Article
Neurosciences
Jeremy A. Taylor, Kit Melissa Larsen, Ilvana Dzafic, Marta I. Garrido
Summary: This study applied machine learning methods and EEG data to predict subclinical psychotic-like experiences in healthy individuals, demonstrating that EEG data alone can predict individual psychotic-like experiences. Features within specific time windows contributed to different levels of Prodromal Questionnaire scores, supporting the idea that psychosis may exist on a continuum expanding into the non-clinical population.
Article
Neurosciences
Ulrika Evermann, Christian Gaser, Tina Meller, Julia-Katharina Pfarr, Sarah Grezellschak, Igor Nenadic
Summary: In this study, the effects of schizotypy dimensions, PLE, and their interaction on hippocampal subfields and amygdala volumes were compared in a cohort of psychiatrically healthy individuals. Positive schizotypy was negatively associated with left amygdala and subiculum volumes, while Impulsive Nonconformity and the interaction of positive schizotypy and PLE were associated with larger left subiculum volumes. The findings suggest differential associations of hippocampus subfield volumes with trait dimensions rather than PLE, as well as overlap and interactions between positive schizotypy and PLE in a healthy cohort without current psychosis risk syndromes.
HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Social
Sarah Hope Lincoln, Taylor Johnson, Jill R. Laquidara, Joshua Wilt, Rita Obeid
Summary: This study found a high correlation between social defeat and multidimensional schizotypy, with racial and ethnic minorities reporting higher rates of schizotypy and social defeat compared to non-minorities. After controlling for social defeat scores, racial and ethnic status was no longer significantly associated with schizotypy scores.
PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Social
Brett P. Andersen, Laith Al-Shawaf, Rachel Bearden
Summary: Researchers have long observed higher rates of schizophrenia among immigrants, with possible reasons being that migration process itself or selective migration might cause this. Recent studies have refuted the role of selective migration in explaining the increased rates of schizophrenia among migrants. Positive schizotypy is associated with increased tendency towards migration.
PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Luca Melazzini, Laura Mazzocchi, Arianna Vecchio, Alexandra Paredes, Martina M. Mensi, Elena Ballante, Matteo Paoletti, Stefano Bastianello, Umberto Balottin, Renato Borgatti, Anna Pichiecchio
Summary: This study found specific associations between brain structural abnormalities and cognitive performance in patients with APS. Characterizing this disorder using neuroimaging could provide valuable information for prevention and evaluation strategies in these individuals.
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Igor Nenadic, Tina Meller, Simon Schmitt, Frederike Stein, Katharina Brosch, Johannes Mosebach, Ulrich Ettinger, Phillip Grant, Susanne Meinert, Nils Opel, Hannah Lemke, Stella Fingas, Katharina Foerster, Tim Hahn, Andreas Jansen, Till F. M. Andlauer, Andreas J. Forstner, Stefanie Heilmann-Heimbach, Alisha S. M. Hall, Swapnil Awasthi, Stephan Ripke, Stephanie H. Witt, Marcella Rietschel, Bertram Mueller-Myhsok, Markus M. Noethen, Udo Dannlowski, Axel Krug, Fabian Streit, Tilo Kircher
Summary: This study found that schizotypy may share less genetic risk with schizophrenia and is not significantly associated with the genetic risk of affective disorders.
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Marta Rodriguez-Pascual, Xavier Alvarez-Subiela, Jordina Tor, Marta Pardo, Elena de la Serna, Gisela Sugranyes, Olga Puig, Inmaculada Baeza, Montserrat Dolz
Summary: A high percentage of subjects with Psychotic Risk Syndrome (PRS) also have comorbid depressive disorders, with difficulties in distinguishing between depressive and negative symptoms. More research is needed to understand the impact of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) on PRS children and adolescents.
EUROPEAN CHILD & ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Wei Lin Toh, Stuart J. Lee, Tim Rancie, Phaybian Penita, Peter Moseley, Susan L. Rossell
Summary: The study examined the relationship between familial adversity, humiliation, and attenuated psychotic symptoms in a community sample. It found that a negative family context and humiliation experiences were associated with hallucination-like experiences and attenuated psychotic symptoms. State anxiety was found to be a significant contributor to these relationships, particularly in audio-visual and multisensory hallucination-like experiences. These findings highlight the importance of considering the impact of family dynamics and psychological factors on the development of psychotic symptoms.
CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Julia-Katharina Pfarr, Tina Meller, Ulrika Evermann, Lili Sahakyan, Thomas R. Kwapil, Igor Nenadic
Summary: This study investigated the psychometric properties of three schizotypy questionnaires and a prodromal schizophrenia questionnaire, and found that different instruments grasp facets of schizotypy differently, suggesting the need for an integrative approach for assessing schizotypy.
SCHIZOPHRENIA RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Neurosciences
Sarah M. Haigh, Marian E. Berryhill, Alexandrea Kilgore-Gomez, Michael Dodd
Summary: The search for reliable biomarkers of schizophrenia is important and should involve assessing multiple biomarkers simultaneously. Investigating biomarkers in individuals with schizophrenia-related traits in the general population can accelerate progress in understanding the mechanisms of schizophrenia. There is a lack of research on certain types of memory biomarkers in schizotypy, which presents an opportunity for researchers to address gaps in knowledge and potentially uncover new insights.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Kaley Angers, Julie A. Suhr, Aubrey M. Moe
Summary: This study aimed to examine the relationship between language/verbal performance and performance-based and examiner-rated social functioning. The findings revealed that Proverb Test performance was uniquely and significantly associated with performance-based social functioning, while other language/verbal measures were not related to social functioning. The study supports interventions targeting negative symptoms and social cognition in the early psychosis spectrum, and suggests that improving executively-mediated language skills may be an additional goal for improving social functioning.
JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Psychology
Emiliana Tonini, Yann Quide, Manreena Kaur, Thomas J. Whitford, Melissa J. Green
Summary: This systematic review explores the association between schizotypy and structural and functional brain changes, suggesting schizotypy may be a potential intermediate phenotype in the developmental path to psychosis. The study found that schizotypy is related to changes in gray matter, brain activation, and connectivity, particularly in the default mode and frontoparietal networks. However, due to methodological differences, consistent patterns of brain aberration associated with schizotypy were not identified, highlighting the need for greater methodological concordance in future neuroimaging research.
PSYCHOLOGICAL BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Psychiatry
George Salaminios, Elodie Sprungli-Toffel, Chantal Michel, Larisa Morosan, Stephan Eliez, Marco Armando, Eduardo Fonseca-Pedrero, Melodie Derome, Frauke Schultze-Lutter, Martin Debbane
Summary: Schizotypal traits and disturbances in mentalizing are associated with increased vulnerability for psychosis. Mentalizing may support the detection and early treatment of individuals at risk for psychosis during adolescence and young adulthood.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Christopher Dawes, Andrea Bickerdike, Cian O'Neill, Sarah Carneiro Pereira, John L. Waddington, Paula M. Moran, Colm M. P. O'Tuathaigh
Summary: This study examined the relationship between history of cannabis use and selective associative learning (KB), and found that current cannabis use was associated with higher Disorganised SPQ dimension scores and higher ASI total and sub-scale values. The results suggest that there are some inconsistencies in the relationship between KB and schizotypy.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Ksenija Vucurovic, Delphine Raucher-Chene, Alexandre Obert, Pamela Gobin, Audrey Henry, Sarah Barriere, Martina Traykova, Fabien Gierski, Christophe Portefaix, Stephanie Caillies, Arthur Kaladjian
Summary: This study investigated the correlations between schizotypal personality traits and brain activation during affective ToM and cognitive ToM tasks in healthy individuals. The results revealed that schizotypal personality traits were positively correlated with brain activation in certain regions during affective ToM, but negatively correlated with emotional disconnection and self-reported empathy scores.
SOCIAL COGNITIVE AND AFFECTIVE NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Simone Amendola, Michael P. Hengartner, Valentina Spensieri, Luciano Grillo, Rita Cerutti
Summary: Despite previous studies, there is little consistent knowledge on the co-occurrence patterns of somatic, depressive, and anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents. This study used cluster analysis to examine these patterns, finding that participants with high levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms reported greater functional disability due to somatic symptoms. Significant differences were also shown in gender and age among the four clusters identified.
EUROPEAN CHILD & ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Psychiatry
Alexandre Andrade Loch, Natalia Bezerra Mota, Wulf Roessler, Wagner Farid Gattaz
PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Dimitri van der Linden, Curtis S. Dunkel, Peter Prinzie, Misa Yamanaka-Altenstein, Agnes von Wyl, Michael P. Hengartner
Summary: This study examined the overlap between higher-order factors of personality and psychopathology, and their relationship with daily life functioning and communication style. The findings suggest that the overlap between these factors may contribute to lower life functioning and less social effectiveness.
CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Simone Amendola, Michael Pascal Hengartner, Vladeta Ajdacic-Gross, Jules Angst, Wulf Roessler
Summary: This study examined the longitudinal associations between depressive, anxiety, and substance use disorders. The findings revealed reciprocal relationships between these disorders and highlighted gender differences, with females being more susceptible to depressive and anxiety disorders, and males being more vulnerable to substance use disorders. Early treatment and comprehensive psychosocial interventions are crucial in preventing chronicity and further maladjustment.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Joanna Moncrieff, Ruth E. Cooper, Tom Stockmann, Simone Amendola, Michael P. Hengartner, Mark A. Horowitz
Summary: The serotonin hypothesis of depression, which suggests that depression is caused by lowered serotonin activity or concentrations, lacks consistent evidence based on the synthesis and evaluation of research in this field. This umbrella review found no substantial association between serotonin and depression, while suggesting that long-term antidepressant use may reduce serotonin concentration.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Martin Ploederl, Joakim Westerlund, Sebastian Hokby, Gergo Hadlaczky, Michael Pascal Hengartner
Summary: The available evidence suggests that moon phases have no impact on suicidal behavior. A recent Finnish study reporting elevated suicide rates during full moon among premenopausal women in winter could not be replicated in an Austrian study. The present study in Sweden, geographically more comparable to Finland, also found no correlation between full moon and suicide rates, supporting the null hypothesis.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Mark Abie Horowitz, Adele Framer, Michael P. Hengartner, Anders Sorensen, David Taylor
Summary: The brain's adaptation to drugs can predict withdrawal symptoms upon cessation. Physical dependence to antidepressants may occur in some patients, and factors such as duration of use, dosage, and specific drugs can influence the risk of withdrawal effects. Further research is needed to improve prediction tools and understand the adaptability of long-term antidepressant use.
Letter
Neurosciences
Michael P. Hengartner, Martin Ploederl
BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Letter
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Joanna Moncrieff, Ruth E. E. Cooper, Tom Stockmann, Simone Amendola, Michael P. P. Hengartner, Martin Ploderl, Mark A. A. Horowitz
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Viola Schon, Michael P. Hengartner, Enrico Tronci, Toni Mancini, Fabian Ille, Susanna Roblitz, Tillmann Kruege, Brigitte Leeners
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between steroid hormones and women's sexual attraction, and found no significant effect of steroid hormone levels on sexual attraction in naturally cycling women or women undergoing fertility treatment.
PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Caroline Kamp Jorgensen, Sophie Juul, Faiza Siddiqui, Mark Abie Horowitz, Joanna Moncrieff, Klaus Munkholm, Michael Pascal Hengartner, Irving Kirsch, Christian Gluud, Janus Christian Jakobsen
Summary: This study aims to assess the risks of adverse events with venlafaxine or mirtazapine in adults with major depressive disorder through systematic reviews. The effects of venlafaxine and mirtazapine will be evaluated separately in two reviews. The assessment of bias risk will be conducted using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool version 2, and clinical significance will be assessed using an eight-step procedure. The results of this study will provide important information for the treatment of major depressive disorder.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Melanie A. Amrein, Michael P. Hengartner, Markus Napflin, Renato Farcher, Carola A. Huber
Summary: The study aimed to provide prevalence rates of long-term users of antidepressants in Switzerland over the last decade and investigate associated factors. The findings showed a high and steadily increasing proportion of long-term users in Switzerland, with older age, being a woman, living in an urban area, living in a nursing home, being enrolled in a standard care plan, and receiving psychiatric or psychotherapeutic care being positively associated with long-term use.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Letter
Pediatrics
Martin Ploederl, Mark A. Horowitz, Michael P. Hengartner
JOURNAL OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Martin Ploderl, Simone Amendola, Michael Pascal Hengartner
Summary: This study investigated whether observational studies showing favorable results for antidepressants on suicidal behavior are more likely to be published in psychiatric journals and cited more often. The study found that studies with favorable results were more frequently published in psychiatric journals and were often conducted by authors with conflicts of interest. This may create a biased evidence base within psychiatry.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2023)
Correction
Primary Health Care
Michael P. Hengartner, Stefan Neuner-Jehle, Oliver Senn