bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The structure stability of negative symptoms: longitudinal network analysis of the Brief Negative Symptom Scale in subjects with schizophrenia
Authors: Caporusso E. , Giordano G. M. , Mucci A. , Rucci P. , Sanmarchi F. , Giuliani L. , Perrottelli A. , Pezzella P. , Bucci P. , Rocca P. , Rossi A. , Bertolino A. , Galderisi S. , Maj M. 
Published: August 2023

IntroductionNegative symptoms (NS) represent an unmet need of treatment in schizophrenia (SCZ). As a result, these symptoms pose a significant burden on patients, their families, and the health care system. In the last decade, the conceptualization model that has received the most support from the literature has described 2 domains of NS: the expressive deficit (EXP), which includes blunted affect and alogia, and the motivational deficit (MAP), which includes avolition, asociality, and anhedonia. However, different confirmatory factor-analytic studies suggest that the bi-dimensional model may not capture the complexity of this construct, which could be better defined by the 5-factor model. To date no study exploiting innovative tools and state of the art assessment instruments has yet been conducted to evaluate the NS structure stability over time.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate the stability of the latent structure of NS in subjects with SCZ.MethodsNS were assessed in 612 subjects with SCZ using the Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS) at the baseline and after 4-year follow-up. A network invariance analysis was conducted for the data collected longitudinally.ResultsResults showed that the BNSS’ items aggregated to form 5 distinct domains (avolition, asociality, blunted affect, alogia and anhedonia). The result of the network invariance test indicated that the network structure remained unchanged over time (network invariance test = 0.13; p = 0.169) while its overall strength decreased significantly (6.28 baseline, 5.79 at follow-up; global strength invariance test = 0.48; p = 0.016).ConclusionsThe results of this study show how the construct of NS can be better explained by the 5 individual negative symptoms and that this model is almost stable over time. Therefore the 2-dimensional model may be insufficient to describe the characteristics of NS. This data is of important relevance with consequent implications in the study of pathophysiological mechanisms and the development of targeted treatments for NS.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared
Epidemiology of depression in schizophrenia patients living in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Endomba F. T. , Tariku M. 
Published: August 2023

IntroductionVarious comorbid conditions can worsen the morbidity and mortality of schizophrenia, and this is the case for depression, especially through suicidal behaviors and cardiometabolic impairments. There is a scarcity of summarizing data on depressive symptoms and disorders among schizophrenia patients living in Africa.ObjectivesThe aim of this meta-analytic review was to estimate the prevalence of depression in people living with schizophrenia in Africa.MethodsWe systematically searched for relevant articles published from inception to July 05, 2022, in PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, and African Journals Online. We appraised the risk of bias using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Critical Appraisal Checklist for studies reporting prevalence data, and estimated the pooled prevalence of depression among patients with schizophrenia using a random-effects meta-analytic model. We performed meta-regression and subgroup analyses to assess potential mediators of our estimates. We based the report of our findings on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines (2020). We registered our protocol in PROSPERO (CRD42022315717).ResultsFrom 791 initial records, 10 studies were finally included in our qualitative and quantitative syntheses (Figure 1). These studies encompassed 2265 patients with schizophrenia (male-to-female ratio = 1.94), and were conducted between 2001 and 2019, in Egypt (n = 1/10), Ethiopia (n = 4/10), Morocco (n = 1/10), Nigeria (n = 1/10), South Africa (n = 2/10), and Tunisia (n = 1/10). The mean age of participants ranged from 33.8 to 49.2 years, and the most used tool was the Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (n = 4/10). The pooled prevalence rate of depression was 23.93% (95% CI: 19.43% – 28.73%), with substantial heterogeneity (I² = 84%). The prevalence of depression significantly varied according to screening tool used. The frequencies for Northern and Sub-Saharan Africa were respectively 31.9% (95% CI: 24.8% – 39.5%) and 21.1% (95% CI: 16.7% – 25.9%), with a significant difference between these subgroups (Figure 2). A higher prevalence of depression was associated with a lower percentage of schizophrenia patients with high education levels. Among schizophrenia people with depression (n = 250), 46.04% (95% CI: 30.07% – 62.42%) reported past or current suicide behaviors. The risk of bias was low for three studies, moderate for two studies, and high for five studies. The certainty was very low, and we found no publication bias.Image:Image 2:ConclusionsApproximately one in every four schizophrenia patients living in Africa was positively screened for depression. This review draws health professionals’ attention caring people with schizophrenia, and calls for further studies with a harmonization of screening tool, a better representativity of some subregions, and the assessment of key potential factors such as perceived stigma and self-stigma.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared
Estimating the prevalence of alcohol abuse using phosphatidylethanol
Authors: Razvodovsky Y. 
Published: August 2023

IntroductionCurrently, there is an active development of methods for the laboratory diagnosis of alcohol abuse using biochemical markers.ObjectivesThe aim of this work was to estimate the prevalence of alcohol abuse among the urban population of Belarus using the concentration of phosphatidylethanol in the blood as a biochemical marker of alcoholism.Methods220 blood samples from Grodno residents of both sexes aged 15 to 65 were analyzed. The AUDIT questionnaire was used as a screening tool. Determination of the concentration of phosphatidylethanol in the blood was carried out using the method of high performance liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC - MS).ResultsThe average concentration of phosphatidylethanol in the blood of men and women was 266.11±54.57 and 55.27±9.43 nmol/ml, respectively. In 9.6% of blood samples, the concentration of phosphatidylethanol exceeded the threshold level of alcohol abuse. It was found that the concentration of phosphatidylethanol in the blood does not correlate with the total score, as well as the frequency and quantitative characteristics of the AUDIT screening test.ConclusionsDetermining the concentration of phosphatidylethanol in the blood is a more reliable way to diagnose alcohol abuse than using screening tools.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared
Effect of Regulated Add-on Sodium Chloride Intake on Stabilization of Serum Lithium Concentration in Bipolar Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Maiti R. , George S. , Mishra B. R. , Jena M. 
Published: August 2023

IntroductionThe therapeutic use of lithium in bipolar disorder is often restricted due to its narrow therapeutic window and adverse drug reactions. Lithium-induced early renal dysfunction is clinically important as it may lead to sodium depletion due to natriuresis leading to lithium retention and lithium toxicity. This is most often seen in the initial phases of therapy, and psychiatrists struggle titrating the dose of lithium and stabilizing the serum lithium level.ObjectivesThe present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of add-on sodium chloride on serum lithium levels in bipolar disorder.MethodsThe present randomized controlled trial (NCT04222816) was conducted in 60 patients with type I bipolar disorder who were randomized into the control group who received lithium carbonate with the advice not to take additional salt (at the table) and the test group who received sachets of sodium chloride (1 g/d) as an add-on to lithium carbonate and were advised to restrict their additional salt intake (at the table) to 1 g/d. After baseline assessments, all patients were followed up at 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks when serum lithium, sodium and potassium were estimated. Serum creatinine and aldosterone were repeated at 12 weeks.ResultsIn the test group, the fluctuation rate in serum lithium (26.7%) was significantly (p=0.01) lower than in the control group (63.3%). There was a significant difference in serum lithium in the control group at different time points; however, the changes were not significant in the test group. There was a significant difference in serum lithium between the groups at 8 and 12 weeks of follow-up. There were no significant differences in the change in serum sodium, potassium, creatinine, aldosterone, creatinine clearance, and blood pressure within the group and between the groups. A significant positive correlation was found between serum lithium and aldosterone at baseline.ConclusionsIntake of add-on sodium chloride (1 gm/day) may reduce the fluctuations in serum lithium during the maintenance phase of lithium therapy in type I bipolar disorder.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared
The effect of long-acting injectable antipsychotics on QRISK3 in patients with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia
Authors: Erbasan V. , Ekici F. , Uçak E. F. , Aydın M. , Altınbaş K. 
Published: August 2023

IntroductionPsychiatric diseases are often accompanied by medical comorbidities, and cardiovascular system disease is one of the most important causes of death in bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SCH) [1]. The QRISK3 algorithm calculatesa person’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease over the next ten years and it has been used in psychiatric research in recent years [2].ObjectivesIn this study, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between cardiovascular risks (by using QRISK3 algorithm) and treatment options in patients of BD and SCH.MethodsThirty-six patients with bipolar disorder and thirty-two patients with schizophrenia recruited between the years 2016-2022. All of the patients were treated with long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics. Sociodemographic information, clinical features and medical treatment agents of individuals were recorded. The risk of development of cardiac disease of the patients were evaluated by the QRISK3 algorithm. Descriptive and regression statistical analysis was performed with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).ResultsMore than half of the patients were male (n= 39, 57.4%) and single (n= 40, 58.8%). The mean duration of education was 9.2 ±3.5 years and the mean age was 39.7 ±11.9 years of the patients. Nearly half of the patients had a diagnosis of BD (n= 36, 52.9%) while others had SCH (n:32, 47.1%). Most of the patients were treated with LAI of aripiprazole (n= 36, 59.2%) and the rest of them were treated with LAI of paliperidone (n= 32, 40.8%). When demographic and clinical data of BD and SCH patients were compared, there was no significant difference in terms of age. However, SCH patients had a longer disease duration (t= 2.56, p= 0.013) and more hospitalization (t= 3.35, p= 0,002) than BD patients. Our findings showed positive correlations between age (r= 0.74, p<0.01), duration of disease (r= 0.57, p< 0.01), and duration of LAI use (r= 0.55, p< 0.01) with QRISK. A regression analysis to examine related factors associated with QRISK found that having a diagnosis of schizophrenia (β= 0.27, t= 2.58; p= 0.01) and a long disease duration (β= 0.67, t= 6.50, p< 0.01) were associated with the development of cardiovascular disease. However, there was no relationship between LAIs (paliperidone vs aripiprazole) used in the treatment and QRISK.ConclusionsThe significant correlation found between duration of disease and QRISK -that indicate the risk of development of cardiac disease- confirming the progressive nature of the BD and SCH. Moreover, the significant correlation between SCH and QRISK suggests that SCH is a chronic and severe disease that causes more cardiac dysfunction than BD. However, we could not find a significant difference between LAIs in terms of QRISK, these results can be changed by evaluating other variables such as comorbidities, other medical treatments and physical activities in future research.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared
Correlations of thought disorders with attenuated positive symptoms at clinical high-risk state for psychosis
Authors: Kaleda V. , Omelchenko M. , Arutyunova E. 
Published: August 2023

IntroductionOne of the methods for early diagnosis in individuals at clinical high-risk state for psychosis could be the identifying specific symptoms, such as thought disorders. Thought disorders may be a separate symptom, unrelated to attenuated positive symptoms (APS) with an independent predictive value.ObjectivesCorrelation analysis of thought disorders and APS in patients at clinical high-risk state for psychosis.MethodsThe study included 30 young men (mean age 19.2±2.1 years) hospitalized at the clinic of the FSBSI “Mental Health Research Centre” with the APS in the first depressive episode (F32.1, F32.2, F32.28, F32.8) which is considered as clinical high-risk state for psychosis. The severity of thought impairment was assessed using the Thought, Language and Communication Scale (TLC). Subsequently was performed the search for correlations of scores on the TLC and the severity of “prodromal” symptoms, according to The Scale of Prodromal Symptoms (SOPS).ResultsThe median value of the total score on the TLC was 20 [17.25;23.5]. The most important finding is the discovery of only minor correlations of thought disorder with “prodromal” symptoms. Indeed, the total score on the TLC correlated only with the total score on the SOPS at admission (r=0.370, p<0.05). Such symptoms of the TLC scale as «Derailment», «Incoherence», «Perseveration» did not find any correlation with prodromal symptoms (p>0.05).ConclusionsThe obtained data indicates the independent nature of thought disorder in patients at clinical high-risk state for schizophrenia, which leads the need to determine its own prognostic value.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared
The Relationship between Plasma Erythropoietin Levels and Symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Authors: Kwon Y.-J. 
Published: August 2023

IntroductionThere are animal models associating dopamine dysfunction with behavioral impairments that model attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Erythropoietin (EPO) has trophic effects on dopaminergic neurons.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to examine the Erythropoietin (EPO) plasma levels and determine whether there was any correlation between plasma EPO levels and clinical characteristics of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD).MethodsPlasma EPO levels were measured in 78 drug naïve children with ADHD and in 81 healthy children. The severity of ADHD symptoms was determined by scores on the Korean ADHD Rating Scale (K-ARS) in children and healthy controls.ResultsThe ADHD group consisted of 64 boys and 14 girls, and the healthy control group of 31 boys and 50 girls. The median plasma EPO levels in ADHD children was 12.9 mIU/mL, whereas it was 12.0 mIU/mL in the healthy controls. This difference was not statistically significant. Participants in the highest tertiles of plasma EPO had a 1.49 times higher risk of ADHD than those in the lowest tertile, and those in the second highest tertile had a 2.39 times higher risk of ADHD than those in the lowest tertile. Plasma EPO levels correlated positively with some K-ARS scores, including hyperactivity-impulsivity score and total score. The significant difference in hyperactivity-impulsivity score comparing participants in the second highest with those in the lowest tertile. total K-ARS score was significantly higher in the second highest tertile of plasma EPO compared to those in the lowest tertile.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that plasma EPO levels were related to some ADHD symptoms, which could be used in the monitoring of the disorder. Further studies are required to clearly understand the source and role of EPO in ADHD.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared
Gender gap-related issues among mothers revealed by a comparative study of adolescent hikikomori between Japan and France
Authors: Hamasaki Y. , Dorard G. , Tajan N. , Pionnié‑Dax N. 
Published: August 2023

IntroductionAround 2010, the number of hikikomori cases increased rapidly. Hikikomori is a global problem that characterizes the current era, and has become an increasingly deep-rooted social issue that affects the younger generation, especially during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In our previous comparative study of adolescent hikikomori between Japan and France (Hamasaki et al. BMC Psychiatry 2022; 22, 477), we investigated its psychopathology, including potential cultural influencing factors. The study showed no difference in terms of psycho-behavioral characteristics of hikikomori between Japan and France. However, the sociocultural factors that make hikikomori more severe differed between the two countries, i.e., in Japan: lack of communication between parents, in France: lack of communication between the family and the community.ObjectivesSince these differences in sociocultural factors are closely related to the social context in which the mothers were placed, the factors in terms of maternal gender issues were examined, along with reviewing previous studies.MethodsStatistical data from the “Global Gender Gap Report 2022” of the World Economic Forum, the “Towards real gender equality 2021” of the Ministry of Gender Equality, Diversity, and Equal Opportunities of France, the “Women and Men in Japan 2020” of the Gender Equality Bureau, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan, and other sources were evaluated. Further, previous literature on the family environmental factors of hikikomori were reviewed.ResultsAn absent father, a subsequent mother-child closeness and over-interference, and the inhibition of children’s independence, have been repeatedly mentioned in studies as factors leading to hikikomori. The time spent on housework and childcare by Japanese men is at the lowest level globally (Japan’s gender gap index ranks 116th out of 146 countries, the lowest among the seven major G7 nations). In Japan, where generally little cooperation exists between parents, particularly in those families where communication between parents is self-rated as relatively poor, the above factors may surpass the threshold for triggering hikikomori. In France (ranked 15th in gender gap index), the isolation of mothers and children from society is an important factor associated with hikikomori. Adequate social participation of the mother may be a protective factor against hikikomori.ConclusionsGender gap-related issues among mothers may be involved in the root of the hikikomori problem. Hikikomori has emerged from various socio-familial factors. Further studies are warranted to determine the causal relationships of these factors with the onset and severity of hikikomori.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared
Theory on Extremal Nucleon Heuristics to Psychiatry
Authors: Pachankis Y. 
Published: August 2023

IntroductionThe theorization focuses on the climate change’s influence to neurobiology. In modern societies, environmental nucleon generates in everyday activities from computers to industrial pollution. The subtle psychiatric changes can be categorized into: 1) the change of media in consciousness formation processes from cognition, such as from paper to electronic reading and from linguistics to coding; 2) activity changes in local reciprocal environment especially in places undergoing industrialization or developmental energy sources; 3) global exchanges underlying the current definitions of climate change but also taken into consideration of media change in cognitive behaviors; and 4) changes from outer space environment to the effects of global-to-local changes.ObjectivesThe objective of the theorization seeks to develop a heuristic paradigm to quantify the climate change’s effects to psychiatry from a neurobiological perspective. Albeit climate change is a complex topical issue, especially regarding the multivariable sources and traditional paradigms of case studies in the psychological and medical sciences, common sources of impacts to psychiatric public health in collective behaviors have been less of a focus. With the higher order of autonomous human functioning governed by the brains, the theorization in psychiatric public health hopes to quantify environmental impacts to brain functionings.MethodsThe theorization accumulated from nonproliferation research and the researcher’s developments in dopamine treatments in the high risk social-natural environment on depression. Inspired by the explicit review on electronic warfare’s impact on public health and astronomical research with proton decay outcome, a correlative theorization emerged between the cosmic decay and biodiversity in biochemistry. The theorization draws on developmental psychology to the nucleon heuristics in data research in cosmology, with prior experience documenting proliferation by applied quantum chromodynamics. Psychiatric data can be retrieved from relevant clinical settings of equivalent multi-wavelength brain scans as samples.ResultsFrom the perspective of cosmology, extremal graph theory can sample climate change on earth’s plasma from cosmic changes. This means earth’s dipole shifts to quantitative local population can be plotted, similar to the wild life researches in birds’ migration pattern changes. Local variants mainly derive from energy source types and energy consumption, however, bona fide data can hardly be retrieved due to deliberate transgressions for certain dire areas. Normative research can be conducted with cross-disciplinary collaborations with due consideration to privacy in public health research ethics.ConclusionsEnvironmental monitoring and psychiatric effects in developmental psychology are necessary in fundamental research on human security. This would increase some certainties and predictabilities for human development.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared