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Leone R, Zuglian C, Brambilla R, Morella I. Understanding copy number variations through their genes: a molecular view on 16p11.2 deletion and duplication syndromes. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1407865. [PMID: 38948459 PMCID: PMC11211608 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1407865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) include a broad spectrum of pathological conditions that affect >4% of children worldwide, share common features and present a variegated genetic origin. They include clinically defined diseases, such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), motor disorders such as Tics and Tourette's syndromes, but also much more heterogeneous conditions like intellectual disability (ID) and epilepsy. Schizophrenia (SCZ) has also recently been proposed to belong to NDDs. Relatively common causes of NDDs are copy number variations (CNVs), characterised by the gain or the loss of a portion of a chromosome. In this review, we focus on deletions and duplications at the 16p11.2 chromosomal region, associated with NDDs, ID, ASD but also epilepsy and SCZ. Some of the core phenotypes presented by human carriers could be recapitulated in animal and cellular models, which also highlighted prominent neurophysiological and signalling alterations underpinning 16p11.2 CNVs-associated phenotypes. In this review, we also provide an overview of the genes within the 16p11.2 locus, including those with partially known or unknown function as well as non-coding RNAs. A particularly interesting interplay was observed between MVP and MAPK3 in modulating some of the pathological phenotypes associated with the 16p11.2 deletion. Elucidating their role in intracellular signalling and their functional links will be a key step to devise novel therapeutic strategies for 16p11.2 CNVs-related syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Leone
- Università di Pavia, Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “Lazzaro Spallanzani”, Pavia, Italy
| | - Cecilia Zuglian
- Università di Pavia, Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “Lazzaro Spallanzani”, Pavia, Italy
| | - Riccardo Brambilla
- Università di Pavia, Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “Lazzaro Spallanzani”, Pavia, Italy
- Cardiff University, School of Biosciences, Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Ilaria Morella
- Cardiff University, School of Biosciences, Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute, Cardiff, United Kingdom
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Panov G, Dyulgerova S, Panova P. Cognition in Patients with Schizophrenia: Interplay between Working Memory, Disorganized Symptoms, Dissociation, and the Onset and Duration of Psychosis, as Well as Resistance to Treatment. Biomedicines 2023; 11:3114. [PMID: 38137335 PMCID: PMC10740456 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11123114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is traditionally associated with the presence of psychotic symptoms. In addition to these, cognitive symptoms precede them and are present during the entire course of the schizophrenia process. The present study aims to establish the relationship between working memory (short-term memory and attention), the features of the clinical picture, and the course of the schizophrenic process, gender distribution and resistance to treatment. METHODS In total, 105 patients with schizophrenia were observed. Of these, 66 were women and 39 men. Clinical status was assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Symptom Scale (DOCS), scale for dissociative experiences (DES) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D)-cognitive functions using the Luria 10-word test with fixation assessment, reproduction and attention analysis. The clinical evaluation of resistance to the treatment showed that 45 patients were resistant to the ongoing medical treatment and the remaining 60 had an effect from the therapy. RESULTS Our study showed that, in most patients, we found disorders of working memory and attention. In 69.82% of the patients, we found problems with fixation; in 38.1%, problems with reproduction; and in 62.86%, attention disorders. Conducting a regression analysis showed that memory and attention disorders were mainly related to the highly disorganized symptoms scale, the duration of the schizophrenic process and the dissociation scale. It was found that there was a weaker but significant association between the age of onset of schizophrenia and negative symptoms. In the patients with resistant schizophrenia, much greater violations of the studied parameters working memory and attention were found compared to the patients with an effect from the treatment. CONCLUSION Impairments in working memory and attention are severely affected in the majority of patients with schizophrenia. Their involvement is most significant in patients with resistance to therapy. Factors associated with the highest degree of memory and attention impairment were disorganized symptoms, duration of schizophrenia, dissociative symptoms and, to a lesser extent, onset of illness. This analysis gives us the right to consider that the early and systematic analysis of cognition is a reliable marker for tracking both clinical dynamics and the effect of treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgi Panov
- Psychiatric Clinic, University Hospital for Active Treatment “Prof. Dr. Stoyan Kirkovich”, Trakia University, 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
- Medical Faculty, University “Prof. Dr. Asen Zlatarov”, 8000 Burgas, Bulgaria
| | - Silvana Dyulgerova
- Psychiatric Clinic, University Hospital for Active Treatment “Prof. Dr. Stoyan Kirkovich”, Trakia University, 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
| | - Presyana Panova
- Medical Faculty, Trakia University, 6000 Stara Zagora, Bulgaria;
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Panov G, Panova P. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms in patient with schizophrenia: The influence of disorganized symptoms, duration of schizophrenia, and drug resistance. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1120974. [PMID: 36923524 PMCID: PMC10008879 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1120974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder with a many-faced clinical presentation. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms are often part of it. The characteristics of the clinical picture and the course of schizophrenia are factors related to both the resistance and the manifestation of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Our study aims to establish the relationship between the peculiarities of the schizophrenia process and the influence of resistance on the expression of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. METHODS A study was conducted on 105 patients with schizophrenia. Of them, 39 are men and 66 are women. The evaluation of the effectiveness of the treatment showed that 45 were resistant to the applied therapy, while the remaining 60 responded. Clinical assessment of patients was performed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). Assessment of obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) was conducted with the Dimensional obsessive-compulsive symptoms scale (DOCS). RESULTS In 34% of all patients, we found clinically expressed obsessive-compulsive symptoms. In 40% of the patients with resistance, we found clinically expressed obsessive-compulsive symptoms, which are within the range of moderately expressed. In 30% of the patients in clinical remission, we found obsessive-compulsive symptoms, but mildly expressed. We found a statistically significant relationship between the severity of OCS and the disorganized symptoms and the duration of the schizophrenia process. No differences were found in the expression of OCS in patients of both sexes. CONCLUSION We registered both an increased frequency and an increased expression of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in patients with resistant schizophrenia. These symptoms were positively associated with disorganized symptoms and duration of schizophrenia. No relationship was established with the positive, negative symptoms, as well as with the gender distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgi Panov
- Psychiatric Clinic, University Hospital for Active Treatment "Prof. Dr. Stoyan Kirkovich", Trakia University, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, University "Prof. Dr. Asen Zlatarov" Medical Faculty, Burgas, Bulgaria
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Eratne D, Janelidze S, Malpas CB, Loi S, Walterfang M, Merritt A, Diouf I, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, Cilia B, Wannan C, Bousman C, Everall I, Zalesky A, Jayaram M, Thomas N, Berkovic SF, Hansson O, Velakoulis D, Pantelis C, Santillo A, Stehmann C, Cadwallader C, Fowler C, Ravanfar P, Farrand S, Keem M, Kang M, Watson R, Yassi N, Kaylor-Hughes C, Kanaan R, Perucca P, Vivash L, Ali R, O’Brien TJ, Masters CL, Collins S, Kelso W, Evans A, King A, Kwan P, Gunn J, Goranitis I, Pan T, Lewis C, Kalincik T. Plasma neurofilament light chain protein is not increased in treatment-resistant schizophrenia and first-degree relatives. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2022; 56:1295-1305. [PMID: 35179048 DOI: 10.1177/00048674211058684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Schizophrenia, a complex psychiatric disorder, is often associated with cognitive, neurological and neuroimaging abnormalities. The processes underlying these abnormalities, and whether a subset of people with schizophrenia have a neuroprogressive or neurodegenerative component to schizophrenia, remain largely unknown. Examining fluid biomarkers of diverse types of neuronal damage could increase our understanding of these processes, as well as potentially provide clinically useful biomarkers, for example with assisting with differentiation from progressive neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer and frontotemporal dementias. METHODS This study measured plasma neurofilament light chain protein (NfL) using ultrasensitive Simoa technology, to investigate the degree of neuronal injury in a well-characterised cohort of people with treatment-resistant schizophrenia on clozapine (n = 82), compared to first-degree relatives (an at-risk group, n = 37), people with schizophrenia not treated with clozapine (n = 13), and age- and sex-matched controls (n = 59). RESULTS We found no differences in NfL levels between treatment-resistant schizophrenia (mean NfL, M = 6.3 pg/mL, 95% confidence interval: [5.5, 7.2]), first-degree relatives (siblings, M = 6.7 pg/mL, 95% confidence interval: [5.2, 8.2]; parents, M after adjusting for age = 6.7 pg/mL, 95% confidence interval: [4.7, 8.8]), controls (M = 5.8 pg/mL, 95% confidence interval: [5.3, 6.3]) and not treated with clozapine (M = 4.9 pg/mL, 95% confidence interval: [4.0, 5.8]). Exploratory, hypothesis-generating analyses found weak correlations in treatment-resistant schizophrenia, between NfL and clozapine levels (Spearman's r = 0.258, 95% confidence interval: [0.034, 0.457]), dyslipidaemia (r = 0.280, 95% confidence interval: [0.064, 0.470]) and a negative correlation with weight (r = -0.305, 95% confidence interval: [-0.504, -0.076]). CONCLUSION Treatment-resistant schizophrenia does not appear to be associated with neuronal, particularly axonal degeneration. Further studies are warranted to investigate the utility of NfL to differentiate treatment-resistant schizophrenia from neurodegenerative disorders such as behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia, and to explore NfL in other stages of schizophrenia such as the prodome and first episode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhamidhu Eratne
- Neuropsychiatry, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Shorena Janelidze
- Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Charles B Malpas
- Clinical Outcomes Research Unit (CORe), Department of Medicine, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Department of Neurology, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Samantha Loi
- Neuropsychiatry, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Mark Walterfang
- Neuropsychiatry, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Antonia Merritt
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Ibrahima Diouf
- Clinical Outcomes Research Unit (CORe), Department of Medicine, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Department of Neurology, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Kaj Blennow
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden.,Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden.,Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, London, UK.,UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London (UCL), London, UK.,Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hong Kong, China
| | - Brandon Cilia
- The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Cassandra Wannan
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Chad Bousman
- Departments of Medical Genetics, Psychiatry, and Physiology & Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Ian Everall
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Andrew Zalesky
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Mahesh Jayaram
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Mid West Area Mental Health Service, Melbourne Health, Sunshine, VIC, Australia
| | - Naveen Thomas
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Mid West Area Mental Health Service, Melbourne Health, Sunshine, VIC, Australia
| | - Samuel F Berkovic
- Epilepsy Research Centre, Department of Medicine, Austin Health, The University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia
| | - Oskar Hansson
- Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Dennis Velakoulis
- Neuropsychiatry, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia.,Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Christos Pantelis
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Mid West Area Mental Health Service, Melbourne Health, Sunshine, VIC, Australia
| | - Alexander Santillo
- Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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Mohd Safien A, Ibrahim N, Subramaniam P, Shahar S, Din NC, Ismail A, Singh DKA, Mat Ludin AF. Randomized Controlled Trials of a Psychosocial Intervention for Improving the Cognitive Function among Older Adults: A Scoping Review. Gerontol Geriatr Med 2021; 7:23337214211025167. [PMID: 34395815 PMCID: PMC8361523 DOI: 10.1177/23337214211025167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: The goal is to explore available evidence and provide greater clarity to what is described as psychosocial intervention to improve cognitive function among older population with MCI as well as identifying areas for future research. Methods: An electronic literature search of PubMed, Cochrane, Ebscohost, Medline, Scopus, and gray resource was conducted to find articles published in English language between 2010 and September 2020. This review focused on research undertaken using randomized clinical trials study design. We extracted information regarding the publication date, geographical location, study setting, intervention mechanism, type of cognitive measurement used, and outcome of the studies. References of this literature were also reviewed to ensure comprehensive search. Result: Out of 240 potential records found, a total of 27 articles were identified following the first round of screening and deletion of duplicates. Full-text article reviews and analysis in the second round of screening narrowed the selection down to four articles. Another three relevant articles obtained from references were also included making a total of seven articles in the final analysis. Findings: Psychosocial intervention strategies for improvement of cognitive function, done in various setting all over the globe, covered a range of approaches including art therapy, visual art therapy, therapeutic writing therapy, reminiscence activity, and cognitive behavioral approach. Most were conducted in weekly basis within 1-to-2-hour duration of session. Cognitive function of older adult in psychosocial intervention group was significantly improved in two studies. Three studies showed no significant improvement at all in the cognitive function, and another one reported success in improving cognitive function over time in the intervention group than in control group. One study did not describe the interaction effect. Different types of cognitive measurement also were used to quantify different domains of cognitive function in the reviewed studies. Conclusion: The idea of using psychosocial intervention for improving cognitive function has begun to increasingly accepted recently. Findings from the limited studies are encouraging, although the outcome of the cognitive function was mixed. Large-scale and longer duration of psychosocial intervention with bigger sample size is warranted for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Aniza Ismail
- Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Center, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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6
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Krzystanek M, Asman M, Witecka J, Pałasz A, Wiaderkiewicz R. Exploratory study of selected nucleotide variants in GRIN1, GRIN2A and GRIN2B encoding subunits of the NMDA receptor in a targeted group of schizophrenia patients with chronic cognitive impairment. Pharmacol Rep 2020; 73:269-277. [PMID: 33237434 PMCID: PMC7862516 DOI: 10.1007/s43440-020-00192-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Background Schizophrenia is a mental disease that affects approximately 1% of the population. Despite over 100 years of research, its pathomechanism has still not been clarified. Cognitive deficits, which are one of the symptomatic dimensions of schizophrenia, usually appear a few years before the first psychotic episode. Therefore, this is why they are probably the clinical manifestation of the primary pathomechanism of schizophrenia. It is also supposed that N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDA-R) insufficiency in the prefrontal cortex is responsible for cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. The study aimed to examine whether four selected single nucleotide variants in GRIN1, GRIN2A and GRIN2B encoding NMDA-R subunits, of which two have not been tested before, are linked with the selected clinical phenotype of cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia. Methods The study included the targeted group of 117 patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, all with cognitive deficits and in symptomatic remission. DNA fragments including the studied polymorphisms of the NMDA receptors subunit genes were amplified by polymerase chain reaction and subjected to sequencing. Results The study did not confirm the presence of any of the four selected single nucleotide variants in GRIN1, GRIN2A and GRIN2B subunits of NMDA-R. Conclusions The finding indicates that selected single nucleotide variants in GRIN2A and GRIN2B encoding subunits of the NMDA receptor are not associated with the presence of cognitive deficits in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marek Krzystanek
- Department and Clinic of Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Ziołowa 45/47, 40-635, Katowice, Poland. .,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Ziołowa 45/47, 40-635, Katowice, Poland.
| | - Marek Asman
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Sosnowiec, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Jedności 8, 41-200, Sosnowiec, Poland
| | - Joanna Witecka
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Sosnowiec, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Jedności 8, 41-200, Sosnowiec, Poland
| | - Artur Pałasz
- Department of Histology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Medyków 18, 40-752, Katowice, Poland
| | - Ryszard Wiaderkiewicz
- Department of Histology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Medyków 18, 40-752, Katowice, Poland
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Grenier K, Kao J, Diamandis P. Three-dimensional modeling of human neurodegeneration: brain organoids coming of age. Mol Psychiatry 2020; 25:254-274. [PMID: 31444473 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-019-0500-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Revised: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The prevalence of dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases is rapidly increasing in aging nations. These relentless and progressive diseases remain largely without disease-modifying treatments despite decades of research and investments. It is becoming clear that traditional two-dimensional culture and animal model systems, while providing valuable insights on the major pathophysiological pathways associated with these diseases, have not translated well to patients' bedside. Fortunately, the advent of induced-pluripotent stem cells and three-dimensional cell culture now provide tools that are revolutionizing the study of human diseases by permitting analysis of patient-derived human tissue with non-invasive procedures. Specifically, brain organoids, self-organizing neural structures that can mimic human fetal brain development, have now been harnessed to develop alternative models of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, motor neuron disease, and Frontotemporal dementia by recapitulating important neuropathological hallmarks found in these disorders. Despite these early breakthroughs, several limitations need to be vetted in brain organoid models in order to more faithfully match human tissue qualities, including relative tissue immaturity, lack of vascularization and incomplete cellular diversity found in this culture system. Here, we review current brain organoid protocols, the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative disorders, and early studies with brain organoid neurodegeneration models. We then discuss the multiple engineering and conceptual challenges surrounding their use and provide possible solutions and exciting avenues to be pursued. Altogether, we believe that brain organoids models, improved with classical and emerging molecular and analytic tools, have the potential to unravel the opaque pathophysiological mechanisms of neurodegeneration and devise novel treatments for an array of neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl Grenier
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Jennifer Kao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.,Laboratory Medicine Program, Department of Pathology, University Health Network, 200 Elizabeth Street, Toronto, ON, M5G 2C4, Canada
| | - Phedias Diamandis
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada. .,Laboratory Medicine Program, Department of Pathology, University Health Network, 200 Elizabeth Street, Toronto, ON, M5G 2C4, Canada. .,Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, MacFeeters Hamilton Centre for Neuro-Oncology Research, 101 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5G 1L7, Canada.
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Kozłowska E, Agier J, Wysokiński A, Łucka A, Sobierajska K, Brzezińska-Błaszczyk E. The expression of toll-like receptors in peripheral blood mononuclear cells is altered in schizophrenia. Psychiatry Res 2019; 272:540-550. [PMID: 30616121 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.12.138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Revised: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 12/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Increasing evidence suggests that in addition to neurochemical abnormalities, various immunological alterations are related to the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) actively mediate immune/inflammatory processes and play a pivotal role in damage/danger recognizing. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the expression of TLRs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in schizophrenic patients with those of healthy subjects. It also measures the metabolic status of the study subjects. Twenty-seven adult European Caucasian patients with paranoid schizophrenia and twenty-nine healthy volunteers were included in this prospective study. qRT-PCR assessed TLR mRNA expression levels. Body composition was measured using two methods: bioimpedance analysis (BIA) and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The TLR1, TLR2, TLR4, TLR6, and TLR9 expression were down-regulated, in opposite to TLR3 and TLR7 which manifested higher expression in patients with schizophrenia. TLR5 and TLR8 mRNAs did not differ between groups. TLR mRNA expression was highly correlated. Decreased TLR expression may protect against excessive cell stimulation via exogenous and/or endogenous ligands, and may be recognized as a counterbalancing mechanism limiting the excessive development of inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elżbieta Kozłowska
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Medical University of Lodz, Pomorska 251, 92-213, Lodz, Poland
| | - Justyna Agier
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Medical University of Lodz, Pomorska 251, 92-213, Lodz, Poland
| | - Adam Wysokiński
- Department of Old Age Psychiatry and Psychotic Disorders, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Anna Łucka
- Department of Old Age Psychiatry and Psychotic Disorders, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | | | - Ewa Brzezińska-Błaszczyk
- Department of Experimental Immunology, Medical University of Lodz, Pomorska 251, 92-213, Lodz, Poland.
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Yukawa T, Iwakura Y, Takei N, Saito M, Watanabe Y, Toyooka K, Igarashi M, Niizato K, Oshima K, Kunii Y, Yabe H, Matsumoto J, Wada A, Hino M, Iritani S, Niwa SI, Takeuchi R, Takahashi H, Kakita A, Someya T, Nawa H. Pathological alterations of chondroitin sulfate moiety in postmortem hippocampus of patients with schizophrenia. Psychiatry Res 2018; 270:940-946. [PMID: 30551347 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.10.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2018] [Revised: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Perineuronal nets comprise chondroitin sulfate moieties and their core proteins, and their neuropathological alterations have been implicated in schizophrenia. To explore the molecular mechanism of the perineuronal net impairments in schizophrenia, we measured the immunoreactivity of chondroitin sulfate moieties, major components of perineuronal nets, in three brain regions (postmortem dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, caudate nucleus, and hippocampus) of schizophrenia patients and control subjects. Immunoblotting for chondroitin 4-sulfate and chondroitin 6-sulfate moieties revealed a significant increase in intensity of a 180 kD band of chondroitin 4-sulfate immunoreactivity in the hippocampus of patients, although we detected no significant alteration in their immunoreactivities with any other molecular sizes or in other brain regions. The levels of immunoreactivity were not correlated with postmortem interval, age, or storage time. We failed to find such an increase in a similar molecular range of the chondroitin 4-sulfate immunoreactivity in the hippocampus of the rats chronically treated with haloperidol. These results suggest that the level alteration of the chondroitin 4-sulfate moiety might contribute to the perineuronal net abnormality found in patients with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takayuki Yukawa
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, 1-757, Asahimachi-dori, Chuo-ku Niigata, Niigata 951-8585, Japan; Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, 1-757, Asahimachi-dori, Chuo-ku Niigata, Niigata 951-8510, Japan
| | - Yuriko Iwakura
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, 1-757, Asahimachi-dori, Chuo-ku Niigata, Niigata 951-8585, Japan
| | - Nobuyuki Takei
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, 1-757, Asahimachi-dori, Chuo-ku Niigata, Niigata 951-8585, Japan
| | - Mami Saito
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, 1-757, Asahimachi-dori, Chuo-ku Niigata, Niigata 951-8585, Japan; Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, 1-757, Asahimachi-dori, Chuo-ku Niigata, Niigata 951-8510, Japan
| | - Yuichiro Watanabe
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, 1-757, Asahimachi-dori, Chuo-ku Niigata, Niigata 951-8510, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Toyooka
- Minamihama Hospital, 4540, Shimami-cho, Kita-ku Niigata, Niigata 950-3102, Japan
| | - Michihiro Igarashi
- Department of Neurochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences and Trans-disciplinary Research Program, Niigata University, 1-757, Asahimachi-dori, Chuo-ku Niigata, Niigata 951-8510, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Niizato
- Tokyo Metropolitan Matsuzawa Hospital, 2-1-1, Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-0057, Japan
| | - Kenichi Oshima
- Tokyo Metropolitan Matsuzawa Hospital, 2-1-1, Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-0057, Japan
| | - Yasuto Kunii
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1- Hikarigaoka, Fukushima, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
| | - Hirooki Yabe
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1- Hikarigaoka, Fukushima, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
| | - Junya Matsumoto
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1- Hikarigaoka, Fukushima, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
| | - Akira Wada
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1- Hikarigaoka, Fukushima, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
| | - Mizuki Hino
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1- Hikarigaoka, Fukushima, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
| | - Shuji Iritani
- Tokyo Metropolitan Matsuzawa Hospital, 2-1-1, Kamikitazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 156-0057, Japan; Department of Mental Health, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65, Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichi Niwa
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, 1- Hikarigaoka, Fukushima, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan
| | - Ryoko Takeuchi
- Pathology and Brain Disease Research Center, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, 1-757, Asahimachi-dori, Chuo-ku Niigata, Niigata 951-8585, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Takahashi
- Pathology and Brain Disease Research Center, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, 1-757, Asahimachi-dori, Chuo-ku Niigata, Niigata 951-8585, Japan
| | - Akiyoshi Kakita
- Pathology and Brain Disease Research Center, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, 1-757, Asahimachi-dori, Chuo-ku Niigata, Niigata 951-8585, Japan
| | - Toshiyuki Someya
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, 1-757, Asahimachi-dori, Chuo-ku Niigata, Niigata 951-8510, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Nawa
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, 1-757, Asahimachi-dori, Chuo-ku Niigata, Niigata 951-8585, Japan.
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10
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Haatveit B, Vaskinn A, Sundet KS, Jensen J, Andreassen OA, Melle I, Ueland T. Stability of executive functions in first episode psychosis: One year follow up study. Psychiatry Res 2015; 228:475-81. [PMID: 26165960 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2015.05.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2014] [Revised: 05/19/2015] [Accepted: 05/24/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Executive functioning is a multi-dimensional construct covering several sub-processes. The aim of this study was to determine whether executive functions, indexed by a broad range of executive measures remain stable in first episode psychosis (FEP) over time. Eighty-two patients and 107 age and gender matched healthy controls were assessed on five subdomains of executive functioning; working memory, fluency, flexibility, and inhibitory control at baseline and at 1 year follow-up. Results showed that patients performed significantly poorer than controls on all executive measures at both assessment points. In general executive functions remained stable from baseline to follow-up, although both groups improved on measures of inhibitory control and flexibility. In phonemic fluency, controls showed a slight improvement while patients showed a slight decline. Investigation of individual trajectories revealed some fluctuations in both groups over time, but mainly supports the group level findings. The implications of these results are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beathe Haatveit
- NORMENT, KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Kirkeveien 166, 0407 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Anja Vaskinn
- NORMENT, KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Kirkeveien 166, 0407 Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1094 Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway
| | - Kjetil S Sundet
- NORMENT, KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Kirkeveien 166, 0407 Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1094 Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway
| | - Jimmy Jensen
- NORMENT, KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Kirkeveien 166, 0407 Oslo, Norway; Centre for Psychology, Kristianstad University, Elmetorpsvägen 15, 291 39 Kristianstad, Sweden
| | - Ole A Andreassen
- NORMENT, KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Kirkeveien 166, 0407 Oslo, Norway
| | - Ingrid Melle
- NORMENT, KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Kirkeveien 166, 0407 Oslo, Norway
| | - Torill Ueland
- NORMENT, KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Kirkeveien 166, 0407 Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1094 Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway
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11
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Mismatch negativity (MMN) deficiency: a break-through biomarker in predicting psychosis onset. Int J Psychophysiol 2015; 95:338-44. [PMID: 25562834 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2014.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2014] [Revised: 12/14/2014] [Accepted: 12/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Currently, the mismatch negativity (MMN) deficit is one of the most robust and replicable findings in schizophrenia, reflecting cognitive and functional decline, psychosocial and socio-occupational impairment, and executive dysfunction in these patients. An important break-through has very recently taken place here in the prediction of conversion to psychosis when the MMN in particular to change in tone duration was recorded in clinically at risk-mental state (ARMS) individuals. Attenuations in the MMN in these patients may be very useful in helping clinicians determine who are most likely to develop a psychotic disorder, as we will review in the present article.
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12
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Millan MJ, Fone K, Steckler T, Horan WP. Negative symptoms of schizophrenia: clinical characteristics, pathophysiological substrates, experimental models and prospects for improved treatment. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2014; 24:645-92. [PMID: 24820238 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2014.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 228] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2014] [Accepted: 03/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a complex and multifactorial disorder generally diagnosed in young adults at the time of the first psychotic episode of delusions and hallucinations. These positive symptoms can be controlled in most patients by currently-available antipsychotics. Conversely, they are poorly effective against concomitant neurocognitive dysfunction, deficits in social cognition and negative symptoms (NS), which strongly contribute to poor functional outcome. The precise notion of NS has evolved over the past century, with recent studies - underpinned by novel rating methods - suggesting two major sub-domains: "decreased emotional expression", incorporating blunted affect and poverty of speech, and "avolition", which embraces amotivation, asociality and "anhedonia" (inability to anticipate pleasure). Recent studies implicate a dysfunction of frontocortico-temporal networks in the aetiology of NS, together with a disruption of cortico-striatal circuits, though other structures are also involved, like the insular and parietal cortices, amygdala and thalamus. At the cellular level, a disruption of GABAergic-glutamatergic balance, dopaminergic signalling and, possibly, oxytocinergic and cannibinoidergic transmission may be involved. Several agents are currently under clinical investigation for the potentially improved control of NS, including oxytocin itself, N-Methyl-d-Aspartate receptor modulators and minocycline. Further, magnetic-electrical "stimulation" strategies to recruit cortical circuits and "cognitive-behavioural-psychosocial" therapies likewise hold promise. To acquire novel insights into the causes and treatment of NS, experimental study is crucial, and opportunities are emerging for improved genetic, pharmacological and developmental modelling, together with more refined readouts related to deficits in reward, sociality and "expression". The present article comprises an integrative overview of the above issues as a platform for this Special Issue of European Neuropsychopharmacology in which five clinical and five preclinical articles treat individual themes in greater detail. This Volume provides, then, a framework for progress in the understanding - and ultimately control - of the debilitating NS of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark J Millan
- Pole of Innovation in Neuropsychiatry, Institut de Recherche Servier, 125 Chemin de Ronde, 78290 Croissy-sur-Seine, Paris, France.
| | - Kevin Fone
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Medical School, Queen׳s Medical Centre, Nottingham University, Nottingham NG72UH, UK
| | - Thomas Steckler
- Janssen Research and Development, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - William P Horan
- VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, University of California, Los Angeles, MIRECC 210A, Bldg. 210, 11301 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90073, USA
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13
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamalpreet Kour
- Leeds Partnership Foundation Trust; St Marys House St Marys Road Leeds West Yorkshire UK LS 7 3JX
| | | | - Jasvinder Singh
- Humber NHS Foundation Trust; Department of Psychological Medicine; 220-236 Anlaby Road Hull UK HU3 2RT
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14
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Mohn C, Sundet K, Rund BR. The Norwegian standardization of the MATRICS (Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia) Consensus Cognitive Battery. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2012; 34:667-77. [PMID: 22439943 DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2012.667792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
This is the first international reference study of neurocognitive function as assessed by the MATRICS (Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia) Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB). Two hundred and fifty healthy Norwegian men and women between the ages of 12 and 59 years were tested. The results were broken down across gender, age, and education level. In the adult group, women performed better than men on Speed of Processing and Verbal Learning, and men outperformed women on Attention/Vigilance and Reasoning/Problem Solving tasks. There were substantial reductions in most domains of cognitive function with increasing age. The effect of education on cognitive performance was more modest. Although our results are somewhat divergent from the US normative study, we conclude that the MCCB is well suited for research purposes and clinical use in Norway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Mohn
- Department of Research, Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, Drammen, Norway.
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15
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Min JA, Kim JJ, Pae CU, Kim KH, Lee CU, Lee C, Paik IH. Association of estrogen receptor genes and schizophrenia: a preliminary study. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2012; 36:1-4. [PMID: 22001950 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2011.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2010] [Revised: 09/03/2011] [Accepted: 09/28/2011] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Gender differences in various clinical features of schizophrenia have been noted and estrogen has been regarded to play important roles. A few previous studies on the association between estrogen receptor (ER) genotypes and schizophrenia focused mainly on ER α gene but failed to report consistent results. The present study was designed to analyze the differences in the frequencies of both ERα and ERβ gene polymorphisms in subjects with schizophrenia compared to healthy controls among Korean population. Moreover, we investigate the association between different genotypes of ER genes and various clinical variables of schizophrenia. We observed that PvuII and XbaI polymorphisms of ERα gene showed significant differences between patients with schizophrenia and control groups (p=0.006). Among clinical variables, only the age of onset was related to RsaI genotype of ERβ gene (p=0.039). In conclusion, the present study suggests that ERα gene polymorphisms may be associated with the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and RsaI AA genotype of ERβ might have protective effect on age at onset of schizophrenia in Korean patients with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung-Ah Min
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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16
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Remington G, Agid O, Foussias G. Schizophrenia as a disorder of too little dopamine: implications for symptoms and treatment. Expert Rev Neurother 2011; 11:589-607. [PMID: 21469931 DOI: 10.1586/ern.10.191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Antipsychotics represent the first effective therapy for schizophrenia, with their benefits linked to dopamine D2 blockade. Schizophrenia was soon identified as a hyperdopaminergic disorder, and antipsychotics proved to be reasonably effective in controlling positive symptoms. However, over the years, schizophrenia has been reconceptualized more broadly, now defined as a heterogeneous disorder with multiple symptom domains. Negative and cognitive features, not particularly responsive to antipsychotic therapy, have taken on increased importance--current thinking suggests that these domains predate the onset of positive symptoms and are more closely tied to functional outcome. That they are better understood in the context of decreased dopamine activity suggests that schizophrenia may fundamentally represent a hypodopaminergic disorder. This shift in thinking has important theoretical implications from the standpoint of etiology and pathophysiology, but also clinically in terms of treatment and drug development.
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17
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Discovery and development of integrative biological markers for schizophrenia. Prog Neurobiol 2011; 95:686-702. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2011.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2011] [Revised: 05/25/2011] [Accepted: 05/27/2011] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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18
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MINK and TNIK differentially act on Rap2-mediated signal transduction to regulate neuronal structure and AMPA receptor function. J Neurosci 2010; 30:14786-94. [PMID: 21048137 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4124-10.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Misshapen/NIKs (Nck-interacting kinases)-related kinase (MINK) and closely related TRAF2/Nck-interacting kinase (TNIK) are proteins that specifically bind to activated Rap2 and are thus hypothesized to relay its downstream signal transduction. Activated Rap2 has been found to stimulate dendritic pruning, reduce synaptic density and cause removal of synaptic AMPA receptors (AMPA-Rs) (Zhu et al., 2005; Fu et al., 2007). Here we report that MINK and TNIK are postsynaptically enriched proteins whose clustering within dendrites is bidirectionally regulated by the activation state of Rap2. Expression of MINK and TNIK in neurons is required for normal dendritic arborization and surface expression of AMPA receptors. Overexpression of a truncated MINK mutant unable to interact with Rap2 leads to reduced dendritic branching and this MINK-mediated effect on neuronal morphology is dependent upon Rap2 activation. While similarly truncated TNIK also reduces neuronal complexity, its effect does not require Rap2 activity. Furthermore, Rap2-mediated removal of surface AMPA-Rs from spines is entirely abrogated by coexpression of MINK, but not TNIK. Thus, although both MINK and TNIK bind GTP-bound Rap2, these kinases employ distinct mechanisms to modulate Rap2-mediated signaling. MINK appears to antagonize Rap2 signal transduction by binding to activated Rap2. We suggest that MINK interaction with Rap2 plays a critical role in maintaining the morphological integrity of dendrites and synaptic transmission.
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19
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Rapcan V, D'Arcy S, Yeap S, Afzal N, Thakore J, Reilly RB. Acoustic and temporal analysis of speech: A potential biomarker for schizophrenia. Med Eng Phys 2010; 32:1074-9. [PMID: 20692864 DOI: 10.1016/j.medengphy.2010.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2010] [Revised: 07/19/2010] [Accepted: 07/20/2010] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Currently, there are no established objective biomarkers for the diagnosis or monitoring of schizophrenia. It has been previously reported that there are notable qualitative differences in the speech of schizophrenics. The objective of this study was to determine whether a quantitative acoustic and temporal analysis of speech may be a potential biomarker for schizophrenia. In this study, 39 schizophrenic patients and 18 controls were digitally recorded reading aloud an emotionally neutral text passage from a children's story. Temporal, energy and vocal pitch features were automatically extracted from the recordings. A classifier based on linear discriminant analysis was employed to differentiate between controls and schizophrenic subjects. Processing the recordings with the algorithm developed demonstrated that it is possible to differentiate schizophrenic patients and controls with a classification accuracy of 79.4% (specificity=83.6%, sensitivity=75.2%) based on speech pause related parameters extracted from recordings carried out in standard office (non-studio) environments. Acoustic and temporal analysis of speech may represent a potential tool for the objective analysis in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viliam Rapcan
- Trinity Centre for Bioengineering, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland.
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