A meta-analysis of context integration deficits across the schizotypy spectrum using AX-CPT and DPX tasks

Schizotypy and schizophrenia involve disrupted context integration (CI), the ability to assimilate internal and external information into coherent mental representations. Research has primarily examined patients with schizophrenia, with fewer studies assessing CI in schizotypy-spectrum groups. The literature shows overall CI deficits, but mixed results for specific performance patterns and associations with clinical symptoms. Furthermore, conclusions are limited by small samples and heterogeneity across studies. To examine CI deficits across the schizotypy spectrum using AX-Continuous Performance Task (CPT) and Dot Pattern Expectancy task (DPX) performance. Systematic review involved searching 4 databases and 12 journals, examining key references, and contacting 227 researchers for published and unpublished data. Search terms included AX-CPT/DPX/dot pattern expectancy task/CNTRACs/context* integration/context* processing and schizo*/prodromal/high risk/psychosis; context* and ultra high risk. Independent data from studies with diagnostically or psychometrically assessed schizotypy-spectrum groups and AX-CPT/DPX tasks with 10+ trials and 60+% AX trials were included. Articles were independently coded by two authors using predefined coding schemes with good agreement. Meta-analyses pooled outcomes using random-effects models. Forty-one studies met inclusion criteria. CI impairment was present across the schizotypy spectrum. CI deficits in schizophrenia were substantial and associated with disorganized and negative symptoms. Outcomes were comparable between patients with chronic and first-episode schizophrenia. At-risk groups demonstrated moderate CI impairment. Results were robust across task parameters and there was no evidence that reporting biases grossly impacted outcomes. Findings lend support to theories suggesting that CI is a stable vulnerability factor for schizophrenia. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Ecological Validity of Expressed Emotion in Early Psychosis

Expressed emotion (EE) is an aspect of the family environment that influences the course of multiple forms of psychopathology. However, there is limited research about how EE dimensions [i.e., criticism and emotional over-involvement (EOI)] are expressed in real-world settings. The present study used experience sampling methodology to investigate: 1) the criterion and construct validity of daily-life, momentary measures of criticism and EOI, and 2) the construct and ecological validity of psychometric EE-dimensions as assessed with the self-report Family Questionnaire (FQ). A total sample of 55 relatives (34 relatives of at-risk mental state patients and 21 of first-episode psychosis patients) were prompted randomly six times daily for 1-week to assess their current emotional experiences and cognitive appraisals. Relatives also completed the FQ. Momentary criticism and EOI were significantly associated with the two FQ-EE dimensions respectively, supporting the criterion validity of real-world assessed EE dimensions. As hypothesized, momentary and FQ-EE dimensions were associated with decreased positive affect, as well as with appraisals of less effective coping in daily life. Only momentary EE dimensions were associated with increased momentary negative affect. Partly in contrast with our hypotheses, momentary criticism and FQ-criticism were more consistently related to situational stress and burden than momentary EOI and FQ-EOI. Finally, neither momentary nor FQ-EE dimensions showed distinct patterns of associations with illness attributions. Findings partly support the construct validity of momentary criticism and EOI as well as the construct and ecological validity of the FQ as a sensitive measure of EE dimensions.

Association of positive, negative, and disorganized schizotypy dimensions with affective symptoms and experiences

Schizotypy offers a useful construct for investigating the etiology, development, and expression of schizophrenia-spectrum psychopathology, as well as the comorbid expression of mood and anxiety disorders across the schizophrenia spectrum. The present study examined the associations of positive, negative, and disorganized schizotypy with affective symptoms and experiences in a sample of MTurk workers and college students (n = 575). Participants completed the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale (MSS) and measures of depression, anxiety, social phobia, hypomanic traits, and state affect. As expected, positive schizotypy was significantly associated with hypomanic traits, whereas negative schizotypy was associated with reduced positive affect and reduced hypomanic traits. Although prior research has emphasized the association of positive schizotypy with depression and anxiety, the current results demonstrate that disorganized schizotypy is more strongly associated with elevated negative affect (over-and-above positive schizotypy). As such, these findings highlight the importance of examining disorganization of affect, in addition to the cognitive-behavioral deficits traditionally associated with disorganized schizotypy. Finally, the MSS and MSS-Brief demonstrated closely comparable findings. The present results provide further support for the construct validity of the MSS and the three-factor model of schizotypy.

Prediction of prodromal symptoms and schizophrenia-spectrum personality disorder traits by positive and negative schizotypy: A 3-year prospective study

The present study extends previous cross-sectional findings by examining the predictive validity of positive and negative schizotypy in a young adult sample at a three-year follow-up. Schizotypy and schizophrenia share a comparable multidimensional structure with positive and negative dimensions being the most strongly supported factors. Previous cross-sectional and longitudinal studies employing the psychometric high-risk strategy indicated that schizotypy is a useful method for identifying risk and resilience factors for the development of schizophrenia-spectrum psychopathology. In the present study, 103 participants (77% of 134 candidate participants) were reassessed at a three-year follow-up. As hypothesized, positive schizotypy predicted psychotic-like symptoms, depression, low self-esteem, and general psychopathology. Negative schizotypy predicted emotional disturbances, schizoid personality traits, and mental health treatment during the past year. As expected, both schizotypy dimensions predicted schizotypal, paranoid, and avoidant personality traits, and impaired functioning. These longitudinal findings provide additional evidence supporting the multidimensional model of schizotypy as a valid framework for studying etiological mechanisms and trajectories of psychosis.

Episodic memory retrieval is impaired in negative schizotypy under fast response deadline

Schizotypy offers a useful, multidimensional framework for understanding the development and expression of schizophrenia-spectrum psychopathology. Nonclinically ascertained young adults who endorse positive and negative schizotypy traits exhibit similar, albeit milder, versions of the symptoms and impairment seen in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. Previous studies have demonstrated that negative, but not positive, schizotypy is associated with impairment in free-recall, recognition, and source memory. Furthermore, these deficits appear to result from context processing deficits in negative schizotypy. However, neither positive nor negative schizotypy were associated with variation in the set size effect. The present study further examined the association with set-size effect under fast and slow response deadlines across the schizotypy continuum. We replicated the finding that the set size effect was invariant across both positive and negative schizotypy dimensions. However, negative schizotypy was associated with poorer overall recall, and the negative schizotypy by response deadline interaction revealed that negative schizotypy was differentially impaired by the speeded responding in overall memory. Despite instructions to guess on the cued-recall task, negative schizotypy was associated with increased likelihood of omission errors (failing to produce a response), whereas positive schizotypy was associated with decreased omission errors. The findings provide further support for the multidimensional model of schizotypy and previous findings that negative schizotypy is associated with impaired retrieval, especially under fast response deadlines.

Conscientiousness and Effort-Related Cardiac Activity in Response to Piece-Rate Cash Incentives

Although conscientiousness predicts many aspects of motivation, from delay of gratification to higher achievement, its relationship to responses to monetary incentives is surprisingly inconsistent. Several studies have found null or relationships between conscientiousness and behavioral performance in piece-rate, pay-for-performance tasks, in which people earn money for each unit of work completed. In the present study, we examined the role of conscientiousness in effort-related cardiac activity and behavioral performance during a pay-for-performance task. People worked on a self-paced, piece-rate cognitive task in which they earned 1 cent or 5 cents, manipulated within-person, for each correct response. Conscientiousness predicted greater physiological effort (i.e., shorter pre-ejection period [PEP] reactivity) as incentives increased but had no effect on behavioral performance. The findings suggest that conscientiousness is significantly related to effort for piece-rate tasks, and they reinforce a core idea in motivational intensity theory: effort, performance, and persistence are distinct outcomes that often diverge, so drawing conclusions about effort from performance can be complex.

Psychopathology, everyday behaviors, and autonomic activity in daily life: An ambulatory impedance cardiography study of depression, anxiety, and hypomanic traits

Discrepancies regarding the link between autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity and psychopathology may be due in part to inconsistent measurement of non-psychological factors, including eating, drinking, activity, posture, and interacting with others. Rather than sources of noise, behaviors like being active and being with others may be the behavioral pathways that connect psychopathology symptoms to autonomic activity. The present study examined whether behaviors mediate the association of depression, anxiety, and hypomanic traits with ANS by using experience sampling methodology and ambulatory impedance cardiography. Participants (n = 49) completed measures of affect and one day of experience sampling and ambulatory impedance cardiography. The association of hypomanic traits with heart rate variability and heart rate was mediated by physical activity, and social activity mediated the association of depressive symptoms and respiration. These results highlight the importance of considering the pathways between psychopathology and ANS and the mediating role that everyday behaviors play.

The multidimensional schizotypy scale-brief: Scale development and psychometric properties

This article reports on the development and psychometric properties of a brief version of the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale (MSS-B). The MSS-B contains 38 items that assess positive, negative, and disorganized schizotypy. The scale was derived from the full-length Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale, and the positive, negative, and disorganized subscales were designed to provide the same content coverage as the original subscales. Scale development involved a derivation sample (n = 6265) and a separate cross-validation sample (n = 1000), both drawn from four universities and Amazon Mechanical Turk. The MSS-B was derived using classical test theory, item response theory, and differential item functioning. The three subscales exhibited high internal-consistency reliability, good item- and model-fit, good test information functions, and expected patterns of intercorrelations and associations with neuroticism, sex, and race/ethnicity. This pattern of findings was almost identical between the derivation and cross-validation samples. Furthermore, the pattern of findings was closely comparable for MSS-B subscales and the full-length MSS subscales. The MSS-B appears to offer a promising brief measure for assessing schizotypy.

Development and psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale: A new measure for assessing positive, negative, and disorganized schizotypy

This article reports on the development of a new self-report questionnaire measure of schizotypy - the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale (MSS). Schizotypy offers a useful and unifying construct for understanding schizophrenia-spectrum psychopathology. Questionnaire measures have been widely used to assess schizotypy and have greatly informed our understanding of the construct. However, available measures suffer from a number of limitations, including lack of a clear conceptual framework, outdated wording, unclear factor structure, and psychometric shortcomings. The MSS is based on current conceptual models and taps positive, negative, and disorganized dimensions of schizotypy. The derivation sample included 6265 participants sampled from four universities and Amazon Mechanical Turk. A separate sample of 1000 participants from these sources was used to examine the psychometric properties of the final subscales. Scale development employed classical test theory, item response theory, and differential item function methods. The positive schizotypy and negative schizotypy subscales contain 26 items each, and the disorganized schizotypy subscale contains 25 items. The psychometric properties were almost identical in the derivation and validation samples. All three subscales demonstrated good to excellent reliability, high item-scale correlations, and good item and test curve characteristics. The MSS appears to provide a promising measure for assessing schizotypy.

Interaction between FKBP5 variability and recent life events in the anxiety spectrum: Evidence for the differential susceptibility model

Background

Gene-environment interaction (GxE) research has highlighted the importance of investigating the FK506 binding protein 51 (FKBP5) gene as a sensitivity gene. However, previous GxE studies with FKBP5 have not measured the full environmental spectrum or applied statistical tests to discern whether the GxE interaction fits better with the differential-susceptibility or diathesis-stress hypotheses. This study examined whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on FKBP5 gene moderate the association of positive and negative recent life events (LEs) with depressive symptoms, state-anxiety, neuroticism, and social anxiety traits.

Methods

A total of 86 nonclinical young adults were administered psychological measures and were genotyped for five FKBP5 SNPs (rs3800373, rs9296158, rs1360780, rs9470080 and rs4713916).

Results

Regression analyses indicated significant GxE interactions for social anxiety and neuroticism. The interactions predicting neuroticism fit different models for different SNPs, although the overall effect indicated by the haplotype was consistent with the differential-susceptibility hypothesis: the risk-haplotype group presented higher neuroticism in the presence of more negative LEs and lower neuroticism in the presence of more positive LEs. The GxE interactions for social anxiety were consistent with the diathesis-stress model. The lack of significance in the for-better side for social anxiety might be related to the fact that it mapped onto low extraversion, which is associated with a lower permeability to positive experiences.

Discussion

Findings underscore the importance of testing the differential-susceptibility model in relation to FKBP5 to adequately characterize its role in healthy and pathological developmental processes.

Moving beyond summary scores: Decomposing free recall performance to understand episodic memory deficits in schizotypy

Negative symptom schizophrenia and negative schizotypy are associated with deficits in episodic memory, which may reflect deficits in context processing. However, studies that rely on summary performance measures such as mean accuracy or latency are limited in the extent that they can examine processes underlying memory impairment. The present study decomposed free recall performance by examining serial position functions, first response probability, temporal contiguity effect, cumulative recall functions, and interresponse times in high-positive schizotypy, high-negative schizotypy, and control groups. The negative schizotypy group exhibited not only impaired overall free recall performance but also a pattern of deficits consistent with impaired context processing on the underlying measures. Specifically, the negative schizotypy group was less likely than the other groups to initiate recall with the first item in the list, suggesting impaired encoding or reinstatement of context, and also showed reduced temporal contiguity compared with the other groups, suggesting diminished temporal organization. The cumulative recall function indicated that the negative schizotypy group experienced disruptions in both the sampling and recovery stages of retrieval. Finally, the negative schizotypy group experienced greater slowing between the responses during retrieval, consistent with the finding of reduced temporal contiguity and indicating that it likely terminated memory search before the remaining groups. The positive schizotypy and control groups did not differ on any of the measures. The finding that context-processing deficits occur in both subclinical negative schizotypy and negative symptom schizophrenia suggests that they may represent core areas of impairment in the schizophrenia spectrum. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Working memory capacity and the antisaccade task: A microanalytic-macroanalytic investigation of individual differences in goal activation and maintenance

The association between working memory capacity (WMC) and the antisaccade task, which requires subjects to move their eyes and attention away from a strong visual cue, supports the claim that WMC is partially an attentional construct (Kane, Bleckley, Conway, & Engle, 2001; Unsworth, Schrock, & Engle, 2004). Specifically, the WMC-antisaccade relation suggests that WMC helps maintain and execute task goals despite interference from habitual actions. Related work has recently shown that mind wandering (McVay & Kane, 2009, 2012a, 2012b) and reaction time (RT) variability (Unsworth, 2015) are also related to WMC and they partially explain WMC's prediction of cognitive abilities. Here, we tested whether mind-wandering propensity and intraindividual RT variation account for WMC's associations with 2 antisaccade-cued choice RT tasks. In addition, we asked whether any influences of WMC, mind wandering, or intraindividual RT variation on antisaccade are moderated by (a) the temporal gap between fixation and the flashing location cue, and (b) whether targets switch sides on consecutive trials. Our quasi-experimental study reexamined a published dataset (Kane et al., 2016) comprising 472 subjects who completed 6 WMC tasks, 5 attentional tasks with mind-wandering probes, 5 tasks from which we measured intraindividual RT variation, and 2 antisaccade tasks with varying fixation-cue gap durations. The WMC-antisaccade association was not accounted for by mind wandering or intraindividual RT variation. WMC's effects on antisaccade performance were greater with longer fixation-to-cue intervals, suggesting that goal activation processes-beyond the ability to control mind wandering and RT variability-are partially responsible for the WMC-antisaccade relation. (PsycINFO Database Record

The convergence and divergence of impulsivity facets in daily life

OBJECTIVE

Impulsivity appears to be best conceptualized as a multidimensional construct. For example, the UPPS-P model posits that there are five underlying facets of impulsivity. The present study examined the expression of the UPPS-P facets in daily life using experience sampling methodology. A specific goal of the study was to examine positive urgency, a facet added to the original UPPS model, and its convergence and divergence from the negative urgency facet.

METHOD

A large nonclinical sample of young adults (n = 294) completed the UPPS-P scale and was signaled to complete questionnaires assessing daily affect, cognitions, sense of self, and impulsive behaviors eight times a day for 7 days.

RESULTS

Results indicated that the UPPS-P facets are associated with disruptions in affect, cognitions, and behavior in daily life. Furthermore, all of the UPPS-P facets were associated with impulsivity in daily life. Contrary to expectation, positive urgency was associated with negative affect rather than positive affect and had a profile indistinguishable from negative urgency.

CONCLUSIONS

These results generally support a four-factor model of multidimensional impulsivity with a general overall urgency factor instead of separate positive and negative urgency facets.

Interaction between FKBP5 gene and childhood trauma on psychosis, depression and anxiety symptoms in a non-clinical sample

BACKGROUND

Childhood trauma has been associated with a heightened risk for presenting clinical and non-clinical psychopathology in adulthood. Genes related with the stress response, such as the FK506 binding protein 51 (FKBP5), are plausible candidates moderating the effects of childhood trauma on the emergence of such symptoms later on. The present study aimed to explore the moderating role of FKBP5 genetic variability on the association of different types of childhood trauma with subclinical psychosis, depression and anxiety in a non-clinical sample.

METHODS

Schizotypy, psychotic-like experiences, depression and anxiety symptoms and childhood trauma were assessed in 808 young adults. Two FKBP5 haplotypic blocks were detected: block 1 (rs3800373 - rs9296158 - rs1360780) and block 2 (rs9470080 - rs4713916). Subjects were classified in two groups according to whether they carried or not the risk haplotype previously described in the literature (block 1: CAT and block 2: TA). Linear regression analyses were used to study (i) the main effects of childhood trauma and FKBP5 haplotype blocks and (ii) their interaction effects on the mentioned forms of psychopathology.

RESULTS

All childhood trauma scales, except sexual abuse, were associated with schizotypy, psychotic-like experiences, depression and anxiety symptoms. None of the analysed symptoms was associated with the main effects of FKBP5 genetic variability. However an interaction effect between block 1 and physical abuse was observed on anxiety, with lower scores in CAT carriers. This effect was driven by SNP 1 and 2. Moreover, an interaction effect between block 2 and physical abuse was identified on the variables tapping depressive and anxiety symptoms. Specifically, non-TA carrier subjects who were exposed to physical abuse were found to be at higher risk for depressive and anxiety symptoms. These effects were driven by SNP 5. No interaction effect was observed for the other variables.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest that exposure to childhood physical abuse may increase the risk for sub-clinical depressive and anxiety symptoms depending on FKBP5 genetic variability. Further research is needed to better elucidate the role of FKBP5 on mental health in clinical and non-clinical cohorts.

The genome-wide associated candidate gene ZNF804A and psychosis-proneness: Evidence of sex-modulated association

BACKGROUND

The Zinc finger protein 804A (ZNF804A) is a promising candidate gene for schizophrenia and the broader psychosis phenotype that emerged from genome-wide association studies. It is related to neurodevelopment and associated to severe symptoms of schizophrenia and alterations in brain structure, as well as positive schizotypal personality traits in non-clinical samples. Moreover, a female-specific association has been observed between ZNF804A and schizophrenia.

AIM

The present study examined the association of two ZNF804A polymorphisms (rs1344706 and rs7597593) with the positive dimension of schizotypy and psychotic-like experiences in a sample of 808 non-clinical subjects. Additionally, we wanted to explore whether the sexual differences reported in schizophrenia are also present in psychosis-proneness.

RESULTS

Our results showed an association between rs7597593 and both schizotypy and psychotic-like experiences. These associations were driven by females, such those carrying the C allele had higher scores in the positive dimension of both variables compared to TT allele homozygotes.

CONCLUSION

The findings of the present study support the inclusion of ZNF804 variability in studies of the vulnerability for the development of psychopathology in non-clinical samples and consideration of sex as a moderator of this association.

For Whom the Mind Wanders, and When, Varies Across Laboratory and Daily-Life Settings

Undergraduates ( N = 274) participated in a weeklong daily-life experience-sampling study of mind wandering after being assessed in the lab for executive-control abilities (working memory capacity; attention-restraint ability; attention-constraint ability; and propensity for task-unrelated thoughts, or TUTs) and personality traits. Eight times a day, electronic devices prompted subjects to report on their current thoughts and context. Working memory capacity and attention abilities predicted subjects' TUT rates in the lab, but predicted the frequency of daily-life mind wandering only as a function of subjects' momentary attempts to concentrate. This pattern replicates prior daily-life findings but conflicts with laboratory findings. Results for personality factors also revealed different associations in the lab and daily life: Only neuroticism predicted TUT rate in the lab, but only openness predicted mind-wandering rate in daily life (both predicted the content of daily-life mind wandering). Cognitive and personality factors also predicted dimensions of everyday thought other than mind wandering, such as subjective judgments of controllability of thought. Mind wandering in people's daily environments and TUTs during controlled and artificial laboratory tasks have different correlates (and perhaps causes). Thus, mind-wandering theories based solely on lab phenomena may be incomplete.

Clinical and Psychosocial Characterization of At-Risk Mental State and Recent Onset Psychosis Patients from an Early Psychosis Program in Barcelona (Spain)

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed to describe and compare socio-demographic, background, treatment history, and service use, psychopathological and psychosocial characteristics of At-Risk Mental States (ARMS) and First-Episode Psychosis (FEP) patients from the Sant Pere Claver-Early Psychosis Program (SPC-EPP) in Barcelona.

METHODS

43 ARMS-patients and 40 FEP-patients were assessed with several clinical and psychosocial measures at study baseline.

RESULTS

Clinical and psychosocial characteristics of the SPC-EPP sample were comparable to those of previous early psychosis studies. Overall, the socio-demographic and clinical background characteristics appeared to be mostly similar between ARMS and FEP patients. As expected, groups differed on history of previous psychiatric hospitalizations and current psychiatric treatment. The age at onset of both unspecific and prodromal symptoms, and age of first specialized psychiatric/psychological treatment were earlier in ARMS than in FEP-patients. FEP-patients showed higher scores on positive symptoms, cognitive and greater overall symptom severity than ARMS-patients. ARMS-patients showed higher scores on mania, general psychopathology and a slightly lower premorbid functioning since earlyadolescence than FEP-patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings support the notion that ARMSpatients who seek for help can be considered as already highly dysfunctional and in need of treatment, given that they already suffer from multiple mental and functional disturbances. This supports current health care efforts in providing early access to treatment to this population and signals the need to sustain pilot early detection efforts.

What can daily life assessment tell us about the bipolar spectrum?

Evidence suggests that bipolar psychopathology is better characterized as a spectrum than by categorical diagnoses. The examination of symptoms and impairment associated with bipolar spectrum psychopathology is important and can be enhanced by methods that examine affect, thoughts, and behavior in daily life. The present study extended findings that provide validation of a continuum of bipolar psychopathology in daily life. Young adults (n=294) completed the Hypomanic Personality Scale (HPS) and experience sampling using smartphones. Participants were signaled eight times daily for one week to complete surveys in their normal daily environment. Bipolar spectrum psychopathology was characterized by increased positive and negative affect, confidence, racing thoughts, energy, and impulsivity in daily life. The HPS moderated the association of stress with trouble concentrating, irritability with dysphoria and impulsivity, and confidence with feeling like one's emotions were out of control. This study demonstrated that bipolar spectrum psychopathology is associated with disruptions in affect, thoughts, and behaviors and provided further evidence for a continuum of bipolar psychopathology. ESM is a promising method for examining dynamic constructs such as bipolar spectrum psychopathology and has the potential to be a strong research and clinical tool.

Relatives' expressed emotion, distress and attributions in clinical high-risk and recent onset of psychosis

It has been well-demonstrated that Expressed Emotion (EE) in caregivers of schizophrenia patients is related to their illness attributions, but little is known about relatives' cognitive and emotional appraisals at early stages of psychosis. This study examined differences on the relationships of EE with distress and illness attributions in 78 relatives of At-Risk Mental States (ARMS) and First-Episode of Psychosis (FEP) patients, and which of those variables better predicted EE. Criticism and Emotional Over-Involvement (EOI) were associated with distress and with several illness attributions in both groups. Anxiety was more strongly associated with criticism in ARMS than in FEP-relatives, and it was associated with EOI in the ARMS but not in the FEP-group. No differences on the relationships of EE with depression or attributions were found. Furthermore, distress and attributions of blame toward the patients predicted criticism. Attributions of control by the patient and emotional negative representation about the disorder predicted EOI. Findings highlight the need to focus on early family interventions that provide proper information and psychological support in accordance with the illness stage, to help relatives improve their understanding of the disorder, handle difficult thoughts and emotions, reduce negative appraisals, and prevent high-EE over the psychotic process.

A 3-Year Longitudinal Study of Risk for Bipolar Spectrum Psychopathology

Current clinical and epidemiological research provides support for a continuum of bipolar psychopathology: a bipolar spectrum that ranges from subthreshold characteristics to clinical disorders. The present research examined risk for bipolar spectrum psychopathology at a 3-year follow-up assessment in a nonclinically ascertained sample of 112 young adults identified by the Hypomanic Personality Scale (HPS). Participants completed diagnostic interviews assessing bipolar psychopathology, borderline personality traits, substance use disorders, impulsivity, and psychosocial functioning. At the original assessment, 18 of the 112 participants met criteria for a bipolar spectrum disorder. At the follow-up, an additional 13 had developed bipolar spectrum disorders. A total of 58% of participants scoring in the upper quartile of the HPS qualified for bipolar spectrum disorders at the follow-up, including 27% with DSM–IV–TR disorders. The HPS predicted new cases and total number of cases of bipolar spectrum disorders, as well as total number of DSM–IV–TR bipolar disorders. The HPS also predicted hyperthymic temperament or history of hypomania, grandiose traits, impulsivity, substance use disorders, psychosocial impairment, and borderline traits. The majority of these effects were significant after removing participants with DSM–IV–TR bipolar disorders from the analyses, suggesting that the results were not driven by a subset of participants with clinical disorders. Overall, these results offer further support for the bipolar spectrum construct and the predictive validity of the HPS as a measure of bipolar spectrum psychopathology.

Childhood trauma, BDNF Val66Met and subclinical psychotic experiences. Attempt at replication in two independent samples

Childhood trauma exposure is a robust environmental risk factor for psychosis. However, not all exposed individuals develop psychotic symptoms later in life. The Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism (rs6265) has been suggested to moderate the psychosis-inducing effects of childhood trauma in clinical and nonclinical samples. Our study aimed to explore the interaction effect between childhood trauma and the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism on subclinical psychotic experiences (PEs). This was explored in two nonclinical independent samples: an undergraduate and technical-training school student sample (n = 808, sample 1) and a female twin sample (n = 621, sample 2). Results showed that childhood trauma was strongly associated with positive and negative PEs in nonclinical individuals. A BDNF Val66Met x childhood trauma effect on positive PEs was observed in both samples. These results were discordant in terms of risk allele: while in sample 1 Val allele carriers, especially males, were more vulnerable to the effects of childhood trauma regarding PEs, in sample 2 Met carriers presented higher PEs scores when exposed to childhood trauma, compared with Val carriers. Moreover, in sample 2, a significant interaction was also found in relation to negative PEs. Our study partially replicates previous findings and suggests that some individuals are more prone to develop PEs following childhood trauma because of a complex combination of multiple factors. Further studies including genetic, environmental and epigenetic factors may provide insights in this field.

The Effects of Psychotherapy for Major Depressive Disorder on Daily Mood and Functioning: A Longitudinal Experience Sampling Study

Experience sampling methodology (ESM) was used in a randomized controlled trial of short-term therapy to examine changes in daily affect and reactivity to daily event appraisals among depressed patients. Fifty-five depressed adults (mean age 37 years, 80% female) were randomly assigned to one of two therapy conditions. Using an interactive voice response system, participants rated activities and emotional functioning eight times per day for seven days. Thirty-one participants completed treatment and repeated ESM post-treatment. Broad improvements in mood, cognition, and physical functioning were similar across treatment conditions, with the largest improvements for markers of positive affect. Participants demonstrated increased resilience, i.e., diminished reactivity to stressors at post-treatment. Changes in reactivity to positive daily situations were minimal. Findings underscore the utility of ESM in psychotherapy research and the importance of including measures of both positive and negative affect and experiences.

Positive schizotypy and negative schizotypy are associated with differential patterns of episodic memory impairment

Cognitive impairment is a hallmark of schizophrenia; however, studies have not comprehensively examined such impairments in non-clinically ascertained schizotypic young adults. The present study employed a series of measures to assess episodic memory in high positive schizotypy, high negative schizotypy, and comparison groups (each group n = 25). Consistent with diminished cognitive functioning seen in negative symptom schizophrenia, the negative schizotypy group exhibited deficits on free recall, recognition, and source memory tasks. The positive schizotypy group did not demonstrate deficits on the above mentioned tasks. However, in contrast to the other groups, the positive schizotypy group showed an unexpected set-size effect on the cued-recall task. Set-size effect, which refers to the finding that words that have smaller networks of associates tend to have a memory advantage, is usually found in associative-cuing, but not cued-recall, tasks. The finding for the positive schizotypy group is consistent with heightened spreading activation and reduced executive control suggested to underlie psychotic symptoms. The findings support a multidimensional model of schizotypy and schizophrenia, and suggest that positive and negative schizotypy involve differential patterns of cognitive impairment.