to compare competing dimensional models of negative symptoms to determine the number of latent dimensions that best capture variance in biological, psychological, and clinical variables known to have associations with negative symptoms. METHODS Three independent studies (total n = 632) compared unidimensional, two-factor, five-factor, and hierarchical conceptualizations of negative symptoms in relation to cognition, psychopathology, and community functioning (Study 1); trait emotional experience and defeatist performance beliefs (Study 2); and glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid levels in the anterior cingulate cortex quantified using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (Study 3). RESULTS SEM favored the five-factor and hierarchical models over the unidimensional and two-factor models regardless of the negative symptom measure or external validator. The five dimensions-anhedonia, asociality, avolition, blunted affect, and alogia-proved vital either as stand-alone domains or as first-order domains influenced by second-order dimensions-motivation and pleasure and emotional expression. The two broader dimensions sometimes masked important associations unique to the five narrower domains. Avolition, anhedonia, and blunted affect showed the most domain-specific associations with external variables across study samples. CONCLUSIONS Five domains and a hierarchical model reflect the optimal conceptualization of negative symptoms in relation to external variables. Clinical trials should consider using the two dimensions as primary endpoints and the five domains as secondary endpoints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony O Ahmed
- To whom correspondence should be addressed; Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, 21 Bloomingdale Road, White Plains, NY 10605, USA; tel: 914-997-5251, e-mail:
| | - Brian Kirkpatrick
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Eric Granholm
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA,Psychology Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Laura M Rowland
- Department of Psychiatry and Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Peter B Barker
- The Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA,FM Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - James M Gold
- Department of Psychiatry and Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Robert W Buchanan
- Department of Psychiatry and Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Tacina Outram
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, White Plains, NY, USA
| | - Miguel Bernardo
- Barcelona Clinic Schizophrenia Unit, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Neuroscience Institute, Barcelona, Spain,Department of Medicine, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain,August Pi I Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - María Paz García-Portilla
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain,Department of Psychiatry, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Oviedo, Spain,Servicio de Salud del Principado de Asturias (SESPA), Oviedo, Spain
| | - Anna Mane
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain,Institut de Neuropsiquiatria i Adiccions, Parc de Salut Mar, Barcelona, Spain,Fundació Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Emilio Fernandez-Egea
- Department of Psychiatry, Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK,Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Gregory P Strauss
- Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
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12
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Turner JA, Calhoun VD, Thompson PM, Jahanshad N, Ching CRK, Thomopoulos SI, Verner E, Strauss GP, Ahmed AO, Turner MD, Basodi S, Ford JM, Mathalon DH, Preda A, Belger A, Mueller BA, Lim KO, van Erp TGM. ENIGMA + COINSTAC: Improving Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Re-usability. Neuroinformatics 2022; 20:261-275. [PMID: 34846691 PMCID: PMC9149142 DOI: 10.1007/s12021-021-09559-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The FAIR principles, as applied to clinical and neuroimaging data, reflect the goal of making research products Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable. The use of the Collaborative Informatics and Neuroimaging Suite Toolkit for Anonymized Computation (COINSTAC) platform in the Enhancing Neuroimaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) consortium combines the technological approach of decentralized analyses with the sociological approach of sharing data. In addition, ENIGMA + COINSTAC provides a platform to facilitate the use of machine-actionable data objects. We first present how ENIGMA and COINSTAC support the FAIR principles, and then showcase their integration with a decentralized meta-analysis of sex differences in negative symptom severity in schizophrenia, and finally present ongoing activities and plans to advance FAIR principles in ENIGMA + COINSTAC. ENIGMA and COINSTAC currently represent efforts toward improved Access, Interoperability, and Reusability. We highlight additional improvements needed in these areas, as well as future connections to other resources for expanded Findability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A Turner
- Psychology Department, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Vince D Calhoun
- Psychology Department, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark & Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
| | - Neda Jahanshad
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark & Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
| | - Christopher R K Ching
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark & Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
| | - Sophia I Thomopoulos
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark & Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
| | - Eric Verner
- Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
| | - Gregory P Strauss
- Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Anthony O Ahmed
- Weill Cornell Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, White Plains, NY, 10605, USA
| | - Matthew D Turner
- Psychology Department, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Sunitha Basodi
- Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30303, USA
| | - Judith M Ford
- Veterans Affairs San Francisco Healthcare System, San Francisco, CA, 94121, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94121, USA
| | - Daniel H Mathalon
- Veterans Affairs San Francisco Healthcare System, San Francisco, CA, 94121, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94121, USA
| | - Adrian Preda
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California Irvine, University of California Irvine Medical Center, 101 The City Drive S, Orange, CA, 92868, USA
| | - Aysenil Belger
- Department of Psychiatry and Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 105 Smith Level Road, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-8180, USA
| | - Bryon A Mueller
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55414, USA
| | - Kelvin O Lim
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55414, USA
| | - Theo G M van Erp
- Clinical Translational Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California Irvine, 5251 California Ave, Irvine, CA, 92617, USA
- Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California Irvine, 309 Qureshey Research Lab, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
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13
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Ahmed AO, Kramer S, Hofman N, Flynn J, Hansen M, Martin V, Pillai A, Buckley PF. A Meta-Analysis of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Effects on Brain Volume in Schizophrenia: Genotype and Serum Levels. Neuropsychobiology 2021; 80:411-424. [PMID: 33706323 PMCID: PMC8619762 DOI: 10.1159/000514126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
AIM The Val66Met single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) on the BDNF gene has established pleiotropic effects on schizophrenia incidence and morphologic alterations in the illness. The effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) on brain volume measurements are however mixed seeming to be less established for most brain regions. The current meta-analytic review examined (1) the association of the Val66Met SNP and brain volume alterations in schizophrenia by comparing Met allele carriers to Val/Val homozygotes and (2) the association of serum BDNF with brain volume measurements. METHOD Studies included in the meta-analyses were identified through an electronic search of PubMed and PsycInfo (via EBSCO) for English language publications from January 2000 through December 2017. Included studies had conducted a genotyping procedure of Val66Met or obtained assays of serum BDNF and obtained brain volume data in patients with psychotic disorders. Nonhuman studies were excluded. RESULTS Study 1 which included 52 comparisons of Met carriers and Val/Val homozygotes found evidence of lower right and left hippocampal volumes among Met allele carriers with schizophrenia. Frontal measurements, while also lower among Met carriers, did not achieve statistical significance. Study 2 which included 7 examinations of the correlation between serum BDNF and brain volume found significant associations between serum BDNF levels and right and left hippocampal volume with lower BDNF corresponding to lower volumes. DISCUSSION The meta-analyses provided evidence of associations between brain volume alterations in schizophrenia and variations on the Val66Met SNP and serum BDNF. Given the limited number of studies, it remains unclear if BDNF effects are global or regionally specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony O. Ahmed
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, White Plains, New York, USA,*Anthony O. Ahmed, Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, 21 Bloomingdale Road, White Plains, NY 10605 (USA),
| | - Samantha Kramer
- Department of Psychology, Long Island University Post, New York, New York, USA
| | - Naama Hofman
- Department of Psychology, St. John's University, New York, New York, USA
| | - John Flynn
- Department of Psychology, Long Island University Brooklyn, New York, New York, USA
| | - Marie Hansen
- Department of Psychology, Long Island University Brooklyn, New York, New York, USA
| | - Victoria Martin
- Department of Psychology, City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
| | - Anilkumar Pillai
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Peter F. Buckley
- Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
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14
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Goodwin GJ, Maietta JE, Ahmed AO, Hopkins NA, Moore SA, Rodrigues J, Pascual MS, Kuwabara HC, Kinsora TF, Ross SR, Allen DN. A-96 Stability of ImPACT’s Latent Structure from Baseline to Post Concussion Assessment. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acab062.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Objective
ImPACT is commonly used for sport-concussion management. Baseline and post-concussion tests serve as within-athlete comparisons for return-to-play decision-making. Previous literature has questioned whether ImPACT’s five composites accurately represent the internal structure of its cognitive scores. A recent alternative four-factor structure has strong confirmatory evidence for baseline scores (Maietta et al., doi:10.1037/pas0001014). The present study examined the stability of these constructs post-concussion.
Method
The current study utilized a case-matched design (age, sex, sport category) to select a sample of 3560 high school athletes’ baseline (n = 1780) and post-concussion (n = 1780) assessments. Multi-group CFA of first-order, hierarchical, and bifactor models was conducted to assess measurement invariance (configural, metric, scalar, and residual invariance) between baseline and post-concussion samples. Change in comparative fit indices was interpreted as the primary indicator of model invariance.
Results
ImPACT’s five composite structure, as well as the hierarchical and bifactor models, exhibited inadequate fit to the baseline and post-concussion data. The four-factor model demonstrated superior fit in the baseline sample and good fit in the post-concussion sample. The four-factor structure demonstrated invariance across injury status (baseline to post-concussion).
Conclusion
Given that ImPACT’s scores are used for return-to-play decision-making, it is important that they are psychometrically sound. Recent literature suggests that ImPACT’s five composites are not an adequate representation of the cognitive constructs. Findings support validity of the four-factor structure despite injury status, suggesting these cognitive constructs are assessable at both pre- and post-concussion. Additional research is needed to determine implications of these findings for tracking cognitive change following sport-related concussion and making return-to-play decisions.
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15
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Maietta JE, Ahmed AO, Barchard KA, Kuwabara HC, Donohue B, Ross SR, Kinsora TF, Allen DN. Confirmatory factor analysis of imPACT cognitive tests in high school athletes. Psychol Assess 2021; 33:746-755. [PMID: 33983785 DOI: 10.1037/pas0001014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
ImPACT is the most commonly utilized computerized neurocognitive assessment for the clinical management of sport concussion. The cognitive composite scores that ImPACT currently reports include Verbal Memory, Visual Memory, Visual Motor Speed, Reaction Time, and Impulse Control. However, exploratory factor analytic studies report that two or more factors may better represent ImPACT's latent structure, suggesting that the current cognitive composites may not adequately represent the cognitive constructs ImPACT assesses. The latent structure of ImPACT cognitive baseline scores was examined using exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of valid baseline ImPACT scores for 36,091 high school athletes. These athletes were randomly divided into two samples. The first sample was a calibration sample used for EFA and the second sample was a cross-validation sample used for CFA to estimate the best model identified in the calibration phase, along with other models that were reported in the literature or based on theoretical considerations, including hierarchical and bifactor models. EFA identified a first-order four-factor solution consisting of Visual Memory, Visual Reaction Time, Verbal Memory, and Working Memory constructs. CFA indicated that this four-factor model provided superior fit for the data, while the current five-composite structure of ImPACT provided a poor fit for the data. The latent constructs identified in this study using CFA do not map well onto the composite scores that are currently used to interpret ImPACT performance. Future research should investigate whether interpretation of ImPACT based on the constructs identified here will be more useful for clinical decision making than current approaches. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Daniel N Allen
- Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
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16
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Becker ML, Ahmed AO, Benning SD, Barchard KA, John SE, Allen DN. Bifactor model of cognition in schizophrenia: Evidence for general and specific abilities. J Psychiatr Res 2021; 136:132-139. [PMID: 33588227 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.01.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite extensive study of cognition in schizophrenia, it remains unclear as to whether cognitive deficits and their latent structure are best characterized as reflecting a generalized deficit, specific deficits, or some combination of general and specific constructs. METHOD To clarify latent structure of cognitive abilities, confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine the latent structure of cognitive data collected for the Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness (CATIE) for Schizophrenia study. Baseline assessment data (n = 813) were randomly divided into calibration (n = 413) and cross-validation samples (n = 400). To examine whether generalized or specific deficit models provided better explanation of the data, we estimated first-order, hierarchical, and bifactor models. RESULTS A bifactor model with seven specific factors and one general factor provided the best fit to the data for both the calibration and cross-validation samples. CONCLUSIONS These findings lend support for a replicable bifactor model of cognition in schizophrenia, characterized by both a general cognitive factor and specific domains. This suggests that cognitive deficits in schizophrenia might be best understood by separate general and specific contributions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan L Becker
- Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Anthony O Ahmed
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, White Plains, NY, USA
| | - Stephen D Benning
- Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Kimberly A Barchard
- Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Samantha E John
- Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA; Department of Brain Health, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Daniel N Allen
- Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA.
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17
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Sun J, Ching EWK, Strauss GP, Ahmed AO, Chui WWH, Chow JSY. Validation of the traditional script Chinese version of the brief negative symptom scale. Asian J Psychiatr 2021; 55:102522. [PMID: 33360707 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Negative symptoms are a core feature of schizophrenia and account for much of the long-term morbidity and poor functional outcome of people with schizophrenia. The Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS) was developed to address the main limitations of the existing scales for the assessment of negative symptoms. The BNSS has been translated into Italian, Spanish, German, Turkish and simplified Chinese versions with excellent psychometric properties. In this study, a Chinese (traditional script) version of the Brief Negative Symptom Scale (C-BNSS) was developed and validated to facilitate future research on the Chinese population in Hong Kong. Psychometric properties were examined in 149 individuals with schizophrenia. The C-BNSS showed excellent internal consistency (α = 0.96), high inter-rater reliability (intra-class correlation = 0.98), and high test-retest reliability (Spearman's r = 0.96). Convergent validity was supported by high correlations between C-BNSS total score and subscales with the Scale for Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS), Negative Symptom subscale of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) score. Discriminant validity was supported by low correlations between the C-BNSS total score and the PANSS positive subscale, Calgary Depression Scale, and Simpson-Angus Scale for extrapyramidal symptoms. The C-BNSS showed a five- factor structure on Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), confirming findings of previous studies. Findings indicate that the C-BNSS demonstrates excellent psychometric properties, which are comparable to the original English version. It is a promising instrument for use in clinical trials as well as in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Sun
- Department of Psychiatry, Castle Peak Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
| | - Edgar Wing Ka Ching
- Department of Psychiatry, United Christian Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | | | - Anthony O Ahmed
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, United States
| | - William Wing Ho Chui
- Department of Psychiatry, Castle Peak Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Joyce Suet Yan Chow
- Department of Psychiatry, Castle Peak Hospital, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
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18
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony O Ahmed
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, White Plains, New York
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19
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Chang WC, Strauss GP, Ahmed AO, Wong SCY, Chan JKN, Lee EHM, Chan SKW, Hui CLM, James SH, Chapman HC, Chen EYH. The Latent Structure of Negative Symptoms in Individuals With Attenuated Psychosis Syndrome and Early Psychosis: Support for the 5 Consensus Domains. Schizophr Bull 2020; 47:386-394. [PMID: 32909606 PMCID: PMC7965067 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbaa129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Negative symptoms are prevalent in the prodromal and first-episode phases of psychosis and highly predictive of poor clinical outcomes (eg, liability for conversion and functioning). However, the latent structure of negative symptoms is unclear in the early phases of illness. Determining the latent structure of negative symptoms in early psychosis (EP) is of critical importance for early identification, prevention, and treatment efforts. In the current study, confirmatory factor analysis was used to evaluate latent structure in relation to 4 theoretically derived models: 1. a 1-factor model, 2. a 2-factor model with expression (EXP) and motivation and pleasure (MAP) factors, 3. a 5-factor model with separate factors for the 5 National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) consensus development conference domains (blunted affect, alogia, anhedonia, avolition, and asociality), and 4. a hierarchical model with 2 second-order factors reflecting EXP and MAP, as well as 5 first-order factors reflecting the 5 consensus domains. Participants included 164 individuals at clinical high risk (CHR) who met the criteria for a prodromal syndrome and 377 EP patients who were rated on the Brief Negative Symptom Scale. Results indicated that the 1- and 2-factor models provided poor fit for the data. The 5-factor and hierarchical models provided excellent fit, with the 5-factor model outperforming the hierarchical model. These findings suggest that similar to the chronic phase of schizophrenia, the latent structure of negative symptom is best conceptualized in relation to the 5 consensus domains in the CHR and EP populations. Implications for early identification, prevention, and treatment are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wing Chung Chang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong,State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Gregory P Strauss
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA,To whom correspondence should be addressed; tel: +1-706-542-0307, fax: +1-706-542-3275, e-mail:
| | - Anthony O Ahmed
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Sandra C Y Wong
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Joe K N Chan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Edwin H M Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Sherry K W Chan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong,State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Christy L M Hui
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Sydney H James
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
| | | | - Eric Y H Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong,State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
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Jääskeläinen E, Miettunen J, Ahmed AO. Editorial: Have We Got Better in Making Our Schizophrenia Patients Better? Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:618417. [PMID: 33329164 PMCID: PMC7728736 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.618417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Erika Jääskeläinen
- Center for Life Course Health Research, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.,Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.,Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Jouko Miettunen
- Center for Life Course Health Research, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.,Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Anthony O Ahmed
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University White Plains, New York, NY, United States
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Garrett M, Ahmed AO, Athineos C, Cruz L, Harris K, Del Pozzo J, Forster V, Gallego J. Identifying psychological resistances to using logic in cognitive-behavioral therapy for psychosis (CBTp) that limit successful outcomes for patients. Psychosis 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/17522439.2019.1632377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Garrett
- Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Anthony O. Ahmed
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian/Westchester, White Plains, NY, USA
| | - Christina Athineos
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian/Westchester, White Plains, NY, USA
| | - Lisa Cruz
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian/Westchester, White Plains, NY, USA
| | - Kelly Harris
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian/Westchester, White Plains, NY, USA
| | - Jill Del Pozzo
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian/Westchester, White Plains, NY, USA
| | - Victoria Forster
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian/Westchester, White Plains, NY, USA
| | - Juan Gallego
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian/Westchester, White Plains, NY, USA
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22
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Vargas T, Ahmed AO, Strauss GP, Brandes CM, Walker EF, Buchanan RW, Gold JM, Mittal VA. The latent structure of depressive symptoms across clinical high risk and chronic phases of psychotic illness. Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:229. [PMID: 31527596 PMCID: PMC6746855 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-019-0563-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Revised: 05/27/2019] [Accepted: 07/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Depressive symptoms are highly prevalent in psychotic populations and result in significant functional impairment. Limited knowledge of whether depressive symptoms are invariant across stages of illness curtails our ability to understand how these relate to illness progression. Clarifying the latent structure of depressive symptoms across stages of illness progression would aid etiological conceptualizations and preventive models. In the present study, one-factor (including all items) and two-factor (depression/hopelessness and guilt/self-depreciation) solutions were specified through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Measurement invariance analyses were undertaken across schizophrenia (SCZ; n = 312) and clinical high-risk (CHR; n = 175) groups to estimate whether the same construct is being measured across groups. Clinical correlates of the factors were examined. Results indicated that CHR individuals had a greater proportion of mood disorder diagnoses. Metric invariance held for the one-factor solution, and scalar invariance held for the two-factor solution. Notably, negative symptoms did not correlate with depressive symptoms in the SCZ group, though strong correlations were observed in CHR individuals. Positive symptoms were comparably associated with depressive symptoms in both groups. Results suggest depressive symptoms are more prevalent in CHR individuals. Targeting these symptoms may aid future efforts to identify risk of conversion. Further, some depressive symptoms may be systematically more endorsed in CHR individuals. Separating into depression/hopelessness and guilt/self-depreciation scores may aid comparability across stages of illness progression, though this issue deserves careful attention and future study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Vargas
- Northwestern University Department of Psychology, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | - James M Gold
- University of Maryland, Baltimore County, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Vijay A Mittal
- Northwestern University Department of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, Department of Medical Social Sciences, Institute for Policy Research, and Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
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Abstract
BACKGROUND The relevance of sleep in the life of a human being cannot be overemphasized in terms of physical and mental well-being. Among several factors that can affect the sleep health of an individual occupation have been found to play a prominent role. The literature is still scanty with regard to sleep studies in our environment. AIM This study aims to assess the sleep health of tertiary healthcare workers in Kano Nigeria and find, if any, its determining or related factors. MATERIAL AND METHODS This study was cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey and involved all consenting staff members of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Questionnaire was used to assess the sleep health of the participants. RESULTS The participants' ages ranged from 18 to 65 years and have a mean age of 38.94 ± 8.07 years. There were 119 (74.4%) males and 41 (25.4%) females with a M:F ratio of 3:1 (χ2 = 19.415; P = 0.000). Among the 155 participants who completed all the aspects of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index questionnaires, the overall sleep quality of the study population was found to be significantly poor [good sleepers = 71 (45.8%), poor sleepers = 84 (54.2%), χ2 = 116.4; P = 0.000]. Considering the various occupational groups working in the hospital, poor sleep was commonest among the nurses 35 (42.7%). Furthermore, among the nurses, poor sleep was significantly commoner in those on shift work 27 (77.1%) than those not on shift work 8 (22.9%); χ2 = 36.2; P = 0.000. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age, sex, and duration in service were not significant predictors of poor sleep quality among the participants [odds ratio (OR) = 1.013, 95% confidence interest (CI) = 0.948-1.084, P = 0.698; OR = 0.691, 95% CI = 0.293-1.631, P = 0.399; and OR = 0.993, 95% CI = 0.932-1.058 P = 0.840, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Our study found that a significant proportion of healthcare workers and particularly nurses had poor sleep quality. Also, age, sex, and duration in service were not significant predictors of poor sleep quality among the participants.
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Affiliation(s)
- E S Kolo
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Bayero University/Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria
| | - A O Ahmed
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Bayero University/Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria
| | - A Hamisu
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Bayero University/Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria
| | - A Ajiya
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Bayero University/Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria
| | - B I Akhiwu
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Bayero University/Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria
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24
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Strauss GP, Ahmed AO, Young JW, Kirkpatrick B. Reconsidering the Latent Structure of Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia: A Review of Evidence Supporting the 5 Consensus Domains. Schizophr Bull 2019; 45:725-729. [PMID: 30541136 PMCID: PMC6581128 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sby169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Gregory P Strauss
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA,To whom correspondence should be addressed; 125 Baldwin St., Athens, GA 30602; tel: 1-706-542-0307, fax: 1-706-542-3275, e-mail:
| | - Anthony O Ahmed
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Jared W Young
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Brian Kirkpatrick
- Department of Psychiatry, Reno School of Medicine, University of Nevada, Reno, NV
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Ahmed AO, Kirkpatrick B, Galderisi S, Mucci A, Rossi A, Bertolino A, Rocca P, Maj M, Kaiser S, Bischof M, Hartmann-Riemer MN, Kirschner M, Schneider K, Garcia-Portilla MP, Mane A, Bernardo M, Fernandez-Egea E, Jiefeng C, Jing Y, Shuping T, Gold JM, Allen DN, Strauss GP. Cross-cultural Validation of the 5-Factor Structure of Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull 2019; 45:305-314. [PMID: 29912473 PMCID: PMC6403061 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sby050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Negative symptoms are currently viewed as having a 2-dimensional structure, with factors reflecting diminished expression (EXP) and motivation and pleasure (MAP). However, several factor-analytic studies suggest that the consensus around a 2-dimensional model is premature. The current study investigated and cross-culturally validated the factorial structure of BNSS-rated negative symptoms across a range of cultures and languages. METHOD Participants included individuals diagnosed with a psychotic disorder who had been rated on the Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS) from 5 cross-cultural samples, with a total N = 1691. First, exploratory factor analysis was used to extract up to 6 factors from the data. Next, confirmatory factor analysis evaluated the fit of 5 models: (1) a 1-factor model, 2) a 2-factor model with factors of MAP and EXP, 3) a 3-factor model with inner world, external, and alogia factors; 4) a 5-factor model with separate factors for blunted affect, alogia, anhedonia, avolition, and asociality, and 5) a hierarchical model with 2 second-order factors reflecting EXP and MAP, as well as 5 first-order factors reflecting the 5 aforementioned domains. RESULTS Models with 4 factors or less were mediocre fits to the data. The 5-factor, 6-factor, and the hierarchical second-order 5-factor models provided excellent fit with an edge to the 5-factor model. The 5-factor structure demonstrated invariance across study samples. CONCLUSIONS Findings support the validity of the 5-factor structure of BNSS-rated negative symptoms across diverse cultures and languages. These findings have important implications for the diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of negative symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony O Ahmed
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, White Plains, NY,To whom correspondence should be addressed; tel: 914-997-5251, fax: 914-682-6906, e-mail:
| | - Brian Kirkpatrick
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, NV
| | - Silvana Galderisi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Armida Mucci
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Alessandro Rossi
- Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, Section of Psychiatry, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
| | - Alessandro Bertolino
- Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Sciences, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Paola Rocca
- Department of Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Mario Maj
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Stefan Kaiser
- Division of Adult Psychiatry, Department of Mental Health and Psychiatry, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Martin Bischof
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Matthias N Hartmann-Riemer
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Kirschner
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Karoline Schneider
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Maria Paz Garcia-Portilla
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red, Área de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Anna Mane
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red, Área de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain,Institut de Neuropsiquiatria i Adiccions, Parc de Salut Mar, Barcelona, Spain,Fundació IMIM, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miguel Bernardo
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red, Área de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain,Barcelona Clinic Schizophrenia Unit, Neuroscience Institute, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain,Institut d’Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain,Psychiatry Unit, Department of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Emilio Fernandez-Egea
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red, Área de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain,Institut d’Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain,Department of Psychiatry, Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK,Clozapine Clinic. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Cui Jiefeng
- Psychiatry Research Center, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Peking University Huilongguan Clinical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yao Jing
- Psychiatry Research Center, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Peking University Huilongguan Clinical College, Beijing, China
| | - Tan Shuping
- Psychiatry Research Center, Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Peking University Huilongguan Clinical College, Beijing, China
| | - James M Gold
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine and Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Baltimore, MD
| | - Daniel N Allen
- Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV
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Abstract
IMPORTANCE Negative symptoms are associated with a range of poor clinical outcomes, and currently available treatments generally do not produce a clinically meaningful response. Limited treatment progress may be owing in part to poor clarity regarding latent structure. Prior studies have inferred latent structure using exploratory factor analysis, which has led to the conclusion that there are 2 dimensions reflecting motivation and pleasure (MAP) and diminished expressivity (EXP) factors. However, whether these conclusions are statistically justified remains unclear because exploratory factor analysis does not test latent structure. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) is needed to test competing models regarding the latent structure of a construct. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the fit of 4 models of the latent structure of negative symptoms in schizophrenia using CFA. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Three cross-sectional studies were conducted on outpatients with schizophrenia who were rated on the 3 most conceptually contemporary measures: Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS), Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS), and Clinical Assessment Interview for Negative Symptoms (CAINS). Confirmatory factor analysis evaluated the following 4 models: (1) a 1-factor model; (2) a 2-factor model with EXP and MAP factors; (3) a 5-factor model with separate factors for the 5 domains of the National Institute of Mental Health consensus development conference (blunted affect, alogia, anhedonia, avolition, and asociality); and (4) a hierarchical model with 2 second-order factors reflecting EXP and MAP and 5 first-order factors reflecting the 5 consensus domains. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Outcomes included CFA model fit statistics derived from symptom severity scores on the SANS, BNSS, and CAINS. RESULTS The study population included 860 outpatients with schizophrenia (68.0% male; mean [SD] age, 43.0 [11.4] years). Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on each scale, including 268 patients for the SANS, 192 for the BNSS, and 400 for the CAINS. The 1- and 2-factor models provided poor fit for the SANS, BNSS, and CAINS as indicated by comparative fit indexes (CFIs) and Tucker Lewis indexes (TLIs) less than 0.950, RMSEAs that exceeded the 0.080 threshold, and WRMRs greater than 1.00. The 5-factor and hierarchical models provided excellent fit, with the 5-factor model being more parsimonious. The CFIs and TLIs met the 0.95 threshold and the 1.00 threshold for both factor models with all 3 measures. Interestingly, the RMSEAs for the 5-factor model and the hierarchical model fell under the 0.08 threshold for the BNSS and the CAINS but not the SANS. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE These findings suggest that the recent trend toward conceptualizing the latent structure of negative symptoms as 2 distinct dimensions does not adequately capture the complexity of the construct. The latent structure of negative symptoms is best conceptualized in relation to the 5 consensus domains. Implications for identifying pathophysiological mechanisms and targeted treatments are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alicia Nuñez
- Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
| | - Anthony O. Ahmed
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
| | | | - Eric Granholm
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego,Psychology Service, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California
| | | | - James M. Gold
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore,Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Catonsville
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Koola MM, Ahmed AO, Sebastian J, Duncan EJ. Childhood Physical and Sexual Abuse Predicts Suicide Risk in a Large Cohort of Veterans. Prim Care Companion CNS Disord 2018; 20. [PMID: 30152644 DOI: 10.4088/pcc.18m02317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 06/07/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective To examine whether childhood physical and sexual abuse is a significant predictor of suicide risk in veterans. Methods This study was a retrospective chart review of 4,709 patients admitted to a psychiatric ward (August 2004 through July 2014) at the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC). Sociodemographic and clinical data and history of childhood (aged ≤ 18 years) physical and sexual abuse were obtained from the patients' electronic health records. Suicide risk data of patients who attempted and completed suicide were obtained from the Atlanta VAMC suicide high-risk team. Binary logistic regressions with maximum likelihood estimation method were used to examine the association of demographic (age, sex, marital status, race, service) and clinical (psychiatric diagnoses, number of hospital admissions, and length of stay) variables and childhood physical and sexual abuse and type with suicide behavior. Results The combination of childhood physical and sexual abuse, number of admissions to a psychiatric inpatient unit, and major depressive disorder (MDD) were the best predictors of enhanced suicide risk (P < .001). This combination accounted for 9.9% variance in suicide risk and correctly classified 83% of cases into respective suicide versus nonsuicide risk groups. Additional significant predictors were bipolar disorder (P < .001) and cocaine use disorder (P = .02). Surprisingly, diagnosis of schizophrenia predicted a reduced risk. Conclusions To our knowledge, this study is the first to shed light on the interaction of childhood physical and sexual abuse and suicide risk in a large cohort of veterans. In the final model, childhood physical and sexual abuse, number of psychiatric admissions, and MDD were the best predictors of increased suicide risk. Schizophrenia was a protective factor in this veteran cohort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maju Mathew Koola
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2300 I St NW, Washington, DC 20037. .,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Anthony O Ahmed
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Joseph Sebastian
- Department of Family Medicine, Aultman Hospital, Canton, Ohio, USA
| | - Erica J Duncan
- Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Decatur, Georgia, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Kirkpatrick B, Saoud JB, Strauss GP, Ahmed AO, Tatsumi K, Opler M, Luthringer R, Davidson M. The brief negative symptom scale (BNSS): Sensitivity to treatment effects. Schizophr Res 2018; 197:269-273. [PMID: 29275856 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2017.11.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2017] [Revised: 10/25/2017] [Accepted: 11/24/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS) grew out of a recommendation by the NIMH-sponsored Consensus Development Conference on Negative Symptoms that a scale based on contemporary concepts be developed. We assessed sensitivity to change of the BNSS in a trial of MIN-101, which showed efficacy for negative symptoms (PANSS pentagonal model) at daily doses of 32 and 64mg/day. Using mixed-effects model for repeated measures, we examined change in BNSS total score and in the BNSS factors of anhedonia/avolition/asociality (AAA), and expressivity (EXP). Compared to placebo, the 64mg group (N=83) showed a significant decrease in BNSS total score (effect size d [ES] 0.56, p<0.01) and both factor scores (AAA ES=0.48, EXP ES=0.46, p<0.02 for both). Patients in the trial had minimal depression and positive symptom scores; covarying for disorganization, positive symptoms, or anxiety/depression did not cause a meaningful change in the significance of the BNSS total or factor scores in this group. The 32mg group (N=78) did not differ significantly from placebo (N=83) on BNSS total score (ES=0.33, p<0.09), AAA (ES=0.25, p<0.20) or EXP (ES=0.30, p<0.12) scores. These results demonstrate the BNSS is sensitive to change.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Anthony O Ahmed
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell School of Medicine, USA
| | | | - Mark Opler
- ProPhase LLC, New York City, New York, USA
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Crider A, Feng T, Pandya CD, Davis T, Nair A, Ahmed AO, Baban B, Turecki G, Pillai A. Complement component 3a receptor deficiency attenuates chronic stress-induced monocyte infiltration and depressive-like behavior. Brain Behav Immun 2018; 70. [PMID: 29518530 PMCID: PMC5967612 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2018.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most common and debilitating neuropsychiatric illnesses. Accumulating evidence suggests a potential role of the immune system in the pathophysiology of MDD. The complement system represents one of the major effector mechanisms of the innate immune system, and plays a critical role in inflammation. However, the role of complement components in MDD is not well understood. Here, we found significant increase in component 3 (C3) expression in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of depressed suicide subjects. We tested the role of altered C3 expression in mouse model of depression and found that increased C3 expression in PFC as a result of chronic stress causes depressive-like behavior. Conversely, mice lacking C3 were resilient to stress-induced depressive-like behavior. Moreover, selective overexpression of C3 in PFC was sufficient to cause depressive-like behavior in mice. We found that C3a (activated product of C3) receptor, C3aR+ monocytes were infiltrated into PFC following chronic stress. However, C3aR knockout mice displayed significantly reduced monocyte recruitment into PFC and reduced levels of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β in PFC after chronic stress. In addition, C3aR knockout mice did not exhibit chronic stress-induced behavior despair. Similarly, chronic stress-induced increases in C3aR+ monocytes and IL-1β in PFC, and depressive-like behavior were attenuated by myeloid cell depletion. These postmortem and preclinical studies identify C3aR signaling as a key factor in MDD pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Crider
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912
| | - Tami Feng
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912
| | - Chirayu D. Pandya
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912
| | - Talisha Davis
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912
| | - Ashwati Nair
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912,Institute of Pharmacy, Nirma University, Ahmedabad, India
| | - Anthony O Ahmed
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Ave, New York, NY 10065
| | - Babak Baban
- Department of Oral Biology, Dental College of Georgia, Department of Neurology, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912
| | - Gustavo Turecki
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Depressive Disorders Program, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Anilkumar Pillai
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, United States.
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Ahmed AO, Strauss GP, Buchanan RW, Kirkpatrick B, Carpenter WT. Schizophrenia heterogeneity revisited: Clinical, cognitive, and psychosocial correlates of statistically-derived negative symptoms subgroups. J Psychiatr Res 2018; 97:8-15. [PMID: 29156414 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2017.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2017] [Revised: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 11/10/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Traditional efforts to delineate the clinical heterogeneity of schizophrenia have been unsuccessful because of the absence of a valid, stable, and meaningful subtyping scheme. A clinically-informed nosology supported by multivariate statistical classification methods may provide a better approach for classifying schizophrenia. The goals of the current study were to 1) use multivariate classification methods to validate a clinical subtyping scheme based on the profile of negative symptoms; and 2) following validation to contrast the statistically-derived subgroups to ascertain distinguishing demographic, clinical, cognitive, and functional characteristics. In the current study, 706 people with schizophrenia completed measures of positive and negative symptoms, premorbid adjustment, cognition, and psychosocial functioning. Latent class analysis served to identify the number of negative symptom subgroups in schizophrenia. Next, statistical classification methods-Bayes Theorem and the Base Rate Classification Technique-were used to assign participants into the identified subgroups. Subgroups were compared on external validation variables not used in the classification process via logistic regression and discriminant function analysis. Latent class analysis supported a three-class model of schizophrenia that included deficit, persistent, and transient negative symptom subgroups. Posthoc comparisons showed that demographic characteristics, positive symptoms, premorbid adjustment, and cognitive profiles can distinguish the schizophrenia subgroups with moderate accuracy. The deficit subgroup had the greatest impairments in psychosocial functioning and quality of life variables. Findings suggest that schizophrenia encapsulates qualitatively distinct negative symptom subgroups that differ in their demographic, symptomatic, neuropsychological, and functional profiles. Schizophrenia heterogeneity reflects a combination of non-arbitrary subgroups and severity-based differences in negative symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Robert W Buchanan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, USA
| | - Brian Kirkpatrick
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Nevada School of Medicine, USA
| | - William T Carpenter
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, USA
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Abstract
For almost a century the medical model has been the overarching framework for mental healthcare but since the 1980s it has been challenged by a consumer/survivor movement. Central to this revolution is the recovery model, which suggests that mental illness is only one of many facets of the life of an individual with mental illness, and that a full, meaningful life is possible despite illness (Anthony, 1993). The medical model emphasises the role of symptomatic improvements and functional status, and considers recovery as an ‘outcome’ or ‘end state’, at which point symptoms are remitted and community functioning is restored. In contrast, the recovery model underscores hope, empowerment, the self-management of illness and some aspects of community functioning, such as social support and role functioning, which operate in a non-linear fashion throughout the recovery journey.
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Crider A, Ahmed AO, Pillai A. Altered Expression of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Related Genes in the Middle Frontal Cortex of Subjects with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Mol Neuropsychiatry 2017; 3:85-91. [PMID: 29230396 DOI: 10.1159/000477212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is an important organelle responsible for the folding and sorting of proteins. Disturbances in ER homeostasis can trigger a cellular response known as the unfolded protein response, leading to accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins in the ER lumen called ER stress. A number of recent studies suggest that mutations in autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-susceptible synaptic genes induce ER stress. However, it is not known whether ER stress-related genes are altered in the brain of ASD subjects. In the present study, we investigated the mRNA expression of ER stress-related genes (ATF4, ATF6, PERK, XBP1, sXBP1, CHOP, and IRE1) in the postmortem middle frontal gyrus of ASD and control subjects. RT-PCR analysis showed significant increases in the mRNA levels of ATF4, ATF6, PERK, XBP1, CHOP, and IRE1 in the middle frontal gyrus of ASD subjects. In addition, we found a significant positive association of mRNA levels of ER stress genes with the diagnostic score for stereotyped behavior in ASD subjects. These results, for the first time, provide the evidence of the dysregulation of ER stress genes in the brain of subjects with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Crider
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Augusta University, Augusta, GA
| | - Anthony O Ahmed
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, White Plains, New York, USA
| | - Anilkumar Pillai
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Augusta University, Augusta, GA
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Fagan K, Crider A, Ahmed AO, Pillai A. Complement C3 Expression Is Decreased in Autism Spectrum Disorder Subjects and Contributes to Behavioral Deficits in Rodents. Mol Neuropsychiatry 2017; 3:19-27. [PMID: 28879198 DOI: 10.1159/000465523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2016] [Accepted: 02/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with hallmark symptoms including social deficits, communication deficits and repetitive behaviors. Accumulating evidence suggests a potential role of the immune system in the pathophysiology of ASD. The complement system represents one of the major effector mechanisms of the innate immune system, and regulates inflammation, and orchestrates defense against pathogens. However, the role of CNS complement system in ASD is not well understood. In the present study, we found a significant increase in C2, C5, and MASP1, but a decrease in C1q, C3, and C4 mRNA levels in the middle frontal gyrus of ASD subjects compared to controls. Significant decreases in the mRNA levels of 2 key proinflammatory cytokines, IL-17 and IL-23 were observed in ASD subjects. Our study further demonstrated a strong association of complement genes with IL-17 and IL-23, suggesting a possible role of the complement system in immune dysregulation in ASD. We observed significant associations between complement components and abnormality of development scores in subjects with ASD. In rodents, C3 knockdown in the prefrontal cortex induced social interaction deficits and repetitive behavior in mice. Together, these studies suggest a potential role of C3 in the pathophysiology of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiley Fagan
- Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA
| | - Amanda Crider
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Augusta University, Augusta, GA
| | - Anthony O Ahmed
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, White Plains, New York, USA
| | - Anilkumar Pillai
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Augusta University, Augusta, GA
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Pandya CD, Hoda N, Crider A, Peter D, Kutiyanawalla A, Kumar S, Ahmed AO, Turecki G, Hernandez CM, Terry AV, Pillai A. Transglutaminase 2 overexpression induces depressive-like behavior and impaired TrkB signaling in mice. Mol Psychiatry 2017; 22:745-753. [PMID: 27620841 PMCID: PMC5348279 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2016.145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2015] [Revised: 06/27/2016] [Accepted: 07/20/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are two signaling molecules that have important regulatory roles in the development and plasticity of neural circuits that are known to be altered in depression. However, the mechanism by which 5-HT regulates BDNF signaling is unknown. In the present study, we found that 5-HT treatment increases BDNF receptor, TrkB (tropomyosin related kinase B), levels in mouse primary cortical neurons via a Rac1 (RAS-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1)-dependent mechanism. Significant increases in the levels of type-2 transglutaminase (TG2, which is implicated in transamidation of 5-HT to Rac1) are observed in the mouse prefrontal cortex (PFC) following chronic exposure to stress. We also found that TG2 levels are increased in the post-mortem PFC of depressed suicide subjects relative to matched controls. Moreover, in mice, neuronal overexpression of TG2 resulted in the atrophy of neurons and reduced levels of TrkB in the PFC as well as a depressive-like phenotype. Overexpression of TG2 in mouse cortical neurons reduced TrkB levels as a result of impaired endocytosis of TrkB. TG2 inhibition by either a viral particle or pharmacological approach attenuated behavioral deficits caused by chronic unpredictable stress. Moreover, the overexpression of TrkB in the mouse PFC ameliorated the depressive-like phenotype of TG2-overexpressed mice. Taken together, these post-mortem and preclinical findings identify TG2 as a critical mediator of the altered TrkB expression and depressive-like behaviors associated with chronic exposure to stress and suggest that TG2 may represent a novel therapeutic target in depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chirayu D Pandya
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Nasrul Hoda
- Department of Medical Laboratory, Imaging and Radiologic Sciences, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Amanda Crider
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Diya Peter
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Ammar Kutiyanawalla
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Sanjiv Kumar
- Vascular Biology Center, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Anthony O Ahmed
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, White Plains, NY, USA
| | - Gustavo Turecki
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Depressive Disorders Program, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Caterina M Hernandez
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Alvin V Terry
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Anilkumar Pillai
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, USA
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Ahmed AO, Murphy CF, Latoussakis V, McGovern KE, English J, Bloch A, Anthony DT, Savitz AJ. An examination of neurocognition and symptoms as predictors of post-hospital community tenure in treatment resistant schizophrenia. Psychiatry Res 2016; 236:47-52. [PMID: 26778628 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2016.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2015] [Revised: 12/10/2015] [Accepted: 01/04/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Neurocognition and psychopathology are robust predictors of community functioning and relapse/rehospitalization in schizophrenia. Existing studies are however limited because they have ignored the most chronic, treatment-resistant patients. Moreover, the prediction of functional outcomes has yet to be extended to the duration of community tenure, an indicator of the capacity of chronically-hospitalized patients to gain traction in the community. The current study examined neurocognition and symptom severity at discharge as potential predictors of community tenure in chronically-hospitalized treatment-resistant patients. The study recruited 90 people with treatment-resistant schizophrenia who received services on an inpatient unit. Participants completed measures of psychopathology and neurocognition prior to discharge. Following discharge, participants were tracked at current residences six months and one year post-discharge to assess community tenure. The percentage of individuals who continued to live in the community at 12-month follow-up was 51%. Severe negative symptoms but not neurocognitive impairment or positive symptoms was a significant predictor of shorter post-hospital community tenure. Of the negative symptoms domain, anhedonia-asociality proved to be the most relevant predictor of community tenure in the sample. The capacity to elicit goal-directed behaviors in response to anticipated physical and social rewards may be an important treatment target for sustaining community tenure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony O Ahmed
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, 21 Bloomingdale Road, White Plains, NY 10605, USA.
| | - Christopher F Murphy
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, 21 Bloomingdale Road, White Plains, NY 10605, USA
| | - Vassilios Latoussakis
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, 21 Bloomingdale Road, White Plains, NY 10605, USA
| | - Kelly E McGovern
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, 21 Bloomingdale Road, White Plains, NY 10605, USA
| | - Judith English
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, 21 Bloomingdale Road, White Plains, NY 10605, USA
| | - Andrew Bloch
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, 21 Bloomingdale Road, White Plains, NY 10605, USA
| | - Donna T Anthony
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, 21 Bloomingdale Road, White Plains, NY 10605, USA
| | - Adam J Savitz
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, 21 Bloomingdale Road, White Plains, NY 10605, USA
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Abstract
Latent variable mixture modeling represents a flexible approach to investigating population heterogeneity by sorting cases into latent but non-arbitrary subgroups that are more homogeneous. The purpose of this selective review is to provide a non-technical introduction to mixture modeling in a cross-sectional context. Latent class analysis is used to classify individuals into homogeneous subgroups (latent classes). Factor mixture modeling represents a newer approach that represents a fusion of latent class analysis and factor analysis. Factor mixture models are adaptable to representing categorical and dimensional states of affairs. This article provides an overview of latent variable mixture models and illustrates the application of these methods by applying them to the study of the latent structure of psychotic experiences. The flexibility of latent variable mixture models makes them adaptable to the study of heterogeneity in complex psychiatric and psychological phenomena. They also allow researchers to address research questions that directly compare the viability of dimensional, categorical and hybrid conceptions of constructs.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Miettunen
- Center for Life Course Epidemiology and Systems Medicine,University of Oulu,Oulu,Finland
| | - T Nordström
- Center for Life Course Epidemiology and Systems Medicine,University of Oulu,Oulu,Finland
| | - M Kaakinen
- Center for Life Course Epidemiology and Systems Medicine,University of Oulu,Oulu,Finland
| | - A O Ahmed
- Department of Psychiatry,Weill Cornell Medical College - Westchester Division,White Plains, NY,USA
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Rannikko I, Jääskeläinen E, Miettunen J, Ahmed AO, Veijola J, Remes AM, Murray GK, Husa AP, Järvelin MR, Isohanni M, Haapea M. Predictors of Long-Term Change in Adult Cognitive Performance: Systematic Review and Data from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966. Clin Neuropsychol 2016; 30:17-50. [PMID: 26734714 DOI: 10.1080/13854046.2015.1128000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Several social life events and challenges have an impact on cognitive development. Our goal was to analyze the predictors of change in cognitive performance in early midlife in a general population sample. Additionally, systematic literature review was performed. METHOD The study sample was drawn from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 at the ages of 34 and 43 years. Primary school performance, sociodemographic factors and body mass index (BMI) were used to predict change in cognitive performance measured by the California Verbal Learning Test, Visual Object Learning Test, and Abstraction Inhibition and Working Memory task. Analyses were weighted by gender and education, and p-values were corrected for multiple comparisons using Benjamini-Hochberg procedure (B-H). RESULTS Male gender predicted decrease in episodic memory. Poor school marks of practical subjects, having no children, and increase in BMI were associated with decrease in episodic memory, though non-significantly after B-H. Better school marks, and higher occupational class were associated with preserved performance in visual object learning. Higher vocational education predicted preserved performance in visual object learning test, though non-significantly after B-H. Likewise, having children predicted decreased performance in executive functioning but non-significantly after B-H. CONCLUSIONS Adolescent cognitive ability, change in BMI and several sociodemographic factors appear to predict cognitive changes in early midlife. The key advantage of present study is the exploration of possible predictors of change in cognitive performance among general population in the early midlife, a developmental period that has been earlier overlooked.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Rannikko
- a Department of Psychiatry , Center for Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oulu , Oulu , Finland.,b Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu , Oulu , Finland
| | - Erika Jääskeläinen
- b Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu , Oulu , Finland.,c Center for Life Course Health Research , University of Oulu , Oulu , Finland
| | - Jouko Miettunen
- b Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu , Oulu , Finland.,c Center for Life Course Health Research , University of Oulu , Oulu , Finland
| | - Anthony O Ahmed
- d Department of Psychiatry , Weill Cornell Medical College , White Plains , NY USA
| | - Juha Veijola
- a Department of Psychiatry , Center for Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oulu , Oulu , Finland.,b Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu , Oulu , Finland.,e Department of Psychiatry , Oulu University Hospital , Oulu , Finland
| | - Anne M Remes
- f Institute of Clinical Medicine - Neurology, University of Eastern Finland , Kuopio , Finland.,g Department of Neurology , Kuopio University Hospital , Kuopio , Finland
| | - Graham K Murray
- h Department of Psychiatry , University of Cambridge , Cambridge , UK.,i University of Cambridge, Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute , Cambridge , UK
| | - Anja P Husa
- b Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu , Oulu , Finland.,e Department of Psychiatry , Oulu University Hospital , Oulu , Finland
| | - Marjo-Riitta Järvelin
- c Center for Life Course Health Research , University of Oulu , Oulu , Finland.,j Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics , MRC Health Protection Agency (HPA) Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College , London , UK.,k Biocenter Oulu , University of Oulu , Oulu ¸ Finland.,l Unit of Primary Care , Oulu University Hospital , Oulu , Finland.,m Department of Children and Young People and Families , National Institute for Health and Welfare , Oulu , Finland
| | - Matti Isohanni
- a Department of Psychiatry , Center for Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oulu , Oulu , Finland.,e Department of Psychiatry , Oulu University Hospital , Oulu , Finland
| | - Marianne Haapea
- b Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu , Oulu , Finland.,c Center for Life Course Health Research , University of Oulu , Oulu , Finland.,e Department of Psychiatry , Oulu University Hospital , Oulu , Finland.,n Department of Diagnostic Radiology , Oulu University Hospital , Oulu , Finland
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Juola P, Miettunen J, Salo H, Murray GK, Ahmed AO, Veijola J, Isohanni M, Jääskeläinen E. Neurocognition as a predictor of outcome in schizophrenia in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966. Schizophr Res Cogn 2015; 2:113-119. [PMID: 29379761 PMCID: PMC5779303 DOI: 10.1016/j.scog.2015.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2015] [Revised: 07/06/2015] [Accepted: 07/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to study neurocognitive performance as a predictor of outcomes in midlife schizophrenia. There is a lack of studies with unselected samples and a long follow-up. The study is based on the prospective, unselected population-based Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966. The study includes 43 individuals with schizophrenia and 73 controls, whose neurocognitive performance was assessed twice, at 34 and 43 years. At both time points we used identical neurocognitive tests to assess verbal and visual memory and executive functions. Our main aim was to analyse neurocognitive performance at 34 years as a predictor of clinical, vocational and global outcomes at 43 years. Additionally, the analysis addressed cross-sectional associations between cognitive performance and clinical, vocational and global measures at 43 years. The assessment of outcomes was performed in the schizophrenia group only. In the longitudinal analysis poorer visual memory predicted poorer vocational outcome and poorer long-term verbal memory predicted poorer global outcome. In the cross-sectional analysis poorer visual memory and lower composite score of neurocognition were associated with poorer global outcome. No individual neurocognitive test or the composite score of these predicted remission. These data indicate that neurocognition, especially memory function, is an important determinant of long-term functional outcome in midlife schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Juola
- Research Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oulu, P.O. BOX 5000, FIN-90014, Finland.,Medical Research Center Oulu, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, P.O. BOX 5000, FIN-90014, Finland
| | - J Miettunen
- Research Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oulu, P.O. BOX 5000, FIN-90014, Finland.,Medical Research Center Oulu, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, P.O. BOX 5000, FIN-90014, Finland.,Center for Life Course Epidemiology and Systems Medicine, University of Oulu, P.O. BOX 5000, FIN-90014, Finland
| | - H Salo
- Research Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oulu, P.O. BOX 5000, FIN-90014, Finland
| | - G K Murray
- University of Cambridge, Department of Psychiatry, Box 189 Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, United Kingdom.,University of Cambridge, Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Herchel Smith Building, Forvie Site, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, United Kingdom
| | - A O Ahmed
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University; 997 Saint Sebastian Way, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - J Veijola
- Research Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oulu, P.O. BOX 5000, FIN-90014, Finland.,Medical Research Center Oulu, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, P.O. BOX 5000, FIN-90014, Finland.,Department of Psychiatry, Oulu University Hospital, P.O.BOX 26, FIN-90029 Oulu, Finland
| | - M Isohanni
- Research Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oulu, P.O. BOX 5000, FIN-90014, Finland.,Medical Research Center Oulu, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, P.O. BOX 5000, FIN-90014, Finland.,Department of Psychiatry, Oulu University Hospital, P.O.BOX 26, FIN-90029 Oulu, Finland
| | - E Jääskeläinen
- Research Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oulu, P.O. BOX 5000, FIN-90014, Finland.,Medical Research Center Oulu, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, P.O. BOX 5000, FIN-90014, Finland.,Center for Life Course Epidemiology and Systems Medicine, University of Oulu, P.O. BOX 5000, FIN-90014, Finland
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Ahmed AO, Hunter KM, Goodrum NM, Batten NJ, Birgenheir D, Hardison E, Dixon T, Buckley PF. A randomized study of cognitive remediation for forensic and mental health patients with schizophrenia. J Psychiatr Res 2015; 68:8-18. [PMID: 26228394 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2015] [Revised: 05/14/2015] [Accepted: 05/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive remediation has proven efficacy for improving neurocognition in people with schizophrenia. The current study evaluated the benefits of cognitive remediation on neurocognition, functioning, psychotic symptoms, and aggression in a sample of forensic and mental health patients. Care recipients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder (N = 78) receiving services in the forensic and mental health units of a state hospital were randomized to participate in cognitive remediation versus computer games control activities. Participants' neurocognition, functional capacity, experiential recovery, psychotic symptoms, and aggression incidents were assessed at baseline and posttreatment. Cognitive remediation was associated with improvements in several neurocognitive domains and circumscribed domains of functional capacity. People assigned to cognitive remediation experiences greater reductions in negative symptoms, agitation/excitement, and verbal and physical aggression. In addition to improving neurocognition in long-term hospitalized forensic and mental health patients, cognitive remediation may enhance efforts at reducing negative symptoms, emotion dysregulation, and aggression incidents. Forensic settings may represent a new frontier for the clinical dissemination of cognitive remediation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony O Ahmed
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Georgia Regents University, USA.
| | - Kristin M Hunter
- Department of Counseling and Human Development Services, University of Georgia, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Thaddeus Dixon
- School of Nursing, Emory University, USA; Department of Psychology, East Central Regional Hospital, USA
| | - Peter F Buckley
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Georgia Regents University, USA
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Ahmed AO, Strauss GP, Buchanan RW, Kirkpatrick B, Carpenter WT. Are Negative Symptoms Dimensional or Categorical? Detection and Validation of Deficit Schizophrenia With Taxometric and Latent Variable Mixture Models. Schizophr Bull 2015; 41:879-91. [PMID: 25399026 PMCID: PMC4466177 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbu163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Studies have supported the validity of the deficit form of schizophrenia (ie, people with primary and enduring negative symptoms). A test of whether that group is a true taxon-that is, a distinct, discontinuous group-has yet to be conducted and the underlying structure of negative symptoms as categorical or dimensional remains undetermined. The present study examined the latent structure of negative and deficit symptoms to determine if a nonarbitrary boundary distinguishes deficit from nondeficit forms of schizophrenia (ie, whether these symptoms reflect a continuous or categorical variable). Schedule for the Deficit Syndrome ratings of 789 individuals with a psychotic disorder were submitted to taxometric and latent variable mixture analyses to test categorical vs dimensional hypotheses of negative symptoms and deficit schizophrenia. Analytic models favored a taxonic structure of negative symptoms and the validity of the deficit/nondeficit classification scheme. Taxometric classification outperformed clinician-based deficit/nondeficit classification in its association with summer birth, male sex, premorbid adjustment, neurocognition, and psychosocial functioning. Within taxon and complement classes, severity scores remained significant predictors of premorbid adjustment, neurocognition, and psychosocial functioning. Thus, although a categorical approach is validated, a hybrid categorical-dimensional conceptualization of negative symptoms also has validity for the prediction of external variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony O. Ahmed
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, White Plains, NY;,Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA;,*To whom correspondence should be addressed; Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, 21 Bloomingdale Road, White Plains, NY 10605, US; tel: 914-997-5251, fax: 914-682-6906, e-mail:
| | | | - Robert W. Buchanan
- Department of Psychiatry;,Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Brian Kirkpatrick
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Reno, NV
| | - William T. Carpenter
- Department of Psychiatry;,Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
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Ahmed AO, Hunter KM, Mabe AP, Tucker SJ, Buckley PF. The professional experiences of peer specialists in the Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network. Community Ment Health J 2015; 51:424-36. [PMID: 25724917 DOI: 10.1007/s10597-015-9854-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
There has been an increase in the number of peer-led services within the mental health care system. There however remains little information about the experiences of peers serving in such helping roles. This study explored the professional experiences of peer specialists including the basic roles, benefits, and potential challenges of the peer specialist role. Peer specialists (N = 84) completed a battery of surveys and questionnaires. Qualitative analysis of participants' responses indicated that peer specialists face difficulties such as poor compensation, limited employment opportunities, work stress, emotional stress in helping others, and maintaining personal wellness. Quantitative analyses revealed that recovery attitudes may confer clinical and psychosocial benefits for peer specialists and employment may contribute to hope, empowerment, social engagement, and competence. Peer specialists would benefit from resources and supports aimed at their continued training and supervision. Fostering the vocational advancement of peer specialists could potentially enhance their experiential recovery and community functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony O Ahmed
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA, USA,
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Ahmed AO, Mantini AM, Fridberg DJ, Buckley PF. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurocognitive deficits in people with schizophrenia: a meta-analysis. Psychiatry Res 2015; 226:1-13. [PMID: 25681004 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2014.12.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2014] [Revised: 12/15/2014] [Accepted: 12/19/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Studies suggest that the BDNF Val66Met (rs6265) polymorphism is associated with the incidence of schizophrenia and neurocognitive functioning. These associations appear to be however somewhat mixed. We conducted two separate meta-analyses to investigate (1) the association between the Val66Met polymorphism and neurocognition in people with schizophrenia and (2) the association between peripheral expression of BDNF and neurocognitive phenotypes. For the first aim, we identified 12 studies and 67 comparisons of Met allele carriers and Val homozygotes. These comparisons included 1890 people with schizophrenia (men=1465, women=553), of whom 972 were Met allele carriers and 918 were Val homozygotes. For the second aim, we identified five studies and 25 correlations of peripheral BDNF and neurocognitive scores. The meta-analysis for the second aim included 414 people with schizophrenia (men=292, women=170). First, we found non-significant difference between the genotype groups on most neurocognitive domains. Second, correlations between peripheral BDNF and neurocognitive phenotypes were minimal but we obtained significant effects for the reasoning and problem-solving domains; thus, higher levels of BDNF expression corresponded to better performance on reasoning/problem-solving tasks. The meta-analyses did not robustly establish an association between BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and neurocognition in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony O Ahmed
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, 21 Bloomingdale Road, White Plains, NY 10605, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Georgia Regents University, 997 Saint Sebastian Way, Augusta, GA 30912, USA.
| | - Andrew M Mantini
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Georgia Regents University, 997 Saint Sebastian Way, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Daniel J Fridberg
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Peter F Buckley
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Georgia Regents University, 997 Saint Sebastian Way, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
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Mabe PA, Ahmed AO, Duncan GN, Fenley G, Buckley PF. Project GREAT: Immersing physicians and doctorally-trained psychologists in recovery-oriented care. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice 2014. [DOI: 10.1037/a0037705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Crider A, Thakkar R, Ahmed AO, Pillai A. Dysregulation of estrogen receptor beta (ERβ), aromatase (CYP19A1), and ER co-activators in the middle frontal gyrus of autism spectrum disorder subjects. Mol Autism 2014; 5:46. [PMID: 25221668 PMCID: PMC4161836 DOI: 10.1186/2040-2392-5-46] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2014] [Accepted: 08/06/2014] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are much more common in males than in females. Molecular alterations within the estrogen receptor (ER) signaling pathway may contribute to the sex difference in ASD, but the extent of such abnormalities in the brain is not known. METHODS Postmortem middle frontal gyrus tissues (13 ASD and 13 control subjects) were used. The protein levels were examined by western blotting. The gene expression was determined by qRT-PCR. RESULTS Gene expression analysis identified a 35% decrease in ERβ mRNA expression in the middle frontal gyrus of ASD subjects. In addition, a 38% reduction in aromatase (CYP19A1) mRNA expression was observed in ASD subjects. We also found significant decreases in ER co-activators that included a 34% decrease in SRC-1, a 77% decrease in CBP, and a 52% decrease in P/CAF mRNA levels in ASD subjects relative to controls. There were no differences in the mRNA levels of TIF-2, AIB-1 (ER co-activators), ER co-repressors (SMRT and nCoR) and ERα in the middle frontal gyrus of ASD subjects as compared to controls. We observed significant correlations between ERβ, CYP19A1, and co-activators in the study subjects. Immunoblot analysis further confirmed the changes in ERβ and aromatase at the protein level in the control and ASD subjects. CONCLUSIONS These results, for the first time, provide the evidence of the dysregulation of ERβ and co-factors in the brain of subjects with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Crider
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, 997 St. Sebastian Way, Augusta, GA 30912 USA
| | - Roshni Thakkar
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, 997 St. Sebastian Way, Augusta, GA 30912 USA
| | - Anthony O Ahmed
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, 997 St. Sebastian Way, Augusta, GA 30912 USA
| | - Anilkumar Pillai
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, 997 St. Sebastian Way, Augusta, GA 30912 USA
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Crider A, Pandya CD, Peter D, Ahmed AO, Pillai A. Ubiquitin-proteasome dependent degradation of GABAAα1 in autism spectrum disorder. Mol Autism 2014; 5:45. [PMID: 25392730 PMCID: PMC4228821 DOI: 10.1186/2040-2392-5-45] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2014] [Accepted: 08/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although the neurobiological basis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is not fully understood, recent studies have indicated the potential role of GABAA receptors in the pathophysiology of ASD. GABAA receptors play a crucial role in various neurodevelopmental processes and adult neuroplasticity. However, the mechanism(s) of regulation of GABAA receptors in ASD remains poorly understood. METHODS Postmortem middle frontal gyrus tissues (13 ASD and 13 control subjects) were used. In vitro studies were performed in primary cortical neurons at days in vitro (DIV) 14. The protein levels were examined by western blotting. Immunofluorescence studies were employed for cellular localization. The gene expression was determined by RT-PCR array and qRT-PCR. RESULTS A significant decrease in GABAAα1 protein, but not mRNA levels was found in the middle frontal gyrus of ASD subjects indicating a post-translational regulation of GABAA receptors in ASD. At the cellular level, treatment with proteasomal inhibitor, MG132, or lactacystin significantly increased GABAAα1 protein levels and Lys48-linked polyubiquitination of GABAAα1, but reduced proteasome activity in mouse primary cortical neurons (DIV 14 from E16 embryos). Moreover, treatment with betulinic acid, a proteasome activator significantly decreased GABAAα1 protein levels in cortical neurons indicating the role of polyubiquitination of GABAAα1 proteins with their subsequent proteasomal degradation in cortical neurons. Ubiquitination specific RT-PCR array followed by western blot analysis revealed a significant increase in SYVN1, an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated degradation (ERAD) E3 ubiquitin ligase in the middle frontal gyrus of ASD subjects. In addition, the inhibition of proteasomal activity by MG132 increased the expression of GABAAα1 in the ER. The siRNA knockdown of SYVN1 significantly increased GABAAα1 protein levels in cortical neurons. Moreover, reduced association between SYVN1 and GABAAα1 was found in the middle frontal gyrus of ASD subjects. CONCLUSIONS SYVN1 plays a critical role as an E3 ligase in the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS)-mediated GABAAα1 degradation. Thus, inhibition of the ubiquitin-proteasome-mediated GABAAα1 degradation may be an important mechanism for preventing GABAAα1 turnover to maintain GABAAα1 levels and GABA signaling in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Crider
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, 997 St. Sebastian Way, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Chirayu D Pandya
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, 997 St. Sebastian Way, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Diya Peter
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, 997 St. Sebastian Way, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Anthony O Ahmed
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, 21 Bloomingdale Rd, White Plains, NY 10605, USA
| | - Anilkumar Pillai
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, 997 St. Sebastian Way, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony O Ahmed
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, Georgia, USA;
| | - Peter F Buckley
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, Georgia, USA;
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Abstract
Neurocognitive impairments significantly contribute to disability and the overall clinical picture in schizophrenia spectrum disorders. There has therefore been a concerted effort, guided by the discovery of neurotransmitter and synaptic systems in the central nervous system, to develop and test compounds that may ameliorate neurocognitive deficits. The current article summarizes the results of efforts to test neurocognitive-enhancing agents in schizophrenia. Overall, existing clinical trials provide little reason to be enthusiastic about the benefits of psychopharmacological agents at enhancing neurocognition in schizophrenia-a state of affairs that may reflect the inadequacy of single neurotransmitter or receptor models. The etiologic and phenomenological complexity of neurocognitive deficits in schizophrenia may be better served by psychopharmacological agents that (i) target neurotransmitter systems proximal in the causal chain to neurocognitive deficits; (ii) enhance distal survival processes in the central nervous system-neurogenesis, neuronal growth, synaptogenesis, and connectivity; and (iii) counteract the negative effects of aberrant neurodevelopment in schizophrenia, such as neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. Future efforts to develop psychopharmacological agents for neurocognitive impairment in schizophrenia should reflect the knowledge of its complex etiology by addressing aberrations along its causal chain. Clinical trials may benefit methodologically from (i) an appreciation of the phenomenological heterogeneity of neurocognitive deficits in schizophrenia; (ii) a characterization of the predictors of treatment response; and (iii) a recognition of issues of sample size, statistical power, treatment duration, and dosing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony O Ahmed
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, 997 Saint Sebastian Way, Augusta, GA, 30912, USA,
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