Association study between the MDR1 gene and clinical characteristics in schizophrenia

Objective: Schizophrenia is a complex psychiatric disorder, characterized by disturbed patterns of thought and affecting 0.3-2.0% of the world population. Previously, the multidrug resistance 1 (MDR1) gene has been associated with schizophrenia in treatment response studies in psychotic patients. The aim of this study was to determine the association between MDR1 gene polymorphisms and clinical characteristics in patients with schizophrenia. Methods: Positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia were assessed with the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) and the Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS) in 158 Mexican patients with schizophrenia. Analyses of MDR1 gene polymorphisms were performed using TaqMan technology. A multivariate ANOVA was performed with MDR1 polymorphisms and gender as independent variables. Results: Males with the G/G genotype of MDR1 rs2032582 presented significantly higher levels of delusions (p = 0.02). When comparing female vs. male groups, the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.0003). Analyses of the MDR1 gene rs1045642 variant showed no significant differences. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that male carriers of the G allele of variant rs2032582 exhibit greater severity of delusions; however, these results should be taken as preliminary, and replication studies in other populations of different ethnic origins are required to confirm these findings. .

Recognition of facial expression of the emotions and their relation to attachment styles and psychiatric symptoms: Preliminary study on Psychiatric Residents / Reconocimiento de la expresión facial de las emociones y su relación con estilos de apego y síntomas psiquiátricos: Estudio preliminar en Residentes de Psiquiatría

Facial expressions of emotion reveal complex mental states that have physiological correlates and signal internal states such as distress to others and are thus crucial in social interaction. In this preliminary study, we therefore sought to examine the link between current psychiatric symptoms and attachment styles in psychiatry residents and their ability to correctly identify facial expressions of emotions. Specifically, we hypothesized that greater current psychiatric symptoms and insecure attachment would be related to difficulties in deciphering facial expressions of negative emotions. A total of 56 psychiatry residents were included in the study, together with 50 university students pursuing careers unrelated to mental health. In order to evaluate the subjects' psychiatric symptoms, the Checklist (SCL-90) and Attachment Styles Questionnaire (ASQ) were used and in order to examine the ability to recognize facial expressions of emotion, we chose the Pictures of Facial Affect (POFA). All the respondents gave their informed consent in writing. The control group recognized fear significantly less as compared to psychiatry residents. Among psychiatry residents, there was a significantly positive correlation between hostility and fear recognition and anxiety and fear recognition. The same was observed between obsessive-compulsive symptoms and disgust recognition. In the control group, there was a significantly negative correlation between paranoid ideation and phobic anxiety with sadness recognition. In resident psychiatry, happiness recognition was positively related to an attachment-style based on confidence, while sadness recognition and surprise recognition correlated negatively with an attachment style based on considering relationships as being of secondary importance. This is one of the first studies to examine emotion recognition skills in medical professionals, and the association of this ability with psychiatric symptoms and attachment styles. We think it is important to observe longitudinally what the possible relevance of these findings might be for both diagnostic accuracy and therapeutic relationships.

La expresión facial de las emociones revela estados mentales complejos que tienen correlatos fisiológicos y señales de estados internos, como la angustia, y que son esenciales en la interacción social. En el presente estudio preliminar examinamos la asociación entre los síntomas psiquiátricos, los estilos de apego y la habilidad para reconocer correctamente la expresión facial de las emociones básicas, en residentes de psiquiatría de una institución de salud mental de México. La hipótesis es que los síntomas psiquiátricos y el estilo de apego inseguro pueden estar relacionados con una dificultad para descifrar la expresión facial de emociones negativas. Un total de 56 residentes de psiquiatría fueron incluidos en el estudio junto con 50 estudiantes universitarios de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM, de carreras diferentes a las relacionadas con la salud mental. Se utilizaron los siguientes instrumentos: Los síntomas psiquiátricos se evaluaron con el SCL-90, traducido y validado al español, el Cuestionario de Estilos de Apego (ASQ) traducido y validado al español, y para el reconocimiento de la expresión facial de las emociones se usó el Instrumento de Ekman, denominado Pictures of Facial Affect (POFA). Previamente, todos los participantes dieron su consentimiento informado con la firma de aceptación para participar en el estudio. Los estudiantes del grupo control reconocieron menos el miedo que los residentes de psiquiatría. En los residentes hubo una correlación positiva entre la hostilidad y el reconocimiento del miedo y entre la ansiedad y el reconocimiento del miedo. Lo mismo se observó entre los síntomas obsesivos-compulsivos y el reconocimiento del disgusto. En el grupo control se encontró una correlación negativa entre la ideación paranoide y la ansiedad fóbica con el reconocimiento de la tristeza. En los residentes el reconocimiento de la felicidad se relacionó positivamente con el estilo de apego basado en la confianza, mientras que el reconocimiento del miedo y la sorpresa fueron negativamente relacionados con el estilo de apego basado en considerar las relaciones como secundarias. Este es un primer estudio que examina la habilidad de reconocer las emociones básicas en profesionales de la medicina que están siendo entrenados en la especialidad de psiquiatría, y la relación con síntomas psiquiátricos y estilos de apego. Consideramos importante el estudio de estos factores a lo largo de la formación, por la posible relevancia que estos hallazgos puedan tener para el adecuado diagnóstico y la relación terapéutica.