Cpy Chiu

The impacts of yoga and exercise on neuro-cognitive function and symptoms in early psychosis

Background: The large variation in individual clinical responses to antipsychotic treatment hampers the management of psychotic disorders. Genetic factors are considered a main cause of this variation. Pharmacogenetics studies have demonstrated significant associations between several candidate genes (a.o. D2, D3, 5HTR2A and 5HTR2C, GRM3, COMT and MTHFR) and the response to antipsychotic drugs. The present study investigates the effect of 12 polymorphisms for an association with antipsychotic treatment response in patients with a psychotic disorder. Methods: 335 Caucasian patients with a non-affective psychotic disorder using antipsychotics were included. All patients participated in the longitudinal GROUP-study in The Netherlands. We genotyped 12 SNPs in 7 candidate genes (DRD2: TaqI-A, TaqI-D, -141-C, C957T; DRD3: Ser9Gly; HTR2A: 102-T/C, His452Tyr; HTR2C: Cys23Ser, -759-T/C; COMT: Val108/158Met; MTHFR: 677-C/T, GRM3: rs274622) using standard protocols. Polymorphisms were based on previous studies showing associations with treatment response. The Clinical Global Impression- Schizophrenia scale was cross-sectionally used to assess improvement in positive psychotic symptoms since the start of current antipsychotic treatment. Ordinal regression was used to test for an association between polymorphisms and improvement in positive symptoms. All polymorphisms were tested in an additive model, with minor allele dose as the dependent variable. Results: Ninety percent of the patients used atypical antipsychotics, with olanzapine (31%) and risperidone (29%) being the most prescribed drugs. Ser9Gly of the dopamine D3 receptor gene (P value .029) and 677-C/T of MTHFR (P value .029) were tested significant. Gly carriers and T-carriers, respectively, showed better clinical improvement on the positive scale. All other polymorphisms did not show any association with treatment response (all P values >.10). Conclusion: We were able to replicate only two of the previously reported associations between polymorphisms and treatment response. Heterogeneity in patient samples and outcome variables as well as publication bias and false positive findings may all play a role in lack of replication, found in our study, as in others. The direction of the associations presented here in D3 (Ser9Gly) and MTHFR (677-C/T) are in line with previous association studies in Caucasian patients. These polymorphisms may be of value for predicting clinical response.

THE IMPACTS OF YOGA AND AEROBIC EXERCISE ON NEURO-COGNITION AND BRAIN STRUCTURE IN EARLY PSYCHOSIS – A PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF THE RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED CLINICAL TRIAL

This journal suppl. entitled: Abstracts of the 3rd Biennial Schizophrenia International Research Conference

A case-controlled study on the outcome of an early intervention programme for psychosis (EASY)

This journal suppl. entitled: Abstracts for the 12th International Congress on Schizophrenia Research (ICOSR)

Agreement between clinically assessed and self-rated medication adherence with schizophrenia in Hong Kong

This is the Special Issue: Abstracts of the 20th International Congress on Schizophrenia Research 2005This journal issue entitled: Special Issue: Abstracts of the XX International Congress on Schizophrenia Research

Effects Of First Psychiatric Admission On 3-year Outcome In Patients With First Episode Psychosis In Hong Kong

A small number of EI services have been established for children/adolescents but evaluations are rare. This paper describes a model to assess the impact of one such service. A decision model was used to map the care pathways for children/adolescents presenting to services. Patients may have actual psychosis or they may be in an ‘at risk mental state’ (ARMS) or they may have another mental health problem. If psychosis has developed then the treatment options are to admit the patient or to provide community-based care. If the patient is in an ARMS then either psychosocial interventions, medical interventions, a combination of these or no treatment is provided. End points in the model are defi ned by recovery or non-recovery. The two parts of the model differ in the probabilities of the treatments being provided for patients in an ARMS. It is assumed that such a state will be recognised by an EI team and treatment will be provided accordingly. It is assumed that standard CAMHS will recognise fewer ARMS cases than EI services will. Data suggest that length of stay for those admitted is substantially less for those receiving EI. Costs were attached to the different services received. The results suggest cost savings of £3677, or 22%, for EI. Even though patients with ARMS are more likely to receive interventions if they are seen by an EI team the EI costs are less due to the reduced length of stay for those with psychosis who are admitted.

Relapse predictors for discontinuing and continuing maintenance medication in remitted first-episode psychosis patients

This journal suppl. entitled: Abstracts for the 12th International Congress on Schizophrenia Research (ICOSR)

The first three years of pharmacotherapy in patients with psychotic disorders: a comparison between the early intervention programme and standard care service in Hong Kong

This journal suppl. entitled: Abstracts for the 12th International Congress on Schizophrenia Research (ICOSR)

Relapse prevention in first-episode psychosis patients with stable maintenance medication for at least one year

This journal suppl. entitled: Abstracts for the 12th International Congress on Schizophrenia Research (ICOSR)

Social anxiety and ideas of reference in early psychosis

This journal suppl. entitled: Abstracts for the 12th International Congress on Schizophrenia Research (ICOSR)

Subthreshold symptom: ideas of reference

and Magical Thinking = 90%. In comparison, using the Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States (CAARMS), less than half the sample (46%) rated for subthreshold psychotic symptoms. When looking at the specific subscales of the CAARMS, ‘Disorders of Thought’ was the most frequently endorsed scale (25%), followed by ‘Perceptual Abnormalities’ (24%) and ‘Disorders of Speech’ (10%). A clear discrepancy therefore exists between self-report vs. interview-report PLEs. It may be that young people under-report their unusual and potentially frightening experiences in an interview format. It is also possible that the questionnaire content is being frequently misinterpreted. Given the high reported frequency of selfreport PLEs, the latter is likely to be the case. The present study therefore aimed to determine the extent to which young people correctly interpret psychotic symptom items.