Dimensional approaches to experimental psychopathology of schizophrenia: shift learning and report of psychotic-like experiences in college students

Adopting a dimensional approach to experimental psychopathology, and taking into account inconsistencies in the previous literature, we examined whether reports of psychotic-like experiences in undergraduate students were associated with shift-learning deficits, akin to those seen in schizophrenia. The participants (N=72) were tested on a new compound stimulus discrimination task (CSDT) before and after a target shift, and were administered a multi-dimensional schizotypy inventory (O-LIFE). Performance impairment following a target shift was associated with the negative (Introvertive Anhedonia) and the impulsive (Impulsive Non-conformity) dimension of schizotypy, but not with the positive (Unusual Experiences), nor the disorganised (Cognitive Disorganisation) dimension. None of the schizotypy measures were associated with performance on discrimination learning before the target shift. The obtained results are in line with past evidence that shift learning is associated with the severity of the negative symptomatology of schizophrenia. The possibility that psychotic-like features may contribute differentially to performance deficits across successive stages of learning is considered

Design and Responsive Technologies for Human Well-being

The field of research involving design and well-being, finds in the development of responsive technologies and Artificial Intelligence the latest tools for mutual influence and transformation. Research on this topic, shared at the Disrupting Geographies in the Design World forum, testified to the multiple and contemporary fields of investigation related both to technological development and the human sphere. The paper proposes a clustering of research on this topic into two sets: the first group gathers research and design approaches that increase human knowledge toward digital data, the second brings together insights on behavioral changes generated by design using emerging technologies. The results of the debate and the categorizations open new focus points aimed at improving, through the discipline of design, individual and collective well-being

The effect of verbalization strategy on wisconsin card sorting test performance in schizophrenic patients receiving classical or atypical antipsychotics

BACKGROUND: A number of reports showed en encouraging remediation in some patients' executive deficits thanks to the use of 'information processing strategies'. Moreover the impact of antipsychotics on cognitive functions of the schizophrenics is an important issue, especially if an integrated psychosocial treatment is needed. The aim of this paper is to evaluate different executive performance and response to verbalization, a strategy of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) remediation, in subjects on classical vs atypical antipsychotic (AP) treatment. METHODS: Sixty-three schizophrenic subjects undertook the WCST under standard and modified (verbalization) administration. Subjects were stratified by the kind of WCST response (i.e. good, poor and remediable) and AP treatment (i.e. atypical vs. classical). RESULTS: Subjects on atypical APs showed a better performance than those on classical ones. More poor performers who did not remediate were seen in the sample with classical Aps while subjects who remediated the performance were seen in the subgroup with atypical APs only. An increase of perseverative and total errors was seen in poor performers subjects on classical APs. CONCLUSION: Subjects on atypicals showed a better cognitive pattern in terms of WCST performance. Since the naturalistic assignment of medication we cannot draw conclusions about its effect on cognitive performance and its interaction with cognitive remediation potential. However the data lead us to hypothesize that subjects with potential room for remediation did so with the atypical APs

Illness management and recovery (IMR) in Danish community mental health centres

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are severe mental illnesses that can have a significant disabling impact on the lives of people. Psychosocial interventions that stress hope and recovery as a part of a multi-dimensional approach are possibly indicated to support people with severe mental illness in facilitating recovery. Illness Management and Recovery (IMR) is a curriculum-based psychosocial intervention designed as structured program with a recovery-oriented approach. The aim of IMR is to rehabilitate people with severe mental illnesses by helping them acquire knowledge and skills in managing their illness and achieve personal recovery goals. Previous randomised clinical trials indicate that IMR can be implemented with a good effect and a high fidelity though further trials are crucial to demonstrate the potential effectiveness of IMR.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>The trial design is a randomised, assessor-blinded, multi-centre, clinical trial of the IMR program compared with treatment as usual for 200 participants diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder under the care of two community mental health centres in the Capital Region of Denmark. The primary outcome is level of functioning at the end of treatment. The secondary outcomes are disease symptoms; use of alcohol/drugs; individual meaning of recovery; hope; hospital admissions and out-patient psychiatric treatment at the end of treatment and the abovementioned and level of functioning at follow-up 21 months after baseline.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>If the results of this trial show IMR to be effective these positive results will strengthen the evidence of IMR as an effective comprehensive psychosocial intervention with a recovery-oriented approach for people with severe mental illness. This will have significant implications for the treatment and recovery of people with severe mental illness.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>Registration number <a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01361698">NCT01361698</a>.</p

Neuroanatomical Pattern of Mitochondrial Complex I Pathology Varies between Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder and Major Depression

BACKGROUND:Mitochondrial dysfunction was reported in schizophrenia, bipolar disorderand major depression. The present study investigated whether mitochondrial complex I abnormalities show disease-specific characteristics. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:mRNA and protein levels of complex I subunits NDUFV1, NDUFV2 and NADUFS1, were assessed in striatal and lateral cerebellar hemisphere postmortem specimens and analyzed together with our previous data from prefrontal and parieto-occipital cortices specimens of patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression and healthy subjects. A disease-specific anatomical pattern in complex I subunits alterations was found. Schizophrenia-specific reductions were observed in the prefrontal cortex and in the striatum. The depressed group showed consistent reductions in all three subunits in the cerebellum. The bipolar group, however, showed increased expression in the parieto-occipital cortex, similar to those observed in schizophrenia, and reductions in the cerebellum, yet less consistent than the depressed group. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:These results suggest that the neuroanatomical pattern of complex I pathology parallels the diversity and similarities in clinical symptoms of these mental disorders

Awareness of everyday executive difficulties precede overt executive dysfunction in schizotypal subjects

Original article can be found at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/01651781 Copyright Elsevier Ltd. DOI : 10.1016/j.psychres.2007.06.004Much evidence indicates that schizophrenic patients exhibit deficits on tests of executive functioning. It is therefore hypo- 10 thesized that individuals with high schizotypal personality traits that may have a predisposition to schizophrenia, are also likely to 11 exhibit impairments in neuropsychological tests of executive function. The sample consisted of 61 healthy controls that were 12 divided into high and low scorers on the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ-B: Raine et al., 1995). Participants completed 13 a battery of executive tasks (category and letter fluency, the Hayling test, Zoo map); however, a MANOVA revealed no significant 14 differences between high and low SPQ scorers. Nevertheless, high SPQ scorers scored significantly higher on the dysexecutive Q1 15 (DEX) self-rating scale of everyday executive problems; and these self-ratings correlated significantly with the disorganisation and 16 cognitive–perceptual features of the SPQ-B, but not with the interpersonal features. This suggests that perceived executive 17 dysfunction is pre-morbidly present and may become evident in test performance only with the onset of schizophrenia itself.Peer reviewe

Negotiating with terrorists in hostage-taking cases: application of the BCSM and REACCT models

Več kot tri četrtine držav na svetu je v zadnjih desetih letih doživelo vsaj en teroristični napad ali dejanje, v zadnjih desetletjih pa so teroristične organizacije okrepile uporabo taktike zajemanja talcev. Čeprav so mnenja akademske sfere na to temo razdeljena, pogajanja ostajajo eden izmed stebrov strategij protiterorizma, predvsem v primerih zajemanja talcev. Teoretiki diplomatskih in pogajalskih študij in raziskovalci terorizma ter protiterorizma že več desetletij razpravljajo o tem, ali so pogajanja s terorističnimi skupinami legitimna in produktivna, medtem ko policijski organi vedo, da so mirni načini reševanja kriz realna in skoraj nujna možnost, kadar so ogrožena človeška življenja. Ker krizna pogajanja s teroristi, ki so zajeli talce, vodijo v zapletene in napete scenarije, so policijske in preiskovalne službe sčasoma razvile niz osnovnih pravil in načel, ki so lahko pogajalcu v pomoč. Čeprav za vodenje pogajanj v primerih zajetja talcev ne obstaja določen recept, pogajalci upoštevajo vrsto smernic in načel ter uporabljajo določene metode, kot sta modela BCSM/BISM in REACCT. V magistrskem delu sem izvedla primerjavo pogajalskih procesov na primerih terorističnega napada na olimpijskih igrah v Münchnu (1972), v moskovskem gledališču Dubrovka (2002), v Beslanu (2004) in zajetja talcev na ulici Balcombe v Londonu (1975), ki je pokazala, da sledenje pravilom in načelom kriznih pogajanj lahko privede do mirne razrešitve krizne situacije.More than three-quarters of the world\u27s countries have experienced at least one terrorist attack or act in the last ten years, and terrorist organisations have increased their use of hostage-taking tactics in recent decades. Although academia is divided on the issue, negotiations remain one of the pillars of counter-terrorism strategies, especially in hostage-taking cases. Diplomatic and negotiation theorists, and terrorism and counter-terrorism researchers, have debated for decades whether negotiations with terrorist groups are legitimate and productive. However, police authorities know that peaceful ways of resolving crises are a realistic and almost necessary option when human lives are at stake. As crisis negotiations with hostage-taking terrorists lead to complex and tense scenarios, police and investigative services have developed over time a set of basic rules and principles that can help the negotiator. Although there is no set recipe for conducting negotiations in hostage situations, negotiators follow a set of guidelines and principles and use certain methods, such as the BCSM/BISM and REACCT models. Comparing the negotiation processes employed during the terrorist attack at the Munich Olympics (1972), the Dubrovka Theatre in Moscow (2002), Beslan (2004) and the siege on Balcombe Street in London (1975), it is clear that following the rules and principles of crisis negotiation can lead to a peaceful resolution of the crisis situation