A naturalistic cohort study of first-episode schizophrenia spectrum disorder: A description of the early phase of illness in the PSYSCAN cohort.

BACKGROUND: We examined the course of illness over a 12-month period in a large, international multi-center cohort of people with a first-episode schizophrenia spectrum disorder (FES) in a naturalistic, prospective study (PSYSCAN). METHOD: Patients with a first episode of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder (depressive type) or schizophreniform disorder were recruited at 16 institutions in Europe, Israel and Australia. Participants (N = 304) received clinical treatment as usual throughout the study. RESULTS: The mean age of the cohort was 24.3 years (SD = 5.6), and 67 % were male. At baseline, participants presented with a range of intensities of psychotic symptoms, 80 % were taking antipsychotic medication, 68 % were receiving psychological treatment, with 46.5 % in symptomatic remission. The mean duration of untreated psychosis was 6.2 months (SD = 17.0). After one year, 67 % were in symptomatic remission and 61 % were in functional remission, but 31 % had been readmitted to hospital at some time after baseline. In the cohort as a whole, depressive symptoms remained stable over the follow-up period. In patients with a current depressive episode at baseline, depressive symptoms slightly improved. Alcohol, tobacco and cannabis were the most commonly used substances, with daily users of cannabis ranging between 9 and 11 % throughout the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides valuable insight into the early course of a broad range of clinical and functional aspects of illness in FES patients in routine clinical practice.

Efficacy of psychological interventions in young individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis: A naturalistic study.

AIM: Early detection and intervention in individuals at risk for developing psychosis have become a priority for many clinical services around the world. Limited naturalistic evidence is available on whether detection and intervention for ultra-high risk (UHR) is effective by means of reducing psychosis risk and improving functioning. METHODS: We compared functioning scores over 5.9 (±7.7) months of time between UHR individuals (n = 61) and help-seeking adolescents without a specific UHR profile (general adolescent help-seeking population [HSP]; n = 82) aged 12 to 25 years receiving psychological interventions at a specialized UHR service in the Netherlands. Attenuated psychotic symptoms (APS) were evaluated over time within the UHR group. In addition, the impact of duration of treatment, <7 sessions, 8 to 21 sessions and >20 sessions, as well as treatment type, that is, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and CBT + add on treatment, were evaluated. RESULTS: Both UHR and HSP showed an increase in functioning over time (P < .001), with no difference between these groups. The UHR group showed a reduction of APS over time (P < .001). More than 20 treatment sessions was more effective than 1 to 6 treatment sessions (P < .01, partial eta squared = .08) and CBT was equally effective as CBT-add on in improving functioning. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that psychological treatment is just as effective in improving functioning in UHR as in HSP. Moreover, it decreases APS in UHR. Improvement in functioning is not affected by treatment type, but positively affected by the duration of treatment.

Physical exercise improves quality of life, depressive symptoms, and cognition across chronic brain disorders: a transdiagnostic systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

We performed a meta-analysis to synthesize evidence on the efficacy and safety of physical exercise as an add-on therapeutic intervention for quality of life (QoL), depressive symptoms and cognition across six chronic brain disorders: Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia and unipolar depression. 122 studies ( = k) (n = 7231) were included. Exercise was superior to treatment as usual in improving QoL (k = 64, n = 4334, ES = 0.40, p < 0.0001), depressive symptoms (k = 60, n = 2909, ES = 0.78, p < 0.0001), the cognitive domains attention and working memory (k = 21, n = 1313, ES = 0.24, p < 0.009), executive functioning (k = 14, n = 977, ES = 0.15, p = 0.013), memory (k = 12, n = 994, ES = 0.12, p = 0.038) and psychomotor speed (k = 16, n = 896, ES = 0.23, p = 0.003). Meta-regression showed a dose-response effect for exercise time (min/week) on depressive symptoms (ß = 0.007, p = 0.012). 69% of the studies that reported on safety, found no complications. Exercise is an efficacious and safe add-on therapeutic intervention showing a medium-sized effect on QoL and a large effect on mood in patients with chronic brain disorders, with a positive dose-response correlation. Exercise also improved several cognitive domains with small but significant effects.

Raloxifene augmentation in men and women with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder: A study protocol.

Although acute psychotic symptoms are often reduced by antipsychotic treatment, many patients with schizophrenia are impaired in daily functioning due to the persistence of negative and cognitive symptoms. Raloxifene, a Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulator (SERM) has been shown to be an effective adjunctive treatment in schizophrenia. Yet, there is a paucity in evidence for raloxifene efficacy in men and premenopausal women. We report the design of a study that aims to replicate earlier findings concerning the efficacy of raloxifene augmentation in reducing persisting symptoms and cognitive impairment in postmenopausal women, and to extend these findings to a male and peri/premenopausal population of patients with schizophrenia. The study is a multisite, placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomised clinical trial in approximately 110 adult men and women with schizophrenia. Participants are randomised 1:1 to adjunctive raloxifene 120 mg or placebo daily during 12 weeks. The treatment phase includes measurements at three time points (week 0, 6 and 12), followed by a follow-up period of two years. The primary outcome measure is change in symptom severity, as measured with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and cognition, as measured with the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS). Secondary outcome measures include social functioning and quality of life. Genetic, hormonal and inflammatory biomarkers are measured to assess potential associations with treatment effects. If it becomes apparent that raloxifene reduces psychotic symptoms and/or improves cognition, social functioning and/or quality of life as compared to placebo, implementation of raloxifene in clinical psychiatric practice can be considered.