Eight-month intensive meditation-based intervention improves refractory hallucinations and delusions and quality of life in male inpatients with schizophrenia: a randomized controlled trial.

AIM: This study investigated the impact of an 8-month daily-guided intensive meditation-based intervention (iMI) on persistent hallucinations/delusions and health-related quality of life (QoL) in male inpatients with schizophrenia with treatment-refractory hallucinations and delusions (TRHDs). METHODS: A randomized controlled trial assigned 64 male inpatients with schizophrenia and TRHD equally to an 8-month iMI plus general rehabilitation program (GRP) or GRP alone. Assessments were conducted at baseline and the third and eighth months using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), 36-Item Short Form-36 (SF-36), and Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). Primary outcomes measured PANSS reduction rates for total score, positive symptoms, and hallucinations/delusions items. Secondary outcomes assessed PANSS, SF-36, and FFMQ scores for psychotic symptoms, health-related QoL, and mindfulness skills, respectively. RESULTS: In the primary outcome, iMI significantly improved the reduction rates of PANSS total score, positive symptoms, and hallucination/delusion items compared with GRP at both the third and eighth months. Treatment response rates (≥25% reduction) for these measures significantly increased in the iMI group at the eighth month. Concerning secondary outcomes, iMI significantly reduced PANSS total score and hallucination/delusion items, while increasing scores in physical activity and mindfulness skills at both the third and eighth months compared with GRP. These effects were more pronounced with an 8-month intervention compared with a 3-month intervention. CONCLUSIONS: An iMI benefits patients with TRHDs by reducing persistent hallucinations/delusions and enhancing health-related QoL. Longer iMI duration yields superior treatment outcomes.

The Effect of Yijinjing on the Cognitive Function of Patients With Chronic Schizophrenia.

Background: Patients with chronic schizophrenia present cognitive impairment, which affects their social function and prevents them from reintegrating into society. Yijinjing is a traditional Chinese aerobic exercise that has a putative psychosomatic effect on improving cognitive function. Methods: From January to May 2021, 40 patients with chronic schizophrenia were recruited and randomly divided into a control group and a Yijinjing group. In the 12-week intervention, the patients in the control group received conventional treatment, whereas patients in the Yijinjing group performed Yijinjing exercise (40 min/session, twice a week) in addition to receiving conventional treatment. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), the Insight and Treatment Attitude Questionnaire (ITAQ), the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (SES), and the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) were used to measure clinical symptoms and cognitive function at 0, 6, and 12 weeks. Results: The demographic information was not significantly different between groups. At baseline, the scores of all the scales were not statistically different between groups. After 12 weeks of intervention, compared to those at baseline, the scores of the negative scale (t = 19.00, p < 0.0001), general psychopathology scale (t = 15.98, p < 0.0001), and total score (t = 15.47, p < 0.0001) of the PANSS and SES (t = 5.378, p < 0.0001) had significantly decreased, and the scores of the ITAQ (t = 7.984, p < 0.0001) and MMSE (t = 6.750, p < 0.0001) had significantly increased in Yijinjing group; the score of the MMSE increased in the control group as well (t = 2.491, p = 0.0222). Compared to the respective scores in the control group, the negative scale score (t = 2.953, p = 0.0054) significantly decreased, and the ITAQ (t = 3.043, p = 0.0042) and MMSE (t = 2.2.68, p = 0.0291) scores significantly increased in the Yijinjing group after 12 weeks of intervention. Conclusion: These results provide a preliminary indication that Yijinjing exercise had the potential to improve cognitive function and negative symptoms in patients with chronic schizophrenia. A larger-scale study to determine the trajectory of change in the longer term should be undertaken.

Inducing synthesis of amorphous EuFePt nanorods and their comprehensive enhancement of magnetism, thermostability and photocatalysis.

EuFePt ternary amorphous alloy nanorods are first synthesized through Eu itself inducing action, and this nanoalloy including 4f electrons exhibits excellent properties on magnetism, thermostability, especially the cooperation photocatalysis activity of TiO(2).