Unlocking the potential of the 3-hydroxykynurenine/kynurenic acid ratio: a promising biomarker in adolescent major depressive disorder.

Metabolites disruptions in tryptophan (TRP) and kynurenine pathway (KP) are believed to disturb neurotransmitter homeostasis and contribute to depressive symptoms. This study aims to investigate serum levels of KP metabolites in adolescent major depressive disorder (AMDD), and examine their relationship with depression severities. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to analyze serum levels of TRP, kynurenic acid (KYNA), kynurenine (KYN), and 3-hydroxy-kynurenine (3-HK) in 143 AMDD participants and 98 healthy controls (HC). Clinical data, including Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) scores, were collected and analyzed using statistical methods, such as ANOVA, logistic regression, Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and a significance level of p < 0.05 was used for all analyses. AMDD showed significantly decreased serum levels of KYNA (-25.5%), KYN (-14.2%), TRP (-11.0%) and the KYNA/KYN ratio (-11.9%) compared to HC (p < 0.01). Conversely, significant increases were observed in 3-HK levels (+50.4%), the 3-HK/KYNA ratio (+104.3%) and the 3-HK/KYN ratio (+93.0%) (p < 0.01). Logistic regression analysis identified increased level of 3-HK as a contributing factor to AMDD, while increased level of KYNA acted as a protective factor against AMDD. The 3-HK/KYNA ratio demonstrated an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.952. This study didn't explore AMDD's inflammatory status and its metabolites relationship explicitly. These findings indicate that metabolites of TRP and KP may play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of AMDD, emphasizing the potential of the 3-HK/KYNA ratio as a laboratory biomarker for early detection and diagnosis of AMDD.

Two-stage mental health survey of first-line medical staff after ending COVID-19 epidemic assistance and isolation.

Facing with COVID-19 epidemic such a catastrophic health emergency, the mental health status of medical staff deserves attention. We conducted a two-stage of psychological status monitoring after the end of the assistance and 14 days of isolation, further targeted the vulnerable groups in need of intervention. The study is a cross-sectional survey on 1156 Yunnan medical staff aid to Hubei. Used Cluster sampling method to collect data at 2 time points (at the end of returning from Wuhan and the 14th day of isolation), from March 18, 2020 to April 6, 2020. Female and nurse had higher rates of depressive symptoms than male and doctors and other occupations. The proportion of female with mild and above moderate anxiety levels (22.91%, 2.61%) was higher than male (17.35%, 1.03%) (p < 0.05). Female had a better impaired sleep quality (45.06%, 17.49%) more than male (28.57%, 7.94%). Medical staff supported in Wuhan and with junior professional titles reported a higher proportion of sleep quality impairment. At the 14th isolation day stage, the proportion of nurses changed from depression to health (9.15%) and from health to depression (6.1%) better than doctors. The front-line medical staffs had suffered greater psychological pressure in the treatment process of major public health emergency. Researches on the dynamic monitor for the change of psychological status after aiding epidemic areas were still in relatively blank stage. Targeting the vulnerable characteristics of aiding medical staff is significant for effective psychological intervention and sustainable operation of health system.

A three-decade repeated cross-sectional survey on mental health of the Chinese Jino minority.

OBJECTIVE: As there is growing evidence outlining varying degrees of social, economic and cultural changes among minority groups in China, there was a need to undertake research to determine whether modernization and urbanization of China has had an impact on the mental health of individuals from minority groups. In 1979, the Jino ethnic minority group was the last minority group to be designated a minority by the Chinese Central Government. As a direct result of the Chinese Government intervention, the Jino society began transitioning from a traditional rural lifestyle existence to that of a more modern urban lifestyle. Our objective was to explore whether changing social and economic influences had impacted the mental health of the Jino people. METHODS: A longitudinal study over three decades was undertaken to determine the mental health of the Jino People. RESULTS: From our initial study in 1979 and subsequent follow-up studies in 1989, 1999 and 2009, there were no significant changes found for 1-month prevalence, lifetime prevalence and prognosis for schizophrenia and mental retardation among the Jino population researched. For major depressive disorders, there were significant differences, suggesting a rising trend not only in 1-month prevalence but also in lifetime prevalence. We found significant differences had occurred over the three decades for alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence and Korsakov's psychosis. At the same time, the annual suicide incidence had increased at least three times in 2009 compared to that of 1989. CONCLUSION: Results from our three-decade longitudinal repeated cross-sectional survey show that due to rapid social, economic and cultural changes among the Jino people, serious social and mental health problems such as alcohol-related disorder, suicide and major depressive disorders have increased.

[Relationship between clinical features and cognitive function in patients with childhood and adolescence-onset schizophrenia].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the factors influencing cognitive functions in patients with childhood and adolescence-onset schizophrenia. METHODS: The clinical data of 78 patients with childhood and adolescence-onset schizophrenia who met with the criteria of ICD-10 for schizophrenia were retrospectively reviewed. The cognitive functions were evaluated by the Chinese Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (C-WISC), the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), digit span backward and P300. The clinical symptoms were evaluated by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). RESULTS: The patients with a lower education level or earlier onset of age had a longer P3 latency at the P300Fz area. The patients with a higher parental education level had higher scores of full intelligence quotient (FIQ), verbal intelligence quotient (VIQ), performance intelligence quotient (PIQ), conceptual level and completed categories of WCST and backward numeric order reciting. The patients with higher PANSS negative subscale scores had lower scores of FIQ, VIQ, PIQ, completed categories and conceptual level of WCST and backward numeric order reciting. The patients with a longer stabilization time had higher backward numeric order reciting scores. CONCLUSIONS: The severity of negative symptoms of the patients and the educational level of their parents are major factors influencing cognitive functions in patients with childhood and adolescence-onset schizophrenia.

[Effect of parent training in combination with methylphenidate treatment on family relationships for children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of parent training combined with methylphenidate treatment on family relationships in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS: Fifty-nine parents of children with ADHD under methylphenidate treatment participated in a modified 5-week training program. The intervention effect was evaluated using the Conners Parent Symptom Questionnaire, ADHD Rating Scale-IV Home Version (ADHD-RS-IV Home Version), Caregiver Strain Questionnaire, Parent-Child Relationship Self-rating Scale and Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale. Parents also completed the training satisfaction survey before and after the intervention. RESULTS: After the 5-week parent training, compared with the baseline values, total scores of Conners Parent Symptom Questionnaire and scores of conduct problems and anxiety significantly decreased, and scores of attention deficit, hyperactivity, impulsivity and oppositional defiant behaviors of ADHD-RS-IV Home Version, and Caregiver Strain Questionnaire total scores were all significantly decreased (P<0.05), while total scores of the Parent-Child Relationship Self-Rating Scale and Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale were significantly increased (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Modified 5-week parent training program may improve parent-child relationship and reduce parenting stress in ADHD families.

A randomized controlled trial of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for major depressive disorder in undergraduate students: Dose- response effect, inflammatory markers and BDNF.

To examine the dose-response effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) for college students with major depressive disorder (MDD), a randomized control trial with MBCT and a wait-list (WL) group was performed. All participants were invited to self-administer a set of questionnaires at baseline, mid-intervention (4th week), and post-intervention (8th week) by the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS). The serum levels of IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, BDNF were detected at baseline and post-intervention. After intervention, the scores of PHQ-9, GAD-7, PSQI, and the levels of IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α in the MBCT were significantly lower than those in WL group, and total scores of FFMQ, SCS, and the level of BDNF were significantly higher than those in WL group. In MBCT group, daily practice time and session numbers positively related to reduction rates of PHQ-9, GAD-7 and PSQI at post-intervention. The reduction rate of PHQ-9, GAD-7 and PSQI at post-intervention in the completers were higher significantly than those in the partial attendees. These findings suggested MBCT is effective for MDD, and the intervention has a dose-response effect. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Registration number is [ChiCTR2100044309].

[Influential factors for methylphenidate treatment compliance in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate influential factors for the tendency to medicate and medication compliance in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS: A total of 188 children aged from 5 to 16 years, who were initially diagnosed with ADHD according to DSM-IV criteria, were included in the study. They underwent symptom assessment and cognitive function test. The compliance of methylphenidate treatment was evaluated. RESULTS: Patients with better emotional state, and fewer oppositional and hyperactive behaviors and those who had a family history of psychiatric diseases and who obtained lower scores in the number cancellation test (NCT), were more prone to medication and/or exhibited better medication compliance. Logistic regression analysis showed that fewer oppositional and hyperactive behaviors and lower NCT scores were the predictive factors for a higher tendency to medicate, and a better emotional state was the predictive factor for better medication compliance. Patients of predominantly inattentive type were more prone to medication and showed better medication compliance, as compared with those of combined type. Gender, age and symptom severity were not associated with the tendency to medicate and/or medication compliance. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need to enhance medication compliance in children with ADHD who have hyperactive, impulsive and oppositional behaviors, and to improve their long-term social functions.

[Study on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in children based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging].

OBJECTIVE: To compare resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) findings of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and normal children, and to investigate the possible mechanism of brain dysfunction in children with ADHD. METHODS: Resting-state fMRI was performed on 18 children who met the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for ADHD (ADHD group) and 18 normal children (control group) matched for age, sex, IQ, degree of education and handedness. The two groups were compared in terms of amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo). RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the ADHD group had decreased ALFF in the bilateral posterior lobes of the cerebellum and the left side of the pons, increased ALFF in the right precentral gyrus, decreased ReHo in the left medial frontal gyrus, right superior frontal gyrus, and left precuneus, and increased ReHo in the left anterior lobe of the cerebellum, left caudate nucleus, right parahippocampal gyrus, left precentral gyrus, and right middle frontal gyrus. CONCLUSIONS: In resting state, children with ADHD have decreased brain activity in some regions, including the cerebellum and frontal cortex, compared with normal children, which supports the hypothesis of dysfunctional fronto-cerebellar circuits in ADHD.

Validity and Cutoff Score of the Autism Mental Status Exam for an Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis in Chinese Children.

The Autism Mental Status exam (AMSE) has demonstrated excellent sensitivity and specificity in Western high-risk population with suspected autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the AMSE in a sample of high-risk Chinese children, and to determine the optimal cutoff score of the Chinese version of the AMSE in supporting ASD diagnosis. 66 young children aged from 2 to 11 years with suspected ASD were enrolled in the present study. A diagnosis of ASD or non-ASD was determined by a Best Estimate Diagnosis protocol according to the DSM-5 criteria. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was conducted to assess the validity of the AMSE and search for the most effective cutoff score. The ROC curve analysis yields the area under the ROC curve of 0.98 which represents excellent diagnostic accuracy. Findings indicate the optimal cutoff score of the Chinese version of the AMSE was estimated as 6, producing the highest sensitivity of 98% and a specificity of 87%. Preliminary findings of the study suggest the AMSE has promising psychometric properties as an assessment tool for identifying ASD symptoms and supporting diagnostic decision-making in high-risk Chinese children population.

Association study of neuregulin 1 gene polymorphisms with auditory P300 in schizophrenia.

Neuregulin 1 (NRG1), a gene involved with myelin production has been shown to have a positive correlation with schizophrenia. Event-related potentials (ERPs) studies provide the evidence of disturbed electrophysiologic marker in schizophrenia. The present study investigated the association of NRG1 genotypes with P300 in schizophrenia. Three polymorphisms in NRG1 gene were detected in 287 Chinese Han schizophrenics and 120 healthy control subjects. Among the total sample, 140 patients and 96 controls underwent P300. There were no significant differences for genotype distributions and allele frequencies between schizophrenic group and the control. A significant difference was observed between the schizophrenic patients and controls in the AT haplotype, with Odds Ratio 0.304 (P = 0.000882, 95% CI = 0.145-0.636). P300 amplitude in the schizophrenic group was significantly lower than that of the controls at Fz, Cz, Pz. P300 latency in the schizophrenic group was also significantly longer than that of the controls at Cz, Pz, Fz. Significant differences of P300 latency between three genotypes of rs3924999 were found at Cz and Pz both in schizophrenic group and the controls. The G/G carriers of rs3924999 tended to perform worse in the P300 latency as compared to A/A or A/G carriers both in the schizophrenia and controls. There were no significant differences for P300 latency and amplitude between schizophrenic group and controls for AT haplotype. NRG1 gene is a susceptible gene for Chinese Han schizophrenia and AT haplotype might have the protective role in the schizophrenia. Rs3924999 in NRG1 gene might functionally impact cognitive processing.

A Study on the Effect of the Pre-Go-Live Training in Anxiety and Depression of Medical Staff Based on the Data of Wuhan Fangcang Shelter Hospital During COVID-19 in the Era of Big Data.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) broke out in 2019. In the past 4 years, China has adopted many measures to control the epidemic, including building Fangcang shelter hospitals to isolate confirmed positive cases. Therefore, we aim to explore the mental health status of medical staff in the Wuhan Fangcang shelter hospital and discuss the relevant factors that affect the medical staff's mental status. The subjects of the research were staff from several Fangcang shelter hospitals in Wuhan during the epidemic of COVID-19. Patient Health Questionnaire-9 items Scale (PHQ-9) was used to assess the severity of the participants' depressive symptoms, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 items Scale (GAD-7) was used to evaluate the severity of the participants' anxiety symptoms. The demographic information and health adjustment methods were collected in a self-made questionnaire, and regression analysis on related factors that affect mental health was performed. The three most frequently used methods of psychological adjustment for the staff in the Fangcang shelter hospital are common recreational activities, such as reading, streaming videos, listening to music, and playing games. (93.8%), communicating with colleagues in the Fangcang shelter hospital (92.5%), and communicating with family members and friends (78.3%). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that developing depression symptoms has relation to 2 factors, which are having not participated in medical emergency rescue missions (odds ratio = 2.610; 95% confidence interval 1.398-4.872, P = 0.003) and inadequate training before entering the shelter hospital (odds ratio = 2.804, 95% confidence interval 1.293-6.08, P = 0.009). Compared with adequate pre-job training, insufficient training increases the risk of anxiety symptoms (odds ratio = 2.692; 95% confidence interval 1.3-5.575, P = 0.008). Lack of experience and inadequate training in medical emergency rescue missions exposed the medical staff to a higher risk of developing symptoms of depression and anxiety. Psychological adjustment methods that are helpful to adjust their mental state are most commonly used.

Effect of High-Frequency Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Visual Selective Attention in Male Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder After the Acute Withdrawal.

Objective: To investigate the effect of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) on attention cue reactivity in male patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) after acute withdrawal. Methods: A total of 90 male patients with AUD who were hospitalized were enrolled and divided into study and waiting groups by a random number table. During the study, 18 patients dropped out. After the alcohol withdrawal symptoms were eliminated, the study group received high-frequency rTMS at 10 Hz for 14 consecutive days, and the waiting group was administrated by sham rTMS. All subjects were evaluated for attention cue reactivity, impulsiveness, cognitive function by oddball paradigm, Barratt Impulsiveness Scale version II (BIS-II), and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) at baseline and after true or sham rTMS. Results: 1. There was no significant difference between the study and the waiting groups regarding the drinking level, cognition level, and demographic data at baseline. 2. In the oddball paradigm, both for alcohol-related and non-alcohol-related cues, the response times were significantly shorter in the study group after rTMS treatment than in the waiting-for-treatment group, either between the two groups or within the study group. There was no significant difference in the accuracy rate for alcohol-related and non-alcohol-related cues between the two groups or within the study group after rTMS intervention. 3. The total score of MoCA was significantly increased, and the total score of BIS-II was significantly decreased in the study group after rTMS treatment, either between the two groups or within the study group. Conclusion: The results suggested that high-frequency rTMS could improve the attention bias of alcohol-related cues and impulsivity for patients with AUD.

The Association of P300 Components With Clinical Characteristics and Efficacy of Pharmacotherapy in Alcohol Use Disorder.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the association of P300 components with clinical characteristics and efficacy of pharmacotherapy in alcohol use disorder (AUD). Methods: One hundred fifty-one AUD patients and 96 healthy controls were recruited and evaluated for the symptoms of depression, anxiety, sleep, and cognitive function by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Digit Symbol Substitution test (DSST), and event-related potential P300, which is one of the averaged scalp electroencephalography responses time-locked to specific events. Among the AUD group, 101 patients finished an 8-week pharmacotherapy and were evaluated for the above data at post-intervention. Results: 1. At baseline, AUD patients had higher scores of AUDIT, PHQ-9, GAD-7, PSQI, and P300 latency at Cz, Pz, and Fz and lower DSST score and smaller P300 amplitudes at Fz, Cz, and Pz compared with controls. P300 components correlated significantly with alcohol dose and score of AUDIT, PHQ-9, GAD-7, PSQI, and DSST. 2. After 8 weeks' treatment, there were significant changes for the P300 components; alcohol dose; and score of AUDIT, PHQ-9, GAD-7, PSQI, and DSST. Variables at baseline, including P300 amplitudes at Fz, Cz, and Pz; latency of Fz and Pz; alcohol dose; and scores of PHQ-9, GAD-7, PSQI, and DSST, were significantly associated with changes of reduction rate of AUDIT scores. However, P300 amplitudes at Fz, Cz, and Pz in AUD patients after 8-week treatment were still significantly shorter than healthy controls (HCs), and P300 latencies at Fz, Cz, and Pz were significantly longer than HCs. 3. When validated area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was over 0.80, the baseline variables including amplitudes at Cz and Pz, alcohol dose, and scores of PSQI could predict the changes of reduction rate of AUDIT score. Conclusion: P300 amplitudes and latencies at Fz, Cz, and Pz could be used as biological markers for evaluating the clinical characters and severity of AUD. P300 amplitudes at Cz and Pz, sleep condition, and cognitive function at baseline could predict the efficacy of pharmacotherapy for AUD patients.

A Comparison Study of Impulsiveness, Cognitive Function, and P300 Components Between Gamma-Hydroxybutyrate and Heroin-Addicted Patients: Preliminary Findings.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate and compare impulsiveness, negative emotion, cognitive function, and P300 components among gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB)-addicted patients, heroin-dependent patients, and methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) subjects. Methods: A total of 48 men including 17 GHB addicts, 16 heroin addicts, 15 MMT subjects, and 15 male mentally healthy controls (HC) were recruited. All subjects were evaluated for symptoms of depression, anxiety, impulsiveness, and cognitive function through the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7), the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale version II (BIS-II), the Beijing version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (BJ-MoCA), the behavioral test (response time), and event-related potential P300 detection. Results: (1) The mean scores of BIS-II in the GHB addiction group, heroin dependence group, and MMT group were significantly higher than those of the HC group (F = 30.339, P = 0.000). (2) The total scores of BJ-MOCA in GHB addiction group was the worst among the four groups, followed by heroin addiction, MMT group and HC group (F = 27.880, P = 0.000). (3) The response time in the GHB addiction group was the longest among the four groups, followed by the heroin addiction, MMT, and HC groups (F = 150.499, P = 0.000). (4) The amplitude and latency of P300 in GHB addiction subjects were significantly lower and longer than those of the MMT group and the HC group. (5) For the three types of addiction, the P300 amplitudes at Fz, Cz, Pz, T5, and T6 were negatively correlated with the scores of GAD-7, PHQ-9, and BIS-II; the P300 latencies were positively correlated with the response time and negatively correlated with the scores of the BJ-MoCA. Conclusion: People with an addiction were likely to have increased impulsiveness. The cognitive function of the GHB and heroin-addicted subjects, including the heroin detoxification and the MMT groups, was severely impaired, especially for the GHB-addicted patients. The impairment manifested as abnormalities of BJ-MoCA, response time, and P300 components.

The Psychological Effect of Internet-Based Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on the Survivors of Breast Cancer During the COVID-19.

Objective: To examine the efficacy and the role of engagement of an internet-based Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (iMBSR) for survivors of breast cancer (BC) during the COVID-19 period from January to March in 2020 in China. Methods: 48 survivors of BC were divided into the absentees group and the iMBSR groups according to their attending to the standardized, group-based, 8-week iMBSR. Based on practice time, survivors of BC in the iMBSR were categorized into three subgroups: group 1 (<30 min/day), group 2 (30-60 min/day), and group 3 (>60 min/day). In addition, participants were classified as partial attendees (<4 sessions) and completers (more than 4 sessions) of the iMBSR groups. All participants were evaluated for symptoms of depression, anxiety and insomnia at baseline, mid-intervention, and post-intervention. Results: After an 8-week iMBSR practice, at mid-intervention and post-intervention, participants in iMBSR group had significant improvement in scores and reduction rates of depression, anxiety, and insomnia compared to absentees. Scores of depression and insomnia, reduction rates of depression at post-intervention, scores of anxiety, reduction rates of anxiety and insomnia at mid-intervention and post-intervention, had significant differences among subgroups of practice time. Daily practice time was positively related to reduction rates of depression, anxiety and insomnia at post-intervention in the iMBSR group. Conclusion: Internet-based MBSR showed efficacy in reducing psychological symptoms among survivors of BC. For survivors of BC, iMBSR practice has a potential dose-response efficacy, with a threshold of >30 min daily practice for most optimal symptoms reduction. Trial Registration: Registration number is [ChiCTR2100044309].

Pharmacogenetic associations of NRG1 polymorphisms with neurocognitive performance and clinical symptom response to risperidone in the untreated schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE: To explore pharmacogenetic relationships of NRG1 genotypes with neurocognitive performance and clinical symptoms after 12 week treatment of risperidone in Chinese Han first-episode schizophrenia. METHODS: A cohort of 221 patients with schizophrenia were recruited for this research. Finally 177 untreated first-episode patients were clinically evaluated with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices (RSPM), Digit Vigilance Test (DVT), Digit Span (DS), underwent genotyping for five polymorphisms of NRG1, and completed a 12-week prospective study of risperidone monotherapy. RESULTS: 1. After risperidone treatment of 12 weeks, the total scores, positive score, negative score and general score of PANSS decreased significantly; the scores of RSPM, DVT and DS increased significantly. 2. No significant association with PANSS scores at baseline or change in scores after 12 weeks'treatment was found with any of the five SNPs. There was also neither significant association of DVT, DS or RSPM at baseline with any of the five SNPs. 3. After risperidone treatment of 12 weeks, rs3924999 and rs35753505 showed significant association with change in DVT and in RSPM in which there were significant differences among different genotype groups. CONCLUSION: This study suggested pharmacogenetic relationships between NRG1 variants and changes in cognition response with exposure to 12 weeks of treatment with risperidone. Two variants, rs3924999 and rs35753505, in the NRG1 gene were associated with the changes in attention and reasoning ability after risperidone treatment of 12 weeks.

Correlation of abnormalities in resting state fMRI with executive functioning in chronic schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Although previous studies have consistently demonstrated that neurocognitive and social cognitive impairments are commonly observed in schizophrenia, the neural substrates of deficits of cognitive function remain unclear, especially for the chronic schizophrenia. There has been little resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) study of cognitive function in chronic schizophrenia. In this study we aimed to investigate the changes of rs-fMRI signals with regional homogeneity (ReHo), and explore the correlations between abnormal regional activity and cognitive function in chronic schizophrenia. METHODS: Altogether 76 subjects, 37 patients with chronic schizophrenia and 39 normal controls matched approximately for age, gender and education level were enrolled. All subjects were evaluated psychotic symptoms by Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and cognitive function by Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). Conventional MRI and rs-fMRI were performed in all subjects. ReHo was calculated to measure the temporal synchronization of a given voxel and its neighboring voxels based on Kendall coefficient of concordance (KCC) in the rs-fMRI. RESULTS: For the numbers of achieved categories, percentage of conceptual level response in the scores of WCST, the patient group was significantly lower than the control group (p<0.05). For the total errors, perseverative errors, non-perseverative errors, the patient group was significantly higher than the control group (p<0.05). Significant differences in ReHo were found in 11 regions (included five activated and five with decreased activity in the cerebrum and one with decreased activity in the cerebellum) in the chronic schizophrenia patients when compared with the normal controls. The ReHo map clusters that were significantly different between the two groups showed no significant correlation with clinical symptoms. Correlation of the whole brain with subscores of PANSS-T, PANSS-P, PANSS-N and WCST were significantly found in some regions. CONCLUSIONS: The study identified five increased and six decreased spontaneous synchrony in the cerebrum and cerebellum in chronic schizophrenia patients compared to the normal matched controls, which were associated with positive, negative symptoms, and deficits of executive functioning.

Psychometric properties of the Caregiver Strain Questionnaire among Chinese parents of children with ADHD or ASD.

BACKGROUND: There is an urgent need in clinical practice to measure the stress of parenting. The Caregiver Strain Questionnaire (CGSQ) was found to be useful to measure parenting stress, but it has not been validated among the Chinese population. AIMS: To assess the reliability and construct validity of the Chinese version of CGSQ among Chinese parents. METHODS: From 2016 to 2017, 266 parents (patient group) with a child having DSM-5-defined attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (n=107) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (n=159) and 268 parents of healthy children (control group) were recruited to the present study in Kunming, Yunnan province. All the parents were asked to fill out the Chinese version of CGSQ. We conducted exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to verify construct validity of CGSQ in both patient and control groups. Cronbach's α coefficient as an index of internal consistency was assessed for each subscale. Fourteen days later, 23 subjects filled out the scale again. Intra-class correlation coefficient was calculated to evaluate the test-retest reliability. RESULTS: (1) Cronbach's alpha of the global scale was 0.901 for the control group and 0.952 for the patient group. The test-retest reliability for the whole scale was 0.890; (2) CFA indicated that the three-factor model had better fitting indices compared with the two-factor model in both groups. Besides, the fitting indices in the patient group were more favourable than those of the control group, with χ2/df=1.564, Goodness-of-Fit Index=0.841, Comparative Fit Index=0.954, and root mean square error of approximation=0.065 for the patient group at three-factor model; (3) The caregiver strain of ASD parents was statistically higher than that of ADHD parents, and caregiver strain of ADHD parents was higher than that of control group. CONCLUSION: These findings provide initial evidence to support the construct validity and reliability of CGSQ as a parenting stress measurement tool for Chinese parents, especially for parents of children with ADHD or ASD.

Association study of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene Val158Met polymorphism with auditory P300 in Chinese Han patients with schizophrenia.

Several studies have reported associations between catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene Val158Met polymorphism and P300 event-related potentials in schizophrenic patients. But there has been no research to study the association between the P300 component and the Val158Met polymorphism in Chinese Han schizophrenia patients. Therefore, the present article was aimed at investigating the relationship of the Val158Met polymorphism with P300 in Chinese schizophrenic patients. The Val158Met polymorphism was detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) in 287 schizophrenia patients and 84 healthy control subjects. P300 recordings were obtained in a subsample. A significant difference was not observed between the patients and control subjects in the genotype distributions and allele frequencies. P300 amplitude in schizophrenia patients was significantly lower than that of controls. The P300 latency in schizophrenia patients was also significantly longer than that of controls. The P300 latency of Met homozygotes was significantly shorter than that of Val/Met and of Val/Val carriers at Cz and Pz. The latency of Val/Met carriers was significantly shorter than that of Val/Val carriers at Pz. The results did not suggest an association between the polymorphism in the COMT gene and susceptibility to schizophrenia in the Chinese Han population. However, the COMT Val158Met polymorphism might be a susceptibility variant for P300 abnormality in Chinese Han schizophrenia.