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Sefik E, Boamah M, Addington J, Bearden CE, Cadenhead KS, Cornblatt BA, Keshavan MS, Mathalon DH, Perkins DO, Stone WS, Tsuang MT, Woods SW, Cannon TD, Walker EF. Sex- and Age-Specific Deviations in Cerebellar Structure and Their Link With Symptom Dimensions and Clinical Outcome in Individuals at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis. Schizophr Bull 2023; 49:350-363. [PMID: 36394426 PMCID: PMC10016422 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbac169] [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] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The clinical high-risk (CHR) period offers a temporal window into neurobiological deviations preceding psychosis onset, but little attention has been given to regions outside the cerebrum in large-scale studies of CHR. Recently, the North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study (NAPLS)-2 revealed altered functional connectivity of the cerebello-thalamo-cortical circuitry among individuals at CHR; however, cerebellar morphology remains underinvestigated in this at-risk population, despite growing evidence of its involvement in psychosis. STUDY DESIGN In this multisite study, we analyzed T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scans obtained from N = 469 CHR individuals (61% male, ages = 12-36 years) and N = 212 healthy controls (52% male, ages = 12-34 years) from NAPLS-2, with a focus on cerebellar cortex and white matter volumes separately. Symptoms were rated by the Structured Interview for Psychosis-Risk Syndromes (SIPS). The outcome by two-year follow-up was categorized as in-remission, symptomatic, prodromal-progression, or psychotic. General linear models were used for case-control comparisons and tests for volumetric associations with baseline SIPS ratings and clinical outcomes. STUDY RESULTS Cerebellar cortex and white matter volumes differed between the CHR and healthy control groups at baseline, with sex moderating the difference in cortical volumes, and both sex and age moderating the difference in white matter volumes. Baseline ratings for major psychosis-risk dimensions as well as a clinical outcome at follow-up had tissue-specific associations with cerebellar volumes. CONCLUSIONS These findings point to clinically relevant deviations in cerebellar cortex and white matter structures among CHR individuals and highlight the importance of considering the complex interplay between sex and age when studying the neuromaturational substrates of psychosis risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esra Sefik
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Michelle Boamah
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jean Addington
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Carrie E Bearden
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kristin S Cadenhead
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Matcheri S Keshavan
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Daniel H Mathalon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Mental Health Service, San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Diana O Perkins
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - William S Stone
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ming T Tsuang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Scott W Woods
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Tyrone D Cannon
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Elaine F Walker
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Lassey AT, Lassey PD, Boamah M. Career destinations of University of Ghana Medical School graduates of various year groups. Ghana Med J 2013; 47:87-91. [PMID: 23966746 PMCID: PMC3743114] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To report on the current career destination of the University of Ghana Medical School (UGMS) qualified doctors in the year groups, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005 and 2008. DESIGN Interview of doctors from each year group currently working at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital corroborated by phone calls to the doctors. SUBJECTS All Ghanaian doctors from each graduating year group. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES 1. Current location of employment in Ghana or abroad, 2. Gender ratios of the doctors retained in Ghana. RESULTS Three hundred and seventy-two (372) UGMS doctors consisting of 353 Ghanaians and 19 foreign students graduated over the five year groups. Of the 353 Ghanaians, 113 emigrated, while all but one of the 240 living in Ghana, practice medicine. The retention rate improved from 54.2% in 1998 to 86.3% in 2008. The overall retention rate however is 68.0% while the retention rates for the male and female doctors were 69.3% and 64.6% respectively. Of the 177 doctors practicing in Ghana from the first 4 year-groups (i.e. 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2005,) 139 (i.e. 31, 31, 34 and 43 from the respective year groups) have either completed postgraduate training or are in the residency training programme. Thus 78.5% of these doctors working in Ghana have opted for postgraduate training. CONCLUSION The establishment of the GCPS and to a lesser extent the introduction of the ADHA before it appear to have slowed down the medical brain drain as more and more doctors avail themselves of the local opportunities. The GCPS therefore needs supporting effectively in order to continue to be a strong incentive for the retention of doctors in Ghana, apart from helping to staff district general hospitals with specialists.
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Affiliation(s)
- A T Lassey
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, University of Ghana Medical School, P.O. Box GP 4236, Accra, Ghana.
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