Abstracts of the 9th world congress of biological psychiatry
Abstracts of the 9th World Congress of Biological Psychiatry
PSyChOTiC diSOrderS - Poster Presentations methods: 39 patients (17 female, 12 male, average age 24,8 years) di- p-06-018
agnosed initials with FE and after one year with schizophrenia according
parametric variation in working memory demand in patients with
DSM-IV criteria were five years of psychiatric (PANSS,CGI-S, CGI-I) and
schizophrenia: a behavioral and neuroimaging pilot study
neurocognitive (Trial Making Test A+B, Verbal Fluency Test, Rey’s Auditory
Verbal Learning Test) monitoring. In the first year all assessment were
Columbia University, Dept. of Psychology, New York, NY, USA
done on baseline, 6 and 12 months. After this period, the patients were
Tor D. Wager, Anissa Abi-Dargham, Nina Urban, Edward E Smith
neurocognitively assessed annually. Also, the patients were psychiatrically assessed when they presented relapses. objectives: Patients with schizophrenia exhibit serious and clinically rele- results: In the first year of schizophrenia treatment there were no signifi-
vant deficits in working memory (WM). However, investigations of WM in
cant differences between type of antipsychotic treatment and the results
patients with schizophrenia using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
of the neuropsychological test; no correlation between type of atypical
(fMRI) have failed to reveal a consistent abnormality in brain activation in
antipsychotic treatment, intensity of symptoms (PANSS score), severity of
patients. One hypothesis is that patients exhibit a disordered relationship
disease (CGI-S) and neurocognitive results. For the patients who present-
between the extent of activation of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC)
ed multi episodes of schizophrenia during 5 years we found a correlation
and WM demand. However, existing WM tasks do not provide sufficiently
between the severity of the illness and the number of episodes and the
fine-grained variation in WM demand to closely characterize the relation-
cognitive deterioration and no correlation with the type of schizophrenia
ship between DLPFC activation and WM demand. Consequently, we have
been developing a version of the self-ordering task that will allow for
conclusions: There is no correlation between type of AA treatment and
gradual increases in WM demand throughout a trial.
the course of cognitive functioning during the first years of treatment.
methods: Ten patients with schizophrenia and nine matched control par-
The relative stable cognitive impairment in schizophrenia is correlated
ticipants completed a behavioral version of the self-ordering task, and
with a lower number and a reduced severity of relapsing episodes. The
nine unmatched control participants completed the task while undergo-
progressively deteriorating cognitive functioning is correlated with a high-
ing an fMRI scan. In each trial of the self-ordering task, participants are
presented with 8 line drawings of 3D objects in a 3 x 3 array. On each step of the trial, participants must select any object that they have not previously selected. Thus, WM demand increases parametrically with each
p-06-017 efficacy of aripiprazole vs quetiapine for the treatment of hostility results: Both patients and controls performed the task significantly (p < in acute patients with schizophrenia
0.05) above chance accuracy from steps 3 through 8. Patients also per-
formed significantly worse than controls (p < 0.05) from steps 3 through
CL. EMERG. CENTRAL MILIT. HOSP, PSYCHIATRY, Bucharest, Romania
8. The fMRI data indicate that healthy subjects increase activation of DLP-
Gabriela Grigorescu, Corina Tudor, Octavian Vasiliu, Ruxandra Grigor-
conclusions: The self-ordering task is a valid means of assessing the ef- fects of various levels of WM demand on DLPFC activation in functional objectives: To compare the efficacy of aripiprazole and quetiapine in
imaging studies, and elicits substantial deficits in performance in patients
reducing hostility during the initial 7 days of treatment.
with schizophrenia relative to control participants. This makes it a promis-
methods: 32 acutely patients (14 female, 18 male, average age of 37.8
ing technique for elucidating the nature of WM deficits in patients with
years) with chronic schizophrenia diagnosed according to DSM IV crite-
ria were included based on their hostility factor score ≥ 20 derived from
Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and Clinical Global Impres-sion-Severity (CGI-S) score ≥5. The sample was segregated in two groups
p-06-019
according to antipsychotic treatment: quetiapine (17 patients) and arip-
disturbance of metacognition of agency in patients with schizo-
iprazol (15 patients). The antipsychotic treatment was in flexibile doses
(quetiapine up to 750mg/day; aripiprazole up to 30mg/day) which can be
increased or decreased based on clinician judgment during the initials 7
Columbia University, Psychology, New York, USA
days of treatment. It was permitted lorazepam,as rescue treatments, as
Jared Van Snellenberg, Cara Malapani, Pamela DeRosse, Peter Balsam,
needed to a maximum total dose of 4 mg/day. Efficacy measures were:
mean change from baseline to end point in: PANSS–hostility factor, CGI-S and CGI-I scores. The safety measures were: mean change in Agitation
objectives: This study investigated metacognition of agency--people‘s
Calmness Evolution Scale (ACES) score.
assessments of when they were and were not in control--in patients with
results: 70.50% of quetiapine group compared to 60% of aripipra-
schizophrenia. Our central question was: Would the schizophrenics give
zole group completed 7 days treatment. The mean dose for aripiprazole
evidence of consciously monitoring objective distortions in their control?
group was 26,32 mg (SD 5.28) and for quetiapine group was 675.25
methods: Patients were 22 medicated inpatients with DSM-IV-TR schizo-
mg (SD 20.65). PANSS hostility factor, CGI-S and CGI-I measures showed
phrenia (mean age=42.3; 13 male) who were stabilized under treatment.
the improvement of hostility by day 3, continuing up to end point for
Twenty controls with no history of psychiatric or neurological disorder
both group of treatment. There was a parallel reduction in hostility and
were age and SES matched to patients (mean age=35.1; 11 male). Partici-
agitation for both groups. The sedation was more frequent in quetiapine
pants performed a task in which randomly positioned X‘s and O‘s scrolled
group (29.41% vs 13.33%) compared to aripiprazole group. By com-
down the computer screen. They moved a mouse to have an onscreen
parison to quetiapine group more patients in aripiprazole group received
cursor touch the X‘s and avoid the O‘s. On some trials participants were,
rescue lorazepam treatment (22,64% vs 37,22%).
objectively, in perfect control: the cursor moved where they moved the
conclusions: Aripiprazole and quetiapine, despite their different recep-
mouse. On other trials computer-generated psuedo-random noise intro-
tor affinity profiles, decreased hostility and agitation rapidly and efficiently
duced Turbulence into the cursor movement, or the cursor position was
and had positive symptoms in acutely patients with schizophrenia during
Lagged 250-500ms from the mouse movements. At the end of each 20s
trial participants made judgments of performance (JOPs) about the pre-ceding trial, and assessments of how in control they had been, that is, judgments of agency (JOAs).
Before being diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS) in April, 2010, it was believed that I had Idiopathic Generalized Torsion Dystonia. My Neurologist in early 2008 told me he would consider Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) to treat it, but I needed to see a Pain Management Specialist for the spasticity in my legs and lower back before he could warrant such a highly intrusive surgery. I did not te
Interview from “Fathers and Sons” by Christine Williams. Published by HarperCollins, 1996. Ric Charlesworth, sportsman Born in 1952 on the day King George VI died, Ric Charlesworth grew up in the Perth suburb of Dalkeith which at that time comprised the occasional house, with mostly bushland leading down to the Swan River. He played at swimming, climbing trees, building cubby houses, and m