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Tandon R, Nasrallah H, Akbarian S, Carpenter WT, DeLisi LE, Gaebel W, Green MF, Gur RE, Heckers S, Kane JM, Malaspina D, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Murray R, Owen M, Smoller JW, Yassin W, Keshavan M. The schizophrenia syndrome, circa 2024: What we know and how that informs its nature. Schizophr Res 2024; 264:1-28. [PMID: 38086109 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2023.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
With new data about different aspects of schizophrenia being continually generated, it becomes necessary to periodically revisit exactly what we know. Along with a need to review what we currently know about schizophrenia, there is an equal imperative to evaluate the construct itself. With these objectives, we undertook an iterative, multi-phase process involving fifty international experts in the field, with each step building on learnings from the prior one. This review assembles currently established findings about schizophrenia (construct, etiology, pathophysiology, clinical expression, treatment) and posits what they reveal about its nature. Schizophrenia is a heritable, complex, multi-dimensional syndrome with varying degrees of psychotic, negative, cognitive, mood, and motor manifestations. The illness exhibits a remitting and relapsing course, with varying degrees of recovery among affected individuals with most experiencing significant social and functional impairment. Genetic risk factors likely include thousands of common genetic variants that each have a small impact on an individual's risk and a plethora of rare gene variants that have a larger individual impact on risk. Their biological effects are concentrated in the brain and many of the same variants also increase the risk of other psychiatric disorders such as bipolar disorder, autism, and other neurodevelopmental conditions. Environmental risk factors include but are not limited to urban residence in childhood, migration, older paternal age at birth, cannabis use, childhood trauma, antenatal maternal infection, and perinatal hypoxia. Structural, functional, and neurochemical brain alterations implicate multiple regions and functional circuits. Dopamine D-2 receptor antagonists and partial agonists improve psychotic symptoms and reduce risk of relapse. Certain psychological and psychosocial interventions are beneficial. Early intervention can reduce treatment delay and improve outcomes. Schizophrenia is increasingly considered to be a heterogeneous syndrome and not a singular disease entity. There is no necessary or sufficient etiology, pathology, set of clinical features, or treatment that fully circumscribes this syndrome. A single, common pathophysiological pathway appears unlikely. The boundaries of schizophrenia remain fuzzy, suggesting the absence of a categorical fit and need to reconceptualize it as a broader, multi-dimensional and/or spectrum construct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajiv Tandon
- Department of Psychiatry, WMU Homer Stryker School of Medicine, Kalamazoo, MI 49008, United States of America.
| | - Henry Nasrallah
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine Cincinnati, OH 45267, United States of America
| | - Schahram Akbarian
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America
| | - William T Carpenter
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, United States of America
| | - Lynn E DeLisi
- Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge Health Alliance and Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02139, United States of America
| | - Wolfgang Gaebel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LVR-Klinikum Dusseldorf, Heinrich-Heine University, Dusseldorf, Germany
| | - Michael F Green
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane and Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90024, United States of America; Greater Los Angeles Veterans' Administration Healthcare System, United States of America
| | - Raquel E Gur
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States of America
| | - Stephan Heckers
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, United States of America
| | - John M Kane
- Department of Psychiatry, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Glen Oaks, NY 11004, United States of America
| | - Dolores Malaspina
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience, Genetics, and Genomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States of America
| | - Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannhein/Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Robin Murray
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, Kings College, London, UK
| | - Michael Owen
- Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, and Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Jordan W Smoller
- Center for Precision Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, United States of America
| | - Walid Yassin
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States of America
| | - Matcheri Keshavan
- Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States of America
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McGorry PD, Mei C, Amminger GP, Yuen HP, Kerr M, Spark J, Wallis N, Polari A, Baird S, Buccilli K, Dempsey SJA, Ferguson N, Formica M, Krcmar M, Quinn AL, Mebrahtu Y, Ruslins A, Street R, Wannan C, Dixon L, Carter C, Loewy R, Niendam TA, Shumway M, Nelson B. A Sequential Adaptive Intervention Strategy Targeting Remission and Functional Recovery in Young People at Ultrahigh Risk of Psychosis: The Staged Treatment in Early Psychosis (STEP) Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial. JAMA Psychiatry 2023; 80:875-885. [PMID: 37378974 PMCID: PMC10308298 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.1947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Importance Clinical trials have not established the optimal type, sequence, and duration of interventions for people at ultrahigh risk of psychosis. Objective To determine the effectiveness of a sequential and adaptive intervention strategy for individuals at ultrahigh risk of psychosis. Design, Setting, and Participants The Staged Treatment in Early Psychosis (STEP) sequential multiple assignment randomized trial took place within the clinical program at Orygen, Melbourne, Australia. Individuals aged 12 to 25 years who were seeking treatment and met criteria for ultrahigh risk of psychosis according to the Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States were recruited between April 2016 and January 2019. Of 1343 individuals considered, 342 were recruited. Interventions Step 1: 6 weeks of support and problem solving (SPS); step 2: 20 weeks of cognitive-behavioral case management (CBCM) vs SPS; and step 3: 26 weeks of CBCM with fluoxetine vs CBCM with placebo with an embedded fast-fail option of ω-3 fatty acids or low-dose antipsychotic medication. Individuals who did not remit progressed through these steps; those who remitted received SPS or monitoring for up to 12 months. Main Outcomes and Measures Global Functioning: Social and Role scales (primary outcome), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms, Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale, quality of life, transition to psychosis, and remission and relapse rates. Results The sample comprised 342 participants (198 female; mean [SD] age, 17.7 [3.1] years). Remission rates, reflecting sustained symptomatic and functional improvement, were 8.5%, 10.3%, and 11.4% at steps 1, 2, and 3, respectively. A total of 27.2% met remission criteria at any step. Relapse rates among those who remitted did not significantly differ between SPS and monitoring (step 1: 65.1% vs 58.3%; step 2: 37.7% vs 47.5%). There was no significant difference in functioning, symptoms, and transition rates between SPS and CBCM and between CBCM with fluoxetine and CBCM with placebo. Twelve-month transition rates to psychosis were 13.5% (entire sample), 3.3% (those who ever remitted), and 17.4% (those with no remission). Conclusions and Relevance In this sequential multiple assignment randomized trial, transition rates to psychosis were moderate, and remission rates were lower than expected, partly reflecting the ambitious criteria set and challenges with real-world treatment fidelity and adherence. While all groups showed mild to moderate functional and symptomatic improvement, this was typically short of remission. While further adaptive trials that address these challenges are needed, findings confirm substantial and sustained morbidity and reveal relatively poor responsiveness to existing treatments. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02751632.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick D. McGorry
- Orygen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Cristina Mei
- Orygen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - G. Paul Amminger
- Orygen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Hok Pan Yuen
- Orygen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Melissa Kerr
- Orygen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jessica Spark
- Orygen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nicky Wallis
- Orygen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrea Polari
- Orygen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Orygen Specialist Program, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Shelley Baird
- Orygen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kate Buccilli
- Orygen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sarah-Jane A. Dempsey
- Orygen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Natalie Ferguson
- Orygen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Melanie Formica
- Orygen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Marija Krcmar
- Orygen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Amelia L. Quinn
- Orygen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Yohannes Mebrahtu
- Orygen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Arlan Ruslins
- Orygen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Rebekah Street
- Orygen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Cassandra Wannan
- Orygen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Lisa Dixon
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Cameron Carter
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento
| | - Rachel Loewy
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Tara A. Niendam
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento
| | - Martha Shumway
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Barnaby Nelson
- Orygen, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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van Os J, Pries LK, ten Have M, de Graaf R, van Dorsselaer S, Bak M, Wittchen HU, Rutten BPF, Guloksuz S. Schizophrenia and the Environment: Within-Person Analyses May be Required to Yield Evidence of Unconfounded and Causal Association-The Example of Cannabis and Psychosis. Schizophr Bull 2021; 47:594-603. [PMID: 33693921 PMCID: PMC8084443 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbab019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Hypotheses about the link between cannabis use and psychosis apply to the within-person level but have been tested mostly at the between-person level. We used a within-person design, in which a person serves as his own control, thus removing the need to consider confounding by any fixed (genetic and nongenetic) characteristic to study the prospective association between cannabis use and the incidence of attenuated psychotic experiences, and vice versa, adjusted for time-varying confounders. We combined 2 general population cohorts (at baseline: Early Developmental Stages of Psychopathology Study, n = 1395; Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study-2, n = 6603), which applied a similar methodology to study cannabis use and attenuated psychotic experiences with repeated interviews (T0, T1, T2, and T3) over a period of approximately 10 years. The Hausman test was significant for the adjusted models, indicating the validity of the fixed-effects model. In the adjusted fixed-effects model, prior cannabis use was associated with psychotic experiences (aOR = 7.03, 95% CI: 2.39, 20.69), whereas prior psychotic experiences were not associated with cannabis use (aOR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.21, 1.71). Longitudinal studies applying random-effects models to study associations between risk factors and mental health outcomes, as well as reverse causality, may not yield precise estimates. Cannabis likely impacts causally on psychosis but not the other way round.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jim van Os
- Department of Psychiatry, UMC Utrecht Brain Centre, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht University, PO BOX 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- To whom correspondence should be addressed; tel: +31 88 75 583 46, fax: +31 88 75 583 47, e-mail:
| | - Lotta-Katrin Pries
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Margreet ten Have
- Department of Epidemiology, Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ron de Graaf
- Department of Epidemiology, Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Saskia van Dorsselaer
- Department of Epidemiology, Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Maarten Bak
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands
- FACT, Mondriaan Mental Health, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Hans-Ulrich Wittchen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Bart P F Rutten
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Sinan Guloksuz
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, the Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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