Introduction A considerable number of patients at clinical high risk of psychosis (CHR) are found to meet criteria for co-morbid clinical psychiatric disorders. Objectives It is not known how ...clinical diagnoses correspond to transitions to psychosis (TTP). Aims We aimed to examine distributions of life-time and current Axis I diagnoses, and their association with TTP in CHR patients. Methods In the European Prediction of Psychosis Study project, 245 young help-seeking CHR patients were examined, and their baseline and life-time diagnoses were assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID-I). TTP was defined by continuation of BLIPS for more than seven days. Results Altogether, 71 % of the CHR patients had one or more life-time and 62 % one or more current SCID-I diagnosis; about a half in each category received a diagnosis of life-time depressive and anxiety disorder. Currently, 34 % suffered from depressive, 39 % from anxiety disorder, 4 % from bipolar and 6.5 % from somatoform disorder. During follow-up, 37 (15.1 %) TTPs were identified. In multivariate Cox regression analyses, current bipolar disorder, somatoform and unipolar depressive disorders associated positively, and anxiety disorders negatively, with TTP. Conclusions Both life-time and current mood and anxiety disorders are highly prevalent among help-seeking CHR patients and need to be carefully evaluated. Among them, occurrence of bipolar, somatoform and depressive disorders seem to predict TTP, while anxiety disorder may predict non-transition to psychosis. Treatment of bipolar, somatoform and depressive disorders may prevent CHR patients from developing full-blown psychotic disorders.
Objectives In the European Prediction of Psychosis Study (EPOS) a large sample of young patients at high risk of psychosis (HR) were examined and their conversion rate to psychosis during 18 months ...follow-up was estimated. This presentation describes quality of life (QoL) and its changes in patients at risk of psychosis who did or did not convert to psychosis. Methods In all, 245 young HR patients were recruited and followed for 9 and 18 months. Risk of psychosis was defined by occurrence of basic symptoms (BS), attenuated psychotic symptoms (ATP), brief, limited or intermittent psychotic symptoms (BLIPS) or familial risk plus reduced functioning (FR-RF). QoL was assessed at baseline and at 9 and 18 months’ follow-ups, and analysed in the HR-patients who converted (HR-P; n = 40) or did not converted to psychosis (HR-NP; n = 205). Results There were no differences in the course of QoL between the HR-P and HR-NP patients. Of the inclusion criteria, only BS associated with poor QoL at baseline. Among HR-NP subjects, depressive symptoms associated with QoL at baseline and predicted poor QoL at 9 and 18 month follow-ups. Conclusions QoL of the HR-NP patients is as poor as that of the HR-P. From the QoL point of view, all HR patients require intensive treatment intervention from the first contact on. Especially, depressive disorders need to be treated vigorously.
Objectives
In the European Prediction of Psychosis Study (EPOS) a large sample of young patients at high risk of psychosis (HR) were examined and their conversion rate to psychosis during 18 months ...follow-up was estimated. This presentation describes quality of life (QoL) and its changes in patients at risk of psychosis who did or did not convert to psychosis.
Methods
In all, 245 young HR patients were recruited and followed for 9 and 18 months. Risk of psychosis was defined by occurrence of basic symptoms (BS), attenuated psychotic symptoms (ATP), brief, limited or intermittent psychotic symptoms (BLIPS) or familial risk plus reduced functioning (FR-RF). QoL was assessed at baseline and at 9 and 18 months’ follow-ups, and analysed in the HR-patients who converted (HR-P; n = 40) or did not converted to psychosis (HR-NP; n = 205).
Results
There were no differences in the course of QoL between the HR-P and HR-NP patients. Of the inclusion criteria, only BS associated with poor QoL at baseline. Among HR-NP subjects, depressive symptoms associated with QoL at baseline and predicted poor QoL at 9 and 18 month follow-ups.
Conclusions
QoL of the HR-NP patients is as poor as that of the HR-P. From the QoL point of view, all HR patients require intensive treatment intervention from the first contact on. Especially, depressive disorders need to be treated vigorously.
The effects of the newly-synthesized AT II analogue (Sar1 azaVal3 Ile8) AT II were investigated in comparison with the octapeptide AT II and the analogue saralazin (Sar1 Ala8) AT II, using ...intracerebroventricular administration, with respect to the following parameters: the level of biogenic monoamines (DA, NA and 5-HT) and the metabolites HVA and 5-HIAA in mouse forebrain; the behaviour of the animals--cataleptogenic actions of mice, PTZ convulsive--seizure threshold in mice, apomorphine stereotypy in rats and behaviour of rats in a conflict situation. The analogue (Sar1 azaVal3 Ile8) AT II, unlike saralazin and AT II, was found to induce a rise in the NA and 5-HT levels, causing also catalepsy that is different from the catalepsy induced by saralazine, AT II and haloperidol, because of its rapid onset and decline; it increases the PTZ convulsive--seizure threshold and reduces the number of punished responses to the conflict drinking test (anxiomimetic effect) in a dose 20 times lower than the dose inducing the remaining effects. This effect was antagonized by saralazine. It is concluded that the newly-synthesized analogue (Sar1 azaVal3 Ile8) AT II induces effects similar to those caused by AT II, being at the same time different to a certain extent from the effects (quantitative and qualitative) of octapeptide AT II.
Comparative studies were carried out of the central effects of the octapeptide angiotensin II (AT II) and of its fragments: C-terminal hexapeptide (AT 3-8), middle tetrapeptide (AT 3-6) and initial ...tripeptide (AT 1-3). The experiments were carried out with respect to the cerebral level of the biogenic amines DA, NA, 5-HT and their metabolites HVA and 5-HIAA in intact mice and in mice pretreated with haloperidol, as well as with respect to the animals' behaviour (haloperidol catalepsy, apomorphine stereotypy, unconditioned jumping reaction, hexobarbital sleep and the threshold of convulsive seizures induced by times intravenous infusion of pentylenetetrazol). The fragments studied were found to manifest activity in the tests used. In some respects this activity is very similar to the activity of AT II. There are also effects which differ from those of AT II, as well as effects which are entirely opposite in some respects, which makes it possible to examine some of these substance as its potential natural antagonists. All this shows that the biological activity of AT II in the brain undergoes a number of qualitative and quantitative changes when its molecule broken to produce peptides with shorter chains. In the effects observed AT II and its fragments interact predominantly with the DA-ergic transmission in the brain.
