[Analysis of polymorphism rs1051730 of CHRNA3 in patients with dual pathology in a Mexican population]. / Analisis del polimorfismo rs1051730 de CHRNA3 en pacientes con patologia dual en poblacion mexicana.

INTRODUCTION: Epidemiological studies have described a high comorbidity of substance use disorders with another psychiatric disorder, which has been called dual pathology. However, the aetiological mechanisms underlying this association are still not fully understood. AIM: To carry out a preliminary study of the effect of polymorphism rs1051730 of the gene group CHRNA5-CHRNA3-CHRNB4 through a case-control study. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 225 subjects were selected and divided into three groups: those diagnosed with bipolar disorder, those with nicotine dependence, and subjects without nicotine dependence or any other psychiatric disorder. Genotyping was performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Genetic association analysis was performed using chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regressions. RESULTS: On comparing allelic frequencies with the control group, we found that polymorphism rs1051730 was associated with nicotine dependence (p = 0.03), but not with bipolar disorder (p = 0.94). CONCLUSION: Variant rs1051730 was associated with nicotine dependence in the Mexican population and showed the same effect in dual pathology. However, further studies are recommended to obtain conclusive results.

TITLE: Analisis del polimorfismo rs1051730 de CHRNA3 en pacientes con patologia dual en poblacion mexicana.Introduccion. Estudios epidemiologicos han descrito una alta comorbilidad de los trastornos de uso de sustancias con otro trastorno psiquiatrico, al cual se le ha llamado patologia dual. Sin embargo, los mecanismos etiologicos de esta asociacion continuan siendo dificiles de entender. Objetivo. Realizar un estudio preliminar del efecto del polimorfismo rs1051730 del grupo de genes CHRNA5-CHRNA3-CHRNB4 a traves de un estudio de casos y controles. Sujetos y metodos. Se selecciono a un total de 225 sujetos, divididos en tres grupos: con diagnostico de trastorno bipolar, con dependencia a la nicotina y sujetos sin dependencia a la nicotina o cualquier otro trastorno psiquiatrico. La genotipificacion se realizo mediante reaccion en cadena de la polimerasa en tiempo real. El analisis de asociacion genetica se realizo mediante pruebas de chi cuadrado y regresiones logisticas multivariables. Resultados. Al comparar las frecuencias alelicas con el grupo control, encontramos que el polimorfismo rs1051730 se asocio con el grupo de dependencia a la nicotina (p = 0,03), pero no con el de trastorno bipolar (p = 0,94). Conclusion. La variante rs1051730 se asocio con dependencia a la nicotina en la poblacion mexicana y mostro el mismo efecto en la patologia dual. Sin embargo, se recomiendan estudios adicionales para tener resultados concluyentes.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder in the elderly: A report from the International College of Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders (ICOCS).

INTRODUCTION: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a highly disabling condition, with frequent early onset. Adult/adolescent OCD has been extensively investigated, but little is known about prevalence and clinical characterization of geriatric patients with OCD (G-OCD≥65years). The present study aimed to assess prevalence of G-OCD and associated socio-demographic and clinical correlates in a large international sample. METHODS: Data from 416 outpatients, participating in the ICOCS network, were assessed and categorized into 2 groups, age

Evidence for genetic heterogeneity between clinical subtypes of bipolar disorder.

We performed a genome-wide association study of 6447 bipolar disorder (BD) cases and 12 639 controls from the International Cohort Collection for Bipolar Disorder (ICCBD). Meta-analysis was performed with prior results from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium Bipolar Disorder Working Group for a combined sample of 13 902 cases and 19 279 controls. We identified eight genome-wide significant, associated regions, including a novel associated region on chromosome 10 (rs10884920; P=3.28 × 10-8) that includes the brain-enriched cytoskeleton protein adducin 3 (ADD3), a non-coding RNA, and a neuropeptide-specific aminopeptidase P (XPNPEP1). Our large sample size allowed us to test the heritability and genetic correlation of BD subtypes and investigate their genetic overlap with schizophrenia and major depressive disorder. We found a significant difference in heritability of the two most common forms of BD (BD I SNP-h2=0.35; BD II SNP-h2=0.25; P=0.02). The genetic correlation between BD I and BD II was 0.78, whereas the genetic correlation was 0.97 when BD cohorts containing both types were compared. In addition, we demonstrated a significantly greater load of polygenic risk alleles for schizophrenia and BD in patients with BD I compared with patients with BD II, and a greater load of schizophrenia risk alleles in patients with the bipolar type of schizoaffective disorder compared with patients with either BD I or BD II. These results point to a partial difference in the genetic architecture of BD subtypes as currently defined.

Genetic markers in biological fluids for aging-related major neurocognitive disorder.

Aging-related major neurocognitive disorder (NCD), formerly named dementia, comprises of the different acquired diseases whose primary deficit is impairment in cognitive functions such as complex attention, executive function, learning and memory, language, perceptual/motor skills, and social cognition, and that are related to specific brain regions and/or networks. According to its etiology, the most common subtypes of major NCDs are due to Alzheimer' s disease (AD), vascular disease (VaD), Lewy body disease (LBD), and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). These pathologies are frequently present in mixed forms, i.e., AD plus VaD or AD plus LBD, thus diagnosed as due to multiple etiologies. In this paper, the definitions, criteria, pathologies, subtypes and genetic markers for the most common age-related major NCD subtypes are summarized. The current diagnostic criteria consider cognitive decline leading to major NCD or dementia as a progressive degenerative process with an underlying neuropathology that begins before the manifestation of symptoms. Biomarkers associated with this asymptomatic phase are being developed as accurate risk factor and biomarker assessments are fundamental to provide timely treatment since no treatments to prevent or cure NCD yet exist. Biological fluid assessment represents a safer, cheaper and less invasive method compared to contrast imaging studies to predict NCD appearance. Genetic factors particularly have a key role not only in predicting development of the disease but also the age of onset as well as the presentation of comorbidities that may contribute to the disease pathology and trigger synergistic mechanisms which may, in turn, accelerate the neurodegenerative process and its resultant behavioral and functional disorders.

Meta-analysis of 32 genome-wide linkage studies of schizophrenia.

A genome scan meta-analysis (GSMA) was carried out on 32 independent genome-wide linkage scan analyses that included 3255 pedigrees with 7413 genotyped cases affected with schizophrenia (SCZ) or related disorders. The primary GSMA divided the autosomes into 120 bins, rank-ordered the bins within each study according to the most positive linkage result in each bin, summed these ranks (weighted for study size) for each bin across studies and determined the empirical probability of a given summed rank (P(SR)) by simulation. Suggestive evidence for linkage was observed in two single bins, on chromosomes 5q (142-168 Mb) and 2q (103-134 Mb). Genome-wide evidence for linkage was detected on chromosome 2q (119-152 Mb) when bin boundaries were shifted to the middle of the previous bins. The primary analysis met empirical criteria for 'aggregate' genome-wide significance, indicating that some or all of 10 bins are likely to contain loci linked to SCZ, including regions of chromosomes 1, 2q, 3q, 4q, 5q, 8p and 10q. In a secondary analysis of 22 studies of European-ancestry samples, suggestive evidence for linkage was observed on chromosome 8p (16-33 Mb). Although the newer genome-wide association methodology has greater power to detect weak associations to single common DNA sequence variants, linkage analysis can detect diverse genetic effects that segregate in families, including multiple rare variants within one locus or several weakly associated loci in the same region. Therefore, the regions supported by this meta-analysis deserve close attention in future studies.

The serotonin transporter 5-HTTPR polymorphism is associated with current and lifetime depression in persons with chronic psychotic disorders.

OBJECTIVE: Variation in the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) promoter region has been shown to influence depression in persons who have been exposed to a number of stressful life events. METHOD: We evaluated whether genetic variation in 5-HTTLPR, influences current depression, lifetime history of depression and quantitative measures of depression in persons with chronic psychotic disorders. This is an association study of a genetic variant with quantitative and categorical definitions of depression conducted in the southwest US, Mexico and Costa Rica. We analyzed 260 subjects with a history of psychosis, from a sample of 129 families. RESULTS: We found that persons carrying at least one short allele had a statistically significant increased lifetime risk for depressive syndromes (P < 0.02, odds ratio 2.18, 95% CI 1.10-4.20). CONCLUSION: The 'ss' or 'sl' genotype at the 5-HTTLPR promoter polymorphic locus increases the risk of psychotic individuals to develop major depression during the course of their illness.

Improvement of psychic and somatic symptoms in adult patients with generalized anxiety disorder: examination from a duloxetine, venlafaxine extended-release and placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: This study examined the efficacy and tolerability of duloxetine and venlafaxine extended-release (XR) treatment for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), with a secondary focus on psychic and somatic symptoms within GAD. METHOD: The design was a 10-week, multi-center, double-blind placebo-controlled study of duloxetine (20 mg or 60-120 mg once daily) and venlafaxine XR (75-225 mg once daily) treatment. Efficacy was measured using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA), which includes psychic and somatic factor scores. Tolerability was measured by occurrence of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and discontinuation rates. RESULTS: Adult out-patients (mean age 42.8 years; 57.1% women) with DSM-IV-defined GAD were randomly assigned to placebo (n=170), duloxetine 20 mg (n=84), duloxetine 60-120 mg (n=158) or venlafaxine XR 75-225 mg (n=169) treatment. Each of the three active treatment groups had significantly greater improvements on HAMA total score from baseline to endpoint compared with placebo (p=0.01-0.001). For the HAMA psychic factor score, both duloxetine treatment arms and venlafaxine XR demonstrated significantly greater improvement compared with placebo (p=0.01-0.001). For the HAMA somatic factor score, the mean improvement in the duloxetine 60-120 mg and venlafaxine XR groups was significantly greater than placebo (p0.05 and p0.01 respectively), whose mean improvement did not differ from the duloxetine 20 mg group (p=0.07). Groups did not differ in study discontinuation rate due to adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Duloxetine and venlafaxine treatment were each efficacious for improvement of core psychic anxiety symptoms and associated somatic symptoms for adults with GAD.

Traducción al español y confiabilidad del Cuestionario de Tamizaje para Síntomas Prodrómicos (PRIME Screen) / Reliability study of the translation into Spanish of the PRIME Screen Questionnaire for Prodromic Symptoms

Introducción. Una de las condiciones fundamentales para la intervención temprana en la esquizofrenia es la detección certera de los estados prodrómicos, entendido como la constelación de signos y síntomas que predicen el inicio de una psicosis en personas sin antecedentes de cuadros psicóticos. Se han desarrollado diversas entrevistas diagnósticas para la detección de sujetos con síntomas prodrómicos. Objetivo. Traducir el Cuestionario de Tamizaje de Síntomas Prodrómicos (PRIME Screen) y obtener su confiabilidad en una muestra comunitaria de adolescentes de la Ciudad de México. Método. Se incluyeron un total de 532 adolescentes de un centro de educación tecnológica industrial de la Ciudad de México. A todos los sujetos se les aplicó el Cuestionario de Tamizaje de Síntomas Prodrómicos. Resultados. El 18,4% (n=98) fueron clasificados como sujetos con presencia de uno o más síntomas prodrómicos. El análisis factorial del instrumento arrojó tres factores que explican el 59,3 % de la varianza. La consistencia interna global del instrumento fue de 0,88. Discusión. Nuestros resultados sobre el análisis factorial exploratorio muestran la agrupación de los reactivos del instrumento en tres áreas principales denominadas como: a) alteración del entorno; b) alteraciones sensoperceptiva, y c) alteración de habilidades propias. El Cuestionario de Tamizaje de Síntomas Prodrómicos es un instrumento con un adecuado comportamiento clinimétrico que puede ser efectivo para la realización de tamizajes de síntomas prodrómicos en población adolescente

Introduction. A fundamental precondition for early intervention in schizophrenia is accurate detection of prodromal states, that is, sign and symptom constellations that predict the onset of psychosis in persons with no prior background. Several structured interviews have been designed for the detection of prodromal subjects. Objective. To translate and determine the reliability of the PRIME Screen in an adolescent community sample in México City. Method. A total of 532 adolescents of a technicalindustrial educational center of México City were included for the study. All the subjects were administered the PRIME Screen Questionnaire of Prodromal Symptoms. Results. A total of 98 subjects (18.4%) reported one or more prodromal symptoms. The results of the factorial analysis showed that the PRIME Screen questionnaire is conformed by three factors that explained 59.3% of the variance. Internal consistency of the instrument was of 0.88. Discussion. Our results on the exploratory factor analysis show that the items of the questionnaire are grouped into three main areas called: a) alteration of setting; b) sensorial-perceptual abnormalities, and c) alterations of self-skills. The Prodromal Symptoms Screen Questionnaire is an instrument with adequate clinimetric behavior that may be effective to conduct community- wide screening of adolescents for prodromal symptoms

Neuromodulation of the inferior thalamic peduncle for major depression and obsessive compulsive disorder.

Neuromodulation of the inferior thalamic peduncle is a new surgical treatment for major depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The inferior thalamic peduncle is a bundle of fibers connecting the orbito-frontal cortex with the non-specific thalamic system in a small area behind the fornix and anterior to the polar reticular thalamic nucleus. Electrical stimulation elicits characteristic frontal cortical responses (recruiting responses and direct current (DC)-shift) that confirm correct localization of this anatomical structure. A female with depression for 23 years and a male with obsessive-compulsive disorder for 9 years had stereotactic implantation of electrodes in the inferior thalamic peduncle and were evaluated over a long-term period. Initial OFF stimulation period (1 month) showed no consistent changes in the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D), Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS), or Global Assessment of Functioning scale (GAF). The ON stimulation period (3-5 V, 130-Hz frequency, 450-msec pulse width in a continuous program) showed significant decrease in depression, obsession, and compulsion symptoms. GAF improved significantly in both cases. The neuropsychological tests battery showed no significant changes except from a reduction in the perseverative response of the obsessive-compulsive patient and better performance in manual praxias of the female depressive patient. Moderate increase in weight (5 kg on average) was observed in both cases.

Reliability study of the translation into Spanish of the PRIME Screen Questionnaire for Prodromic Symtoms.

INTRODUCTION: A fundamental precondition for early intervention in schizophrenia is accurate detection of prodromal states, that is, sign and symptom constellations that predict the onset of psychosis in persons with no prior background. Several structured interviews have been designed for the detection of prodromal subjects. OBJECTIVE: To translate and determine the reliability of the PRIME Screen in an adolescent community sample in México City. METHOD: A total of 532 adolescents of a technical-industrial educational center of México City were included for the study. All the subjects were administered the PRIME Screen Questionnaire of Prodromal Symptoms. RESULTS: A total of 98 subjects (18.4%) reported one or more prodromal symptoms. The results of the factorial analysis showed that the PRIME Screen questionnaire is conformed by three factors that explained 59.3% of the variance. Internal consistency of the instrument was of 0.88. DISCUSSION: Our results on the exploratory factor analysis show that the items of the questionnaire are grouped into three main areas called: a) alteration of setting; b) sensorial-perceptual abnormalities, and c) alterations of self-skills. The Prodromal Symptoms Screen Questionnaire is an instrument with adequate clinimetric behavior that may be effective to conduct community-wide screening of adolescents for prodromal symptoms.

Temperament and character in violent schizophrenic patients.

UNLABELLED: Preliminary evidence shows that personality traits are important in determining violent behavior in schizophrenia. As only some patients with schizophrenia show a greater risk for violence, this risk may therefore be considered as dynamic, varying as a function of the extent to which certain personality dimensions are present and the degree to which environmental events moderate or exacerbate their expression. OBJECTIVE: To compare temperament and character dimensions between violent and non-violent schizophrenic patients and to determine which temperament and character dimensions are predictors of violent behavior in schizophrenia. METHOD: We recruited 102 schizophrenic patients without concomitant substance abuse 4 months prior to the assessment. Diagnoses were based on the SCID-I. Personality dimensions were assessed with the Temperament and Character Inventory and violent behaviors with the Overt Aggression Scale. RESULTS: Higher levels of the temperament dimension novelty seeking and a lower cooperativeness, as a character dimension, were risk factors for violent behavior in schizophrenic patients. DISCUSSION: Our data indicate that schizophrenic patients will show a greater risk for violence according to certain personality configurations and the degree to which environmental events moderate or exacerbate their expression.

A genome-wide scan for schizophrenia and psychosis susceptibility loci in families of Mexican and Central American ancestry.

Schizophrenia is a complex psychiatric disorder, likely to be caused in part by multiple genes. In this study, linkage analyses were performed to identify chromosomal regions most likely to be associated with schizophrenia and psychosis in multiplex families of Mexican and Central American origin. Four hundred and fifty-nine individuals from 99 families, containing at least two siblings with hospital diagnoses of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, were genotyped. Four hundred and four microsatellite markers were genotyped for all individuals and multipoint non-parametric linkage analyses were performed using broad (any psychosis) and narrow (schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder) models. Under the broad model, three chromosomal regions (1pter-p36, 5q35, and 18p11) exhibited evidence of linkage with non-parametric lod (NPL) scores greater than 2.7 (equivalent to empirical P values of less than 0.001) with the peak multipoint NPL = 3.42 (empirical P value = 0.00003), meeting genomewide evidence for significant linkage in the 1pter-p36 region. Under the narrow model, the same three loci showed (non-significant) evidence of linkage. These linkage findings (1pter-p36, 18p11, and 5q35) highlight where genes for psychosis and schizophrenia are most likely to be found in persons of Mexican and Central American ancestry, and correspond to recent linkages of schizophrenia or psychosis in other populations which were formed in part from emigrants from the Spanish empire of the 15th and 16th centuries.

[Effect to the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTT) on personality dimensions in individuals without psychopathology]. / Efecto del gen transportador de la serotonina (5-HTT) sobre las dimensiones de la personalidad en individuos sin psicopatología.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the present study was to assess the association between the serotonin transporter gene and the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) personality dimensions in subjects without psychopathology. METHOD: Fifty seven individuals without psychiatric symptoms were assessed with the SCL-90, and the TCI. In all subjects a peripheral blood sample was taken to determine their genotypes, after informed consent. Three groups were formed according to the 5-HTT genotype: SS, SL and LL, and the TCI results were compared. RESULTS: There was no association among the 5-HTT genotypes and any of the TCI subscales. There were also no statistical differences among any of the three groups divided by genotype only according to the TCI scores, as well as when compared with historical controls. CONCLUSIONS: These results are consistent with other studies that have not found associations among the different measurements of personality and 5-HTT genotypes. Likewise, our data suggest that our sample can be useful as a source of controls for later studies. This is the first study assessing TCI dimensions and the 5-HTT gene in the Mexican population.

Efecto del gen del transportador de la serotonina (5-HTT) sobre las dimensiones de la personalidad en individuos sin psicopatología / Effect to the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTT) on personality dimensions in individuals without psychopathology

Introducción. El presente estudio se realizó con el fin de estudiar el efecto de los genotipos moleculares del transportador de la serotonina (5-HTT) sobre las dimensiones de la personalidad basadas en el Inventario de Temperamento y Carácter (ITC) en personas sin presencia de psicopatología. Métodos. Participaron 57 individuos sin sintomatología psiquiátrica evaluados mediante el SCL-90 y que respondieron además el ITC. A todos se les tomó una muestra de sangre periférica para la determinación de sus genotipos previo consentimiento informado. Se formaron tres grupos según el genotipo del 5-HTT: SS, SL y LL, y se compararon los resultados del ITC entre cada grupo. Resultados. No se encontró relación entre los genotipos del 5-HTT y ninguna de las subescalas del ITC. Tampoco se pudieron demostrar diferencias entre ninguno de los tres grupos de acuerdo únicamente a las puntuaciones del ITC en comparación con ellos mismos, ni con un grupo de controles históricos publicados anteriormente. Conclusiones. Los resultados son consistentes con otros estudios en los que no se han encontrado asociaciones entre las diferentes medidas de la personalidad y los genotipos del 5-HTT. Asimismo, los datos sugieren que la muestra que participó en el presente estudio puede utilizarse como una fuente de controles para estudios posteriores. Éste es el primer estudio de asociación entre la personalidad y el gen del 5-HTT que se hace en la población mexicana

Introduction. The aim of the present study was to assess the association between the serotonin transporter gene and the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) personality dimensions in subjects without psychopathology. Method. Fifty seven individuals without psychiatric symptoms were assessed with the SCL-90, and the TCI. In all subjects a peripheral blood sample was taken to determine their genotypes, after informed consent. Three groups were formed according to the 5-HTT genotype: SS, SL and LL, and the TCI results were compared. Results. There was no association among the 5-HTT genotypes and any of the TCI subscales. There were also no statistical differences among any of the three groups divided by genotype only according to the TCI scores, as well as when compared with historical controls. Conclusions. These results are consistent with other studies that have not found associations among the different measurements of personality and 5-HTT genotypes. Likewise, our data suggest that our sample can be useful as a source of controls for later studies. This is the first study assessing TCI dimensions and the 5-HTT gene in the Mexican population

Características sociodemográficas asociadas a la conducta violenta en la esquizofrenia / Sociodemographic features related to violent behavior in schizophrenia

Introducción. Se ha propuesto que algunas variables sociodemográficas pueden predecir el comportamiento violento en pacientes con esquizofrenia. El objetivo del presente estudio es investigar la relación de las variables sociodemográficas y clínicas del padecimiento con la conducta violenta en pacientes con esquizofrenia. Método. Se incluyeron 106 pacientes con el diagnóstico de esquizofrenia. Se registraron las principales características demográficas y clínicas de cada uno de los pacientes en un formato diseñado previamente. Se utilizó la Escala de Agresión Explícita (EAE) para la evaluación de la conducta violenta. Resultados. El 49,1 % de los pacientes fueron clasificados como violentos. El estado civil, el abuso de alcohol, el número de hospitalizaciones psiquiátricas previas y la edad de la primera hospitalización fueron variables predictoras para la conducta violenta en esquizofrenia. Discusión. Las variables sociodemográficas predictoras de violencia en esquizofrenia son fáciles de evaluar en la primera entrevista con el paciente y pueden ser de utilidad para prevenir conductas violentas posteriores

Introduction. It has been proposed that some sociodemographic variables may predict violent behavior in schizophrenic patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of violent behavior with sociodemographic and clinical features in schizophrenic patients. Method. We included 106 schizophrenic patients. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of each patient were recorded in a previously designed record. Violent behaviors were assessed with the Overt Aggression Scale (OAS). Results. From the total sample, 49.1 % of the patients were classified as violent. Marital status, alcohol abuse, number of previous psychiatric hospitalizations and age of first hospitalization were predictive variables for violent behavior in schizophrenia. Discussion. Predictive sociodemographic variables for violence in schizophrenia are easy to measure during the first interview with the patient and can be useful for the prevention of future violence

[Sociodemographic features related to violent behavior in schizophrenia]. / Características sociodemográficas asociadas a la conducta violenta en la esquizofrenia.

INTRODUCTION: It has been proposed that some sociodemographic variables may predict violent behavior in schizophrenic patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of violent behavior with sociodemographic and clinical features in schizophrenic patients. METHOD: We included 106 schizophrenic patients. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of each patient were recorded in a previously designed record. Violent behaviors were assessed with the Overt Aggression Scale (OAS). RESULTS: From the total sample, 49.1 % of the patients were classified as violent. Marital status, alcohol abuse, number of previous psychiatric hospitalizations and age of first hospitalization were predictive variables for violent behavior in schizophrenia. DISCUSSION: Predictive sociodemographic variables for violence in schizophrenia are easy to measure during the first interview with the patient and can be useful for the prevention of future violence.

Frontal and limbic metabolic differences in subjects selected according to genetic variation of the SLC6A4 gene polymorphism.

Allelic variants in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene have been implicated in several psychiatric disorders and personality traits. In particular, two common alleles in a variable repeat sequence of the promoter region (SLC6A4) have been differentially associated with a display of abnormal levels of anxiety and affective illness in individuals carrying the "s" allele. The aim of this study was to compare the basal cerebral metabolic activity of non-psychiatric subjects in fronto-limbic structures to determine whether differences exist in basal metabolic activity within this functional polymorphism. PET scans with fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose as radiotracer were performed in 71 non-psychiatric subjects previously screened for psychopathology and subsequently genotyped for SLC6A4; PET images were compared with SPM2 according to s/s (n = 27), s/l (n = 25), and l/l (n = 19) groups considering a significance threshold in a priori selected areas of P < 0.001 and an extent threshold > or =5 voxels. The analysis showed an effect of interest among the three genotype groups in right anterior cingulate gyrus (ACC), left middle frontal gyrus, and left posterior cingulate gyrus (PCC). Comparison between l/l vs. s/s showed increased metabolism for l/l in left middle frontal gyrus and an increase for s/s in right ACC and left PCC. Comparison between s/s vs. s/l showed an increase for s/s in left PCC and right ACC. Increased basal metabolism in fronto-limbic structures for the s/s group may be conceived as an "overactive metabolic state" of these structures, possibly related to an increased susceptibility for developing an anxiety-depression spectrum disorder.

[Sensitivity and specificity of a neuropsychological instrument in the evaluation of schizophrenia subtypes: a study with a Spanish speaking population]. / Sensibilidad y especificidad de un instrumento neuropsicológico en la evaluación de subtipos de esquizofrenia: un estudio con población hispanohablante.

INTRODUCTION: Cognitive impairment is a prominent feature of schizophrenia that correlates with functional outcome. In the clinical practice and research, there is a need to count on brief, reliable and standardized instruments to evaluate the cognitive profile in psychiatric, geriatric and neurological patients. There are only a few standardized and validated instruments with the Hispanic population, so the adaptation and validation of instruments become a high relevance issue. The Brief Neuropsychological Test in Spanish (NEUROPSI) is a brief neuropsychological battery evaluating a wide spectrum of cognitive functions and standardized with Spanish speaking population according to age and educational level. The purpose of the present study was to determine the sensitivity and specificity of this instrument for its clinical use in patients with schizophrenia, as well as in distinct subtypes of schizophrenic patients: positive, negative and mixed. METHODS: We studied a total sample of 60 subjects (30 patients with schizophrenia and 30 matched controls). Using the total score we found 87.5 % sensitivity and 92.8% specificity. A discriminant analysis using the 25 subtest scores of the NEUROPSI accurately classified 83.3 % of the sample. None of the control subjects was classified as patient. RESULTS: Classification by subtype showed 80 % of patients with negative symptoms, 90 % of patients with positive symptoms and 70 % of patients with mixed symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The accurate diagnosis of cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenic patients could help in management as well as development of more specific pharmacological treatment for each schizophrenic subtype.