A Systematic Review of Psychobiotic Interventions in Children and Adolescents to Enhance Cognitive Functioning and Emotional Behavior

This systematic review brings together human psychobiotic interventions in children and adolescents (aged 6-25 years) to evaluate the efficacy of pre- and probiotic supplements on stress, anxiety, and cognitive outcomes. Psychobiotic interventions in animal studies highlighted sensitivity to effects during development and maturation in multiple domains from emotion to cognitive processing. Several translational psychobiotic interventions in humans have been carried out to assess effects on emotion and cognition during childhood and into adulthood. The findings illustrate that there are limited consistent psychobiotic effects in developing human populations, and this is proposed to be due to heterogeneity in the trials conducted. Consequentially, it is recommended that three specific factors are considered in future psychobiotic trials: (1) Specificity of population studied (e.g., patients, developmental age), (2) specificity of intervention, and (3) homogeneity in outcome measures.

Serum 25-OH vitamin D level in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders

Introduction

25-OH vitamin D level is an immediate precursor metabolite of the active form of vitamin D that leads to expression of more than 200 genes.

Aims

The aim of our study was to examine 25-OH vitamin D deficiency (<50nmol/L) and its relationship to demographic factors in recently hospitalised patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD).

Methods

We assessed 25-OH vitamin D serum level in 41 SSD patients (54% of males, 46% with first episode, 63% during sunny season [May to October]), mean age 30 ± 10.4 years, within first days of hospitalization. The serum 25-OH vitamin D level was analysed with electrochemiluminiscence, using imunoanalysators Elecsys Roche.

Results

The serum level was significantly higher in sunny season (41.3 ± 27.2 nmol/L) than in November to April (28.4 ± 11.2 nmol/L): t-test, P < .05. Sixty-nine percent of patients suffered from 25-OH vitamin D deficiency (< 50nmol/L) in May to October and 100% during November to April. The 25-OH vitamin D serum levels were not different between males and females, or between first-episode and multiple-episode patients. No significant correlation between age and 25-OH vitamin D level was found.

Conclusions

The high prevalence of 25-OH vitamin D deficiency (< 50nmol/L) suggests that some patients with SSD may benefit from vitamin D supplementation.

Funding

This study is a result of the research funded by the project Nr. LO1611 with a financial support from the MEYS under the NPU I program.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Quality of Lfe in Healthy Siblings of Patients with First Episode of Psychotic Illness and its Predictors

Families of patients with first episode of psychotic illness are exposed to numerous distress factors related to the care of their relative. It has been shown that these families experience higher levels of anxiety, depression, economic strain, and helplessness. According to the prior studies, long-term psychotic illness can also have negative impact on quality of life (QoL) in healthy siblings [1]. The aim of our study was to assess QoL in siblings of patients with first episode of psychosis and to examine effects of sibling-related and illness-related variables on QoL. Study sample consisted of first-episode psychosis patients (n = 20) and their healthy siblings (n = 20). All subjects were administered World Health Organisation Quality of Life Questionnaire Scale Brief (WHOQOL-Brief). Duration of untreated psychosis, medication adherence (Hayward scale) and severity of positive psychotic symptomatology (evaluated by Positive and Negative Symptom Scale) were used as illness-related variables, birth order served as a sibling–related variable. QoL has been accepted as a valuable outcome measure in many psychiatric conditions; thus, identification of contributing factors may help to improve overall outcome. Moreover, close monitoring of adverse effects of illness on QoL in healthy siblings may become a part of larger prevention strategies.

Supported by the grant projects MH CR AZV 15-28998A, MEYS NPU4NUDZ: LO1611.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Memory and medial temporal lobe structures in patients with schizophrenia and their siblings

Episodic retrieval is characterized by the subjective experience of remembering. Semantic memory, on the other hand, is a more structured record of facts, meanings, concepts and knowledge about the external world that we have acquired. The medial temporal lobe (MTL), especially the hippocampus and parahippocampal cortex, plays a central role in both types of memory process. Published studies suggested that individuals with schizophrenia have deficits in episodic and semantic memory, as well as structural abnormalities of the medial temporal lobe. However, it is not clear whether reported correlations reflect the impact of the disease state or that of underlying genetic influences contributing to the risk. To understand better etiology and effects of psychosis on the global brain structure and cognitive processing, relatives of individuals with schizophrenia can be studied. The aim of our study was to examine the association between abnormalities of the MTL, psychopathology, and memory impairment in schizophrenia. Study sample (n = 60) consisted of first episode schizophrenia patients, their non-psychotic siblings and matching control subjects. We used high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging and probabilistic algorithms for image analysis. Episodic and semantic memory was measured with neuropsychological tests. Our results showed differences in memory performance between the groups. Neuropsychological data were correlated with MRI findings. The results may provide insight into etiology of schizophrenia and its effects on cognition and help to identify neuroanatomical and cognitive endophenotypes of psychotic disorders.

Supported by the grant projects MH CR AZV 15-28998A, MEYS NPU4NUDZ: LO1611; Czech Science Foundation, grant No. 16-13093S; Institutional Support 00023001IKEM.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.