Persistent increase in TNF and IL-1 markers in severe mental disorders suggests trait-related inflammation: a one year follow-up study.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated if plasma levels of inflammatory markers are persistently altered in severe mental disorders with psychotic symptoms or associated with state characteristics in a longitudinal study. METHODS: Soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (sTNF-R1), interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), von Willebrand factor (VWF), and osteoprotegerin (OPG) were measured in schizophrenia (n = 69) and affective (n = 55) spectrum patients at baseline and at one-year follow-up, and compared to healthy controls (HC) (n = 92) with analysis of covariance. Association between change in symptoms and inflammatory markers was analyzed with mixed-effects models. RESULTS: sTNF-R1 was higher in the schizophrenia (P < 0.0001) and affective disorders (P = 0.02) compared to HC, while IL-1Ra was higher in schizophrenia (P = 0.01) compared to HC at one year follow-up. There were no significant differences between schizophrenia and affective groups; however, levels in the affective group were in between schizophrenia and HC for sTNF-R1 and IL-1Ra. There were no significant associations between change in symptoms and inflammatory markers. CONCLUSION: Persistently increased sTNF-R1 and IL-1Ra after one year in patients with severe mental disorders primarily reflecting data from the schizophrenia group may suggest that inflammation is a trait phenomenon, and not only the result of stress-related mechanisms associated with acute episodes.

Modelling difficulties in abstract thinking in psychosis: the importance of socio-developmental background.

INTRODUCTION: Abstract thinking is important in modern understanding of neurocognitive abilities, and a symptom of thought disorder in psychosis. In patients with psychosis, we assessed if socio-developmental background influences abstract thinking, and the association with executive functioning and clinical psychosis symptoms. METHODS: Participants (n = 174) had a diagnosis of psychotic or bipolar disorder, were 17-65 years, intelligence quotient (IQ) > 70, fluent in a Scandinavian language, and their full primary education in Norway. Immigrants (N = 58) were matched (1:2) with participants without a history of migration (N = 116). All participants completed a neurocognitive and clinical assessment. Socio-developmental background was operationalised as human developmental index (HDI) of country of birth, at year of birth. Structural equation modelling was used to assess the model with best fit. RESULTS: The model with best fit, χ2 = 96.591, df = 33, p < .001, confirmed a significant indirect effect of HDI scores on abstract thinking through executive functioning, but not through clinical psychosis symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that socio-developmental background influences abstract thinking in psychosis by indirect effect through executive functioning. We should take into account socio-developmental background in the interpretation of neurocognitive performance in patients with psychosis, and prioritise cognitive remediation in treatment of immigrant patients.

Childhood trauma mediates the association between ethnic minority status and more severe hallucinations in psychotic disorder.

BACKGROUND: Ethnic minority status and childhood trauma are established risk factors for psychotic disorders. Both are found to be associated with increased level of positive symptoms, in particular auditory hallucinations. Our main aim was to investigate the experience and effect of childhood trauma in patients with psychosis from ethnic minorities, hypothesizing that they would report more childhood trauma than the majority and that this would be associated with more current and lifetime hallucinations. METHOD: In this cross-sectional study we included 454 patients with a SCID-I DSM-IV diagnosis of non-affective or affective psychotic disorder. Current hallucinations were measured with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (P3; Hallucinatory Behaviour). Lifetime hallucinations were assessed with the SCID-I items: auditory hallucinations, voices commenting and two or more voices conversing. Childhood trauma was assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, self-report version. RESULTS: Patients from ethnic minority groups (n = 69) reported significantly more childhood trauma, specifically physical abuse/neglect, and sexual abuse. They had significantly more current hallucinatory behaviour and lifetime symptoms of hearing two or more voices conversing. Regression analyses revealed that the presence of childhood trauma mediated the association between ethnic minorities and hallucinations. CONCLUSIONS: More childhood trauma in ethnic minorities with psychosis may partially explain findings of more positive symptoms, especially hallucinations, in this group. The association between childhood trauma and these first-rank symptoms may in part explain this group's higher risk of being diagnosed with a schizophrenia-spectrum diagnosis. The findings show the importance of childhood trauma in symptom development in psychosis.