To determine the impact of childhood adversity and current (adulthood) resilience on mental and physical health and markers of metabolic function among adults with schizophrenia and nonpsychiatric ...comparison participants (NCs).
We conducted a cross-sectional study of 114 participants with schizophrenia (DSM-IV-TR criteria) and 101 NCs aged 26-65 years during 2012-2017. Sociodemographic, clinical, and laboratory measures were examined. Childhood Trauma Questionnaire was used to retrospectively assess emotional abuse/neglect, physical abuse/neglect, and sexual abuse experienced during childhood. Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale was employed to measure resilience.
Persons with schizophrenia reported more severe childhood trauma, lower resilience, and worse mental and physical health and had worse metabolic biomarker levels than NCs. Trauma severity correlated with worse depression in the NCs (r = 0.34), but not in the schizophrenia group (r = 0.02). In both groups, trauma severity was associated with worse physical well-being, higher fasting insulin levels, and greater insulin resistance (P ≤ .02). Notably, resilience appeared to counteract effects of trauma and diagnosis on mental and physical health. The schizophrenia subgroup with high resilience and severe trauma reported mental and physical well-being and had glycosylated hemoglobin levels and insulin resistance scores that were comparable to those of NCs with low resilience and severe trauma.
To our knowledge, this is the first study to quantitatively assess effects of both childhood trauma and resilience in schizophrenia on health, notably metabolic function. Interventions to bolster resilience in the general population and in people with schizophrenia may improve outcomes for those with a history of childhood adversity.
Abstract
Loneliness and wisdom have opposing impacts on health and well-being, yet their neuro-cognitive bases have never been simultaneously investigated. In this study of 147 healthy human subjects ...sampled across the adult lifespan, we simultaneously studied the cognitive and neural correlates of loneliness and wisdom in the context of an emotion bias task. Aligned with the social threat framework of loneliness, we found that loneliness was associated with reduced speed of processing when angry emotional stimuli were presented to bias cognition. In contrast, we found that wisdom was associated with greater speed of processing when happy emotions biased cognition. Source models of electroencephalographic data showed that loneliness was specifically associated with enhanced angry stimulus-driven theta activity in the left transverse temporal region of interest, which is located in the area of the temporoparietal junction (TPJ), while wisdom was specifically related to increased TPJ theta activity during happy stimulus processing. Additionally, enhanced attentiveness to threatening stimuli for lonelier individuals was observed as greater beta activity in left superior parietal cortex, while wisdom significantly related to enhanced happy stimulus-evoked alpha activity in the left insula. Our results demonstrate emotion-context driven modulations in cognitive neural circuits by loneliness versus wisdom.
•Criteria for psychosis in dementia have not been reviewed and revised for twenty years; new knowledge informed a process led by the International Psychogeriatric Association (IPA) to update these ...criteria.•On the basis of 2 surveys of members, an international multi-stakeholder conference, and a reiterative consensus-building process, the original Jeste and Finkel criteria were updated with definitions of delusions and hallucinations, description of time frames, and notation of severity and accompanying features. The terminology of “psychosis in major and mild neurocognitive disorders” was adopted, expanding the definition into pre-dementia phases of neurocognitive disorders.•The updated definition will assist in advancing clinical research and clinical trials leading to improved understanding, detection, recognition, and treatment of psychosis in major and mild neurocognitive disorders.
Psychosis is common among individuals with neurocognitive disorders, is difficult to manage, and causes considerable burden and stress to patients and caregivers. Developing effective treatments is a substantial unmet medical need but research has been slowed by the need for updated consensus diagnostic criteria. To address this need, the International Psychogeriatrics Association initiated a process to develop criteria for clinical use, research, and treatment development efforts. The process included clinical, regulatory, and industry stakeholders as well as input from a global network of experts in geriatric psychiatry responding to two surveys (N = 336). Results from the consensus process confirmed that clinicians wanted elaboration of aspects of the definition proposed by Jeste and Finkel in 2000 to ensure that the criteria are applied appropriately. Based on discussions, the survey, and emerging research, criteria were revised to apply to psychosis occurring with all major and mild neurocognitive disorders. Other important changes include providing examples of hallucinations and delusions and clarifying time course, impact, and exclusionary criteria. This definition of psychosis in major and mild neurocognitive disorders can be used to advance many types of research including development of much needed pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions for psychosis in patients with neurocognitive disorders.
•Artificial Intelligence has great potential to advance diagnosis and treatment of patients with neurocognitive disorders•Multi-feature datasets can improve personalization and predictive ability of ...machine learning algorithms in healthcare.•Development of Explainable Artificial Intelligence is warranted to establish trust in models for clinical decision-making.•Engagement of clinicians and establishment of ethical guidelines for Artificial Intelligence use in healthcare is necessary.•Artificial Intelligence models must be developed with “human in the loop” focus to enable better clinical decision-making.
Preserving cognition and mental capacity is critical to aging with autonomy. Early detection of pathological cognitive decline facilitates the greatest impact of restorative or preventative treatments. Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare is the use of computational algorithms that mimic human cognitive functions to analyze complex medical data. AI technologies like machine learning (ML) support the integration of biological, psychological, and social factors when approaching diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of disease. This paper serves to acquaint clinicians and other stakeholders with the use, benefits, and limitations of AI for predicting, diagnosing, and classifying mild and major neurocognitive impairments, by providing a conceptual overview of this topic with emphasis on the features explored and AI techniques employed. We present studies that fell into six categories of features used for these purposes: (1) sociodemographics; (2) clinical and psychometric assessments; (3) neuroimaging and neurophysiology; (4) electronic health records and claims; (5) novel assessments (e.g., sensors for digital data); and (6) genomics/other omics. For each category we provide examples of AI approaches, including supervised and unsupervised ML, deep learning, and natural language processing. AI technology, still nascent in healthcare, has great potential to transform the way we diagnose and treat patients with neurocognitive disorders.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Preserved cognitive performance is a key feature of successful aging. Several theoretical models have been proposed to explain the putative underlying relationship between brain function and ...performance. We aimed to review imaging studies of the association between brain functional response and cognitive performance among healthy younger and older adults to understand the neural correlates of successful cognitive aging. MEDLINE-indexed articles published between January 1989 and December 2009 and bibliographies of these articles and related reviews were searched. Studies that measured brain function with functional magnetic resonance imaging or positron emission tomography, evaluated cognitive performance, analyzed how cognitive performance related to brain response, and studied healthy older individuals were included. Eighty of 550 articles met these criteria. Seventy percent of the studies reported some brain regions in which greater activation related to better cognitive performance among older participants. This association was not universal, however, and was seen mainly in frontal cortex brain response and seemed to be more common among older compared with younger individuals. This review supports the notion of compensatory increases in brain activity in old age resulting in better cognitive performance, as suggested by hemispheric asymmetry reduction and posterior–anterior shift models of functional brain aging. However, a simple model of bigger structure → greater brain response → better cognitive performance might not be accurate. Suggestions for future research are discussed.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
Individuals with schizophrenia have higher mortality rates than the population at large. General mortality rates have declined in developed countries since the early 1970s, extending average lifespan ...by nearly a decade. This review of eight longitudinal studies of mortality in schizophrenia found that the mean standardized mortality ratio (SMR, a measure of mortality rate in schizophrenia compared to the general population) increased 37%, from 2.2 in the pre-1970s studies to 3.0 in the post-1970s reports. Major changes in societal stigma, healthcare, and economic policy are urgently warranted to ensure that this vulnerable segment of the population participates in the longevity revolution.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
The effort continued with its work on defining agitation in cognitive disorders (Cummings et al., 2015), and the IPA has demonstrated an enduring commitment to identifying and treating the clinical ...problems that pose some of the greatest challenges to the quality of life of patients and their families. Furthermore, the project was developed and advanced with the participation of internationally representative dementia experts including members of the Alzheimer’s Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer’s Research and Treatment Professional Interest Area (ISTAART PIA) and the International Society for CNS Clinical Trials and Methodology (ISCTM). Why do we need a new definition? Since the 2000 publication of criteria for psychosis in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) (Jeste and Finkel, 2000), the awareness and understanding of cognitive impairment and dementia has advanced in several ways. (2020) Symptoms/ADDITION of definitions and descriptions Visual or auditory hallucinations Visual or auditory hallucinations (e.g. seeing silent individuals standing in the room, seeing children in the yard, or seeing animals in the house) Delusions Delusions (fixed false beliefs that the patient believes to be true, e.g. that the spouse is unfaithful, that possessions are being stolen, or that one is not who one claims to be) Primary diagnosis/UPDATED All the criteria for dementia of the Alzheimer type are met All the criteria for any major and mild neurocognitive disorder are met, with the etiologic diagnoses specified (e.g. major neurocognitive disorder (Alzheimer’s disease)).
•Examined the literature on loneliness and social isolation among older Hispanic/Latinx adults in the United States.•There is no consistent difference in prevalence or severity of loneliness and ...social isolation between adults with different racial/ethnic backgrounds.•There are differences in loneliness and social isolation among Hispanic/Latinx adults of different national origins.•Suggestions for future research on loneliness and social isolation are discussed.
Loneliness and social isolation are growing public health problems in older adults, associated with physical and mental comorbidity and increased mortality. In the United States, Hispanic/Latinx individuals constitute the largest racial/ethnic minority. Studies retrieved from PsycInfo, Embase, and PubMed were examined. The initial search yielded 1476 publications. Using the updated PRISMA Flow guidelines, a total of 17 studies met our review criteria. Eight studies assessed loneliness, six evaluated social isolation, and three investigated both. The reports varied in the details of methodology, preventing meta-analyses. Differences in the experience of loneliness and social isolation between Hispanic/Latinx and White adults are not consistent. Of the three studies of loneliness or social isolation among Hispanic/Latinx groups of different national origins, two reported significant differences. Loneliness was associated with greater overall comorbidity, but two studies found higher risk of metabolic and cardiovascular disorders in Hispanic/Latinx with loneliness. Social isolation was generally associated with worse physical health, being older, male, and unmarried, and having lower education and income, and more smoking, along with frailty and cognitive impairment. We make specific suggestions for future research on loneliness and social isolation in Hispanic/Latinx adults and offer guidelines for clinical management.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Treatments for the cognitive impairments of schizophrenia are urgently needed. We developed and tested a 12-week, group-based, manualized, compensatory cognitive training intervention targeting ...prospective memory, attention, learning/memory, and executive functioning. The intervention focused on compensatory strategies, such as calendar use, self-talk, note taking, and a 6-step problem-solving method, and did not require computers.
In a randomized controlled trial, 69 outpatients with DSM-IV primary psychotic disorders were assigned to receive standard pharmacotherapy alone or compensatory cognitive training + standard pharmacotherapy for 12 weeks. Assessments of neuropsychological performance and functional capacity (primary outcomes) and psychiatric symptom severity, quality of life, social skills performance, cognitive insight, and self-reported everyday functioning (secondary outcomes) were administered at baseline, posttreatment, and 3-month follow-up. Data were collected between September 2003 and August 2009.
Hierarchical linear modeling analyses demonstrated significant compensatory cognitive training-associated effects on attention at follow-up (P = .049), verbal memory at posttreatment and follow-up (P values ≤ .039), and functional capacity (University of California, San Diego Performance-based Skills Assessment) at follow-up (P = .004). The compensatory cognitive training group also differentially improved in negative symptom severity at posttreatment and follow-up (P values ≤ .025) and subjective quality of life at follow-up (P = .002).
Compensatory cognitive training, a low-tech, brief intervention, has the potential to improve not only cognitive performance but also functional skills, negative symptoms, and self-rated quality of life in people with psychosis.
ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01521026.
•Loneliness has a powerful effect on the mental, emotional, and physical well-being of caregivers.•This integrative review sought investigate and synthesize the current interventions being utilized ...to reduce loneliness in familial caregivers and to evaluate the efficacy of such interventions.•Peer support was the most frequently utilized intervention method with results indicating that other caregivers undergoing a similar situation can effectively empathize and support fellow caregivers in their journey.•Findings from this review highlight the need for future studies with larger sample sizes and lengthier interventions.
Older adults are at an increased risk of loneliness. Many also serve as informal caregivers for persons with dementia and other disabling conditions, further predisposing them to loneliness. The primary objective was to assess current loneliness interventions for caregivers to inform development of effective therapies to improve their quality of life. An integrative review of the literature was conducted using five electronic databases and 12 studies were included for further analysis. Data were extracted regarding the type of intervention implemented, caregiver characteristics, and intervention effects. Five main intervention types emerged: mindful meditation, computer applications, music therapy, peer support, and community programs. Most care recipients had dementia, and most caregivers were spouses. Peer support was the most frequently utilized intervention, and common intervention strategies included providing emotional support, expanding one's social network, and supplying psychoeducational materials. Most interventions had methodological limitations and demonstrated small effect sizes. Hence, there remains a continued need for well-designed interventions that target loneliness in informal caregiver. Caregivers may benefit from interventions that expand their social network to improve their emotional regulation and understanding of their role. Further research on the role of group versus individual therapy is necessary to strengthen interventions and broaden their application.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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