Gender differences in neurocognitive impairment among first-episode, drug-naïve schizophrenia patients: a cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Cognitive impairment is a core feature of first-episode schizophrenia (FES), yet the influence of biological sex on its manifestation remains under characterized. Existing evidence suggests sex differences in cognitive profiles among chronic schizophrenia patients, but whether these patterns emerge in drug-naïve FES patients-and how they relate to clinical symptoms-requires clarification.

Methods: We recruited 382 drug-naïve FES patients and 522 healthy controls (HCs) matched for age and education.

Efficiency and Extent of Niacin-Induced Skin Flushing Patterns in Early Stages of Psychosis.

Niacin-induced skin flushing response (NSFR) attenuation is a well documented biomarker for psychosis and has also been used in studies of bipolar affective disorder. It appears not only in later stages but also in first episodes and in clinical high-risk (CHR) stages. NSFR tests were conducted on healthy controls (HC), CHR individuals, and first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients from January 2019 to March 2024.

Predictive role of erythrocyte fatty acids in conversion to psychosis: a longitudinal study of clinical high-risk individuals.

Introduction: Fatty acid (FA) alterations are associated in patients with psychosis. This study aimed to investigate the role of FAs in predicting the conversion to psychosis in individuals at clinical high-risk (CHR) and to distinguish CHR individuals from healthy controls (HC).

Materials And Methods: A three-year longitudinal study was conducted involving 67 CHR individuals and 25 HC participants.

Auditory and visual oddball stimulus processing deficits in clinical high risk for psychosis: Forecasting psychosis risk with N200 and P300.

Background: Individuals at clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis exhibit reduced P300 responses, particularly in auditory tasks. While N200 abnormalities have been reported in CHR individuals, findings are inconsistent, and research on visual oddball tasks is limited. This study compares event-related potentials (ERPs) in auditory and visual oddball paradigms between CHR individuals and healthy controls (HC), aiming to explore these components as potential biomarkers for CHR and its clinical outcomes.

Early improvement of psychopathological symptoms with add-on repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation treatment as the key contributor to improving remission in schizophrenia.

Early improvement with antipsychotic treatment is thought to be important in patients with first-episode schizophrenia(FES); however, no study has examined the contribution of add-on repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). This study is aimed to investigate the efficacy and early improvement of rTMS in FES and to identify the relationship between initial symptom reduction and late response. A total of 105 patients with FES were randomly assigned to two groups: active rTMS group (n = 60) and sham rTMS group (n = 45), with existing olanzapine (10-20 mg/day) combined with 20 sessions of 1Hz active/sham rTMS over the right orbitofrontal cortex (20min/session, 5times/week).

Neurocognitive resilience as a predictor of psychosis onset and functional outcomes in individuals at high risk.

Background: Neurocognitive resilience (NCR) refers to the ability of individuals to maintain cognitive function despite the presence of risk factors for psychosis. Investigating NCR is important as it may help predict the onset of psychosis and functional outcomes in individuals at clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis.

Methods: This study employed a multi-group prospective design with a 3-year follow-up as part of the ShangHai At Risk for Psychosis-Extended project.

Investigating the disconnection between cytokine and symptom clusters in clinical high risk populations: Towards a comprehensive cross-dimensional analysis.

Objective: Clustering individuals at the Clinical High-Risk(CHR) stage of psychosis often relies on single dimensions, and the independence or overlap of clustering results across different dimensions lacks sufficient evidence. Additionally, it remains unclear whether combining different dimensions-such as biological markers(e.g.

Brain Network Resilience and Cognitive Function in Patients With First-Episode Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders.

Background: First-episode schizophrenia spectrum disorders (FESSDs) are associated with significant cognitive impairment that affects daily functioning. While these deficits are well documented, the neural mechanisms underlying the cognitive impairment in FESSDs remain limited. Because the structure robustness and resilience of the brain network in healthy populations are reported to be associated with cognitive function, we examined these associations in patients with FESSDs.

Gender differences in cognitive performance among young adults with first-episode schizophrenia in China.

Background: Individuals with schizophrenia exhibit distinctive patterns of cognitive impairments, which pose difficulties in patients' everyday functionality and reduce patients' quality of life. Previous research suggests that many demographic variables, such as gender and age, influence the cognitive performance profiles of schizophrenia patients; however, the gender differences in neurocognitive dysfunction among first-episode schizophrenia (FES) patients remain less clear.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we compared the cognitive performance of FES patients to that of healthy controls (HC), with a specific focus on gender differences within the Chinese population aged under 35 years.

Cognitive impairments in first-episode psychosis patients with attenuated niacin response.

Background: Psychosis is a complex brain disorder with diverse biological subtypes influenced by various pathogenic mechanisms, which can affect treatment efficacy. The ANR(Attenuated Niacin Response) subtype is characterized by pronounced negative symptoms and functional impairments, suggesting a distinct clinical profile. However, research on the cognitive characteristics associated with the ANR subtype in drug-naïve first-episode psychosis(FEP) patients remains limited.

Age-related differences in borderline personality disorder traits and childhood maltreatment: a cross-sectional study.

Introduction: This study investigates age-related differences in Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) traits and childhood maltreatment (CM) experiences among adolescents, young adults, and older adults within a clinical sample.

Methods: A cross-sectional design was employed, involving 2029 outpatients aged 15-50 years from the Shanghai Mental Health Center. BPD traits were assessed using the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire 4th Edition Plus (PDQ-4+), and CM experiences were evaluated using the Child Trauma Questionnaire Short Form (CTQ-SF).

Two-Month Cognitive Changes Enhance Prediction of Nonremission in Clinical High-Risk Individuals.

Background: Longitudinal changes in cognitive function may be crucial in predicting clinical outcomes in clinical high-risk (CHR) individuals. In this study, we aimed to investigate the predictive value of baseline cognitive impairment and short-term cognitive changes for nonremission and conversion to psychosis in individuals at CHR for psychosis compared with healthy control individuals (HCs).

Methods: This study used a multiple-group prospective design with a 3-year follow-up.

Age-related variations in heart rate variability profiles among patients with schizophrenia and major depressive disorder.

Patients with psychiatric disorders exhibit general autonomic dysregulation and elevated cardiovascular risks, which could be indexed by heart rate variability (HRV). However, HRV is susceptible to age and other patient-specific factors. This study aimed to investigate the HRV profile and age-related variations, as well as the potential influence of sex, BMI, and HR on HRV in psychiatric populations.

Cognitive impairment in adolescent and adult-onset psychosis: a comparative study.

Background: Cognitive impairment presents in both adolescent-onset(ado-OP) and adult-onset psychosis(adu-OP). Age and neurodevelopmental factors likely contribute to cognitive differences. This study aimed to characterize cognitive functions in ado-OP compared to adu-OP in a clinical population with drug-naive first-episode psychosis(FEP).

Attenuated frontotemporal brain activation during cognitive tasks is associated with lower succinate dehydrogenase protein levels in patients with major depressive disorder.

Background: Previous studies have shown a lower hemodynamic response in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) during cognitive tasks. However, the mechanism underlying impaired hemodynamic and neural responses to cognitive tasks in MDD patients remains unclear. Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) is a key biomarker of mitochondrial energy generation, and it can affect the hemodynamic response via the neurovascular coupling effect.

Timeframe for Conversion to Psychosis From Individuals at Clinical High-Risk: A Quantile Regression.

Background And Hypothesis: The time taken for an individual who is at the clinical high-risk (CHR) stage to transition to full-blown psychosis may vary from months to years. This temporal aspect, known as the timeframe for conversion to psychosis (TCP), is a crucial but relatively underexplored dimension of psychosis development.

Study Design: The sample consisted of 145 individuals with CHR who completed a 5-year follow-up with a confirmed transition to psychosis within this period.

Distribution of self-reported borderline personality disorder traits symptoms in a large-scale clinical population.

Introduction: Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) traits play a crucial role in the prognosis of psychiatric disorders, as well as in assessing risks associated with negativity and impulsivity. However, there is a lack of data regarding the distribution characteristics of BPD traits and symptoms within clinical populations.

Methods: A total of 3015 participants (1321 males, 1694 females) were consecutively sampled from outpatients at the psychiatric and psycho-counseling clinics at the Shanghai Mental Health Center.

Abnormal Scanning Patterns Based on Eye Movement Entropy in Early Psychosis.

Background: Restricted scan path mode is hypothesized to explain abnormal scanning patterns in patients with schizophrenia. Here, we calculated entropy scores (drawing on gaze data to measure the statistical randomness of eye movements) to quantify how strategical and random participants were when processing image stimuli.

Methods: Eighty-six patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FES), 124 individuals at clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis, and 115 healthy control participants (HCs) completed an eye-tracking examination while freely viewing 35 static images (each presented for 10 seconds) and cognitive assessments.

Comprehensive review of multidimensional biomarkers in the ShangHai At Risk for Psychosis (SHARP) program for early psychosis identification.

Psychosis is recognized as one of the largest contributors to nonfatal health loss, and early identification can largely improve routine clinical activity by predicting the psychotic course and guiding treatment. Clinicians have used the clinical high-risk for psychosis (CHR) paradigm to better understand the risk factors that contribute to the onset of psychotic disorders. Clinical factors have been widely applied to calculate the individualized risks for conversion to psychosis 1-2 years later.

Cognitive Impairments in Drug-Naive Patients With First-Episode Negative Symptom-Dominant Psychosis.

Importance: Available antipsychotic medications are predominantly used to treat positive symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions, in patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP). However, treating negative and cognitive symptoms, which are closely related to functional outcomes, remains a challenge.

Objective: To explore the cognitive characteristics of patients with negative symptom-dominant (NSD) psychosis.