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Asian Journal of Psychiatry Mar 2024Yoga is gradually being explored as a potential complementary intervention in addition to psychiatric drugs for schizophrenia. However, there are conflicts on the... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Yoga is gradually being explored as a potential complementary intervention in addition to psychiatric drugs for schizophrenia. However, there are conflicts on the efficacy of yoga for schizophrenia. This meta-analysis was aimed to evaluate the association of yoga intervention with reductions on clinical symptoms and improvements in quality of life (QoL) as well as social functioning among schizophrenia.
METHOD
Systematic literature search was undertaken to identify all RCTs that compared yoga with active or passive controls for patients with schizophrenia from inception to July 2023. The outcomes were measurements of positive symptoms, negative symptoms, QoL and social functioning. Random-effects models were performed to calculate the effect sizes in the standardized mean differences reporting as Hedges' s g statistic.
RESULTS
19 studies enrolling 1274 participants with schizophrenia were included. Yoga had a medium effect on positive symptoms in the short term (Hedges's g = 0.31) and small effect in the long term (Hedges's g = 0.18). Medium significant effects were also found on negative symptoms in both the short term (Hedges's g = 0.44) and the long term (Hedges's g = 0.35). Yoga had a significant impact on improving both total QoL (Hedges's g = 0.34) and social functioning (Hedges's g = 0.45) with medium effect sizes.
CONCLUSIONS
Yoga was associated with significant reductions on negative and positive symptoms, and significant improvements in QoL as well as social functioning in patients with schizophrenia. Future research should explore the long-term efficacy of yoga for schizophrenia, encompassing more diverse populations.
Topics: Humans; Quality of Life; Schizophrenia; Social Interaction; Yoga
PubMed: 38342034
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2024.103959 -
Journal of the American Academy of... Jul 2024Early-onset psychosis (EOP) refers to the development of psychosis before the age of 18 years. We aimed to summarize, for the first time, the meta-analytical evidence in... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
OBJECTIVE
Early-onset psychosis (EOP) refers to the development of psychosis before the age of 18 years. We aimed to summarize, for the first time, the meta-analytical evidence in the field of this vulnerable population and to provide evidence-based recommendations.
METHOD
We performed a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA)-compliant, pre-registered (PROSPERO: CRD42022350868) systematic review of several databases and registers to identify meta-analyses of studies conducted in EOP individuals to conduct an umbrella review. Literature search, screening, data extraction, and quality assessment were carried out independently. Results were narratively reported, clustered across core domains. Quality assessment was performed with the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews-2 (AMSTAR-2) tool.
RESULTS
A total of 30 meta-analyses were included (373 individual studies, 25,983 participants, mean age 15.1 years, 38.3% female). Individuals with EOP showed more cognitive impairments compared with controls and individuals with adult/late-onset psychosis. Abnormalities were observed meta-analytically in neuroimaging markers but not in oxidative stress and inflammatory response markers. In all, 60.1% of EOP individuals had a poor prognosis. Clozapine was the antipsychotic with the highest efficacy for overall, positive, and negative symptoms. Tolerance to medication varied among the evaluated antipsychotics. The risk of discontinuation of antipsychotics for any reason or side effects was low or equal compared to placebo.
CONCLUSION
EOP is associated with cognitive impairment, involuntary admissions, and poor prognosis. Antipsychotics can be efficacious in EOP, but tolerability and safety need to be taken into consideration. Clozapine should be considered in EOP individuals who are resistant to 2 non-clozapine antipsychotics. Further meta-analytical research is needed on response to psychological interventions and other prognostic factors.
PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY
This umbrella review summarized the meta-analytical knowledge from 30 meta-analyses on early-onset psychosis. Early-onset psychosis refers to the development of psychosis before the age of 18 years and is associated with cognitive impairment, hospitalization, and poor prognosis. Individuals with early-onset psychosis show more cognitive impairments and abnormalities compared with controls. Clozapine was the antipsychotic with the highest efficacy for positive, negative, and overall symptoms and should be considered in individuals with early-onset psychosis.
STUDY PREREGISTRATION INFORMATION
Early Onset Psychosis: Umbrella Review on Diagnosis, Prognosis and Treatment factors; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/; CRD42022350868.
Topics: Humans; Psychotic Disorders; Adolescent; Age of Onset; Antipsychotic Agents; Meta-Analysis as Topic; Cognitive Dysfunction
PubMed: 38280414
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2023.10.016 -
International Clinical... Jul 2024Cerebellar alterations, including both volumetric changes in the cerebellar vermis and dysfunctions of the corticocerebellar connections, have been documented in...
INTRODUCTION
Cerebellar alterations, including both volumetric changes in the cerebellar vermis and dysfunctions of the corticocerebellar connections, have been documented in psychotic disorders. Starting from the clinical observation of a bipolar patient with cerebellar hypoplasia, the purpose of this review is to summarize the data in the literature about the association between hypoplasia of the cerebellar vermis and psychotic disorders [schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BD)].
METHODS
A bibliographic search on PubMed has been conducted, and 18 articles were finally included in the review: five used patients with BD, 12 patients with SCZ and one subject at psychotic risk.
RESULTS
For SCZ patients and subjects at psychotic risk, the results of most of the reviewed studies seem to suggest a gray matter volume reduction coupled with an increase in white matter volumes in the cerebellar vermis, compared to healthy controls. Instead, the results of the studies on BD patients are more heterogeneous with evidence showing a reduction, no difference or even an increase in cerebellar vermis volume compared to healthy controls.
CONCLUSIONS
From the results of the reviewed studies, a possible correlation emerged between cerebellar vermis hypoplasia and psychotic disorders, especially SCZ, ultimately supporting the hypothesis of psychotic disorders as neurodevelopmental disorders.
Topics: Adult; Female; Humans; Bipolar Disorder; Cerebellar Vermis; Cerebellum; Developmental Disabilities; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Nervous System Malformations; Psychotic Disorders; Schizophrenia
PubMed: 38266159
DOI: 10.1097/YIC.0000000000000535 -
European Psychiatry : the Journal of... Jan 2024The optimal duration of antipsychotic treatment following remission of first-episode psychosis (FEP) is uncertain, considering potential adverse effects and individual... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
The effects of antipsychotic discontinuation or maintenance on the process of recovery in remitted first-episode psychosis patients - A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
BACKGROUND
The optimal duration of antipsychotic treatment following remission of first-episode psychosis (FEP) is uncertain, considering potential adverse effects and individual variability in relapse rates. This study aimed to investigate the effect of antipsychotic discontinuation compared to continuation on recovery in remitted FEP patients.
METHODS
CENTRAL, MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase, and PsycINFO databases were searched on November 2, 2023, with no language restrictions. RCTs evaluating antipsychotic discontinuation in remitted FEP patients were selected. The primary outcome was personal recovery, and secondary outcomes included functional recovery, global functioning, hospital admission, symptom severity, quality of life, side effects, and employment. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool 2, and the certainty of evidence was evaluated with GRADE. Meta-analysis used a random-effect model with an inverse-variance approach.
RESULTS
Among 2185 screened studies, 8 RCTs (560 participants) were included. No RCTs reported personal recovery as an outcome. Two studies measured functional recovery, and discontinuation group patients were more likely to achieve functional recovery (RR 2.19; 95% CIs: 1.13, 4.22; I = 0%; n = 128), although evidence certainty was very low. No significant differences were found in hospital admission, symptom severity, quality of life, global functioning, or employment between the discontinuation and continuation groups.
CONCLUSIONS
Personal recovery was not reported in any antipsychotic discontinuation trial in remitted FEP. The observed positive effect of discontinuation on functional recovery came from an early terminated trial and an RCT followed by an uncontrolled period. These findings should be interpreted cautiously due to very low certainty of evidence.
Topics: Humans; Antipsychotic Agents; Quality of Life; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Psychotic Disorders; Hospitalization
PubMed: 38250810
DOI: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2024.5 -
Schizophrenia Research Feb 2024The relationship between interpersonal trauma and psychosis is well established, and research is now focused on identifying mechanisms that may explain this... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
INTRODUCTION
The relationship between interpersonal trauma and psychosis is well established, and research is now focused on identifying mechanisms that may explain this relationship. Models of trauma and psychosis increasingly emphasize a broad range of affective processes, yet the overall effect of these affective processes is not well understood.
AIM
This review systematically examined the effect of any form of long-term affective dysfunction on the relationship between interpersonal trauma and psychosis. Where possible, it used meta-analytic techniques to quantify the overall magnitude of this effect.
METHOD
Searches were conducted using PsychINFO, MEDLINE and CINAHL databases, and eligible studies were appraised for methodological quality. Narrative synthesis and meta-analytic methods were used to evaluate evidence.
RESULTS
Twenty-nine studies met criteria for inclusion. Five affective mediators were found; depression, anxiety, affective dysregulation, loneliness and attachment. Findings from both the narrative synthesis (n = 29) and meta-analysis (n = 8) indicated that, overall, affect is a small but significant mediator of the relationship between interpersonal trauma and psychosis (pooled Cohen's d = 0.178; pooled 95 % CI: 0.022-0.334).
CONCLUSIONS
Overall, findings support affective pathways to psychosis, though highlight the need for further research on broader affective mediators (loneliness, shame). The small effect size found in the meta-analysis also points to the potential importance of non-affective mediators. Clinically, these findings highlight the value of treatment modalities that attend to multiple mechanisms in the relationship between interpersonal trauma and psychosis. Future research should focus on the interplay and causal sequence between these mechanisms to further understand pathways between interpersonal trauma and psychosis.
Topics: Humans; Psychotic Disorders; Anxiety; Shame; Anxiety Disorders
PubMed: 38245930
DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2024.01.008 -
Schizophrenia Research Feb 2024Disorganised speech, or, formal thought disorder (FTD), is considered one of the core features of psychosis, yet its factor structure remains debated. This systematic... (Review)
Review
Disorganised speech, or, formal thought disorder (FTD), is considered one of the core features of psychosis, yet its factor structure remains debated. This systematic review aimed to identify the core dimensions of FTD. In line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), a systematic review was conducted on the FTD factor analytic literature. Sixteen studies were identified from PsycINFO, PubMed and Web of Science between October 1971 and January 2023. Across the 39 factor analyses investigated, findings demonstrated the prominence of a three-factor structure. Broad agreement was found for two factors within the three-factor model, which were typically referred to as disorganisation and negative, with the exact nature of the third dimension requiring further clarification. The quality assessment revealed some methodological challenges relating to the assessment of FTD and conducted factor analyses. Future research should clarify the exact nature of the third dimension across different patient groups and methodologies to determine whether a consistent transdiagnostic concept of FTD can be elucidated.
Topics: Humans; Frontotemporal Dementia; Psychotic Disorders; Communication Disorders
PubMed: 38244319
DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2024.01.006 -
Psychopharmacology Feb 2024Dopamine antagonists induce dopamine receptor supersensitivity. This may manifest in late-appearing movement disorders (tardive dyskinesia (TD). VMAT-2 inhibitors reduce... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
RATIONALE
Dopamine antagonists induce dopamine receptor supersensitivity. This may manifest in late-appearing movement disorders (tardive dyskinesia (TD). VMAT-2 inhibitors reduce dopaminergic transmission but have limited activity at postsynaptic receptors and so may have antipsychotic activity with lower risk of tardive dyskinesia.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic database search from inception to September 2022 for articles describing the use of VMAT-2 inhibitors in psychosis. Inclusion criteria were as follows: Population: adults diagnosed with psychosis or schizophrenia; Intervention: treatment with tetrabenazine, deutetrabenazine or valbenazine; Comparison: comparison with placebo or/and antipsychotic drug; Outcomes: with efficacy outcomes (e.g. Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) change or clinician assessment) and adverse effects ratings (e.g. rating scale or clinician assessment or dropouts); and Studies: in randomised controlled trials and non-randomised studies.
RESULTS
We identified 4892 records relating to VMAT-2 inhibitor use of which 5 (173 participants) met our a priori meta-analysis inclusion criteria. VMAT-2 inhibitors were more effective than placebo for the outcome 'slight improvement' (risk ratio (RR) = 1.77 (95% CI 1.03, 3.04)) but not for 'moderate improvement' (RR 2.81 (95% CI 0.27, 29.17). VMAT-2 inhibitors were as effective as active comparators on both measures for-'slight improvement' (RR 1.05 (95% CI 0.6, 1.81)) and 'moderate improvement' (RR 1.11 (95% CI 0.51, 2.42). Antipsychotic efficacy was also suggested by a narrative review of 37 studies excluded from the meta-analysis.
CONCLUSIONS
VMAT-2 inhibitors may have antipsychotic activity and may offer promise for treatment of psychosis with the potential for a reduced risk of TD.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Antipsychotic Agents; Psychotic Disorders; Schizophrenia; Tardive Dyskinesia; Tetrabenazine; Vesicular Monoamine Transport Proteins
PubMed: 38238580
DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06488-3 -
JMIR Mental Health Jan 2024This study examined and reflected on the frequency of people with psychotic symptoms and features as the target population in design studies for mental health care...
This study examined and reflected on the frequency of people with psychotic symptoms and features as the target population in design studies for mental health care innovation.
Topics: Humans; Mental Health; Psychotic Disorders; Research Design
PubMed: 38194249
DOI: 10.2196/54202 -
Translational Psychiatry Jan 2024Neurocognitive deficits are a core feature of psychotic disorders, but it is unclear whether they affect all individuals uniformly. The aim of this systematic review and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Neurocognitive deficits are a core feature of psychotic disorders, but it is unclear whether they affect all individuals uniformly. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to synthesize the evidence on the magnitude, progression, and variability of neurocognitive functioning in individuals with first-episode psychosis (FEP). A multistep literature search was conducted in several databases up to November 1, 2022. Original studies reporting on neurocognitive functioning in FEP were included. The researchers extracted the data and clustered the neurocognitive tasks according to the seven Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS) domains and six additional domains. Random-effect model meta-analyses, assessment of publication biases and study quality, and meta-regressions were conducted. The primary effect size reported was Hedges g of (1) neurocognitive functioning in individuals at FEP measuring differences with healthy control (HC) individuals or (2) evolution of neurocognitive impairment across study follow-up intervals. Of 30,384 studies screened, 54 were included, comprising 3,925 FEP individuals and 1,285 HC individuals. Variability analyses indicated greater variability in FEP compared to HC at baseline and follow-up. We found better neurocognitive performance in the HC group at baseline and follow-up but no differences in longitudinal neurocognitive changes between groups. Across the 13 domains, individuals with FEP showed improvement from baseline in all studied domains, except for visual memory. Metaregressions showed some differences in several of the studied domains. The findings suggest that individuals with FEP have marked cognitive impairment, but there is greater variability in cognitive functioning in patients than in HC. This suggests that subgroups of individuals suffer severe disease-related cognitive impairments, whereas others may be much less affected. While these impairments seem stable in the medium term, certain indicators may suggest potential further decline in the long term for a specific subgroup of individuals, although more research is needed to clarify this. Overall, this study highlights the need for tailored neurocognitive interventions for individuals with FEP based on their specific deficits and progression.
Topics: Humans; Cognition; Cognitive Dysfunction; Databases, Factual; Longitudinal Studies; Psychotic Disorders
PubMed: 38191534
DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02718-6 -
Immune Cell Alterations in Psychotic Disorders: A Comprehensive Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Biological Psychiatry Jan 2024A comprehensive meta-analysis on the composition of circulating immune cells from both the myeloid and the lymphoid lines including specialized subsets in blood and...
BACKGROUND
A comprehensive meta-analysis on the composition of circulating immune cells from both the myeloid and the lymphoid lines including specialized subsets in blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with psychotic disorders compared with healthy control participants has been lacking.
METHODS
Multiple databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.gov, and PsycINFO) were searched for eligible studies up until October 18, 2022. All studies investigating circulating immune cells in the blood and CSF from patients with psychotic disorders (ICD-10: F20 and F22-29) compared with healthy control participants were included.
RESULTS
A total of 86 studies were included in the meta-analysis. In the blood, the following categories of immune cells were elevated: leukocyte count (31 studies, standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.35; 95% CI, 0.24 to 0.46), granulocyte count (4 studies, SMD = 0.57; 95% CI, 0.12 to 1.01), neutrophil granulocyte count (21 studies, SMD = 0.32; 95% CI, 0.11 to 0.54), monocyte count (23 studies, SMD = 0.40; 95% CI, 0.23 to 0.56), and B lymphocyte count (10 studies, SMD = 0.26; 95% CI, 0.04 to 0.48). Additionally, the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (23 studies, SMD = 0.40; 95% CI, 0.19 to 0.60), the monocyte/lymphocyte ratio (9 studies, SMD = 0.31; 95% CI, 0.04 to 0.57), and the platelet/lymphocyte ratio (10 studies, SMD = 0.23; 95% CI, 0.03 to 0.43) were elevated. The CSF cell count showed a similar tendency but was not significantly elevated (3 studies, SMD = 0.14; 95% CI, -0.04 to 0.32).
CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate a broad activation of the immune system in psychotic disorders, with cells from both the myeloid and the lymphoid line being elevated. However, CSF analyses were lacking in most of the studies, and many studies were hampered by insufficient adjustment for confounding factors such as body mass index and smoking.
PubMed: 38185237
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.11.029