No Effects of Cognitive Remediation on Cerebral White Matter in Individuals at Ultra-High Risk for Psychosis-A Randomized Clinical Trial

Cognitive Impairments and Rehabilitation in Individuals with at-Risk Mental State for Psychosis

In recent years, importance has been attached to early intervention in the field of healthcare, in general [...].

Analyzing structural and functional brain changes related to an integrative cognitive remediation program for schizophrenia: A randomized controlled trial

Cognitive remediation has been shown to improve cognition in schizophrenia, but little is known about the specific functional and structural brain changes related to the implementation of an integrative cognitive remediation program. This study analyzed the functional and structural brain changes identified after implementing an integrative cognitive remediation program, REHACOP, in schizophrenia. The program combined cognitive remediation, social cognitive training, and functional and social skills training. The sample included 59 patients that were assigned to either the REHACOP group or an active control group for 20 weeks. In addition to a clinical and neuropsychological assessment, T1-weighted, diffusion-weighted and functional magnetic resonance images were acquired during a resting-state and during a memory paradigm, both at baseline and follow-up. Voxel-based morphometry, tract-based spatial statistics, resting-state functional connectivity, and brain activation analyses during the memory paradigm were performed. Brain changes were assessed with a 2 × 2 repeated-measure analysis of covariance for group x time interaction. Intragroup paired t-tests were also carried out. Repeated-measure analyses revealed improvements in cognition and functional outcome, but no significant brain changes associated with the integrative cognitive remediation program. Intragroup analyses showed greater gray matter volume and cortical thickness in right temporal regions at post-treatment in the REHACOP group. The absence of significant brain-level results associated with cognitive remediation may be partly due to the small sample size, which limited the statistical power of the study. Therefore, further research is needed to clarify whether the temporal lobe may be a key area involved in cognitive improvements following cognitive remediation.

Changes in negative symptoms are linked to white matter changes in superior longitudinal fasciculus in individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis

AIM

Growing evidence suggests that subtle white matter (WM) alterations are associated with psychopathology in individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis (UHR). However, the longitudinal relationship between symptom progression and WM changes over time remains under-explored. Here, we examine associations between changes in clinical symptoms and changes in WM over six months in a large UHR-cohort.

METHODS

110 UHR-individuals and 59 healthy controls underwent diffusion weighted imaging at baseline and after six months. Group × time effects on fractional anisotropy (FA) were tested globally and in four predefined regions of interest (ROIs) bilaterally using linear modelling with repeated measures. Correlations between the changes in clinical symptoms and FA changes in the ROIs were examined with Pearson's correlation. A partial least squares correlation-technique (PLS-C) explored multivariate associations between patterns of changes in psychopathology, regional FA and additional WM indices.

RESULTS

At baseline, UHR-individuals displayed significantly lower FA globally (p = 0.018; F = 12.274), in right superior longitudinal fasciculus (p = 0.02; Adj R² = 0.07) and in left uncinate fasciculus (p = 0.048; Adj R² = 0.058) compared to controls (corrected). We identified a group × time interaction in global FA and right superior longitudinal fasciculus, but the finding did not survive multiple comparisons. However, an increase of negative symptoms in UHR-individuals correlated with FA increase in right superior longitudinal fasciculus (p = 0.048, corrected, r = 0.357), and this finding was supported by the multivariate PLS-C.

CONCLUSION

We found a positive correlation with a moderate effect between change in negative symptoms and FA change over 6 months in right superior longitudinal fasciculus. This link appeared mainly to reflect a subgroup of UHR-individuals, which already at baseline presented as vulnerable.

Neurocognitive Functioning in Individuals at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

IMPORTANCE

Neurocognitive functioning is a potential biomarker to advance detection, prognosis, and preventive care for individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR-P). The current consistency and magnitude of neurocognitive functioning in individuals at CHR-P are undetermined.

OBJECTIVE

To provide an updated synthesis of evidence on the consistency and magnitude of neurocognitive functioning in individuals at CHR-P.

DATA SOURCES

Web of Science database, Cochrane Central Register of Reviews, and Ovid/PsycINFO and trial registries up to July 1, 2020.

STUDY SELECTION

Multistep literature search compliant with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses and Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology performed by independent researchers to identify original studies reporting on neurocognitive functioning in individuals at CHR-P.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

Independent researchers extracted the data, clustering the neurocognitive tasks according to 7 Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS) domains and 8 CHR-P domains. Random-effect model meta-analyses, assessment of publication biases and study quality, and meta-regressions were conducted.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The primary effect size measure was Hedges g of neurocognitive functioning in individuals at CHR-P (1) compared with healthy control (HC) individuals or (2) compared with individuals with first-episode psychosis (FEP) or (3) stratified for the longitudinal transition to psychosis.

RESULTS

A total of 78 independent studies were included, consisting of 5162 individuals at CHR-P (mean [SD; range] age, 20.2 [3.3; 12.0-29.0] years; 2529 [49.0%] were female), 2865 HC individuals (mean [SD; range] age, 21.1 [3.6; 12.6-29.2] years; 1490 [52.0%] were female), and 486 individuals with FEP (mean [SD; range] age, 23.0 [2.0; 19.1-26.4] years; 267 [55.9%] were female). Compared with HC individuals, individuals at CHR-P showed medium to large deficits on the Stroop color word reading task (g = -1.17; 95% CI, -1.86 to -0.48), Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised (g = -0.86; 95% CI, -1.43 to -0.28), digit symbol coding test (g = -0.74; 95% CI, -1.19 to -0.29), Brief Assessment of Cognition Scale Symbol Coding (g = -0.67; 95% CI, -0.95 to -0.39), University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (g = -0.55; 95% CI, -0.97 to -0.12), Hinting Task (g = -0.53; 95% CI, -0.77 to -0.28), Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (g = -0.50; 95% CI, -0.78 to -0.21), California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) (g = -0.50; 95% CI, -0.64 to -0.36), and National Adult Reading Test (g = -0.52; 95% CI, -1.01 to -0.03). Individuals at CHR-P were less impaired than individuals with FEP. Longitudinal transition to psychosis from a CHR-P state was associated with medium to large deficits in the CVLT task (g = -0.58; 95% CI, -1.12 to -0.05). Meta-regressions found significant effects for age and education on processing speed.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Findings from this meta-analysis support neurocognitive dysfunction as a potential detection and prognostic biomarker in individuals at CHR-P. These findings may advance clinical research and inform preventive approaches.

A Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis Reveals lncRNA Abnormalities in the Peripheral Blood Associated With Ultra-High-Risk for Psychosis

Objective: The primary study aim was to identify long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) abnormalities associated with ultra-high-risk (UHR) for psychosis based on a weighted gene co-expression network analysis. Methods: UHR patients were screened by the structured interview for prodromal syndromes (SIPS). We performed a WGCNA analysis on lncRNA and mRNA microarray profiles generated from the peripheral blood samples in 14 treatment-seeking patients with UHR who never received psychiatric medication and 18 demographically matched typically developing controls. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and canonical correlation analysis were then applied to reveal functions and correlation between lncRNAs and mRNAs. Results: The lncRNAs were organized into co-expressed modules by WGCNA, two modules of which were strongly associated with UHR. The mRNA networks were constructed and two disease-associated mRNA modules were identified. A functional enrichment analysis showed that mRNAs were highly enriched for immune regulation and inflammation. Moreover, a significant correlation between lncRNAs and mRNAs were verified by a canonical correlation analysis. Conclusion: We identified novel lncRNA modules related to UHR. These results contribute to our understanding of the molecular basis of UHR from the perspective of systems biology and provide a theoretical basis for early intervention in the assumed development of schizophrenia.