Hippocampal subfield volumes and change in body mass over 12 months of treatment in first-episode schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

In this study, we explored the relationship between baseline hippocampal subfield volumes and change in body mass over 12 months of treatment in 90 first-episode schizophrenia spectrum disorder patients (66 males, 24 females; mean age= 24.7 ± 6.8 years). Body mass index was assessed in patients at baseline, and at months 3, 6, 9 and 12. Hippocampal subfields of interest were assessed at baseline using a segmentation algorithm included in the FreeSurfer 6.0 software program. Linear regression revealed a significant interactive effect between sex and anterior hippocampus size as predictors of change in body mass over 12 months, adjusting for age, substance use, and treatment duration. In an exploratory post-hoc sub-analysis, partial correlations showed a significant association between weight gain and smaller CA1, CA3 and subiculum volumes in females, but not males, adjusting for age and substance use, with similar trends evident for the CA4 and presubiculum subfields. In conclusion, our findings suggest that smaller anterior hippocampal subfields at baseline are associated with the development of weight gain over the course of treatment in first-episode schizophrenia spectrum disorders in a sex-specific fashion. This may be related to the greater increase in body mass evident for female patients in our study.

[Patient blood management : Medical concept for increasing patient safety]. / Patient Blood Management : Medizinisches Konzept zur Steigerung der Patientensicherheit.

Patient blood management (PBM) is a multidisciplinary evidence-based treatment model. Aims are to provide treatment of pre-existing or recently occureed deficits in blood volume and of substances that are important for erythropoiesis in patients, as well as the targeted administration of cellular and non-cellular blood products within reasonable and scientifically proven limits. The overall goal is therefore a safe therapy and complication-free course of the disease. PBM follows a strategy based on three pillars, which encompasses the aspects of optimization of anemia and hemoglobin, the handling of bleeding and the use of patient-related resources.