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Tschoeke S, Steinert T, Knoblauch H. Forensic aspects of dissociative positive symptoms in trauma-related disorders and borderline personality disorder. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LAW AND PSYCHIATRY 2024; 94:101973. [PMID: 38460238 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijlp.2024.101973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
A psychotically motivated act or an act committed under impaired insight and control of action in the midst of an acute psychosis is the standard for lack of criminal responsibility. There is now increasing evidence that positive symptoms, particularly in the form of hallucinations and delusions, in trauma-related disorders and borderline personality disorder (BPD) are comparable to positive symptoms in psychotic disorders, posing a challenge for differential diagnosis and forensic assessment of the relevance of positive symptoms to insight and self-control. Due to the indistinguishability of the phenomena, there is both a risk of misdiagnosis of a psychotic disorder and also trivialization with the use of pseudo-hallucinations or quasi-psychotic labels. Essential phenomenological differences that may be helpful in forensic assessments are the usually preserved reality testing in trauma-related disorders and BPD, as well as differences in psychopathological symptom constellations. Because of these differences relevant to forensic assessments, it seems useful to distinguish trauma-related disorders and BPD with positive symptoms from psychotic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Tschoeke
- Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy I (Weissenau), Ulm University, Ulm, Germany; Centres for Psychiatry Suedwuerttemberg, Ravensburg, Germany.
| | - Tilman Steinert
- Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy I (Weissenau), Ulm University, Ulm, Germany; Centres for Psychiatry Suedwuerttemberg, Ravensburg, Germany
| | - Hans Knoblauch
- Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy I (Weissenau), Ulm University, Ulm, Germany; Centres for Psychiatry Suedwuerttemberg, Ravensburg, Germany
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Chen YJ, Lu ML, Chiu YH, Chen C, Santos VHJ, Goh KK. Linking childhood trauma to the psychopathology of schizophrenia: the role of oxytocin. SCHIZOPHRENIA (HEIDELBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 10:24. [PMID: 38388569 PMCID: PMC10883944 DOI: 10.1038/s41537-024-00433-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Childhood trauma has been linked to schizophrenia, but underlying biological mechanisms remain elusive. This study explored the potential role of plasma oxytocin as a mediator in the relationship between childhood trauma and the psychopathology of schizophrenia. 160 patients with schizophrenia and 80 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were assessed for childhood trauma experiences using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and structured interviews. Psychopathology was evaluated using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and plasma oxytocin levels were measured. Results showed that patients with schizophrenia had lower oxytocin levels and higher childhood trauma scores than healthy controls. There was a significant correlation between childhood trauma scores and psychopathology, with plasma oxytocin levels being inversely associated with psychopathology, except for positive symptoms. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that both childhood trauma scores and plasma oxytocin levels significantly predicted psychopathology. Plasma oxytocin levels partially mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and schizophrenia psychopathology. This study underscores the potential role of oxytocin in bridging the gap between childhood trauma and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan-Jung Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Mong-Liang Lu
- Department of Psychiatry, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Psychiatric Research Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Hang Chiu
- Department of Psychiatry, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Psychiatric Research Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chenyi Chen
- Psychiatric Research Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Injury Prevention and Control, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- The Innovative and Translational Research Center of Brain Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Vitor Hugo Jesus Santos
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Faculty of Health Sciences (FCS-UBI), Cova da Beira University Hospital Center, Covilhã, Portugal
| | - Kah Kheng Goh
- Department of Psychiatry, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
- Psychiatric Research Center, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
- Graduate Institute of Injury Prevention and Control, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
- The Innovative and Translational Research Center of Brain Consciousness, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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Mourad M, Atallah EP, Raad G, Haddad R, Richa S. Effectiveness of a two-stage strategy using the 16-item Prodromal Questionnaire (PQ16/fPQ16) and the Comprehensive Assessment of At Risk Mental States (CAARMS) in the early detection of Ultra High Risk (UHR) patients in Lebanon: a cross-sectional pilot study. L'ENCEPHALE 2024; 50:40-47. [PMID: 36717331 DOI: 10.1016/j.encep.2022.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study aims to identify the prevalence of Ultra High Risk (UHR) adults in a sample of patients in Lebanon and to compare screening and diagnostic tools. METHODS This is a cross-sectional pilot study which targeted patients aged 17-30 years willingly seeking psychiatric care in a university hospital in Beirut, Lebanon. Participants were invited to fill either the English or the French version of the Prodromal Questionnaire (respectively, PQ16 or fPQ16). The abbreviated version of the "Comprehensive Assessment of At-Risk Mental States" (CAARMS) was then administered to all participants. The latter were subsequently sorted into one of the three UHR groups - vulnerability group, attenuated psychosis (APS), intermittent psychosis (BLIPS) - or were diagnosed as suffering from a psychotic disorder. RESULTS Thirty-one patients participated in this study. The prevalence of positive screening on the PQ16/fPQ16 and positive diagnosis of UHR on the CAARMS were respectively of 61.29% and 45%. The APS group was the most prevalent (71.42%). A positive psychosis screening on PQ16/fPQ16 was statistically related to a UHR diagnosis on CAARMS (p-value: 0.011 on Chi2 test), OR=8.5 (95% CI: 1.4-50.9; p-value: 0.018). No relation was found between PQ16/fPQ16 results and risk stratification or between the number of "True" responses on PQ16/fPQ16 and the intensity of symptoms on CAARMS. PQ16/fPQ16 statements 5, 9, 11 and 16 predicted a UHR diagnosis on CAARMS (p-value of 0.045, 0.006, 0.045 and 0.045, respectively). CONCLUSION This two-stage strategy for identifying UHR patients can be adopted in a tertiary health care center.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Mourad
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Center, Hôtel-Dieu de France, Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - E P Atallah
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Center, Hôtel-Dieu de France, Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
| | - G Raad
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Center, Hôtel-Dieu de France, Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon; School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Jounieh, Lebanon
| | - R Haddad
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Hadath, Lebanon
| | - S Richa
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Center, Hôtel-Dieu de France, Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
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Tschoeke S, Flammer E, Bichescu-Burian D, Steinert T. The Association between Type of Dissociation and Psychotic Experiences in a Non-Psychotic Inpatient Sample. J Trauma Dissociation 2022; 23:504-520. [PMID: 35412451 DOI: 10.1080/15299732.2022.2064576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Robust evidence exists for the link between dissociation and psychotic positive symptoms. The extent to which various dissociative phenomena may contribute to this relationship is still unknown. This study aimed to investigate the association between different dissociative phenomena and psychotic experiences. For this purpose, we analyzed data from 118 consecutively admitted patients of an acute care unit for trauma-related disorders who completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, the German version of the Dissociative Experiences Scale and the Symptom Check-List-90-Revised. Stepwise regression analyses revealed that derealization/depersonalization in combination with amnesia accounted for 44.5% of the variance of the psychoticism subscale of the Symptom Check-List-90-Revised. Absorption in combination with emotional abuse accounted for 24.9% of the variance of the paranoid ideation subscale of the Symptom Check-List-90-Revised. The results reveal that pathological and non-pathological types of dissociation that alter the perception of reality or memory procession may contribute to the development of psychotic experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Tschoeke
- Centre for Psychiatry Südwürttemberg, Ulm University, Ravensburg-Weissenau, Germany
| | - Erich Flammer
- Centre for Psychiatry Südwürttemberg, Ulm University, Ravensburg-Weissenau, Germany
| | - Dana Bichescu-Burian
- Centre for Psychiatry Südwürttemberg, Ulm University, Ravensburg-Weissenau, Germany
| | - Tilman Steinert
- Centre for Psychiatry Südwürttemberg, Ulm University, Ravensburg-Weissenau, Germany
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