bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Insiders’ views of their role: Towards their training
Authors: Krespi Boothby M.R.
Published: May 2011

Objective

One of the peer-led support programmes in prisons is the Insiders Scheme. Preliminary findings have shown that this has a positive impact on both prisoners and the Insiders. There is no detailed information on the ways in which the Insiders perceive their role. This may help to identify targets of training for Insiders. The present qualitative study aimed to describe the ways in which the Insiders perceived their role.

Method

Two focus group meetings, using the interview guide method, were undertaken with all 3 Insiders in a male prison establishment in the UK. The anonymised transcripts of the focus group meetings were analysed inductively by following established conventions. To ensure the trustworthiness of the analysis, attention was given to coherence,’theoretical validity’ and’catalytic validity’.

Results

The present study has provided a detailed systematic account of the ways in which the Insiders perceived their role. Insiders evaluated their role in terms of different aspects of their role, strategies that they used to help other prisoners, personal impact of their role, difficulties that they experienced during the course of their work, and ways of improving their role.

Conclusion

Some of the Insiders’ views were consistent with their role specification known or agreed by the professionals. Others differed from professionals’ views. The present findings contribute to an evidence-base for peer-derived training for the Insiders Scheme. Therefore, these findings highlight the value of undertaking qualitative research among Insiders to identify specific targets for their training.
Law-breaking attitudes among mentally ill people
Authors: Gorniak E. , Furczyk K. , Krysta K. , Krupka-Matuszczyk I.
Published: May 2011

Introduction

It is a common view that mental illnesses are widely associated with dangerous, threat-posing behavior and law-breaking.

Aims

The paper analyzes the problem of law-breaking by the mentally disordered.

Methods

The analysis of cases concerning compulsory psychiatric treatment or confinement in a medical institution on the grounds of mental incompetence to commit an offence or mental unfitness to stand the trial obtained from the court and the public prosecutor’s office in Silesia Region from 2007 to 2009.

Results

14 cases were analyzed. All the offenders were male, mean age was 44,6. All the offenders were diagnosed by psychiatrists, most of them with schizophrenia (n = 10 cases). Other diagnoses included paranoid personality disorder (n = 1), bipolar affective disorder with manic episode (n = 1), schizoaffective disorder (n = 1), delusional disorder (n = 1). 9 out of 14 offenders were diagnosed prior to the offence, some of whom were also hospitalized (n = 5). 8 of analyzed cases concerned use of violence, 3 concerned larceny, 2 concerned posing a threat to others’ life or health and 1 concerned fraud. 2 of the offenders were previously sentenced for other offences. 12 of the offenders were compulsory treated by psychiatrists, 10 out of whom is still hospitalized.

Conclusions

The small number of the cases analyzed (14 cases in the whole of 5000) suggests that mentally disordered persons do not break law often. There seems to be a higher risk associated with male gender, though. Also, the frequency of violent acts and offences committed despite previous treatment is disturbing.
Structured clinical decision making: Is it different ?
Authors: Travers R. , Kumar A.
Published: May 2011

Introduction

The Psychiatrists are called to assess the level of risk in violent and sex offenders’ population. There are differing perceptions about formalising the severity and management of risk. The proponents of actuarial decision making propose that it is scientific and evidence based approach. The advocates of professional judgment however think that actuarial tools usually miss out on the interplay of compounding factors and can under or over estimate the level of risk.

Objectives

To review consecutive patient assessments and qualitatively compare it with HCR-20 and RSVP tools for violent and sex offending patients.

Aims

To report the difference in outcome in the domains of overall severity of risk, risk formulation and clinical decision making for management of the risk in these patient groups.

Methods

We aim to compare twenty consecutive patients where professional judgment of the clinician determined the severity of the risk, risk formulation and management. We then aim to use the information available to check for any differences in these areas when HCR-20 and RSVP are employed.

Results

The comparison and benefits of professional judgment and actuarial decision making are reported.

Conclusions

The professionals (providers) are being increasingly compelled by commissioners(purchasers) to evidence base their clinical decision making. The professional judgments are more likely to be challenged in the courts. People are easily impressed by decisions which are evidence based though they may have limited understanding of research environment and population studied.
Marital therapy for the divorce-seeking couples in the legal systems, South Korea: Family systemic, mental health-related, and socio-economic analyses
Authors: Lee S.B.
Published: May 2011

Aim

This study was to analyze the sample data collected from divorce marital therapy sessions in the local court system in South Korea as well as diagnose typical symptoms in the divorcing couples.

Methods

The survey forms and marital therapy notes were collected from 200 divorce counseling cases in the local court systems, South Korea. The 200 divorce counseling cases were categorized as twelve major themes. Family therapy notes were utilized as an aid in verifying the divorcing couples’ self-reports. The research method was partially adopted from the article, “Working with Korean-American Families: Multicultural Hermeneutics” (Sang Bok Lee, 2003: The American Journal of Family Therapy, 31, 159 – 178). Multicultural hermeneutics was instrumental for explicating multiple layers of multicultural narratives, psychological dynamics, socio-economic systems, and of family systemic relations when dealing with the divorcing couples.

Results

The results were summarized as: economic issues (20%); extra-marital relationship (16%); in-law conflict (12%); substance abuse, addiction & marital violence (12%); international marriage & cross-cultural differences (10%); personality difference (8%); re-marriage issues (6%); sexual conflict (6%); age gap (4%); personality disorder & mental disorder (2%); parenting & children issues (2%); pre-mature marriage (2%). The twelve categories were grouped as mainly

(1)

family systemic or relationship-related issues,

(2)

socio-economic issues, and

(3)

mental health-related issues.

Conclusion

Psychiatrists, family therapists, and mental health professionals who work with the divorcing couples need to be aware of the predominant causes for rapidly increasing divorce rates when conducting therapeutic assessment and implementing intervention for the divorcing couples.
Compulsory internment and treatment in mental health patients - legal implications in portugal
Authors: Pinto da Costa M. , Carneiro de Sousa M.J. , Pinto da Costa J.
Published: May 2011

Introduction

The possibility of detention for treatment of mental patients may be controversial since introduces the possibility of the judicial power to dominate one's private life.

Objectives

It is made an analysis of the legal problems in compulsory internment and treatment in mental patients in Portugal.

Material and Methods

The diplomas mainly analysed were the Portuguese mental health law, Constitution and Penal Code. The study was based in four legal principles: necessity, proportionality, subsidiary and adequacy whenever a compulsory detention for mental treatment is imposed and the requisites for that decision.

Results

Compulsory internment may only be determined when it is the only way to guarantee that patient is submitted to treatment, and when is deemed proportional to the danger of the legally protected value in question. Restrictions on patient’s fundamental rights shall be those strictly necessary and suitable to the effectiveness of treatment. Compulsory internment may be petitioned by the Public Attorney, patient's legal representative, public health authorities or any person.

Conclusion

In spite of the diversity of criteria for compulsory mental health care across several countries, Portuguese mental health law emphasizes the need for treatment as an essential condition for detaining patients with mental illness. The compulsory treatment is based on the judge decision supported in the psychiatric report. However, how can we be certain that a mental patient is going to practice a specific crime? Is it fair to punish without crime? Are there scientific criteria capable of ensuring that mental patients cause always violent behavior?
International evidence of who kill children? child protection-psychiatric interface
Authors: Pritchard C. , Williams R. , Davey J.
Published: May 2011

This study will be controversial as it highlights the continuing link of violent deaths of children and psychiatric disorder and the forgotten/ hidden psychiatric-criminological child protection interface.

We challenge the Child Protection assumption that there is a continuum of neglect into abuse that, at the extremes, leads to the death of a child. The avoidance of such tragedies has become the benchmark of the effectiveness of child protection, reflected in the high profile situations in every Western country.

This has led to a practice culture of fearing the ‘worst case scenario’ with inevitable defensive bureaucratisation, hence the importance of answering the question’who kill children’?

Based upon an analysis of the latest WHO mortality statistics in the 20 Western Countries, we juxtapose All forms of children’s (0–14) mortality against indices of relative poverty i.e. Income Inequalities, and answer the core question from a decade cohort of people who actually killed children,

We show that whilst child neglect is related to poverty, statistically poverty is Not related to child-abuse-related-deaths (CARD).

It will be shown that men with previous convictions for violence pose physical risk to children, followed by psychotic parents. Consequently, assailants’ problems are essentially ‘psychological/ criminological’, rather than socio-economic though poverty always compounds vulnerable situations.

A more accurate risk assessment would enable psychiatric and child protection practitioners to differentiate the neglect and poverty interface from CARD, enabling each discipline to offer an optimal practice intervention earlier and more effectively.
Behavioral neurobiology in forensic psychiatry: Problems and prospects
Authors: Rocca G. , Bandini T.
Published: May 2011

Introduction

In recent decades, considerable progress has been made in the study of the biomolecular bases of violent behavior, so much so as to rekindle a heated debate on the notions of “free will” and “criminal responsibility”.

Aims

To analyze the results of neurobiological research on violent behavior and to investigate the possible repercussions of their application in the field of forensic psychiatry.

Methods

Starting from the analysis of a recent judgment by an Italian Court of Appeal, which reduced the sentence of a convicted murderer on the basis of he was a carrier of some alleles thought to be risk factors for the development of violent behavior, we reviewed the scientific literature on this issue.

Results

A growing number of studies have investigated the relationship between genetic polymorphisms and violent behavior. In particular, recent studies have indicated that the principal role is not played by mutations of single genes, but by modifications of several genes and their expression (epigenetics).

Conclusions

While the presence of some specific polymorphisms may be associated to a higher risk of enacting violent behaviors, the phenotypic expression of this “vulnerability” should more properly be interpreted in terms of interference between the genome and the environment. From a forensic psychiatric standpoint, however, it must be remembered that the necessary condition whereby a mental disorder can take on the meaning of “insanity” is that it has caused, in the specific case, such “psychopathological functioning” of the acting subject as to compromise his capacity for cognition and/or volition.
Involuntary admission in psychiatric inpatient ward is related to antipsychotic polytherapy
Authors: Ruiz J. , Iniesta E. , Portela M. , Nieto K. , Romero P. , Tolosa M.T. , Moreno I. , Domato M. , Fraguas D.
Published: May 2011

Introduction

Involuntary admission of mentally ill patients tends to be related to clinical severity and worst therapeutic response.

Objectives

To evaluate whether there is a relationship between involuntary admission and prescription of two or more antipsychotics (that is, polytherapy) among patients with schizophrenia and other psychosis.

Methods

A total of 241 patients (40.2% females, mean age 39.7+/−13.0 years) consecutively admitted during 2009 to a psychiatric inpatient ward with diagnosis of schizophrenia and other psychoses were assessed.

Results

Out of the total sample, 150 (62.2%) patients were on polytherapy, and of the 241 patients 134 (55.6%) were involuntarily admitted. Involuntary admission was unrelated to age (p = 0.335), specific diagnosis (p = 0.452), or length of psychosis (p = 0.234). On the contrary, it was related to gender (61.8% of males vs. 46.4% of females were involuntary, p = 0.018) and to polytherapy/monotherapy prescription (62.0% of patients on polytherapy vs. 45.1% of patients on monotherapy were involuntarily admitted; and 53.3% of voluntary patients vs. 69.4% of involuntary were on polytherapy p = 0.010). After controlling for age, gender, specific diagnosis and length of psychosis the association between involuntary admission and being in polytherapy remained significant (p = 0.047).

Conclusions

Patients involuntarily admitted are more prone to be on antipsychotic polytherapy.
Training of affect recognition (TAR) and its neurophysiological correlates in schizophrenia
Authors: Stroth S. , Frommann N. , Lüneborg F. , Kampka N. , Brinkmeyer J. , Luckhaus C. , Wölwer W.
Published: May 2011

Background

Schizophrenia patients exhibit impairments in facial affect recognition associated with neurophysiological abnormalities. Using the Training of Affect Recognition (TAR) developed by our group behavioural performance in facial affect recognition improved significantly in schizophrenia patients [1]. Purpose of the presented work was to identify the underlying mechanisms and associated generators of neuroelectric activity.

Methods

In a randomized controlled (waiting group) design 19 schizophrenia patients received TAR. Concomitant to facial affect recognition performance, ERPs were recorded and analyzed with respect to underlying generators of cortical activity using low resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (LORETA) software.

Results

Schizophrenia patients showed noticeable deviations in neuroelectric correlates of emotion recognition associated with poorer performance in the administered task. As a result of TAR treatment no significant changes in event related potentials were found. However, LORETA results showed a significant increase of activity within relevant brain areas, specific for the processing stages associated with facial emotion recognition (N170 and P240).

Conclusions

EEG findings of the present study indicate that neurophysiologic abnormalities corresponding with poorer performance in schizophrenia patients can be attenuated by training.
Drug-induced psychiatric disoders in prisoners
Authors: Tort V. , Vicens E. , Dueñas R. , Muro A. ,   Grupo Preca
Published: May 2011

Introduction

The prevalence of psychiatric disorders in prison populations showed in other European countries has not been replicated in Spain.

Objectives

The aim of the study was to estimate the lifetime and last month prevalence of mental disorders in a Spanish prison population sample. In this posetr we look a drug induced psychiatryc disorders found in this study.

Method

This is a descriptive cross-sectional epidemiological study. 783 male inmates were included in the study. Mental disorders were assessed with Structured Clinical Interview (SCID 1) for DSM-IV Axis 1 Disorders, clinical version and personality disorders were assessed by the Spanish version of the International Personality Disorders Examination.

Results

The lifetime prevalence of mental disorder was 84.4%. Substance use disorder (abuse and dependence) was the most frequent disorder (76,2%): When look at substance induced diosder we found Mood induced disoder had lifetime prevalence of 15,8%(,13,2–18,5) and a last month prevalence of 2,8% (1,6–4,1), anxiety disoders were 16,1% (13,4–18,8) in lifetime prevalence and 5,9 (4,2–7,7) for last month prevalence and for subtance induce psychotic disoder lifetime prevalence was 7,1%(5,2–9,0) and last month prevalence was 2.0 (1.0–3.0). There is a 95 interval confidence on all these data.

Conclusions

The high prevalence of mental disorder and substance misuse is relevant both for the planning of health resource use in the prison environment and the prevention and approach to these disorders.
Lack of quality assurance in forensic psychiatry: false positive prevalence of antisocial personality disorder among norwegian inmates on preventive detention
Authors: Vaeroy H.
Published: May 2011

Introduction

A Norwegian government publication (1) claims a prevalence of around 50% of Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) in a small group of male detainees on preventive detention. The present study population is recruited from more or less the same population as those among whom a 50% prevalence of APD has been claimed (1). Norwegian forensic investigators rarely (17%) apply psychometric tools to confirm their clinical diagnosis (2).

Aims

To confirm the diagnosis of APD applying SCID axis II. Methods: Fifty six inmates were available at the prison. Twenty eight were willing to participate (50%). Two were excluded. Thus, 26 (46%) inmates participated. DSM IV, SCID axis II was applied.

Results

None of the 26/56 matched the APD criteria, mainly failing to fulfil the diagnosis of Conduct Disorder (CD) before the age of 15 years. All the inmates had a history of antisocial behaviour.

Conclusions

To explain the claim of around 50% APD in view of the present results, close to 100% APD should be found among the remaning thirty non-participating inmates. We consider this unlikely.

A diagnosis of APD based on the history of antisocial behaviour alone represents a pitfall. Lack of quality assurance could lead to false positive diagnosis. The need for a standardized approach and quality assurance in Norwegian forensic psychiatric evaluations seems nevessary to avoid false positive diagnosis.
Assessing risk of violence: are only forensic patients aggressive?
Authors: Vladejic S.S. , Vladejic S.D. , Popovic I.N.
Published: May 2011

Society has cherished its fear of psychiatrically ill over the ages. This fear is even more present if concerning mentally ill persons which have already shown socially unacceptable behaviour, or committed serious criminal act before, i.e. murder or rape. This kind of criminal acts, regardless of it's every - day presence in all social groups, gets all the media attention. It is a fact that there are no valid data regarding the rate of criminal activity among psychiatric patients and the percentage of that activity compared with «normal» population, nor can we find the information about the rate of recidivism in these two social groups. But, it is also a fact that criminality of mentally ill stays stabile trough the years, as well as that some diagnostic categories are more vulnerable for demonstrating violent behavior.

The purpose of this study was to compare aggressiveness between two groups of patients: patients conducting security measures and control group - patients hospitalized because of exacerbation of psychosis. The study included 40 patients on security measures and 40 patients from control group, diagnosed according to ICD 10 diagnostic criteria. Risk of violence was assessed using instruments of clinical assessment: OAS, PCL:SV and HCR - 20 Scale, at the admission of patients. The results of statistical analysis are that there is no statistically significant difference between two groups regarding the violent behavior and risk for violence in the future. Two diagnostic categories are prominent in showing aggressive behavior: paranoid psychosis and paranoid schizophrenia.
Short intensive individual psychotherapy (SIIP) of the forensic patients at the acute forensic ward, within the first few days/weeks of the stay
Authors: Vukasovic-Radulovic S.
Published: May 2011

Some forensic patients during their staying at the forensic acute ward about observation and exloration due to the forensic expertise, need and ask for therapy encounter and talk. The forensic patients,after the coming to the ward, live the general condition of various experiences: tension, anxiety, the reaction of aggression and/or wiithdrawal, shoting in the unknown, potentially dangerious surrounding, need to adaptation, adoption, some sort of activity and communication; also, the tragic experience of the commitment makes the varied psychosomathic/social/existential facts: the time - nearness of the commitment, nonacceptance and/or rejection of doing it, confusion, dillema, intensive and/or conflicting feelings of guilty, sorrow; trauma.

Criteria for the SIIP:

-

the need and asking of the patient; the complete psychiatric/psychological observation and explorartion, some work in the social group;

-

the forms of addiction (alcohol, drugs), family violence, abigious and/proved homicides:

-

the structural neurosis, character disorders, psychotic reaction, addiction disorders, are the entities suitable for work;

SIIP could be planned and realized within a week to a few weeks of sessions, a session or a few per week.

The goals of therapy work are traced and evaluated in the changes of behaviour and inner experience of patient, also the protocol of therapy and “homework” of the patient are registered;

The efficiency and quality of SIIP have been proved in the goals of tension reduction, better adaptation, selfacceptance, mood, communication and activities, the first period of SIIP work at the forensic ward of Psychiatric clinic in Sokolac, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Personal, social, and clinical description of mentally ill persons who have committed dangerous assaultive acts, and preventive measures
Authors: Yeshimbetova S.
Published: May 2011

Introduction

The article is devoted to the analysis of aggressive criminal behaviour in mentally ill persons.

Objectives

To develop effective measures to prevent committing dangerous assaultive acts in mentally ill persons.

Aims

To study personal, social and clinical characteristics of the disease in mentally ill persons who have committed dangerous assaultive acts.

Methods

We examined 25 mentally ill persons that had committed dangerous assaultive acts and have been found insane as regards their offence. The research involved clinical psychopathological study and follow-up.

Results

In 19 cases (76%), schizophrenia was diagnosed; in 3 cases (12%), organic cerebral lesions of traumatic or mixed etiology; in 1 case (4%), epilepsy; and in 2 cases (8%), delirium tremens.

Of the subjects, 21 (84%) had a high education level; 3 (12%), a higher education level (university); and 1 (4%), incomplete high education.

At the time of committing the offence, 9 subjects (36%) had a permanent job; 3 subjects (12%) had seasonal jobs; 10 subjects (40%) didn’t have any job at all; and 3 (12%) subjects were recognized as mentally disabled.

At the time of committing the offence, 13 subjects (42%) were not registered in a public psychiatrist's office.

Conclusions

The personal and social characteristics of the mentally ill offenders have clearly demonstrated the prevalence of poorly educated, socially maladapted persons among them. Most of the subjects had not been registered in a psychiatrist's office. A vast majority of dangerous assaultive acts are committed by schizophrenics in an acute stage of the disease.
A comparative study related to the effects of alcohol, location and stranger on sexual assault in college women at university of northern colorado (UNC), USA
Authors: Kalar M.U.
Published: May 2011

Introduction

Alcohol involves 50% of sexual assault among college students. Eighty-five percent of on-campus rapes are acquaintance rapes. According to Bohmer and Parrot 25% of college women have experienced forced sex at some time during their college careers.

Objective

To determine the relationship between alcohol, location and stranger with sexual assault in college women at UNC.

Aim

To compare sexual assault in which alcohol was consumed versus assault in which alcohol was not consumed, assault which occurred on campus versus off campus, and friend versus stranger assault.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study. Data was collected from 2003–2007. Students surveyed were undergraduates and graduates selected on the basis of non probability convenient sampling. Sample size calculation was done using the W.H.O. software where α = 0.05, 1-Beta = 90, Po = 0.55, Pa = 0.35, n (sample size) = 52. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to assess risk factors for the dependent variable of sexual assault with a threshold for selection of p < 0.05.

Results

Friend assault had a high prevalence of assault than stranger assault (35/84; 41.66% v 17/84; 20.23; p < 0.05). On campus assault had an increased prevalence of assault than off campus assault (33/84; 39.28% v 19/84: 22.61%; p < 0.05). Friend assault was the strongest predictor for assault and was 2.35 times (95% CI, 2.27 – 2.40) more as compared to stranger assault.

Conclusion

Alcohol increases the probability of sexual assault if the students are on campus and have friendship with the perpetrator.
Sertraline treatment attenuates the sex differentiated behavioural stress response in the rat forced swim test
Authors: Kokras N. , Dalla C. , Antoniou K. , Papadopoulou-Daifoti Z.
Published: May 2011

Introduction

Sex differences have been described in depression and more recently in antidepressant response. Animal models and in particular the Forced Swim Test (FST), are widely used to investigate the behavioural response to stress and to antidepressant treatment.

Objectives

The present study explored sex differences in the stress response during the FST and examined whether antidepressant treatment alleviates the sex-differentiated stress response.

Methods

Adult male and female Wistar rats were subjected to a 15 min FST session and then treated with three injections of sertraline 10 mg/kg or vehicle at 0, 19 and 23 hours post-FST. Twenty-four hours after the first FST, they had a second 5 min FST session and their behaviour was recorded.

Results

Vehicle-treated females exhibited 66% longer duration and 70% shorter latency of immobility than males, suggesting enhanced levels of despair. Sertraline did not significantly affect immobility, but exerted its antidepressant effect by elongating swimming duration in both sexes and shortening climbing behaviour in males only. In contrast, to vehicle-treated rats, no sex differences were observed in sertraline-treated rats in any of these behavioural parameters. However, sex-differences in head swinging behaviour, which is unaffected by sertraline treatment, were still observed in sertraline-treated rats.

Conclusions

Females appear more vulnerable than males to the FST, but the post-treatment organisation of FST behaviour is not sex-differentiated. Antidepressants seem to modulate the behavioural response in FST in a sex-specific way, due to sex differences in baseline FST performance. Consequently, the sex-differentiated stress response profile during FST is attenuated by antidepressant treatment.
Genetic addiction risk score analysis: hypodopaminergic polymorphic risk alleles in polydrug addicted males and meso-limbic dopaminergic agonistic activation by neuroadaptagen amino-acid therapy
Authors: Blum K. , Stice E. , Liu Y. , Giordano J. , Morse S. , Bailey J.A. , Thompson J. , Smolen A. , Oscar-Berman M. , Bowirrat A. , Allen C. , Manka M. , Downs B.W. , Fonari F. , Tan J. , Damle U.J. , Braverman E.R.
Published: May 2011

Introduction

There is a need to classify patients at genetic risk for drug seeking behavior prior to or upon entry to chemical dependency programs.

Methods

The prevalence of seven risk alleles (DRD2 = A1; SLC6A3 (DAT) = 10R; DRD4 = 3R or 7R; 5HTTLPR = L or LA; MAO = 3R; COMT = G) and corresponding severity risk score (Low (LS) = 1–36%, moderate (MS) = 37–50%, and high (HS) = 51–100%) were calculated. Group 1 consisted of 16 Caucasian male psycho-stimulant addicts, and Group 2 consisted of 10 Chinese male heroin addicts (9 were genotyped). qEEG and fMRI visualized the impact of Neuroadaptagen Amino-Acid Therapy complex on mesolimbic system activation.

Results

[Findings by Group]

74% of the combined groups had a moderate to high genetic addiction risk score (GARS). One acute dose of KB220-IV variant in heroin addicts having brain abnormalities was found to normalize qEEG. Additionally, a randomized double-blind placebo controlled study involving oral KB220-Z variant established qEEG normalization of reward circuitry in abstinent psycho-stimulant abusers (P < 0.03).

Conclusions

We cautiously suggest that long-term activation of dopaminergic receptors will lead to D2 receptor proliferation and enhanced “dopamine sensitivity,” thus reducing aberrant craving behavior especially in carriers of the DRD2 A1 allele. Although supported by 20 clinical trials, KB220-Z awaits PET scanning to determine its chronic effects on D2 receptor numbers.
BDNF and DISC1 are associated with cognitive dysfunction but not with schizophrenia in a hungarian sample
Authors: Farkas K. , Réthelyi J. , Polgár P. , Benkovits J. , Fábián Á. , Czobor P. , Bitter I.
Published: May 2011

Introduction

Previous studies have found association between several schizophrenia candidate genes and neurocognition in schizophrenia patients and healthy individuals. Both brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and disrupted in schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) are important for neurodevelopmental processes and have been implicated as schizophrenia candidate genes, as well as genes influencing neurocognition.

Objectives and aims

To test for the previously described association of these genes with schizophrenia and neurocognition.

Methods

DNA samples from a homogeneous sample of 280 schizophrenia patients and 230 healthy controls were genotyped for polymorphisms in schizophrenia candidate genes DISC1 (rs821597 and rs821616) and BDNF (rs6265). Clinical assessment was performed using the Schedule for Deficit Syndrome and the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale. Neurocognitive functioning was assessed in a subsample of 263 patients and 135 healthy controls by a comprehensive neuropsychological test-battery. Based on the raw neuropsychological measures we calculated a global index of cognitive impairment and domain-specific composite z-scores. Association between the above composite scores and the SNPs was examined using GLM and GENMOD analysis.

Results

The investigated SNPs were not associated with schizophrenia, nor with the deficit or non-deficit subgroups. However we found significant association between global cognitive impairment and rs821616 in DISC1 (F = 3.02, p = 0.05) and rs6265 in BDNF (F = 4.47, p = 0.01); moreover rs6265 was associated with working memory (F = 6.22, p = 0.002) and attention (F = 7.27, p = 0.0074)

Conclusion

Using neurocognition as an endophenotype for psychotic disorders in genetic studies has the potential to determine common and separate genetic factors influencing disease risk and neurocognition.
THE -1021C/T polymorphism of the dopamine-B-hydroxylase (DBH) gene promoter affects personality traits in healthy subjects
Authors: Kamata M. , Suzuki A. , Matsumoto Y. , Shibuya N. , Togashi H. , Otani K.
Published: May 2011

Introduction

Dopamine and norepinephrine are implicated in the characterization of personality traits. Dopamine-β-hydroxylase (DBH) is the enzyme responsible for conversion of dopamine to norepinephrine. Previous studies have shown that the -1021C/T polymorphism of the DBH gene promoter influences plasma DBH activity. Few studies investigated the association between this polymorphism and personality traits.

Aim

To examine the association between the -1021C/T DBH polymorphism and personality traits in healthy volunteers.

Methods

The participants were 627 Japanese unrelated volunteers. The subjects with present psychiatric disorders or past history of psychiatric disorders according to the DSM-IV were excluded. The DBH genotypes were identified by a PCR-RFLP method, and personality traits were assessed by the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Yamagata University School of Medicine, and all subjects provided written informed consent to participate.

Results

In the two-factor analysis of covariance with the DBH genotype and sex as factors and with age as a covariate, there was no main effect of the DBH genotype on any TCI score, while the interaction between the factors was significant in harm avoidance. In the post-hoc analysis, the group with the T allele predictive of lower DBH activity had higher scores of harm avoidance than that without the T allele in females (p=0.006), but not in males.

Conclusion

The present study suggests that the -1021C/T DBH polymorphism affects the personality trait of harm avoidance in healthy females.
Genetical realtions of social loneliness in geriatric patients
Authors: Kuzelova H. , Ptacek R. , Macek M. , Zukov I. , Eliasova I.
Published: May 2011

Loneliness affects both psychical and physical health and among geriatric patients can be serious. Social loneliness, anxiety-related personality traits, risk of developing depression, alcoholism or suicidal behavior could be associated with a functional variant in the serotonin transporter. Serotonin transporter gene length polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) is associated with changes of serotonin transporter activity and is one of the major factors which contribute to the etiology of many psychiatric disorders. The aim of the study was to found possible differences in distribution of variants in two groups of geriatric patients (average age 80 years).

Group of 300 probands were examined for 5-HTTLPR variants. Blood samples were randomly collected from 150 elderly males and 150 elderly females. The elderly individuals were not related and lived in the same geographic region as the control newborns and the young adults. Two groups were defined - ambulatory (apparently healthy, 65 males and 70 females) and non-ambulatory (have no people who could take care about them, having chronic diseases and depend on geriatric care, 85 males and 80 females) people. Bialelic and trialelic dividing of 5-HTTLPR was considered. Length polymorphism was analyzed (L or S variant) and single nucleotide polymorphism was detected (LA or LG variant).

A significant difference was found in allele distribution of 5-HTTLPR in two groups of patients. Ambulatory group of patients had higher occurrence of L allele and also LA allele. The results of the study suggest that social loneliness may have some personality predictors that may have its genetical correlates.
Association study between glucocorticoid receptor polymorphisms and personality traits in healthy subjects
Authors: Matsumoto Y. , Suzuki A. , Shibuya N. , Sadahiro R. , Kamata M. , Goto K. , Otani K.
Published: May 2011

Aims

Previous studies have shown that the function of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is involved in the characterization of personality traits. Glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is the most important regulator of the HPA axis negative feedback system, and several polymorphisms of the GR gene are associated with altered glucocorticoid sensitivity. In the present study, we examined the associations between the GR polymorphisms and personality traits in healthy subjects.

Methods

Subjects were 880 Japanese healthy volunteers. Personality traits were assessed by the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). Two polymorphisms of the GR gene, i.e., G/C SNP in the intron 2 (BcII polymorphism, rs41423247) and A/G SNP in the exon 9β (9β polymorphism, rs6198), were detected by a real-time PCR and cycling probe technology for SNP typing.

Results

The genotype distributions were G/G = 614, G/C = 240, and C/C = 26 for the BcII polymorphism, and A/A = 879 and A/G = 1 for the 9β polymorphism, respectively. There were no significant associations between the BcII genotype groups in any TCI dimension score.

Conclusion

The present study suggests that these two GR polymorphisms (BcII and 9β polymorphism) are not involved in the characterization of personality traits in healthy subjects.
Possible involvement of the calreticulin gene in the evolution of cognition in humans
Authors: Farokhashtiani T. , Mirabzadeh A. , Ohadi M.
Published: May 2011

The chromosomal region, 19p 13.2, has been suggested to be linked with schizoaffective disorder (Hamshere et al. 2005). This region harbors the calreticulin gene, protein encoded by which is an endoplasmic Ca+2-binding molecular chaperone. Development-dependent, tissue-specific expression of this gene in the gray matter coincides with the expression of psychoses phenotypes. We have recently reported instances of mutations within the core promoter (−48 G>C, −205 C>T) and coding sequence [exon 5 (c: 682 C>T, pro228ser)] of the gene in schizoaffective disorder. In view of the mounting evidence on the genetic overlap in the psychiatric spectrum, we investigated this gene in 386 patients afflicted with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, major affective disorder and 600 controls by PCR/SSCA. We found that a unique mutation within the core promoter of the gene, located at a conserved genomic block, co-occurring with four cases of psychoses including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disorder type I. This unique mutation reverts the human promoter sequence to the ancestral types observed in chimpanzee, rhesus Macaque and mouse, implying that the genomic block harboring this nucleotide may be involved in the evolution of human-specific higher-order functions of the brain (i.e. cognition), that are ubiquitously impaired in psychoses. Our findings propose that calreticulin is not only a promising candidate in the spectrum of psychoses, but also, a gene that may be important in the process of human-unique higher-level functions of the brain.
COMT in major depression - UK candidate gene association study
Authors: Schosser A. , Ng M.Y. , Butler A.W. , Cohen-Woods S. , Craddock N. , Owen M. , Craig I. , Farmer A.E. , Lewis C.M. , McGuffin P.
Published: May 2011

Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) has a central role in brain dopamine, noradrenalin and adrenalin signaling, and has been suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis and pharmacological treatment of affective disorders. The functional single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in exon 4 (Val158Met, rs4680) influences the COMT enzyme activity. The Val158Met polymorphism is a commonly studied variant in psychiatric genetics, and initial studies in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder presented evidence for association with the Met allele. In unipolar depression, while some of the investigations point at an association between the Met/Met genotype and others have found a link between the Val/Val genotype and depression, most of the studies cannot detect any difference in Val158Met allele frequency between depressed individuals and controls.

In the present study, we further elucidated the impact of COMT polymorphisms including the Val158Met in MDD. We investigated 1,250 subjects with DSM-IV and/or ICD-10 diagnosis of major depression (MDD), and 1,589 control subjects from UK. A total of 24 SNPs spanning the COMT gene were successfully genotyped using the Illumina HumaHap610-Quad Beadchip (22 SNPs), SNPlex™ genotyping system (1 SNP), and Sequenom MassARRAY® iPLEX Gold (1 SNP). Statistical analyses were implemented using PASW Statistics18, FINETTI (http://ihg.gsf.de/cgi-bin/hw/hwa1.pl), UNPHASED version 3.0.10 program and Haploview 4.0 program.

Neither single-marker nor haplotypic association was found with the functional Val158Met polymorphism or with any of the other SNPs genotyped. Our findings do not provide evidence that COMT plays a role in MDD or that this gene explains part of the genetic overlap with bipolar disorder.
Resequencing of the GAP-43 gene reveals some rare genetic variants that may increase the genetic burden in schizophrenia
Authors: Shen Y.-C. , Chen C.-H.
Published: May 2011

Objectives

Growth-associated protein 43 (GAP-43) was critical for initial establishment or reorganization of synaptic connections, a process thought to be disrupted in schizophrenia. Abnormal GAP-43 expression has been linked to this disorder in numerous postmortem brain studies. The purpose of this study was to investigate the involvement of the gene encoding GAP-43 in the susceptibility to schizophrenia.

Methods

We searched for genetic variants in the promoter region and 3 exons (including both UTR ends) of the GAP-43 gene using direct sequencing in a sample of Han Chinese schizophrenic patients (n = 354) and non-psychotic controls (n = 338) from Taiwan, and conducted a case-control association study.

Results

We identified 11 common SNPs in the GAP-43 gene. SNP and haplotype-based analyses showed no association with schizophrenia. Besides, we identified 4 rare variants in 4 out of 354 patients, including 1 variant located at the promoter region, 1 synonymous and 2 missense variants located at exon 2. No rare variants were found in the control subjects. Collectively, these rare variants were significantly overrepresented in the patient group (1.1% v.s 0; p value of Fisher’s exact test = 0.02), suggesting they may increase the genetic burden in schizophrenia.

Conclusion

Although the functional significance of these rare variants remained to be characterized, our study lent support to the hypothesis of multiple rare mutations in schizophrenia, and provided genetic clues to indicate the involvement of neurodevelopment defect in this disorder.
Association between 5-HTTLPR and neuroticism in borderline personality disorder
Authors: Silva Ibarra H. , Villarroel Garrido J. , Iturra Constant P. , Jerez Concha S. , Bustamante Calderon M.L. , Montes Aguirre C. , Fuentes Salgado M.
Published: May 2011

Neuroticism is characterized by emotional instability and the tendency to experience negative emotions such as anger, anxiety and depressed mood. Subjects with borderline personality disorder (BPD) present this personality dimension as a temperamental core trait. There has been proposed that neuroticism can appropriately describe the most important characteristics of BPD. The polymorphism in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) has been implicated in depression, anxiety and suicide. It is estimated that 5-HTTLPR polymorphism account to 7 to 9% of inherited variance of neuroticism in personality. The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between neuroticism and 5-HTTLPR polymorphism in BPD. We evaluate personality with NEO PI R inventory in 104 BPD subjects (76 female/28 male) that did not meet criteria for axis I diagnoses and other personality disorders. The genetic analysis of 5-HTTLPR were performed determining the presence of long and short alleles, subjects were grouped in long/long (LL) and S-carriers (LS+SS). Statistical analysis were tested with parametric and correlation method with Stata10. We found significant difference in neuroticism between the genotype groups (F = 8.57, p = 0.0004) and lower levels of neuroticism in LL than S-carriers. Female have higher neuroticism than male. 5-HTTLPR polymorphism explains 18.02% of inherited variance in neuroticism. The S-carriers had 11.9 times higher risk of presenting elevated neuroticism compared with LL. We conclude that there are relation between 5-HTTLPR polymorphism and neuroticism in BPD. These results should contribute to the genetic study of BPD.
Interaction effects between the brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met polymorphism and parental rearing on personality traits in healthy subjects
Authors: Suzuki A. , Matsumoto Y. , Shibuya N. , Sadahiro R. , Kamata M. , Goto K. , Otani K.
Published: May 2011

Aims

There is a growing body of data suggesting the gene-environment interaction in the characterization of personality traits, but variation in ordinary parental rearing among environmental factors has not been focused yet. We examined the effects of the interaction between the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism and parental rearing on personality traits.

Methods

Subjects were 710 Japanese healthy volunteers. Perceived parental rearing was assessed by the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI), which consists of the care and protection factors. Personality assessment was performed by the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), which has 7 dimensions, i.e., novelty seeking, harm avoidance, reward dependence, persistence, self-directedness, cooperativeness, and self-transcendence. The BDNF Val66Met polymorphism was detected by the PCR-RFLP method.

Results

Parental rearing has significant main effects on all TCI dimensions except novelty seeking, while no significant main effects of the BDNF genotype on the TCI scores were found. The interaction between the BDNF genotype and maternal care of the PBI had significant effects on harm avoidance and self-directedness of the TCI. Post-hoc analyses showed that decreased maternal care was correlated with increased harm avoidance and decreased self-directedness in most of the genotype groups, and for both personality traits the correlation was highest in the Met/Met genotype and lowest in the Val/Val genotype and that for the Val/Met genotype was in between the two values.

Conclusion

The present study suggests that the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism moderates the effects of parenting rearing, especially maternal care, on harm avoidance and self-directedness in healthy subjects.