Psychopathology and extrapyramidal side effects in smoking and non-smoking patients with schizophrenia: Systematic review and meta-analysis of comparative studies

Tobacco smoking and nicotine vaping in persons with first episode psychosis

Tobacco smoking is highly prevalent in persons with psychosis and is the leading cause of preventable mortality in this population. Less is known about tobacco smoking in persons with first episode psychosis (FEP) and there have been no estimates about the prevalence of nicotine vaping in FEP. This study reports rates of tobacco smoking and nicotine vaping in young people with FEP enrolled in Coordinated Specialty Care programs in Pennsylvania and Maryland. Using data collected from 2021 to 2023, we examined lifetime and recent smoking and vaping and compared smokers and vapers to nonusers on symptoms, functioning, and substance use. The sample included 445 participants aged 13-35 with recent psychosis onset. Assessments were collected by program staff. Overall, 28 % of participants engaged in either smoking or vaping within 30 days of the admission assessment. Smokers and vapers were disproportionately male, cannabis users, and had lower negative symptom severity than non-smokers. Vapers had higher role and social functioning. Both smoking and vaping were related to a longer time from psychosis onset to program enrollment. We compare these findings to previous studies and suggest steps for addressing smoking and vaping in this vulnerable population.

Pharmacogenetics of Long-Term Outcomes of Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: The Functional Role of CYP2D6 and CYP2C19

Schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) are complex mental disorders, and while treatment with antipsychotics is important, many patients do not respond or develop serious side effects. Genetic variation has been shown to play a considerable role in determining an individual's response to antipsychotic medication. However, previous pharmacogenetic (PGx) studies have been limited by small sample sizes, lack of consensus regarding relevant genetic variants, and cross-sectional designs. The current study aimed to investigate the association between PGx variants and long-term clinical outcomes in 691 patients of European ancestry with SSD. Using evidence from the literature on candidate genes involved in antipsychotic pharmacodynamics, we created a polygenic risk score (PRS) to investigate its association with clinical outcomes. We also created PRS using core variants of psychotropic drug metabolism enzymes CYP2D6 and CYP2C19. Furthermore, the CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 functional activity scores were calculated to determine the relationship between metabolism and clinical outcomes. We found no association for PGx PRSs and clinical outcomes; however, an association was found with CYP2D6 activity scores by the traditional method. Higher CYP2D6 metabolism was associated with high positive and high cognitive impairment groups relative to low symptom severity groups. These findings highlight the need to test PGx efficacy with different symptom domains. More evidence is needed before pharmacogenetic variation can contribute to personalized treatment plans.

Prevalance and course of tobacco use among individuals receiving coordinated specialty care for first-episode psychosis

AIM

Tobacco use is decreasing among the general population, but persistent use among individuals in treatment for first-episode psychosis (FEP) remains a problem. This study aimed to measure the prevalence and course of tobacco use and explore the associations between tobacco use and clinical outcomes in a FEP sample located in New York State (NYS).

METHODS

Participants (N = 870) were from the OnTrackNY system of coordinated specialty care clinics in NYS. Participant data were collected at admission to the program and at every 3 months of follow-up using standardized forms based on reports from clients, client families and chart review. Course of tobacco use was categorized into four groups: no-use, cessation, persistent and initiation over 1 year of follow-up.

RESULTS

The prevalence of tobacco use was 12.8% at baseline and 19.9% at 1-year follow-up. Only 3.8% of tobacco users stopped by 1 year follow-up, and 4.9% initiated use. Urbanicity of clinic location (p < .001); age at admission (p = .044); gender (p = .015); ethnoracial group (p = .007); baseline education/employment status (p = .004); and baseline use of any non-tobacco substances (p < .001), including alcohol (p < .001) and cannabis (p < .001), were associated with tobacco course. Findings suggest an association between tobacco use and reduced improvement in symptoms.

CONCLUSION

Despite a lower prevalence of tobacco use among OnTrack participants than in other comparable samples, tobacco cessation was minimal and more individuals initiated tobacco use than ceased over the course of follow-up. Efforts to implement tobacco cessation interventions in coordinated specialty care are warranted, since tobacco use is associated with poor health outcomes.

Stages of the Smoke-Free Policy Implementation in a Psychiatric Hospital: Evolution, Effects, and Complications

Background: The Smoke-free Policy represents a challenge in mental health services. Aim: To compare the stages of a smoke-free policy in a psychiatric hospital, according to the prevalence of smokers, hospital admission acceptance by hospitalized people, psychiatric complications, and the prescription of psychotropic drugs. Methods: Cross-sectional study was conducted with a comparison before and after implementing the Smoke-free Policy in a psychiatric hospital. Secondary data were obtained in 2020 from the medical records of 573 discharged people from psychiatric hospitalizations between September 2017 and August 2018. Fisher's exact test and the Kruskal-Wallis test were applied. Results: In the transition stage, there were more hospitalizations by court order, discharge motivated by the patient's disruptiveness behavior, administration of psychotropic drugs before the schedule time, physical aggression, physical/chemical restraints, length of stay, and dosage of psychotropic drugs. After the ban, there was a reduction in discharges motivated by the patient's disruptiveness behavior and an increase in discharge due to improvement in psychiatric symptoms, less occurrence of anticipation or modification in the use of psychotropic drugs, and fewer attempts to escape, aggressiveness, and physical restraint. Conclusion: The implementation of the Smoke-free Policy has a positive impact on psychiatric hospitalizations, with an increase in discharge due to improvement in psychiatric symptoms and a reduction in discharges due to other reasons. However, the transition stage requires greater attention from the nursing team, as the moment of adaptation to new rules and routines is followed by a momentary worsened behavior of those hospitalized.

Smoking Addiction in Patients with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders and Its Perception and Intervention in Healthcare Personnel Assigned to Psycho-Rehabilitation Programs: A Qualitative Research

Patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders have a higher prevalence and frequency of smoking rates when compared to the rest of the population; to this, it must be added that they develop a greater dependence and have some worse health consequences than the general population. This is qualitative research on the perception of smoking in healthcare professionals assigned to psycho-rehabilitation programs for patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The point of view of health personnel (Psychologists, Psychiatrists, Pedagogists, and Nurses) about cigarette smoking in these patients was analyzed, focusing on their implications in disturbance and comparing them with e-cigarettes too. The methodology used to collect the data was a semi-structured interview with five questions. The research path was carried out in two assisted therapeutic communities that are clinics for the rehabilitation of serious mental illness in the period between November and July 2022. The results showed that the opinion of health professionals on smoking is very negative. Research has also shown that nearly all patients are smokers; however, their high grade of addiction is caused by periods of high stress due to various factors that lead patients to consume a greater number of cigarettes. Almost all respondents have a positive opinion of the e-cigarette, which was defined as an excellent substitute for traditional cigarettes.

The effect of insight, loneliness, and hope levels on medication adherence in patients with schizophrenia

PURPOSE

It is important to investigate the negative factors affecting medication compliance to continue the treatment of schizophrenia.

DESIGN AND METHODS

In this descriptive and analytical study, the effects of insight, loneliness, and hope levels on medication adherence in 202 patients with schizophrenia were studied.

FINDINGS

The correlation was positive between medication adherence and insight, negative between medication adherence and loneliness, and no correlation between medication adherence and hope. A 1-point increase in insight scores increased medication adherence 1.226 times and a 1-point increase in loneliness scores decreased medication adherence 0.946 times. Medication adherence was 0.499 times lower in nonsmokers compared to smokers.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Further studies on patients with schizophrenia should be conducted to evaluate factors affecting medication adherence and preventing smoking in schizophrenia.

Prevalence, clinical correlates and risk factors associated with Tardive Dyskinesia in Chinese patients with schizophrenia

Tardive Dyskinesia (TD) is a serious, nonrhythmic and iatrogenic movement disorder, and is a common comorbidity in patients with schizophrenia (SZ). The main goal of this study was to investigate the prevalence, clinical correlates, and risk factors of TD in Chinese patients with chronic SZ, which has not been fully studied. This study adopted a cross-sectional design. A total of 901 Chinese inpatients with SZ were recruited between 2008 and 2011. We used the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) to measure the severity of TD, and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used to measure the psychopathological symptoms of SZ. Blood samples were also collected for routine blood tests, including the levels of triglyceride (TG), cholesterol (CHO), HDL-cholesterol (HDL-CHO), LDL-cholesterol (LDL-CHO), Apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1), and Apolipoprotein B (ApoB). Overall, 36% of patients with SZ had TD. Compared with the non-TD patients, the TD patients were more likely to be men, had older age, lower education level, higher smoking rate, higher hospitalization frequency, and longer duration of illness (DOI). Further, compared with the non-TD patients, the TD patients had higher PANSS total, PANSS negative subscale, and cognitive subscale scores, but had lower depressive subscale scores and lower mean levels of metabolic biomarkers, including TG, CHO, HDL-CHO, LDL-CHO, ApoA1 and ApoB. Moreover, binary regression analysis showed that antipsychotic type, BMI, gender, age, HDL-CHO, and ApoB were associated with TD. Our findings indicate that TD is a common movement disorder in patients with chronic SZ, with certain demographic and clinical variables being risk factors for the development of TD.

Association between tobacco use and symptomatology in individuals at ultra-high risk to develop a psychosis: A longitudinal study

BACKGROUND

The high prevalence rates and impact of tobacco smoking in individuals with a psychotic disorder have become an increasing interest. Little is known about tobacco smoking in individuals at ultra-high risk of psychosis (UHR).

METHODS

We studied 345 UHR individuals of the high-risk study of the European network of national schizophrenia networks studying Gene-Environment Interactions (EU-GEI). Smoking status and the number of cigarettes per day were assessed at multiple moments using the CIDI. Symptom severity at each time point was assessed using CAARMS. Linear mixed-effects analyses were conducted to examine the multi-cross-sectional and prospective associations between (change in) smoking behaviour and symptomatology.

FINDINGS

At baseline, 175 individuals (53%) smoked tobacco with an average of 12.4 (SD = 9.0) cigarettes per day. Smokers did not significantly differ in symptom severity from non-smokers on general, positive, negative, emotional, cognitive, behavioural, or motor symptoms across time. However, associations were found between the number of cigarettes and the severity of general psychopathology (estimate 0.349, SE 0.146, p = 0.017). Change in the number of cigarettes had no significant effect on change in general symptom severity (estimate 0.330, SE 0.285, p = 0.248).

INTERPRETATION

Smoking prevalence in UHR individuals is high. Cigarette consumption was associated with higher levels of general symptoms. However, we observed no association between change in number of cigarettes and symptom severity. Given the fact that smoking is associated with poorer health and worse outcomes in people with psychosis, the clinical high-risk phase offers a window of opportunity for prevention and cessation interventions.

Assessment of Extrapyramidal Symptoms Associated with Psychotropics Pharmacological Treatments, and Associated Risk Factors

BACKGROUND

Extrapyramidal Symptoms (EPS) are unwanted symptoms commonly originating from the use of certain medications. The symptoms can range from minimal discomfort to permanent involuntary muscular movements. The aims of the study were to examine the incidence of drug-induced extrapyramidal symptoms (di-EPS), associated risk factors, and clinical characteristics.

METHODS

This is a retrospective, observational study of di-EPS conducted in outpatient clinics of Jordan using the longitudinal health database (Hakeem®) for data collection. Patients who received drugs with the risk of EPS during the period 2010-2020 were included and followed. Patients with any of the known underlying conditions that may cause EPS or were currently taking drugs that may mask the symptoms were excluded. Gender and age-matched control subjects were included in the study. The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS®) version 26 was used for data analysis.

RESULTS

The final dataset included 34898 exposed patients and 69796 matched controls. The incidence of di-EPS ranged from 9.8% [Amitriptyline 25mg] to 28.9% (Imipramine 25mg). Baseline factors associated with a significantly higher risk of developing di-EPS were age {HR: 1.1 [95%CI: 0.8-1.2, p=0.003], smoking {HR: 1.7 (95%CI: 1.3-2.2), p=0.02}, tremor history {HR: 7.4 (95%CI: 5.9-8.3), p=.002} and history of taking antipsychotics {HR: 3.9, (95% CI: 2.5-4.6), p=0.001}. Patients taking paroxetine {HR: 8.6 [95%CI: 7.4-9.8], p=.0002},imipramine {HR: 8.3, [7.1-10.5], p=0.01}, or fluoxetine {HR: 8.2 (95%CI: 6.8-9.3), p=.006} had a significantly higher risk of developing di-EPS compared to patients taking citalopram. Myoclonus, blepharospasm, symptoms of the basal ganglia dysfunction, and organic writers' cramp were reported among participants.

CONCLUSION

Patients treated with paroxetine, imipramine, fluoxetine, or clomipramine had a higher risk of developing di-EPS than patients treated with citalopram. The difference in gender was not significantly related to di-EPS development. Whereas age, smoking, and history of taking antipsychotics were significantly associated with di-EPS development.

KEY FINDINGS

• High incidence of drug-induced extrapyramidal symptoms (di-EPS) was reported• Age, smoking, tremor history, and history of taking antipsychotics were risk factors of drug-induced extrapyramidal symptoms.• Patients taking paroxetine, imipramine or fluoxetine had a significantly higher risk of developing di-EPS compared to patients taking citalopram.

Cigarette Smoking and Schizophrenia: Etiology, Clinical, Pharmacological, and Treatment Implications

Recent data suggests that the prevalence of smoking in schizophrenia remains high. While reports suggest that smoking increases the risk of developing schizophrenia, the potential causative role of smoking in this relationship needs further investigation. Smokers with schizophrenia are more likely to have more intense positive symptoms and lower cognitive function, but diminished intensity of extrapyramidal side effects than nonsmoking patients with schizophrenia. They were also more likely to exhibit aggressive behaviour compared to nonsmokers, which could suggest higher levels of baseline aggression. The significant cost associated with regular tobacco expenditure can detract from investment in key domains. Large-scale trials have shown that pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation is effective and does not worsen the risk of developing neuropsychiatric symptoms compared to placebo. Electronic cigarette use among schizophrenia patients is high, and there is emerging evidence supportive of its efficacy. Future improvements include large-scale trials assessing the utility, efficacy, and safety of electronic cigarettes in schizophrenia patients.

Prevalence and Epidemiological Profile of Smokers in the Psychiatric Population and General Population: Smokers in Psychiatric Population

This study aims to estimate the prevalence of smokers living in Brazil who use outpatient and hospital psychiatric services and outpatient services in primary health care services. It also aims to identify the sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with current smoking in these samples. This is a cross-sectional study with 378 participants from a Brazilian city: P1, persons from the mental health outpatient service; and P2, persons from the psychiatric hospital; P3, general population from the primary healthcare center. A Poisson multiple regression model for current smoking was adjusted. The prevalence of smokers was greater in the psychiatric population than those in the primary health care population (mental health outpatient service = 27%, psychiatric hospital = 60.3%, primary healthcare center = 19%). Current smoking is associated with younger groups (15-29 years old: PRadjusted = 3.35; 30-39 years old: PRadjusted = 2.28), Roman Catholicism (PRadjusted = 1.60), not having a religion (PRadjusted = 2.45), severe psychiatric illness (PRadjusted = 3.04), anxiety disorders/other disorders (PRadjusted = 3.96), and the previous and current use of alcohol (PRadjusted = 2.27 and 2.25, respectively) and illicit substances (PRadjusted = 1.81 and 2.00, respectively). In conclusion, the independent factors associated with current smoking are age, religion, psychiatric diagnosis, and use of alcohol/illicit substances.

Tobacco smoking, related harm and motivation to quit smoking in people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders

This narrative review focuses on the topic of tobacco smoking amongst people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. We searched PubMed, PsycInfo and Scopus databases for schizophrenia spectrum disorders and smoking and included articles about the epidemiology of tobacco smoking in people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, examining the relationship between smoking and mental health. This narrative review describes that a higher prevalence, frequency and impact of both high nicotine dependence and its harmful effects in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders compared with those in the general population. Despite several existent theories, the reasons for high smoking rates, the high dependence on nicotine and severity of nicotine withdrawal symptoms are not fully understood. The main aim of this paper is to inform mental health personnel and particularly clinical and health psychologists about the impact and role of tobacco smoking for smokers with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

Smoking in schizophrenia: recent findings about an old problem

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Recent epidemiology, biological and clinical findings correlate high cigarette consumption in patients with schizophrenia, impeding both treatment strategies and the effectiveness of antipsychotics.

RECENT FINDINGS

New data suggests that despite world-wide efforts to curb cigarette consumption, smoking in patients with schizophrenia was still high. Recent reports could not confirm earlier findings regarding smoking's beneficial effects on cognitive dysfunction, however, the association between smoking, positive symptoms and suicidal behavior was revealed. As some patients smoked in an attempt to alleviate extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) and negative symptoms, the molecular studies shared genetic roots correlating smoking and schizophrenia, revealing that smoking may increase the risk of developing schizophrenia. Preclinical and clinical studies clarified the complex relationship between schizophrenia's pathology and nicotine's effects on the human brain.

SUMMARY

Cigarette smoking continues to adversely affect the health of individuals with schizophrenia. Both smoking and heavy nicotine dependence, given the complex biological findings, might influence symptom severity in patients with schizophrenia. Regardless, ceasing smoking activities is strongly advocated to replace 'self-medication by nicotine' with safer and more effective medications.