-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Purpose of the study: There are different factors which have an
impact on the course of schizophrenia. Among those, a lifetime
history of substance use disorder is associated with worse clinical
functioning of patients suffering from schizophrenia. Psychoactive
substances exert a negative impact on cognitive functions, there-
fore their use in schizophrenia could further deteriorate cognition
in these patients. However, studies evaluating the influence of the
substance use on cognitive functioning in schizophrenia patients
have greatly differed in methodology, research strategies, and
the focus on abused substances. Therefore, the comparison of
cognitive functions between schizophrenia patients with or without
concomitant substance abuse brought about highly heterogenous
results. The aim of the study is an assessment of cognitive func-
tioning in abstinent schizophrenia patients with various previous
pattern of psychoactive substance abuse.
Methods used: The study was performed on a group of 80
schizophrenia patients (74 male, 6 female), aged 18−40 (mean 25)
years, of whom in 40, a co-morbid psychoactive substance
abuse was diagnosed. The latter group was subdivided, based
on their predominant type of substance (opioid, amphetamine,
or cannabis). All patients were examined during clinical im-
provement, and patients with comorbid substance abuse, after a
six-week period of detoxification in a therapeutic community. A
battery of neuropsychiatric tests was used, which included subtests
of Trail Making Test, Stroop test and Verbal Fluency Test.
Results: No significant differences in clinical factors and cog-
nitive functioning between two examined groups were found.
However, when the patients were divided according to their pattern
of substance addiction, it turned out that the group of patients
with cannabis, despite the shortest duration of disease and that of
addiction, and highest percentage of using atypical antipsychotics,
performed worse on all cognitive tests, significantly so on Stroop’s
and Fluency tests, compared to the groups with predominant
opioid or amphetamine abuse. Statistically significant effect for
the Stroop RCNb test was found when comparing three group with
ANOVA (p < 0.05) as well as in individual comparisons between
cannabis and opiates group (p = 0.03) and between cannabis and
stimulants group (p < 0.05). Statistically significant effect for the
Stroop NCWd test was obtained in the comparison of three group
with ANOVA (p = 0.018) and in individual comparisons between
cannabis and opiates group (p = 0.009) and between cannabis
and stimulants group (p = 0.02). Statistically significant effect for
the Phonological fluency test was obtained in the comparison of
three group with ANOVA (p < 0.05) and in individual comparison
between cannabis and amphetamine group (p = 0.013). Finally,
significant individual difference in the Categorical fluency test
was obtained between cannabis and opiates group (p < 0.05).
Conclusions: Abstinent schizophrenic patients who previously
abused cannabis have worse cognitive functioning compared to
other schizophrenic patients with comorbid substance abuse. A
possible role of previous cannabis use or cannabis withdrawal in
this phenomenon is discussed. We believe that the results of our
study may add to the ongoing controversy concerning the effect
of cannabis on cognitive functions in schizophrenia.
References
[1] Krysta, K., 2007. Impact of neuroleptic treatment on cognitive functions
in schizophrenia with comorbid addiction to substances. Eur. Neuropsy-
chopharmacol. 17(Suppl. 4), S435.
[2] Krysta, K., Krupka-Matuszczyk, I., Janas-Kozik, M., Stachowicz M.,
2011. Comorbidity of a serious mental illness with an addiction to
psychoactive substances, in: Uehara, T. (Ed.), Psychiatric disorders −
trends and developments. InTech., Rijeka, pp. 430–442.
[3] Potvin, S., Joyal, C.C., Pelletier, J, Stip, E., 2008. Contradictory cogni-
tive capacities among substance-abusing patients with schizophrenia: a
meta-analysis. Schizophr. Res. 100, 242–251.
25th ECNP Congress; 10/2012
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: A substantial proportion of patients with schizophrenia have co-morbid psychoactive substance use, which can influence their cognitive functions. The aim of this study was to assess cognitive functioning in abstinent schizophrenia patients with various previous patterns of psychoactive substance use.
The study was performed on a group of 80 schizophrenia patients (74 men, 6 women), aged 18-40 (mean 25) years, of whom in 40 a co-morbid psychoactive substance abuse was diagnosed. The latter group was subdivided, based on their predominant type of substance (opioid, amphetamine, or cannabis). All patients were examined during clinical improvement, and patients with comorbid substance use were also examined after a 6-week period of detoxification in a therapeutic community. A battery of neuropsychiatric tests was used, which included subtests of Trail Making test, Stroop test and Verbal Fluency test.
No significant differences in clinical factors and cognitive functioning between the 2 examined groups were found. However, when the patients were divided according to their pattern of substance use, it turned out that the group of patients who used cannabis, despite the shortest duration of disease and that of addiction, and highest percentage of using atypical antipsychotics, performed worse on all cognitive tests, significantly so on Stroop and Fluency tests, compared to the groups with predominant opioid or amphetamine use.
Abstinent schizophrenic patients who previously used cannabis have worse cognitive functioning compared to other schizophrenic patients with comorbid substance use. The possible role of previous cannabis use or cannabis withdrawal in this phenomenon is discussed.
Medical science monitor: international medical journal of experimental and clinical research 08/2012; 18(9):CR581-6. · 1.70 Impact Factor
-
Leukemia & lymphoma 11/2011; 53(6):1236-8. · 2.40 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The aim of the study was to analyze the pattern of leptin and orexin A plasma levels in patients with the restrictive type of anorexia nervosa (AN-R), during the course of treatment. Thirty females with AN-R, aged 18.0 ± 1.6 years (mean ± SD), range of 15.5-21.0 years, were investigated before and after 2, 3, and 6 months of treatment, which included a normocaloric diet and cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy. The control group consisted of 20 age-matched, healthy control females.
Before the therapy, both leptin and orexin A plasma levels were significantly lower than in the control group and were negatively correlated. During treatment, leptin levels increased and, after 6 months, showed a correlation with body mass index (BMI). Orexin A levels showed a further decrease during treatment, with no correlation with BMI.
The results corroborate those of other researchers showing a decrease of leptin levels in patients with AN-R and its increase with body mass increment. They may also suggest a possible relationship between leptin and orexin A plasma level patterns in such patients.
Regulatory Peptides 02/2011; 168(1-3):5-9. · 2.11 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) comprises a heterogenous group of disorders characterized by marked blood eosinophilia with eosinophilia-associated organ damage. Eight patients with a median age at diagnosis of 42 years (range 19-67) received imatinib mesylate (IM) for FIP1L1-PDGFRα-negative HES resistant to previous conventional treatment. Median number of prior therapies was 3 (range 2-4). Median time from diagnosis to IM initiation was 112 months (range 2-293). Four patients were treated daily with 100 mg IM, whereas the remaining four patients were treated daily with 400 mg IM. Four male patients (50%) achieved complete haematologic response (CHR) after median of 7 days (range 3-150) using 100 mg daily IM (n = 2) and 400 mg (n = 2). Median duration of IM treatment for IM responders was 18 months (range 2-88). No adverse events were reported throughout the treatment duration. Two patients maintained CHR while on 100 mg weekly IM. Four patients (2 men and 2 women) failed IM treatment. Median duration of IM for non-responding patients was 3 weeks (range 3-12). Non-responding HES patients were significantly older and had lower percentage of blood eosinophilia when compared with IM responders. Our results suggest that IM, even at lower than conventional doses, may induce and maintain long-term remission for FIP1L1-PDGFRα-negative HES.
Medical Oncology 01/2011; 29(2):1073-6. · 2.14 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Light therapy refers to two different categories of treatment. One of them is used in common medical practice and the other in complementary medicine. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of short time (6 weeks) bright light treatment (BLT) on depressive symptoms in female patients with the restrictive type of anorexia nervosa (AN-R).
Twenty-four girls, aged 15-20 (mean 17.4±1) years, diagnosed as AN-R, with concomitant depressive symptoms ≥17 points on the 21-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) were studied. All girls received cognitive behavioral therapy. Among them, twelve were randomly assigned to additional treatment with BLT for 6 weeks (10,000 lux, 30 min daily). Both groups did not differ on baseline demographic and clinical parameters. The assessments of depression by means of HDRS and measuring of body mass index (BMI) were done weekly throughout the treatment.
Improvement of depression was significantly greater in the group receiving BLT, with a significant difference between groups in depression intensity after 5 and 6 weeks. There was no difference in the increase of BMI between groups after 6 weeks, although such increase started earlier in patients treated with BLT.
Six weeks of treatment may be an insufficient duration to draw the conclusion about the efficacy of BLT and a follow-up is needed to assess the maintenance of the effect.
The results obtained may suggest that BLT could be an effective non-pharmacological modality for the treatment of depression in patients with AN-R.
Journal of affective disorders 11/2010; 130(3):462-5. · 3.76 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: Anorexia nervosa is a serious eating disorder with the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder. The DSM-IV classification differentiates two AN types: the restricting type (AN-R) and the binge-eating/purging type (AN-BP). Leptin (LEP) levels can be thought of as a signal to the body of its energy reserves. The leptin receptor (including all its mRNA isoforms) is expressed in many tissues. Our aim was to discover the transcript expression profile of the LEP receptor-coding gene in the peripheral blood mononuclears in AN-R and AN-BP patients. Three young women suffering from Anorexia nervosa (one with AN-BP and two with AN-R) took part in the study, along with three non-anorexic subjects as our reference group. LEP receptor gene expression was examined using the oligonucleotide microarray method (HG-U133A, Affymetrix). The results were normalized using RMAExpress. Next, the accumulation analysis method was used (clustering). Hierarchical clustering resulted in three groups of separate clusters. The first group (cluster I) consisted of AN-R patients. The next group (cluster II) consisted of reference group patients suffering from different psychic disorders not related to eating disorders. Cluster III consisted of two patients--the first with AN-BP and the second with an adaptive disorder.
Cellular & Molecular Biology Letters 02/2006; 11(1):62-9. · 1.50 Impact Factor
-
[show abstract]
[hide abstract]
ABSTRACT: The aim of the study was to discover the transcript expression profile of selected genes coding receptors of leptin and orexin A and B by using the oligonucleotide microarray technique (Affymetrix, HG-U133A) in patients who suffered from anorexia nervosa (AN).
The peripheral blood of mononuclear cells (PBMC) of four AN patients complying with the ICD-10 and the AN diagnostic criteria DSM IV were analysed. Two patients suffered from the restricting type of AN (AN-R) and two suffered from the binge-eating/ purging type of AN (AN-BP). Four patients were our reference group and they did not suffer from eating disorders. The material used in the assay was the total RNA which was isolated from the PBMC of patients. The total RNA was used to investigate the transcript expression profile of selected genes by using the oligonucleotide microarray technique (Affymetrix, HG-U133A). For six and for eight oligonucleotide microarrays, the accumulation analysis method was used (clustering, Cluster v 3.0) to analyse the results.
Hierarchical clustering resulted in separate clusters for patients who suffered from AN-R, AN-BP and patients from the reference group.
Taking into consideration the hierarchical clustering for six and for eight oligonucleotide microarray performing different transcript expression profile of selected genes coding orexigenic peptides (OXA and OXB) and anorexigenic peptides (LEP) we suggest that the oligonucleotide microarray method differentiates two type of anorexia nervosa: the restricting type of AN (AN-R) and the binge-eating/purging type (AN-BP).
Psychiatria polska 41(3):377-86. · 0.19 Impact Factor
