ENgage YOung people earlY (ENYOY): a mixed-method study design for a digital transdiagnostic clinical - and peer- moderated treatment platform for youth with beginning mental health complaints in the Netherlands.

BACKGROUND: The onset of mental disorders typically occurs between the ages of 12 and 25, and the burden of mental health problems is the most consequential for this group. Indicated prevention interventions to target individuals with subclinical symptoms to prevent the transition to clinical levels of disorders, even leading to suicide, have shown to be effective. However, the threshold to seek help appears to be high. Digital interventions could offer a solution, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. This implementation study will investigate the digital indicated prevention intervention ENgage YOung people Early (ENYOY), the Dutch version of the original Moderated Online Social Therapy Platform (MOST+) from Australia. In addition, the relationship between stress biomarkers, symptoms and outcome measures of youth using the platform will be investigated in this study. METHODS: The MOST+ platform will be adapted, translated and developed for the situation in the Netherlands in collaboration with a Youth Panel. A prospective cohort of 125 young people (16-25 years) with beginning mental health complaints will be on the platform and followed for a year, of which 10 participants will have an additional smart watch and 10 participants will be asked to provide feedback about the platform. Data will be collected at baseline and after 3, 6 and 12 months. Outcome measures are Psychological Distress assessed with the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), Social and occupational functioning (measures by the SOFAS), positive mental health indicators measured by the Positive Health Instrument, stress biomarkers with a smart-watch, website journeys of visitors, and feedback of youth about the platform. It will be a mixed-method study design, containing qualitative and quantitative measures. DISCUSSION: This trial will specifically address young people with emerging mental health complaints, and offers a new approach for treatment in the Netherlands. Considering the waiting lists in (child and adolescent)-psychiatry and the increase in suicides among youth, early low-threshold and non-stigmatizing help to support young people with emerging psychiatric symptoms is of crucial importance. Moreover, this project aims to bridge the gap between child and adolescent and adult psychiatry. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Netherlands Trial Register ID NL8966 , retrospectively registered on the 19th of October 2020.

Basic symptoms in young people at ultra-high risk of psychosis: Association with clinical characteristics and outcomes.

There has been limited research into the predictive value of basic symptoms and their relationship with other psychopathology in patients identified using the 'ultra high risk' (UHR) for psychosis approach. The current study investigated whether basic symptoms, specifically cognitive disturbances (COGDIS), were associated with a greater risk of transition to psychotic disorder and persistent attenuated psychotic symptoms (APS) at medium term follow-up (mean = 3.4 years) in UHR patients, as well as with general psychopathology at baseline. The sample included 304 UHR participants (mean age = 19.12 years) involved in an international multicenter trial of omega-3 fatty acids. UHR individuals who also met the COGDIS criteria (basic symptoms risk criteria) did not have a greater risk of transition than those who met the UHR criteria alone. However, meeting COGDIS risk criteria was associated with a greater likelihood of meeting the UHR attenuated psychotic symptoms risk group (i.e., having persistent attenuated psychotic symptoms) at 12-month follow-up (odds ratio = 1.85; 95% CI = 1.03, 3.32). Greater severity of cognitive basic symptoms was also independently associated with more severe general psychopathology at study entry. The findings do not support the notion that combined risk identification approaches (UHR and basic symptoms) aid in the identification of individuals at greatest risk of psychosis, although this interpretation is limited by the modest transition to psychosis rate (13%) and the time of follow up. However, the findings indicate that basic symptoms may be a clinically useful marker of more severe general psychopathology in UHR groups and risk for persistent attenuated psychotic symptoms.

Dynamic prediction of transition to psychosis using joint modelling.

Considerable research has been conducted seeking risk factors and constructing prediction models for transition to psychosis in individuals at ultra-high risk (UHR). Nearly all such research has only employed baseline predictors, i.e. data collected at the baseline time point, even though longitudinal data on relevant measures such as psychopathology have often been collected at various time points. Dynamic prediction, which is the updating of prediction at a post-baseline assessment using baseline and longitudinal data accumulated up to that assessment, has not been utilized in the UHR context. This study explored the use of dynamic prediction and determined if it could enhance the prediction of frank psychosis onset in UHR individuals. An emerging statistical methodology called joint modelling was used to implement the dynamic prediction. Data from the NEURAPRO study (n = 304 UHR individuals), an intervention study with transition to psychosis study as the primary outcome, were used to investigate dynamic predictors. Compared with the conventional approach of using only baseline predictors, dynamic prediction using joint modelling showed significantly better sensitivity, specificity and likelihood ratios. As dynamic prediction can provide an up-to-date prediction for each individual at each new assessment post entry, it can be a useful tool to help clinicians adjust their prognostic judgements based on the unfolding clinical symptomatology of the patients. This study has shown that a dynamic approach to psychosis prediction using joint modelling has the potential to aid clinicians in making decisions about the provision of timely and personalized treatment to patients concerned.

NEURAPRO: a multi-centre RCT of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids versus placebo in young people at ultra-high risk of psychotic disorders-medium-term follow-up and clinical course.

This study reports a medium-term follow-up of a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in ultra-high risk for psychosis (UHR) patients. Primary outcomes of interest were transition to psychosis and symptomatic and functional outcome. A secondary aim was to investigate clinical predictors of medium-term outcome. Three hundred four UHR participants were recruited across 10 specialised early psychosis services in Australia, Asia, and Europe. The intervention consisted of 1.4 g/daily of omega-3 PUFA or placebo, plus up to 20 sessions of cognitive-behavioural case management (CBCM), over the 6-month study period, with participants receiving further CBCM sessions on basis of need between months 6-12. Mean time to follow-up was 3.4 (median = 3.3; SD = 0.9) years. There was a modest increase in transitions between 12-month and medium-term follow-up (11-13%) and substantial improvement in symptoms and functioning between baseline and follow-up, with no differences between the treatment groups. Most improvement had been achieved by end of the intervention. 55% of the sample received mental health treatment between end of intervention and follow-up. Omega-3 PUFA did not provide additional benefits to good quality psychosocial intervention over the medium term. Although most improvement had been achieved by end of intervention the substantial rates of post-intervention mental health service use indicate longer-term clinical need in UHR patients. The post-intervention phase treatment or the longer-term effect of CBCM, or a combination of the two, may have contributed to maintaining the gains achieved during the intervention phase and prevented significant deterioration after this time.

Cerebral dopamine deficiency, plasma monoamine alterations and neurocognitive deficits in adults with phenylketonuria.

BACKGROUND: Phenylketonuria (PKU), a genetic metabolic disorder that is characterized by the inability to convert phenylalanine to tyrosine, leads to severe intellectual disability and other cerebral complications if left untreated. Dietary treatment, initiated soon after birth, prevents most brain-related complications. A leading hypothesis postulates that a shortage of brain monoamines may be associated with neurocognitive deficits that are observable even in early-treated PKU. However, there is a paucity of evidence as yet for this hypothesis. METHODS: We therefore assessed in vivo striatal dopamine D2/3 receptor (D2/3R) availability and plasma monoamine metabolite levels together with measures of impulsivity and executive functioning in 18 adults with PKU and average intellect (31.2 ± 7.4 years, nine females), most of whom were early and continuously treated. Comparison data from 12 healthy controls that did not differ in gender and age were available. RESULTS: Mean D2/3R availability was significantly higher (13%; p = 0.032) in the PKU group (n = 15) than in the controls, which may reflect reduced synaptic brain dopamine levels in PKU. The PKU group had lower plasma levels of homovanillic acid (p < 0.001) and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy-phenylglycol (p < 0.0001), the predominant metabolites of dopamine and norepinephrine, respectively. Self-reported impulsivity levels were significantly higher in the PKU group compared with healthy controls (p = 0.033). Within the PKU group, D2/3R availability showed a positive correlation with both impulsivity (r = 0.72, p = 0.003) and the error rate during a cognitive flexibility task (r = 0.59, p = 0.020). CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide further support for the hypothesis that executive functioning deficits in treated adult PKU may be associated with cerebral dopamine deficiency.

Distinct white-matter aberrations in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and patients at ultra-high risk for psychosis.

BACKGROUND: Patients with a deletion at chromosome 22q11.2 (22q11DS) have 30% lifetime risk of developing a psychosis. People fulfilling clinical criteria for ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis have 30% risk of developing a psychosis within 2 years. Both high-risk groups show white-matter (WM) abnormalities in microstructure and volume compared to healthy controls (HC), which have been related to psychotic symptoms. Comparisons of WM pathology between these two groups may specify WM markers related to genetic and clinical risk factors. METHOD: Fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusivity (AD), radial diffusivity (RD) and mean diffusivity (MD) were assessed using diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and WM volume with structural MRI, in 23 UHR patients, 21 22q11DS patients, and 33 HC. RESULTS: Compared to UHR patients 22q11DS patients had (1) lower AD and RD in corpus callosum (CC), cortical fasciculi, and anterior thalamic radiation (ATR), (2) higher FA in CC and ATR, and (3) lower occipital and superior temporal gyrus WM volume. Compared to HC, 22q11DS patients had (1) lower AD and RD throughout cortical fasciculi and (2) higher FA in ATR, CC and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus. Compared to HC, UHR patients had (1) higher mean MD, RD, and AD in CC, ATR and cortical fasciculi, (2) no differences in FA. CONCLUSIONS: UHR and 22q11DS patients share a susceptibility for developing psychosis yet were characterized by distinct patterns of WM alterations relative to HC. While UHR patients were typified by signs suggestive of aberrant myelination, 22q11DS subjects showed signs suggestive of lower axonal integrity.

Development of a stage-dependent prognostic model to predict psychosis in ultra-high-risk patients seeking treatment for co-morbid psychiatric disorders.

BACKGROUND: Current ultra-high-risk (UHR) criteria appear insufficient to predict imminent onset of first-episode psychosis, as a meta-analysis showed that about 20% of patients have a psychotic outcome after 2 years. Therefore, we aimed to develop a stage-dependent predictive model in UHR individuals who were seeking help for co-morbid disorders. METHOD: Baseline data on symptomatology, and environmental and psychological factors of 185 UHR patients (aged 14-35 years) participating in the Dutch Early Detection and Intervention Evaluation study were analysed with Cox proportional hazard analyses. RESULTS: At 18 months, the overall transition rate was 17.3%. The final predictor model included five variables: observed blunted affect [hazard ratio (HR) 3.39, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.56-7.35, p < 0.001], subjective complaints of impaired motor function (HR 5.88, 95% CI 1.21-6.10, p = 0.02), beliefs about social marginalization (HR 2.76, 95% CI 1.14-6.72, p = 0.03), decline in social functioning (HR 1.10, 95% CI 1.01-1.17, p = 0.03), and distress associated with suspiciousness (HR 1.02, 95% CI 1.00-1.03, p = 0.01). The positive predictive value of the model was 80.0%. The resulting prognostic index stratified the general risk into three risk classes with significantly different survival curves. In the highest risk class, transition to psychosis emerged on average ⩾8 months earlier than in the lowest risk class. CONCLUSIONS: Predicting a first-episode psychosis in help-seeking UHR patients was improved using a stage-dependent prognostic model including negative psychotic symptoms (observed flattened affect, subjective impaired motor functioning), impaired social functioning and distress associated with suspiciousness. Treatment intensity may be stratified and personalized using the risk stratification.

Cost-effectiveness of preventing first-episode psychosis in ultra-high-risk subjects: multi-centre randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Although there is evidence for the effectiveness of interventions for psychosis among ultra-high-risk (UHR) groups, health economic evaluations are lacking. This study aimed to determine the cost effectiveness and cost-utility of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) to prevent first-episode psychosis. METHOD: The Dutch Early Detection and Intervention Evaluation study was a randomized controlled trial of 196 UHR patients with an 18-month follow-up. All participants were treated with routine care (RC) for non-psychotic disorders. The experimental group (n = 95) received add-on CBT to prevent first-episode psychosis. We report the intervention, medical and travel costs, as well as costs arising from loss of productivity. Treatment response was defined as psychosis-free survival and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained. RESULTS: In the cost-effectiveness analysis, the proportion of averted psychoses was significantly higher in the CBT condition (89.5% v. 76.2%). CBT showed a 63.7% probability of being more cost effective, because it was less costly than RC by US$844 (£551) per prevented psychosis. In the cost-utility analysis, QALY health gains were slightly higher for CBT than for RC (0.60 v. 0.57) and the CBT intervention had a 52.3% probability of being the superior treatment because, for equal or better QALY gains, the costs of CBT were lower than those of RC. CONCLUSIONS: Add-on preventive CBT for UHR resulted in a significant reduction in the incidence of first psychosis. QALY gains show little difference between the two conditions. The CBT intervention proved to be cost saving.

Adapted cognitive-behavioural therapy required for targeting negative symptoms in schizophrenia: meta-analysis and meta-regression.

BACKGROUND: There is an increasing interest in cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) interventions targeting negative symptoms in schizophrenia. To date, CBT trials primarily focused on positive symptoms and investigated change in negative symptoms only as a secondary outcome. To enhance insight into factors contributing to improvement of negative symptoms, and to identify subgroups of patients that may benefit most from CBT directed at ameliorating negative symptoms, we reviewed all available evidence on these outcomes. METHOD: A systematic search of the literature was conducted in PsychInfo, PubMed and the Cochrane register to identify randomized controlled trials reporting on the impact of CBT interventions on negative symptoms in schizophrenia. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed on end-of-treatment, short-term and long-term changes in negative symptoms. RESULTS: A total of 35 publications covering 30 trials in 2312 patients, published between 1993 and 2013, were included. Our results showed studies' pooled effect on symptom alleviation to be small [Hedges' g = 0.093, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.028 to 0.214, p = 0.130] and heterogeneous (Q = 73.067, degrees of freedom = 29, p < 0.001, τ 2 = 0.081, I 2 = 60.31) in studies with negative symptoms as a secondary outcome. Similar results were found for studies focused on negative symptom reduction (Hedges' g = 0.157, 95% CI -0.10 to 0.409, p = 0.225). Meta-regression revealed that stronger treatment effects were associated with earlier year of publication, lower study quality and with CBT provided individually (as compared with group-based). CONCLUSIONS: The co-occurring beneficial effect of conventional CBT on negative symptoms found in older studies was not supported by more recent studies. It is now necessary to further disentangle effective treatment ingredients of older studies in order to guide the development of future CBT interventions aimed at negative symptom reduction.

Cognitive-behavioural therapy augments the effects of deep brain stimulation in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

BACKGROUND: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a promising new treatment for patients with treatment-refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, since most DBS patients only show a partial response, the treatment still needs to be improved. In this study we hypothesized that cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) could optimize the post-operative management in DBS and we evaluated the efficacy of CBT as augmentation to DBS targeted at the nucleus accumbens. METHOD: A total of 16 patients with treatment-refractory OCD were treated with DBS targeted at the nucleus accumbens. After stabilization of decline in OCD symptoms, a standardized 24-week CBT treatment programme was added to DBS in an open-phase trial of 8 months. Changes in obsessive-compulsive, anxiety and depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Scale and Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. RESULTS: Following the addition of CBT to DBS, a significant decrease in obsessive-compulsive symptoms was observed, but not in anxiety and depressive symptoms. In a subsequent double-blind phase, in which stimulation was discontinued, OCD symptoms returned to baseline (relapse) and anxiety and depressive symptoms worsened (rebound) compared with baseline. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this explorative study suggest that a combined treatment of accumbens DBS and CBT may be optimal for improving obsessive-compulsive symptoms in treatment-refractory OCD. However, a subsequent randomized controlled trial is necessary to draw firm conclusions. It seems that DBS results in affective changes that may be required to enable response prevention in CBT. This may indicate that DBS and CBT act as two complementary treatments.

The Strauss and Carpenter Prognostic Scale in subjects clinically at high risk of psychosis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the predictive value of the Strauss and Carpenter Prognostic Scale (SCPS) for transition to a first psychotic episode in subjects clinically at high risk (CHR) of psychosis. METHOD: Two hundred and forty-four CHR subjects participating in the European Prediction of Psychosis Study were assessed with the SCPS, an instrument that has been shown to predict outcome in patients with schizophrenia reliably. RESULTS: At 18-month follow-up, 37 participants had made the transition to psychosis. The SCPS total score was predictive of a first psychotic episode (P < 0.0001). SCPS items that remained as independent predictors in the Cox proportional hazard model were as follows: most usual quality of useful work in the past year (P = 0.006), quality of social relations (P = 0.006), presence of thought disorder, delusions or hallucinations in the past year (P = 0.001) and reported severity of subjective distress in past month (P = 0.003). CONCLUSION: The SCPS could make a valuable contribution to a more accurate prediction of psychosis in CHR subjects as a second-step tool. SCPS items assessing quality of useful work and social relations, positive symptoms and subjective distress have predictive value for transition. Further research should focus on investigating whether targeted early interventions directed at the predictive domains may improve outcomes.

Detection of people at risk of developing a first psychosis: comparison of two recruitment strategies.

OBJECTIVE: Better recruitment strategies are needed to improve the identification of people at ultra-high risk of developing psychosis. This study explores the effectiveness of two recruitment strategies: a screening method in a consecutive help-seeking population entering secondary mental health services for non-psychotic problems vs. a population referred to the diagnostic center of an early-psychosis clinic. METHOD: From February 2008 to February 2010, all general practitioner and self-referrals (aged 18-35 years) to the secondary mental healthcare service in The Hague and Zoetermeer were screened with the Prodromal Questionnaire; patients who scored above the cutoff of 18 and had a decline in social functioning were assessed using the Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States (CAARMS). All referrals (aged 14-35 years) to the diagnostic center in Amsterdam were also assessed with the CAARMS. RESULTS: The screening detected a three-fold higher prevalence of at-risk mental states: these subjects were older and more often female. manova showed significantly higher scores for the screened population on depression, social anxiety, distress with positive symptoms, and a higher rate of transition to psychosis within 12 months. CONCLUSION: The screening method detects more patients with at-risk mental states than the referral method. The latter method is biased to young male patients in an earlier prodromal stage and a lower transition rate.

Ethnicity and baseline symptomatology in patients with an At Risk Mental State for psychosis.

BACKGROUND: Ethnicity has been associated with different incidence rates and different symptom profiles in young patients with psychotic-like disorders. No studies so far have examined the effect of ethnicity on symptoms in people with an At Risk Mental State (ARMS). METHOD: In this cross-sectional study, we analysed the relationship between ethnicity and baseline data on the severity of psychopathology scores in 201 help-seeking patients who met the ARMS criteria and agreed to participate in the Dutch Early Detection and Intervention (EDIE-NL) trial. Eighty-seven of these patients had a non-Dutch ethnicity. We explored the possible mediating role of ethnic identity. RESULTS: Higher rates of negative symptoms, and of anhedonia in particular, were found in the ethnic minority group. This result could be attributed mainly to the Moroccan-Dutch and Turkish-Dutch subgroups, who also presented with more depression symptoms when the groups were examined separately. The ethnic minority group displayed a lower level of ethnic group identity compared to the immigrants of the International Comparative Study of Ethnocultural Youth (ICSEY). Ethnic identity was inversely related to symptoms in the Moroccan-Dutch patient group. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of more severe negative symptoms and depression symptoms in ethnic minority groups deserves more attention, as the experience of attenuated positive symptoms when accompanied by negative symptoms or distress has proven to be predictive for transition to a first psychotic episode.

Cannabis use and age at onset of symptoms in subjects at clinical high risk for psychosis.

OBJECTIVE: Numerous studies have found a robust association between cannabis use and the onset of psychosis. Nevertheless, the relationship between cannabis use and the onset of early (or, in retrospect, prodromal) symptoms of psychosis remains unclear. The study focused on investigating the relationship between cannabis use and early and high-risk symptoms in subjects at clinical high risk for psychosis. METHOD: Prospective multicenter, naturalistic field study with an 18-month follow-up period in 245 help-seeking individuals clinically at high risk. The Composite International Diagnostic Interview was used to assess their cannabis use. Age at onset of high risk or certain early symptoms was assessed retrospectively with the Interview for the Retrospective Assessment of the Onset of Schizophrenia. RESULTS: Younger age at onset of cannabis use or a cannabis use disorder was significantly related to younger age at onset of six symptoms (0.33 < r(s) < 0.83, 0.004 < P < 0.001). Onset of cannabis use preceded symptoms in most participants. CONCLUSION: Our results provide support that cannabis use plays an important role in the development of psychosis in vulnerable individuals. Cannabis use in early adolescence should be discouraged.

Three-year course of clinical symptomatology in young people at ultra high risk for transition to psychosis.

OBJECTIVE: The investigation into the course of ultra high risk (UHR) symptomatology of those patients who eventually do not meet the psychosis-threshold criteria within the 3-year timeframe of the study. METHOD: The course of UHR symptoms, GAF score and employment status was investigated in 57 patients who did not make a transition to psychosis and who were examined within the Dutch Prediction of Psychosis Study in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. RESULTS: At the 3-year follow-up, 75% of the patients who did not make a transition to psychosis had remitted from UHR status. With a Generalized Estimation Equation Model it was shown that this group recovered from positive (F = 52.7, P < 0.0001), negative (F = 24.3, P < 0.0001), disorganization (F = 14.4, P < 0.0001) and general symptoms (F = 25.0, P < 0.0001) within the timeframe of the study. In addition, the level of global functioning and likelihood of having a job and/or education significantly improved. The largest improvements occurred within the first year. UHR symptoms did not re-occur after improvement. CONCLUSION: With the current UHR criteria, a large percentage of the included subjects appear to have transitory complaints and dysfunctioning. A refinement of the UHR criteria may diminish the chance of including 'false positives' in future UHR studies.

Treating prolactinoma and psychosis: medication and cognitive behavioural therapy.

The patient in this case report had two severe medical conditions that require oppositional treatment: prolactinoma and psychosis. A prolactinoma is a benign tumour of the pituitary gland that produces prolactin. Dopamine agonist medication is the first-line treatment in patients with prolactinoma. The psychotic symptoms started after a dosage increase of a dopamine D2-receptor agonist. Several antipsychotic medications were tried with and without the dopamine D2-receptor agonist, but severe command hallucinations remained. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) was added which reduced the impact of the hallucinations to a great extent, indicating that CBT can have an additional positive effect in prolactinoma patients with psychosis that shows incomplete recovery after antipsychotic medication. Future research should be aimed at the severe and prolonged side effects of dopamine agonists in the treatment of prolactinoma patients with multiple risk factors for a psychotic decompensation.

Increased saccadic rate during smooth pursuit eye movements in patients at Ultra High Risk for developing a psychosis.

Abnormalities in eye tracking are consistently observed in schizophrenia patients and their relatives and have been proposed as an endophenotype of the disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the performance of patients at Ultra High Risk (UHR) for developing psychosis on a task of smooth pursuit eye movement (SPEM). Forty-six UHR patients and twenty-eight age and education matched controls were assessed with a task of SPEM and psychiatric questionnaires. Our results showed that both the corrective and non-corrective saccadic rates during pursuit were higher in the UHR group. There were however no differences in smooth pursuit gain between the two groups. The saccadic rate was related to positive UHR symptoms. Our findings indicate that abnormalities in SPEM are already present in UHR patients, prior to a first psychotic episode. These abnormalities occur only in the saccadic system.

Neurocognitive functioning before and after the first psychotic episode: does psychosis result in cognitive deterioration?

BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairment is considered to be a core characteristic of schizophrenia. The relationship between psychosis and cognitive deterioration, however, remains unclear. This longitudinal study investigated the neuropsychological functioning of patients before and after their first psychotic episode. Cognitive functioning of participants who later developed a psychosis was compared to that of people at ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis who did not develop psychosis at follow-up and healthy controls.MethodParticipants were 41 persons at UHR for psychosis (the UHR group), of whom 17 developed psychosis between the first and second assessment. Seventeen healthy controls were included in the study. Cognitive performance was assessed at intake (T0) and again after 18 months (T1). The areas of cognitive functioning assessed include verbal memory and learning, visuospatial working memory, executive function, sustained attention and motor speed. RESULTS: The transition group did not perform significantly worse at the second assessment than at the first on any of the outcome measures. The UHR group performed better on a verbal learning and memory test at T1 compared to T0. At T0, the control group scored significantly better than the UHR group and the transition group on the verbal learning and memory test and the verbal fluency test. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that no cognitive deterioration occurs during the first psychotic episode. Problems in verbal memory may be present before the first episode of psychosis.

Verbal fluency as a possible predictor for psychosis.

BACKGROUND: Neurocognitive abnormalities are prevalent in both first episode schizophrenia patients and in ultra high risk (UHR) patients. AIM: To compare verbal fluency performance at baseline in UHR in patients that did and did not make the transition to psychosis. METHOD: Baseline verbal fluency performance in UHR-patients (n=47) was compared to match first episode patients (n=69) and normal controls (n=42). RESULTS: Verbal fluency (semantic category) scores in UHR-patients did not differ significantly from the score in first episode schizophrenia patients. Both the UHR group (p<0.003) and the patient group (p<0.0001) performed significantly worse than controls. Compared to the non-transition group, the transition group performed worse on verbal fluency, semantic category (p<0.006) at baseline. CONCLUSIONS: Verbal fluency (semantic category) is disturbed in UHR-patients that make the transition to psychosis and could contribute to an improved prediction of transition to psychosis in UHR-patients.