Paradoxical effect of severe dietary restriction on Long-Evans rat life span.

It has been firmly established that the longevity of 20- to 60%-calorie-restricted rodents, with malnutrition (essential nutrients deficiency) being avoided, is increased when compared to ad libitum fed rodents. However, the effects on life span of severe dietary restriction (i. e. malnutrition), with limited weight loss, remained unknown. The purpose of this 4-year study was to investigate the effects on longevity of a severe form of dietary restriction, with limited and controlled weight loss. To this end, a group of male Long-Evans rats severely dietary restricted (SDR group), with a weight loss throughout the experiment

Factors influencing compulsory admission in first-admitted subjects with psychosis.

BACKGROUND: There is a growing body of evidence that patients with early psychosis have undesirable pathways to care, yet few studies have explored the factors related to compulsory admission in patients with psychosis. The aim of the present study was to examine the demographic and clinical factors and pathways to care influencing compulsory admission in first-admitted subjects with psychosis. METHODS: Pathways to care, clinical and demographic characteristics, were assessed using multiple sources of information in 86 subjects with psychosis first admitted in two hospitals of South-Western France. Characteristics independently associated with compulsory admission were explored using logistic regressions. RESULTS: Nearly two-thirds of the subjects (61.6%) were compulsorily admitted. Compulsory admission was independently predicted by being a male (adjusted OR = 3.2, 95 % CI 1.2-8.6, p = 0.02), having a diagnosis of schizophrenia broadly defined (adjusted OR = 2.8, 95 % CI 1.02-7.4, p = 0.04) and absence of depressive or anxiety symptoms (adjusted OR = 0.05, 95% CI 0.005-0.5, p=0.01). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that factors related to the disease itself play an important role in decisions concerning compulsory admission. The high frequency of compulsory admission as the first mode of contact with psychiatric hospital in subjects with psychosis constitutes a major public health issue. Further research on the strategies aimed at avoiding compulsory admission in subjects with incipient psychosis is necessary.

Social and clinical consequences of cognitive deficits in early psychosis: a two-year follow-up study of first-admitted patients.

OBJECTIVE: To explore whether baseline memory and executive deficits predicted poor social and clinical outcome over the 2 years following a first admission for psychosis, regardless of categorical diagnosis. METHOD: Cognitive functioning was assessed in first-admitted subjects with psychosis (n=35) with a neuropsychological battery of tests measuring executive, language and memory functions. Social and clinical outcome were assessed at 6-monthly intervals over a two-year follow-up using multiple sources of information. RESULTS: A dose-response relationship was found between visual and verbal memory performance at first admission and clinical outcome over the 2-year follow-up: the poorer the memory performance, the more likely the risk of presenting with psychotic symptoms and rehospitalization. Poor baseline performance on the WCST executive function predicted better medication adherence. No association was found between cognitive performance and occupational or residential outcome. CONCLUSION: Cognitive performance was a better predictor of clinical than social outcome in this sample of first-episode patients. The association between cognitive deficits and poor social outcome may be more marked in subjects with chronic psychosis than in first-episode subjects. The finding that cognitive deficits predict better medication adherence is in need of further exploration.