Although adherence to antipsychotic medication is critical in the treatment of schizophrenia, prior studies have not adequately distinguished between intentional and unintentional non-adherence.

Assessing cognition with interview-based measures could be a low-resource alternative to traditional cognitive tests. We previously adapted the Cognitive Assessment Interview (CAI) into Amharic (CAI-A) for use with people with schizophrenia (PWS) in Ethiopia. This study examined the convergent and structural validity of the CAI-A in a group of 350 PWS sub-sampled from the Neuropsychiatric Genetics of African Populations - Psychosis (NeuroGAP-Psychosis) study, who fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), Spearman's correlation coefficient (ρ), multiple regression, and Item Response Theory (IRT). A one-factor solution best fits the items in the tool (factor loadings between 0.58 and 0.79), suggesting structural validity. The total score of the CAI-A moderately correlated with functioning (ρ = 0.44, p < 0.001) and symptom dimensions (ρ between 0.38 and 0.46, p < 0.001), suggesting convergent validity. Multiple regression showed that age (β = -0.06, 95 % CI (-0.12, 0.00), p = 0.044), the duration of illness (β = 0.08, 95 % CI (0.01, 0.14), p = 0.033), and medication side effects (β = 0.35, 95 % CI (0.21, 0.50), p < 0.001) were positively and significantly associated with the CAI-A total score. The IRT analysis suggested that the tool best functions among participants with moderate to severe impairment (difficulty coefficient between 0.05 and 2.73). We found that the CAI-A is a valid tool for use in Ethiopia. The moderate correlation with symptom and functional measures suggested that self-reported cognitive symptoms parallel other symptom dimensions and functional disability. The CAI-A can be used in clinical practice and research activities in PWS in Ethiopia when subjective assessment of cognition is desired.

There is an unmet need for stand-alone digital therapeutics for cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and acceptability of a novel digital therapeutic, IBT-SC02, for cognitive impairment in stable schizophrenia patients.

Early prediction of treatment efficacy can assist psychiatrists in optimizing personalized treatment strategies for drug-naïve schizophrenia patients. This study aimed to explore the predictive value of plasma concentrations of Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) in early treatment responses.

Females with schizophrenia often experience more severe and persistent depressive symptoms than males, in particular during the acute phase of the illness. In contrast to sex (a biological distinction), little is known about the associations between gender (a societal construct) and depression in schizophrenia.

Sleep spindles mediate sleep-dependent memory consolidation, particularly when coupled to neocortical slow oscillations (SOs). Schizophrenia is characterized by a deficit in sleep spindles that correlates with reduced overnight memory consolidation. Here, we examined sleep spindle activity, SO-spindle coupling, and both motor procedural and verbal declarative memory consolidation in early course, minimally medicated psychosis patients and non-psychotic first-degree relatives. Using a four-night experimental procedure, we observed significant deficits in spindle density and amplitude in patients relative to controls that were driven by individuals with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia patients also showed reduced sleep-dependent consolidation of motor procedural memory, which correlated with lower spindle density. Contrary to expectations, there were no group differences in the consolidation of declarative memory on a word pairs task. Nor did the relatives of patients differ in spindle activity or memory consolidation compared with controls, however increased consistency in the timing of SO-spindle coupling were seen in both patients and relatives. Our results extend prior work by demonstrating correlated deficits in sleep spindles and sleep-dependent motor procedural memory consolidation in early course, minimally medicated patients with schizophrenia, but not in first-degree relatives. This is consistent with other work in suggesting that impaired sleep-dependent memory consolidation has some specificity for schizophrenia and is a core feature rather than reflecting the effects of medication or chronicity.

The SAPS and SANS was designed to measure two broad factors, but the majority of factor analyses conducted have found substantially more dimensions. To investigate their structure a meta-analysis was conducted of SAPS and SANS factor analysis.

Schizophrenia is associated with weakened contextual modulation of visual contrast perception, which is generally predicted by population average neural firing rates in primary visual cortex (V1). We use high field fMRI and a novel task to assess V1-instrinsic and V1-extrinsic mechanisms of atypical contextual modulation in schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia with a wide range of psychotic symptoms which indicate the severity of disorders, risk of relapse, frequency and duration of hospitalization, and decreases social and occupational function. In clinical practice, Positive and Negative Systems Scale always used for assessment the severity of psychotic symptoms of patients with schizophrenia. This network analysis explores the inter-relationship of psychotic symptoms of patients with based on Positive and Negative Systems Scale (PANSS).

Comparatively little is known about the association between problematic gambling and psychotic-like experiences (PLEs). This study examined the association among adults in the Japanese general population and whether this association differs between men and women.

Subcortical gray matter (SGM) is increasingly linked to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, specifically auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs). However, few studies have been conducted on the role of extracellular free-water (FW) and white matter microstructural abnormalities in AVHs within the SGM using the free water elimination technique. We conducted a comprehensive investigation of macroscopic volume, FW, and white matter microstructure in the SGM of 60 schizophrenia patients with persistent AVHs (p-AVH), 36 patients no AVH history (n-AVH), and 43 healthy control participants (HC). No macroscopic volume abnormalities were found in the p-AVH or n-AVH groups. However, abnormalities in both FW and microstructures were detected in multiple SGM structures of individuals with schizophrenia. Importantly, unlike the n-AVH group, the p-AVH group exhibited FW and microstructure abnormalities in the bilateral caudate that correlated with AVH severity. Our findings suggest that regardless of the presence of AVHs, FW and microstructure abnormalities in the SGM are more pronounced than macroscopic volume abnormalities in patients with schizophrenia. The bilateral caudate may be a key factor in the mechanisms underlying AVHs. Additionally, normal FW and microstructure in the bilateral caudate may be a notable characteristic of n-AVH patients.

Psychosis symptom assessment instruments are rarely used in US mental health community clinical practice despite the advantages of measurement-based care. Barriers include the length of typical scales and that data for scale evaluation often come from researcher and not clinician raters.

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms. The neurodevelopmental methylazoxy-methanol acetate (MAM) rodent model replicates key neurobiological features of SCZ which includes hyperdopaminergic states in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and cognitive deficits. Typical and atypical antipsychotics are primarily effective in treating the positive symptoms of SCZ but often fall short of addressing cognitive deficits. A promising therapeutic approach for treating all symptoms of SCZ has emerged through the inhibition of phosphodiesterase 10 A (PDE10A). Our study aim was to investigate the impact of acute and chronic THPP-1 (PDE10A inhibitor) treatment, in MAM rats, focusing on cognitive deficits and VTA dopamine (DA) activity. Adult offspring of pregnant rats treated with Saline or MAM (20 mg/kg) on gestational day 17 were treated with THPP-1 acutely (male/female rats; 3 mg/kg) at postnatal day (PD) 70-80 or chronically (males; 3 weeks; 2-3 mg/kg) from PD 70-91 and tested in the novel object recognition test and electrophysiological recording of DA neurons in the VTA. Acute THPP-1 treatment reversed cognitive impairments and normalized the increased number of active DA neurons in the VTA of male and female MAM rats, without affecting control rats. Also, chronic THPP-1 treatment reversed cognitive deficits and normalized DA hyperactivity in the VTA of male MAM rats. The efficacy of THPP-1 in reversing MAM-induced impairments underscores its ability to target disease-specific circuitry without affecting normal regulated systems in control rats. Our findings highlight the therapeutic potential of THPP-1 for addressing cognitive deficits and DA dysregulation in SCZ.

Schizophrenia is a serious chronic mental health problem that usually starts during adolescence and early childhood. It is characterized by positive symptoms (delusions, hallucinations and grossly disorganized speech and behaviour), negative symptoms (apathy, isolation and diminished affect), and cognitive impairment that negatively affect quality of life. Its treatments include the use of pharmacological interventions, exercise, non-invasive brain stimulation and cognitive remediation training. Exercise is a very simple and cost-effective intervention. However, it is important the mechanisms of its effects are understood so that it can be trusted in clinical practice. In addition, understanding the mechanisms is important for its modification and safe use. Similarly, it may help provide the basis for invention of safe and cost-effective pharmacological or alternative therapies. From the literature, the mechanisms of diseases modifying effects of exercise seem to include increased cardiorespiratory fitness, biochemical changes (increased level of BDNF, increased N-acetylaspartate (NAA)/cr (creatine) ratio, decreased level of triglycerides, increased high density lipoprotein (HDL) and decreased salivary cortisol), structural changes (increase in cerebral volume, increased white matter integrity and increased cortical thickness) and anthropometric changes (reduced body weight and body mass index (BMI), increased muscular strength and decreased waist-hip ratio or waist circumference or hip circumference).

It has been long known that people with schizophrenia (SZ) have deficits in perceptual processing, including in the auditory domain. Furthermore, they often experience increased emotional responsivity and dysregulation, which further impacts overall functioning. Increased emotional responsivity to auditory stimuli is also seen in people with misophonia, a condition in which specific sounds elicit robust negative emotional responses. Given the role of emotional reactivity and dysregulation in the pathogenesis of SZ, our study investigated whether misophonia symptoms were elevated in SZ, or if people with SZ have a generalized increase in reactivity to sensory information. To explore the link between emotional reactivity to sound and more general aspects emotional reactivity and salience signaling in SZ, we used the Misophonia Questionnaire, the Sensory Processing Scale (SPS), and Aberrant Salience Inventory (ASI) in 30 people with SZ and 28 demographically-matched healthy volunteers (HVs). We found that people with SZ exhibited more emotional behavior associated with misophonia symptoms (specifically, distress in relation to sound) than HVs (t = 4.889, p < 0.001), but did not have elevated rates of misophonia overall. Also, sensory processing abnormalities and heightened emotional responses in people with SZ were not limited to the auditory domain but, rather, extended to all sensory modalities. Our results support the idea that SZ involves dysfunction in salience signaling, regarding auditory stimuli, but that abnormalities in salience signaling in SZ are more domain-general. These results highlight the importance of interventions designed to enhance emotion regulation in patients with SZ regarding stimuli in multiple modalities.

This study employs the Mendelian Randomization (MR) approach to explore the potential causal relationship between schizophrenia and the risk of developing narcolepsy.

Improved patient life engagement is a meaningful treatment goal in schizophrenia that cannot be satisfactorily measured using existing tools. This research aimed to determine whether certain items from the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) can assess patient life engagement in schizophrenia.

Measuring quality of care is a critical first step towards improving the healthcare contributing to persistent poor outcomes experienced by many people living with schizophrenia. This scoping review aims to identify and characterize indicators for measuring the quality of care for people living with schizophrenia. We searched 6 academic databases, 4 grey literature databases, and 23 organization websites for documents containing quality indicators developed for or applied in a population with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. We identified 119 unique documents, yielding 390 distinct quality indicators. Most measures were process indicators (68 %; n = 267) commonly reflecting safety (30 %; n = 118) and effectiveness (35 %; n = 136) domains of quality of care. Quality indicators included measures of primarily mental healthcare (77 %; n = 299), as well as physical healthcare (23 %; n = 91). Indicators reflected aspects of care related to service delivery, pharmacotherapy, assessments, resources and policies, psychological interventions, social and other interventions. Indicator development was notable for a lack of well-described validation and selection processes. Gaps in indicator availability for comorbid substance use, reproductive health, and healthcare equity were also identified. Results reflect a growing recognition of the importance of quality measurement in this population but highlight the need for prioritization of indicators to guide future quality measurement and improvement.

Schizophrenia (SZ) is associated with visual processing impairments, which are related to higher-level functional impairments. This study investigated the impact of a novel visual remediation intervention (VisR) targeting low- and mid-level visual processing impairments in SZ. We hypothesized that VisR would lead to greater improvements in contrast processing when compared to an active control condition and explored potential treatment-related changes in symptom severity. SZ participants (N = 47) were randomized into one of four groups: an active control group (cognitive training; AC); Contrast Sensitivity Training + AC (CST + AC); Contour Integration Training + AC (CIT + AC); and CST + CIT. Participants completed 20-40 training sessions. Clinical symptom severity was assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and contrast processing was assessed using steady-state visual evoked potentials to increasing levels of contrast of isolated-check pattern stimuli. A significant Group × Timepoint × Contrast interaction indicated superiority of CST + CIT over AC for improving contrast processing. Furthermore, a large, significant Group × Timepoint interaction indicated that CST + CIT was associated with a greater reduction in positive symptoms compared to AC. In addition, lower severity of positive symptoms at baseline was associated with a greater improvement in contrast processing over the course of treatment. This initial evaluation of VisR demonstrated that it is well tolerated and may produce greater improvements in contrast processing and positive symptoms compared to an intervention targeting only high-level cognitive functions.

Individuals with schizophrenia commonly experience poor social functioning (SF), influenced by stigmatization and linked to low self-esteem. The intricate role of self-esteem in this context remains insufficiently explored. This study delves into the short and long-term impact of perceived stigma on SF, investigating the mediating or moderating effects of self-esteem and momentary fluctuations in self-esteem.

Suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) are critical concern in schizophrenia (SZ). Concurrent changes in event-related potential (ERP), particularly the P300 (P3) components, have been observed in SZ patients, but the association between these changes and STBs remains unclear. This study aims to explore the relationships between P3 components and STBs in first-episode antipsychotic-naïve SZ (FEAN-SZ) patients.

Blonanserin is approved for treating schizophrenia in Japan, South Korea, India, and China. We aimed to synthesize the efficacy and tolerability of blonanserin compared to other antipsychotics.

Violence perpetration may be linked to psychotic-like experiences (PLEs), but relevant research is limited, especially in general population. Therefore, we aimed to identify trajectories of PLEs and examine whether specific trajectories were related to violent behavior in a 3-year cohort study.

Risk factors for violent behaviour may differ depending on whether this begins before (VBO) or after (VAO) the onset of schizophrenia spectrum disorder. However, previous studies have been limited by selective samples of forensic patients and crude outcome measures.