Inflammation Markers Among Schizophrenia Patients Who Use Cannabis.

OBJECTIVES: The mechanism of inflammation of the immune system, for example, such circulatory markers as the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and mean platelet volume (MPV), has been shown in many studies to be associated with schizophrenia. In addition, it has been shown that the cannabidiol component reduces the activation of the acquired immune system. This study examined the differences in the levels of NLR and MPV among schizophrenia patients with cannabis use versus those without. METHODS: In 2019 to 2020, a retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted based on digital medical records. Demographic, clinical, and complete blood cell count data were collected from records of rehospitalization of active psychotic schizophrenia inpatients. Data on NLR, MPV values, and demographic and clinical characteristics were compared between the groups and according to the degree of prevalence of cannabis use. RESULTS: No differences were found in the NLR and MPV values between the groups. CONCLUSION: The results were contrary to our expectations. These results may be explained by the presentation of a "pseudo-balanced" picture created when multiple processes affect inflammatory indices.

Cognitive enhancement drug use among resident physicians: Prevalence and motivations for use - results from a survey.

Background: Non-medical use of prescription drugs for the enhancement of cognitive functioning has gained popularity in recent years, especially among young educated adults. To our knowledge, no previous study investigated this phenomenon among resident physicians.Objective: To analyze cognitive enhancement drugs use motivations and patterns among resident physicians.Methods: A survey and statistical analysis regarding the use of drugs traditionally prescribed for the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: stimulants, amphetamines and modafinil.Participants: 1,453 residents who took their written residency exam in the summer of 2017. The response rate was 32.3%.Results: 28.1% of responders reported past use, with 73.67% of them reporting use without a related medical diagnosis. Almost half of the users (47.1%) acquired the drug with a prescription, but without a diagnosis of a related medical disorder. The first use was predominantly during residency (54.3%), with 45% reporting it as related to the residency exam.Factors found to positively impact non-medical use include: declaring undiagnosed Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, fear of failing the exam, a belief that more than 30% of other examinees take cognitive enhancements drugs, and a learning disability diagnosis. Self-reports of being a competitive person and being a parent, were negatively correlated with non-medical use.Conclusions: The use of drugs that are taken traditionally for the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is common among resident physicians, both with and without related medical indication. Interestingly, factors associated with the fear of being "left behind" increase non-medical use and not the desire to succeed.

Differences in audiovisual integration, as measured by McGurk phenomenon, among adult and adolescent patients with schizophrenia and age-matched healthy control groups.

BACKGROUND: McGurk effect is a perceptual phenomenon that reflects the integration of visual and auditory information during speech perception. Using McGurk effect, the authors examined the audiovisual integration in adolescents and adults with schizophrenia as compared with healthy volunteers. SAMPLING AND METHODS: Thirty hospitalized patients with schizophrenia and 20 age-matched healthy controls were examined for perception of ambiguous audiovisual stimuli. RESULTS: The mean of McGurk-positive responses was significantly lower in adolescent patients with schizophrenia than in healthy adolescents (3.13 +/- 2.09 vs 5.60 +/- 0.7, respectively; t = 3.591, P = .001). The McGurk-positive responses were significantly higher in healthy adolescents than in healthy adults (5.60 +/- 0.7 vs 3.60 +/- 1.43, respectively; t = 3.974, P = .001). No significant difference in McGurk-positive responses was found between adults with schizophrenia and healthy adult individuals, or between adolescent and adults with schizophrenia. Duration of schizophrenia, soft sign status, type of symptoms, and type of antipsychotic medication showed no influence on the audiovisual integration ability. CONCLUSIONS: (I) Age effect: It seems that the audiovisual integrative function increases from childhood to adolescence and decreases from adolescence to early adulthood. (II) Schizophrenia: Audiovisual integration is poor in adolescent and adult patients with schizophrenia. Thus, it seems that schizophrenia is associated with early and persistent impairment in the development of the audiovisual integration ability. (III) Reliance on visual cue stimuli: Although several previous investigations concluded that patients with schizophrenia rely less on visual cue stimuli than healthy controls, our data suggest that this is true only for specific types of visual cue stimuli.