Influence of childhood trauma on diagnosis and substance use in first-episode psychosis

Impact of adverse childhood experiences on analgesia-related outcomes: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

There is well-established evidence linking adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and chronic pain in adulthood. It is less clear how ACE exposure might influence the response to chronic pain treatment. In this systematic review, we synthesise the literature assessing the impact of ACE exposure on outcomes relating to the use, benefits, and harms of analgesic medications (analgesia-related outcomes).

METHODS

We searched seven databases from inception to September 26, 2023, for studies investigating adverse events in childhood (<18 yr) and any analgesia-related outcome during adulthood (≥18 yr). Title/abstract screening, full-text review, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment were performed independently by two authors. Given the high degree of study heterogeneity, a narrative synthesis was performed.

RESULTS

From 7531 records, 66 studies met inclusion criteria, involving 137 395 participants. Analgesia-related outcomes were classed into six categories: use of analgesics (n=12), analgesic side-effects (n=4), substance misuse (n=45), lifetime drug overdose (n=2), endogenous pain signalling (n=4), and other outcomes (n=2). No studies assessed the effect of ACE exposure on the potential benefits of analgesics. ACE exposure was associated with greater use of analgesic medication, higher incidence of analgesic medication side-effects, greater risk and severity of substance misuse, greater risk of drug overdose, and greater risk of attempted suicide in opioid dependency.

CONCLUSIONS

Adverse childhood experience exposure is associated with poor analgesia-related outcomes, so individual assessment adverse childhood experiences is important when considering the treatment of chronic pain. However, significant gaps in the literature remain, especially relating to the use and harms of non opioid analgesics.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW PROTOCOL

CRD42023389870 (PROSPERO).

The impact of psychosocial adversity on brain and behaviour: an overview of existing knowledge and directions for future research

Environmental experiences play a critical role in shaping the structure and function of the brain. Its plasticity in response to different external stimuli has been the focus of research efforts for decades. In this review, we explore the effects of adversity on brain's structure and function and its implications for brain development, adaptation, and the emergence of mental health disorders. We are focusing on adverse events that emerge from the immediate surroundings of an individual, i.e., microenvironment. They include childhood maltreatment, peer victimisation, social isolation, affective loss, domestic conflict, and poverty. We also take into consideration exposure to environmental toxins. Converging evidence suggests that different types of adversity may share common underlying mechanisms while also exhibiting unique pathways. However, they are often studied in isolation, limiting our understanding of their combined effects and the interconnected nature of their impact. The integration of large, deep-phenotyping datasets and collaborative efforts can provide sufficient power to analyse high dimensional environmental profiles and advance the systematic mapping of neuronal mechanisms. This review provides a background for future research, highlighting the importance of understanding the cumulative impact of various adversities, through data-driven approaches and integrative multimodal analysis techniques.

The Impact of Childhood Trauma on the Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia

ABSTRACT

Schizophrenia is a debilitating mental health disorder that imposes profound economic, societal, and personal burdens. The negative symptoms of schizophrenia ( i.e. , blunted affect, alogia, anhedonia, asociality, and avolition) are highly prevalent and pervasive in the psychotic disorder and pose significant resistance to available treatment options. Traumatic childhood experiences are strongly linked with the risk of developing schizophrenia. Most prior studies have primarily focused on positive symptoms of schizophrenia ( e.g. , hallucinations and delusions), whereas less attention has been given to negative symptoms. The current study investigated the relationship between childhood trauma ( i.e. , physical abuse, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse and neglect) and negative symptoms in a sample of schizophrenia outpatients and healthy controls ( n = 159 participants, including 99 patients with schizophrenia). The observations from the current study revealed that schizophrenia patients experienced a significantly greater degree of childhood trauma and negative symptoms than the control individuals. The results of the current study also indicated that more severe experiences of total childhood trauma ( i.e. , summation of all trauma types), physical abuse, and emotional neglect may increase the risk of schizophrenia patients reporting negative symptoms. However, childhood sexual and emotional abuse was found to have no impact on the degree of negative symptoms experienced by schizophrenia patients. Implications and limitations of the current study are discussed. In conclusion, we found that the severity of overall childhood trauma, physical abuse, and emotional neglect may play an important role in increasing the likelihood of schizophrenia patients reporting negative symptoms.

Childhood adversity, symptoms, and cortisol in first episode psychosis: a cross-sectional, secondary, observational analysis of a subsample of FEP patients

BACKGROUND

Although it has been proposed that childhood adversities (CAs) may affect the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity and psychotic symptoms severity, these associations have not been fully confirmed in first-episode psychosis (FEP). This study explored the association between CA, cortisol and psychotic symptoms in FEP patients.

METHODS

81 FEP patients were enrolled. CAs were evaluated by the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse Questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. Psychotic symptoms were evaluated by the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Cortisol level was collected using saliva samples. ANCOVA and partial correlation analyses were run.

RESULTS

FEP patients with childhood abuse reported severe positive symptoms than those without CA. FEP patients with at least one CA had higher levels of cortisol awaking, cortisol at 12 a.m., and cortisol at 8 p.m. Morning cortisol levels were negatively correlated with the severity of negative symptoms and positively correlated with the severity of general psychopathology. Evening cortisol levels were positively correlated with severity of general psychopathology.

CONCLUSION

FEP patients with CAs, compared with those without CA, might report more severe positive symptoms and higher cortisol, even though these findings as prone to bias due to the small sample size, and should be seen in the larger perspective of conflicting evidence in the field.

Prodromal phase: Differences in prodromal symptoms, risk factors and markers of vulnerability in first episode mania versus first episode psychosis with onset in late adolescence or adulthood

OBJECTIVE

This study was aimed at identifying differences in the prodromal symptoms and their duration, risk factors and markers of vulnerability in patients presenting a first episode mania (FEM) or psychosis (FEP) with onset in late adolescence or adulthood in order to guide tailored treatment strategies.

METHODS

Patients with a FEM or FEP underwent a clinical assessment. Prodromes were evaluated with the Bipolar Prodrome Symptom Scale-Retrospective (BPSS-R). Chi-squared tests were conducted to assess specific prodromal symptoms, risk factors or markers of vulnerability between groups. Significant prodromal symptoms were entered in a stepwise forward logistic regression model. The probabilities of a gradual versus rapid onset pattern of the prodromes were computed with logistic regression models.

RESULTS

The total sample included 108 patients (FEM = 72, FEP = 36). Social isolation was associated with the prodromal stage of a FEP whilst Increased energy or goal-directed activity with the prodrome to a FEM. Physically slowed down presented the most gradual onset whilst Increased energy presented the most rapid. The presence of obstetric complications and difficulties in writing and reading during childhood were risk factors for FEP. As for markers of vulnerability, impairment in premorbid adjustment was characteristic of FEP patients. No specific risk factor or marker of vulnerability was identified for FEM.

CONCLUSION

Early characteristics differentiating FEP from FEM were identified. These findings might help shape early identification and preventive intervention programmes.

Impact of adverse childhood experiences on the symptom severity of different mental disorders: a cross-diagnostic study

Background

Adverse childhood experiences have a significant impact on different mental disorders.

Objective

To compare differences in adverse childhood experiences among those with different mental disorders and their relationships in a cross-disorder manner.

Methods

The study included 1513 individuals aged ≥18 years : 339 patients with substance use disorders, 125 patients with schizophrenia, 342 patients with depression, 136 patients with bipolar disorder, 431 patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and 140 healthy controls. The Early Trauma Inventory Self Report-Short Form was used to investigate childhood traumatic experiences, and the Addiction Severity Index, Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, Hamilton Depression Scale, Young Mania Rating Scale, and Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale were used to assess mental disorder severity. Correlation and multivariate logistic regression were analysed between adverse childhood experiences and clinical features.

Results

Levels of adverse childhood experiences were significantly different among different mental disorders. Moreover, 25.8% of patients with substance use disorders reported childhood trauma, which was significantly higher than found in the other four psychiatric disorder groups. Emotional abuse scores were positively correlated with disease severity: the higher the total trauma score, the more severe the mental disorder.

Conclusions

Adverse childhood experiences are a common phenomenon in those with mental disorders, and the level of trauma affects mental disorder severity. Emotional abuse is closely related to many mental disorders. The incidence or severity of mental disorders can be reduced in the future by reducing the incidence of adverse childhood experiences or by timely intervention in childhood trauma.

Childhood adversities and bipolar disorder: a neuroimaging focus

Early-life adverse events or childhood adversities (CAs) are stressors and harmful experiences severely impacting on a child's wellbeing and development. Examples of CAs include parental neglect, emotional and physical abuse and bullying. Even though the prevalence of CAs and their psychological effects in both healthy and psychiatric populations is established, only a paucity of studies have investigated the neurobiological firms associated with CAs in bipolar disorder (BD). In particular, the exact neural mechanisms and trajectories of biopsychosocial models integrating both environmental and genetic effects are still debated. Considering the potential impact of CAs on BD, including its clinical manifestations, we reviewed existing literature discussing the association between CAs and brain alterations in BD patients. Results showed that CAs are associated with volume alterations of several grey matter regions including the hippocampus, thalamus, amygdala and frontal cortex. A handful of studies suggest the presence of alterations in the corpus callosum and the pre-fronto-limbic connectivity at rest. Alterations in these regions of the brain of patients with BD are possibly due to the effect of stress produced by CAs, being hippocampus part of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and thalamus together with amygdala filtering sensory information and regulating emotional responses. However, results are mixed possibly due to the heterogeneity of methods and study design. Future neuroimaging studies disentangling between different types of CAs or differentiating between BD sub-types are needed in order to understand the link between CAs and BD.

Stressful life events and psychosis: Gender differences

There is evidence that stressful events are associated with psychosis. This study aimed to explore sex differences in the association between stressful life events occurring during childhood and adulthood and psychosis. A total of 78 psychotic patients and 156 controls were enrolled. Childhood adversities were evaluated using a validated semi-structured interview and the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse Questionnaire. Recent life events were recorded using a semi-structured interview with a normative and contextual approach. The diagnosis of psychosis was made according to Jablensky's criteria. χ² and t-test statistical analyses were run. Odds ratios were calculated in logistic regression. People with psychosis reported more exposure to both childhood adversities and recent events than the general population. An excess of childhood physical abuse was found among male psychotic patients, whereas both childhood sexual abuse and recent life events were overrepresented among female patients in comparison with the general population. There was a cumulative effect of stressful life events on psychosis, although it was stronger among females than in males. It is likely that there are gender differences in the association between stressful life events and psychosis.

Using Experience Sampling Methodology Data to Characterize the Substance Use of Youth With or At-Risk of Psychosis

OBJECTIVES

Psychotic-spectrum disorders emerge during adolescence and early adulthood, which corresponds with the peak period for substance use initiation. Clinical and epidemiological data provide support that substance use is associated with psychotic symptom onset and severity. Experience-sampling methodology (ESM) data may provide additional insight into dynamic associations between substance use and psychotic symptoms. This is one of the first efforts to characterize substance use frequency and dynamic associations with psychotic symptoms and negative affect from ESM data in both clinical high risk (CHR) and early psychosis (EP) individuals.

METHODS

Using ESM, 33 individuals, including 17 with CHR and 16 EP (age range: 15-24), provided information on substance use, negative affect, and psychotic symptoms 6 times a day across a 21-day data collection window. Psychotic symptoms and negative affect included multi-item variables rated on a seven-point Likert Scale. Participants reported recent substance use for 4 drug classes (nicotine, cannabis, depressants, stimulants) via a yes/no item. Descriptive information included data on substance use frequency, and momentary negative affect and psychotic symptoms. Exploratory analyses included multi-level and person-level dynamic structural equation models, which assessed contemporaneous and lagged associations between substance use and symptoms.

RESULTS

Twenty-seven individuals (82%) reported recurrent substance use including stimulants (n = 12, 46%), nicotine (n = 9, 27%), cannabis (n = 6, 18%), and depressants (n = 4, 12%). Individuals with any recurrent substance use indicated usage at 47.7% of answered prompts; stimulants at 23.6%; nicotine at 74.2%; cannabis at 39.1%; and depressants at 20.1%. A multi-level dynamic structural equation model reflected that substance use (any class) was associated with lagged negative affect (β = -0.02, CI: -0.06, < -0.00) but no significant contemporaneous or lagged associations between substance use and psychotic symptoms. Person-level models suggest potentially meaningful inter-individual variability.

CONCLUSIONS

CHR and EP individuals use a range of substances that may both reflect and influence other experiences in daily life experiences. Data reflected moderate to high rates of recurrent substance use with more consistent use within nicotine and cannabis classes. ESM data have the potential to increase our understanding of the dynamic relationships between substance use and symptoms and to inform treatment for individuals in early course psychosis.

Childhood maltreatment increases the suicidal risk in Chinese schizophrenia patients

OBJECTIVES

Childhood trauma might be a modifiable risk factor among adults with serious mental illness. However, the correlation of child trauma and suicide is unclear, which were cited most frequently as the biggest challenge to schizophrenia (SCZ) patients in China. We aim to study relationships between child trauma and suicide in SCZ patients of different disease stages.

METHODS

Ninety-one participants were included and divided into two groups, namely, first-episode group (n = 46), relapsed group (n = 45). The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale was used to evaluate the severity of psychotic symptoms. The Beck's Suicide Intent Scale and The Nurses' Global Assessment of Suicide Risk were conducted by patient self-report to assess suicide symptom. The childhood trauma questionnaire was used to estimate severity of traumatic stress experienced during childhood.

RESULTS

Childhood trauma and different dimensions of suicide were significantly higher in the relapsed group than first-episode group (P < 0.01, respectively). BMI has a significant positive relationship with recent psychosocial stress (β = 0.473, t = 3.521, P < 0.001) in first-episode group. As in relapsed group, BMI has a positive effect between severe mental illness and suicide ideation (β = 0.672, t = 5.949, P < 0.001; β = 0.909, t = 2.463, P < 0.001), Furthermore, emotional neglect presented positively related to the suicide risk and proneness to suicidal behavior (β = 0.618, t = 5.518, P < 0.001; β = 0.809, t = 5.356, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Relapsed group of patients had significantly more severe childhood trauma, recent psychosocial stress, suicidal risk and proneness to suicidal behavior. BMI and emotional neglect are unique predictors for different dimensions of suicide.

Adversity in childhood/adolescence and premorbid tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis use among first-episode psychosis patients

AIM

Premorbid substance use is widely recognized as a crucial factor in early psychosis. We explored the effects of childhood/adolescent adversity on premorbid tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis use. We hypothesized that adversity in childhood would be associated with an increased likelihood of use, and amount of intake, of tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis. We analysed which domains of adversity have the greatest impact.

METHODS

First-episode psychosis patients were enrolled from six inpatient psychiatric units in Atlanta, Georgia and Washington, D.C. Premorbid substance use was thoroughly measured, and childhood/adolescent adversity was rated using 14 scales/subscales. Factor analysis was used to reduce these scales/subscales to the three domains of adversity (termed Violence and Environmental Adversity, Interpersonal Abuse, and Neglect and Lack of Connectedness). Regression analyses determined associations between adversity domains and premorbid substance use.

RESULTS

Our sample (n = 247) primarily consisted of African Americans (86.2%) and males (74.5%). Violence and Environmental Adversity was significantly associated with five of six substance use variables and marginally associated with the sixth. Interpersonal Abuse was unassociated with substance use, and Neglect and Lack of Connectedness was associated only with a lower likelihood cannabis use. When Violence and Environmental Adversity results were stratified by gender, effects on tobacco use and amount of tobacco use were stronger among females.

CONCLUSIONS

Childhood/adolescent trauma and adversity have meaningful associations with premorbid substance use in first-episode psychosis patients. First-episode psychosis and clinical high-risk treatment settings may benefit from expanding the assessment of childhood/adolescent adversity to include factors pertaining to violence exposure and adversities beyond abuse and neglect.

Types, prevalence and gender differences of childhood trauma in first-episode psychosis. What is the evidence that childhood trauma is related to symptoms and functional outcomes in first episode psychosis? A systematic review

This paper reviews and discusses the literature on childhood trauma (CT) in people with first-episode psychosis (FEP). The aim is to update the knowledge on the prevalence and the types of CT suffered by FEP people, to compare them with other samples, to study the impact of gender, and to examine the relationship between CT and symptoms and functional outcomes. We conducted a literature search (1995-2019), to identify reported data on any topic related to CT in FEP samples. The following terms were used in the search: CT or sexual abuse or physical abuse or neglect, and first-episode psychosis. We found 493 studies, of which 68 were included in the review. FEP presented a higher prevalence of CT than controls. Women suffer more sexual abuse. The effect of CT on the severity, the prognosis and the evolution of FEP is unclear. FEP have a high prevalence of CT. Its relationship with symptoms and functional outcomes indicates its importance within treatment. This suggests the importance of creating and implementing specific interventions and personalized therapies addressed to work through their past traumatic experiences to improve their quality of live and their prognosis.

Sexuality in Ultra-High Risk for Psychosis and First-Episode Psychosis. A Systematic Review of Literature

A considerable body of literature reports that individuals with psychotic disorders often suffer from sexual dysfunctions (SDs), with these representing a major unmet need. Long-term antipsychotic drug treatment may be the main cause for SDs in psychotic patients, through a plethora of different mechanisms, including prolactin dyscrasia, histamine-mediated sedation, and serotonin-induced sexual demotivation. However, a few pieces of evidence treat sexuality in patients at risk or the onset of psychosis. For this purpose, we systematically reviewed literature of the last 10 years in order to investigate sexuality in ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis and first-episode psychosis (FEP). We included in our review 34 articles fitting our research criteria on SDs in UHR and FEP. Evidence of SDs in the transition from UHR to FEP emerges through the selected studies. In FEP, sexuality is affected by the severity of the psychotic symptoms and, in some cases, by the iatrogenic effects of psychopharmacological treatment. Further experimental and clinical studies should systematically investigate the role of sexual functioning in the transition from UHR to FEP and, consequently, clarify whether or not SDs could be considered a possible marker for the onset of psychosis in at-risk populations. Moreover, psychiatrists and clinical psychologists should take into consideration the role of sexual life in young people with prodromal mental symptoms or at the onset of psychosis. Focusing on a thorough sexual evaluation might be a major challenge that could break down barriers of mental health promotion among young people with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders and therefore achieve better clinical outcomes.

Mental health disorders as cooccuring and predictive factors of psychotic disorders in sexually abused children

BACKGROUND

Little is known about the factors associated with psychosis in sexually abused children. Many factors have been associated with both sexual abuse and psychosis, and some mental health disorders have been identified as implied in the relationship between childhood trauma and psychosis.

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to identify factors cooccurring with psychotic disorders in sexually abused youth and to determine which predict the development of psychosis in this population.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Children with a corroborated report of sexual abuse (n = 882) at a Child Protection Agency (CPA) between 2000 and 2010 and whose health data could be retrieved from public health databases were selected for this study.

METHODS

A prospective matched-cohort design was used, with administrative databases from a CPA and a public health system. Logistic regressions were performed to determine which mental health diagnoses were associated with, and which predicted, psychotic disorders.

RESULTS

Logistic regressions revealed that personality disorders were significantly associated with psychotic disorders whereas substance misuse disorders and intellectual disability significantly predicted psychotic disorders.

CONCLUSIONS

Psychotic disorders and personality disorders appear concomitantly in sexually abused youth. Having received a substance misuse disorder diagnosis increases the risk of developing a psychotic disorder in sexually abused youth. Health professionals should be aware of those risk factors to help reduce the severity of youth sexual abuse consequences and, ultimately, prevent psychosis.

Childhood trauma and glucose metabolism in patients with first-episode psychosis

Although the associations between first-episode psychosis (FEP) and metabolic abnormalities on one side, and childhood trauma (CT) and risk of developing psychosis on the other are both well established, evidence on the relationship between CT and metabolic dysregulation in terms of abnormal glucose metabolism is very limited. We tested whether, already at illness onset, FEP patients with a history of CT show dysregulation of a broad range of glucose metabolism markers. In particular, in 148 FEP patients we evaluated serum concentrations of c-peptide, insulin, plasminogen-activator-inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), resistin, visfatin, glucagon, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), gastric-inhibitor-peptide (GIP), leptin, and ghrelin. We also assessed CT with the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse Questionnaire, and stressful life events (SLEs) with a semi-structured interview. Psychopathology, cannabis and tobacco habits, Body Mass Index (BMI) were recorded. Serum concentrations of markers were analyzed from peripheral blood. Ninety-five patients (56 % males, mean age 29.5) reported CT. Multivariate models showed that CT is associated only with the concentrations of c-peptide and insulin after adjusting for age, sex, BMI and SLEs. FEP patients who had experienced CT showed higher c-peptide and insulin serum concentrations. Our study reports that CT might be associated with the metabolic abnormalities in the first stage of psychosis, suggesting that a thorough anamnestic evaluation at psychosis onset that would include the history of CT could be helpful for clinicians in order to implement early programmes of healthy lifestyle education and to guide choice of therapeutic interventions for trauma.

Childhood trauma and substance use underlying psychosis: a systematic review

Background: Schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) are mental diseases caused by a combination of genetic susceptibility and a number of environmental factors. Among these factors, the role of traumatic events suffered in childhood, as well as that of substance use, have been of particular research interest. Objectives: To conduct a systematic review to clarify whether there is an interaction between childhood trauma and substance use related to the diagnosis or symptoms of SSD. It was also the objective of this review to collate the associations that may exist between the three variables of the study (trauma, substance use and psychosis). Methods: We conducted a systematic search resulting in 240 articles. We considered all of the original articles that explored childhood trauma and substance use in patients suffering from SSD. Results: Twenty-three articles were selected for this review. Several of the reviewed papers found associations between childhood trauma and substance use with SSD, as well as interactions between trauma and drug use on SSD. Conclusions: The results suggest that childhood trauma and substance use may be present at the basis of psychosis. This double hit on the pathogenesis could have clinical implications, since each of these impacts could be considered a window of opportunity for the primary prevention of SSD.

Childhood Trauma and Psychosis: An Updated Review

There is growing evidence to support the link between childhood trauma and psychosis. Childhood trauma increases the risk for psychosis and affects severity and type of psychotic symptoms, and frequency of comorbid conditions, including depression and substance use. Childhood trauma is linked to more severe functional impairment in individuals with psychosis. There is evidence to support gender differences in the influence of childhood trauma on the course of psychotic illnesses, appearing to be more profound in girls and women. Other biological markers that may explain the link between childhood trauma and psychosis include brain-derived neurotrophic factor and other inflammatory markers.

Trauma history in a high secure male forensic inpatient population

There is an increasing focus on trauma within forensic services. This study aimed to investigate exposure to trauma among a high secure male forensic population. Based on the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and the Trauma History Questionnaire (THQ) data capture sheets were developed. Patients' own offending behaviour was included as a source of potential trauma. Records for all patients placed within the hospital (n = 194) were reviewed. All patients had been exposed to a traumatic event over the lifespan, with 75% having been exposed to trauma during childhood. Sixty-five percent of patients had experienced more than one type of trauma during childhood; the mean number of trauma types experienced during this period being 2.31. In adulthood 63% had been exposed to one trauma type while 29% had been exposed to two or more trauma types. No significant difference was found between those with and those without childhood trauma histories on hospital variables including admission length, seclusion and incidents. The implications of these results in the context of adopting a trauma informed care approach to treatment in forensic settings are discussed, and recommendations for future clinical and research directions are made.

Child maltreatment and psychosis

This paper reviews the literature on the association between experiences of child abuse and neglect and the development of psychoses. It then explores the premise that psychotic patients with a history of maltreatment may comprise a clinically and biological distinct subgroup. The review demonstrates that there is a growing consensus in the field that experiences of child maltreatment contribute to the onset of psychotic symptoms and psychotic disorders. There is also strong support for the premise that patients with psychotic disorders and histories of child maltreatment have distinct clinical characteristics and unique treatment needs, and emerging preliminary data to suggest psychotic patients with a history of maltreatment may comprise a distinct neurobiological subgroup. The mechanisms by which experiences of child maltreatment confers risk for psychotic disorders remains unknown, and the review highlights the value of incorporating translational research perspectives to advance knowledge in this area.

Predictors of transitions across stages of heroin use and dependence prior to treatment-seeking among people in treatment for opioid dependence

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Little is known about transition pathways among heroin users prior to treatment. This study examined the demographic and clinical predictors of transition speed from heroin use, to dependence, to first treatment episode.

METHODS

1149 heroin-dependent participants recruited from opioid agonist treatment clinics in Sydney, Australia, underwent a structured interview. Age of onset (AOO) was collected for heroin use, dependence and treatment-seeking, childhood maltreatment, psychiatric history and other substance dependence. Discrete-time survival analyses modelled years from onset of use to dependence, and from dependence to treatment-seeking, including demographic and clinical covariates.

FINDINGS

Median AOO for first heroin use, dependence and treatment-seeking was 18 years (inter-quartile range, or IQR = 6), 21 years (IQR = 7), and 24 years (IQR = 10) respectively. In adjusted models, younger birth cohorts (vs. born <1960), greater childhood maltreatment and later AAO of first heroin use were associated with more rapid transitions from heroin use to dependence. Living independently, parental violence, and alcohol dependence were associated with slower transitions. Earlier treatment-seeking was associated with younger birth cohorts, having dependent children and later AOO of dependence. Delayed treatment-seeking was associated with <10 years school education, living independently, depression and alcohol dependence.

CONCLUSIONS

In this treatment sample, onset of heroin use occurred during late adolescence, suggesting the need for targeted interventions in mid-adolescence. Transitions to heroin dependence, then treatment-seeking, occurred during early adulthood. Rapid transitions from use to dependence were associated with younger birth cohorts, greater exposure to childhood maltreatment, and later onset of use.

Unique Effects of Clozapine: A Pharmacological Perspective

Schizophrenia is a heterogenous and severe neuropsychiatric disorder that affects nearly 1% of the population worldwide. Antipsychotic drugs are the mainstay of treatment, but not all patients with schizophrenia respond to treatment with these agents. Clozapine, the first atypical antipsychotic, is a highly effective medication for patients with schizophrenia who do not respond to other antipsychotics. Although clozapine tends not to produce extrapyramidal symptoms, other side effects of the drug (e.g., agranulocytosis, myocarditis, seizures) limit its widespread use. This chapter reviews clozapine's unique clinical effects and unusual pharmacological profile. In addition to its effects in treatment-resistant schizophrenia, clozapine has been shown to decrease suicidality, which occurs at an increased rate in patients with schizophrenia. Still preliminary, but consistent data, also suggest that clozapine limits substance use in these patients, an important effect since substance use disorders are common in patients with schizophrenia and are associated with a poor outcome, including an increased risk for suicide and poor response to treatment. We have suggested, from animal studies, that clozapine's apparent ability to limit substance use may occur through its actions as a weak dopamine D2 receptor antagonist, a potent norepinephrine α-2 receptor antagonist and a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. Using animal models, we have built combinations of agents toward creation of safer clozapine-like drugs to reduce substance use in these patients. Future research into the mechanisms of action of clozapine toward the development of safe clozapine-like agents is of great public health importance.

Epigenetics and gene expression profile in first-episode psychosis: The role of childhood trauma

Childhood Trauma (CT) mediation of the epigenome and its impact on gene expression profile could provide a mechanism for the gene-environment interaction underling psychosis. We reviewed the evidence concerning epigenetic and gene expression modifications associated with CT in both First-Episode Psychosis (FEP) and healthy subjects. In order to explore the relative role of psychosis itself in determining these modifications, evidence about FEP and epigenetics/gene expression was also summarized. We performed a systematic search on PubMed, last updated in December 2016. Out of 2966 potentially relevant records, only 41 studies were included. CT resulted associated: in FEP subjects, with global DNA hypo-methylation and reduced BDNF gene-expression; in healthy subjects, with hyper-methylation of SLC6A4, NR3C1, KITLG, and OXTR; hypo-methylation of FKBP5, IL-6, and BDNF; increased IL1B, IL8, and PTGS gene expression; and decreased SLC6A4 gene expression. FEP showed global DNA hypo-methylation; increased methylation and reduced gene expression of GCH1; hyper-expression of MPB, NDEL1, AKT1, and DICER1; and hypo-expression of DROSHA, COMT, and DISC1 in comparison with healthy controls.