[Perception of Verbal Stimuli in the Norm and in Schizophrenia].

The present study investigates the early stages of selection of meaningful and meaningless verbal-in- formation in an implicit and two explicit tasks by means of the parameters of latency and amplitude of P100 EP component in healthy subjects (n = 99) and in schizophrenia patients with the first psy- chotic episode (n = 102). The obtained results indicate the disturbance of passive perception of meaningful verbal information in psychotic patients. When the instruction is presented patients re- spond similar to norm. The decreased amplitude of P100 component during the,passive perception of words in patients may be related to the severity of hallucinatory behavior. The analysis of changes in the characteristics of the P100 wave in task with instruction as compared to passive perception in the norm revealed a shortening of the time window'of the processing of information regardless to its category and relevance. In schizophrenia patients this feature was found only when reading of the pseudo-words. The results indicate the disturbance of automated attraction of attention to the semantically significant content of the verbal stimulus in the patients' group. The study demonstrat- ed the association between P100 wave characteristics and behavioural responses.

[Depressive symptoms diagnosis and treatment of schizophrenia and schizophrenia spectrum disorders in Russian clinical practice].

A cohort study of depression in schizophrenia and schizophrenia spectrum disorders was conducted in four Russian regional mental health services with the use of simultaneous one-day census on October 20, 2011. The total number of patients in this study was 1269: 753 patients were receiving outpatient treatment, 143 patients were served in day clinics and 373 patients were in-patients in psychiatric hospitals. Depressive symptoms were present in 6.0% of outpatients, 50.3% of day clinic patients, and 36.5% of inpatients. The average duration of current depressive symptoms in weeks was 10.0, 8.1, 9.0, respectively. The periods of depressive symptoms during the last 2 years were revealed in 30.8% of outpatients, 67.8% of day clinic patients, and 42.1% of inpatients with the average duration of each such period in weeks 10.9, 12.2, 8.3, respectively. In outpatient settings, 28.8% of patients received antidepressants in addition to antipsychotic therapy. The proportion of inpatients receiving this treatment was 42.1%, and two thirds of patients received antidepressants in day clinics.