Predicting Long-Term Outcomes in First-Admission Psychosis: Does the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology Aid DSM in Prognostication?

The Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) is an empirical, dimensional model of psychological symptoms and functioning. Its goals are to augment the use and address the limitations of traditional diagnoses, such as arbitrary thresholds of severity, within-disorder heterogeneity, and low reliability. HiTOP has made inroads to addressing these problems, but its prognostic validity is uncertain. The present study sought to test the prediction of long-term outcomes in psychotic disorders was improved when the HiTOP dimensional approach was considered along with traditional (ie, DSM) diagnoses. We analyzed data from the Suffolk County Mental Health Project (N = 316), an epidemiologic study of a first-admission psychosis cohort followed for 20 years. We compared 5 diagnostic groups (schizophrenia/schizoaffective, bipolar disorder with psychosis, major depressive disorder with psychosis, substance-induced psychosis, and other psychoses) and 5 dimensions derived from the HiTOP thought disorder spectrum (reality distortion, disorganization, inexpressivity, avolition, and functional impairment). Both nosologies predicted a significant amount of variance in most outcomes. However, except for cognitive functioning, HiTOP showed consistently greater predictive power across outcomes-it explained 1.7-fold more variance than diagnoses in psychiatric and physical health outcomes, 2.1-fold more variance in community functioning, and 3.4-fold more variance in neural responses. Even when controlling for diagnosis, HiTOP dimensions incrementally predicted almost all outcomes. These findings support a shift away from the exclusive use of categorical diagnoses and toward the incorporation of HiTOP dimensions for better prognostication and linkage with neurobiology.

[Changes to Schizophrenia Spectrum and other psychotic disorders in DSM-5]. / Psychotische Störungen im DSM-5. Die revisionen.

This article provides an overview of the main changes in the chapter "Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders" from DSM-IV-TR to DSM-5, which, once again, does not make allowance for potential characteristics of children and adolescents. Changes in the main text include abandoning the classical subtypes of Schizophrenia as well as of the special significance of Schneider's first-rank symptoms, resulting in the general requirement of two key features (one having to be a positive symptom) in the definition of Schizophrenia and the allowance for bizarre contents in Delusional Disorders. Further introduced are the diagnosis of a delusional obsessive-compulsive/body dysmorphic disorder exclusively as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, the specification of affective episodes in Schizoaffective Disorder, and the formulation of a distinct subchapter "Catatonia" for the assessment of catatonic features in the context of several disorders. In Section III (Emerging Measures and Models) there is a recommendation for a dimensional description of psychoses. A likely source of confusion lies in the double introduction of an "Attenuated Psychosis Syndrome." On the one hand, a vague description is provided among "Other Specified Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders" in the main text; on the other hand, there is a precise definition in Section III as a "Condition for Further Study." There is some cause to worry that this vague introduction of the attenuated psychosis syndrome in the main text might indeed open the floodgates to an overdiagnosis of subthreshold psychotic symptoms and their early pharmacological treatment.

Substance-induced psychotic disorders: 13-year data from a de-addiction centre and their clinical implications.

The relationship between substance use and psychotic disorder has been complex. Alcohol, cannabis, amphetamines, hallucinogens, and phencyclidine have been implicated as a causative factor for psychotic disorders. It is important to differentiate substance induced psychotic disorders (SIPDs) from primary psychotic disorders as management of the two conditions is different. There is paucity of research in the area of SIPD particularly from Asia. The present study was a retrospective study and it determines retrospectively the incidence rate and clinical characteristics of the SIPDs over a period of 13 years. The incidence of SIPDs was found to be 1.4% and all the subjects were males. In the present study, only alcohol and cannabis were implicated as causative agents for SIPDs. The most common type of psychosis was schizophrenia like psychosis, being more common in the cannabis group. The other forms of psychosis included delusional type, hallucinatory type and affective psychosis. 20% of the subjects had a change in diagnosis to either schizophrenia or affective psychosis on follow-up. The present study showed that the presentation of SIPDs is similar to the primary psychotic disorder and this has management implication.

Substance use disorders and comorbid mental disorders in first-time admitted patients from a catchment area.

AIM: To describe lifetime mental disorders in patients with substance use disorders (SUD) admitted for the first time to specialized treatment for psychiatric or addiction problems from a catchment area. METHODS: Special efforts were made to include all eligible patients and secure completion of thorough assessments, including the Psychiatric Research Interview for Substance and Mental Disorders (PRISM) and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV axis II personality disorders (SCID-II). The strength of this study lies in its rigorous patient recruitment and assessment methods. RESULTS: Of 61 patients, 53 had alcohol use disorder (AUD). Of these, 28 had AUD only, and 25 had an additional drug use disorder (DUD). 89% had comorbid axis I (85%) or axis II (46%) disorders. The most prevalent axis I disorders were major depressive disorder (71%), social phobia (31%) and posttraumatic stress disorder (18%). Among those with comorbid psychiatric disorders (n = 54), 25 (41% of the sample) had disorders considered to be independent of their substance use only, 4 patients (7%) had substance-induced disorders only, and 23 patients (38%) had both independent and substance-induced disorders. CONCLUSION: Comorbid mental disorders were remarkably prevalent in these SUD patients who were admitted for the first time.

Os alcances e limites da medicalização do risco para a psicose: a emergência de uma nova categoria? / Scope and limits of medicalization of the risk for psychosis: emergence of a new category?

O objetivo do artigo consistiu em discutir a medicalização do risco para a psicose; especificamente, a construção de uma nova categoria diagnóstica quevem sendo realizada pela força-tarefa de elaboração do DS M-5, nomeada “síndrome de risco para a psicose” e,mais recentemente, “síndrome dos sintomas psicóticos atenuados”. A metodologia utilizada foi a revisãobibliográfica. Foi realizado um breve relato da genealogia do risco na psiquiatria. Na parte inicial do artigo, procurou-se discutir a medicalização de uma forma mais geral, focandosobre os aspectos do controle social e das tecnologias do self, sob uma ótica foucaultiana. Posteriormente, foi dadaênfase ao processo da medicalização do risco para a psicose; em especial, à construção de uma categoria relacionadaa esse risco. Dentre os alcances desse processo, destacouse a possibilidade de se intervir precocemente na psicosee com isso retardar seu início. Ainda não está claro se a intervenção precoce pode reduzir a gravidade do quadroquando instalado ou mesmo impedir seu aparecimento. Quanto aos limites, mostrou-se o risco de se produzir umahipermedicalização com a construção da categoria, levando ao uso indiscriminado de medicamentos neurolépticos e aos riscos relacionados a esse uso, bem como à estigmatizaçãodos indivíduos incluídos na categoria. Foi mostrado também o problema do elevado número de indivíduos “falsospositivos”, ou seja, indivíduos que serão categorizados e mais tarde não desenvolverão qualquer transtorno psicótico. Procurou-se com o trabalho estabelecer uma crítica consistente à construção da categoria nosológica em questão.

Substance-induced psychosis: a diagnostic conundrum.

OBJECTIVE: To critically examine the DSM-IV-TR criteria for substance-induced psychotic disorder (SIPD). DATA SOURCES: Leading electronic databases (such as MEDLINE, PubMed) were searched for the years 1992 through 2007, using combinations of the following key search terms: substance abuse/dependence, alcohol, marijuana, cannabis, methamphetamine, crack, cocaine, amphetamine, ecstasy, ketamine, phencyclidine, LSD, mental health, drug-induced psychosis, substance-induced psychosis, psychosis, and schizophrenia. References identified from bibliographies of pertinent articles and books in the field were also collected and reviewed. DATA EXTRACTION: Only research studies or case reports/series that presented data on populations diagnosed with SIPD by using clinical or structured diagnostic interviews and that were published in English were used to assess the validity of the current SIPD criteria. DATA SYNTHESIS: We identified 49 articles that presented clinical data on SIPD. Almost half of these publications were case reports, with 18 articles specifically focusing on delineating the clinical characteristics or outcomes of individuals diagnosed with SIPD. While several large studies have recently been conducted to assess the stability of SIPD, there is a dearth of research that rigorously examines the validity of DSM-IV diagnostic criteria across substances. CONCLUSIONS: There remains a striking paucity of information on the outcome, treatment, and best practice for substance-associated psychotic episodes. Further work is clearly required before the advent of DSM-V. We propose an alternative, broader classification that better reflects the current evidence base, inferring association rather than causation.

Symptomatological structure of volatile solvent-induced psychosis: is "solvent psychosis" a discernible syndrome?

Solvent-induced psychosis has been clinically identified among patients suffering from dependence on volatile solvents and those in psychotic state due to chronic solvent use. To clarify the symptomatological difference between solvent-induced psychosis and schizophrenia, the principal component analysis with VARIMAX rotation was applied to the point and duration estimates of symptoms observed among the solvent group and among the schizophrenic group. There were no significant group differences in age and family history of any psychosis. The study findings are as follows: (1) It is difficult to distinguish two groups based on the prevalence rates of symptoms alone. (2) However, the principal component VARIMAX rotation analysis of the prevalence and duration observing among the solvent group revealed seven factors consisting of "amotivation", "intoxication", "emotional instability", "delusion", "hallucination", "disinhibition" and "memory". The seven factors explained 75.4% of the variance of the symptoms in this group. (3) The same analysis applied to the data from the schizophrenic group showed six factors consisting of "thought progression", "emotional instability", "amotivation (or negative symptoms)", "delusion", "hallucination" and "anxiety". These factors explained 62.9% of the variance in the data of the schizophrenic group. These results support clinical observations the "amotivational syndrome" may be a characteristic feature of patients suffering from solvent-induced psychosis. The results also suggest "solvent psychosis" is a discernible syndrome, and is distinctive from psychotic symptoms of typical schizophrenia.

Psychiatric adverse events during levetiracetam therapy.

The prevalence and psychopathologic features of psychiatric adverse events (PAE) in 517 patients taking levetiracetam (LEV) were investigated. Fifty-three (10.1%) patients developed PAE. A significant association was found with previous psychiatric history, history of febrile convulsions, and history of status epilepticus, whereas lamotrigine co-therapy had a protective effect. PAE were not related to the titration schedule of LEV, and certain patients seem to be biologically more vulnerable.

Reexamination of interictal psychoses based on DSM IV psychosis classification and international epilepsy classification.

We sought to examine interictal psychoses based on the international epilepsy classification and DSM IV criteria, with special attention paid to epilepsy types as well as to subcategories of psychoses. One hundred thirty-two outpatients were studied, each with definite evidence of both epilepsy and interictal psychosis clearly demarcated from postictal psychosis. We compared them with 2,773 other epilepsy outpatients as a control. Risk factors for psychosis were examined within the temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) group and the more extended group of symptomatic localization-related epilepsy. Further, nuclear schizophrenia and other nonschizophrenic psychotic disorders were compared. We confirmed a close correlation between TLE and interictal psychoses. Within the TLE group, only early epilepsy onset and a history of prolonged febrile convulsions were revealed to be significantly associated with interictal psychosis. Within the symptomatic localization-related epilepsy group, such parameters as complex partial seizures, autonomic aura, and temporal EEG foci were closely associated with psychoses. There was also a significant difference between groups as to ictal fear and secondary generalization. Whereas patients with early psychosis onset and a low intelligence quotient were overrepresented in the nuclear schizophrenia group, drug-induced psychosis and alternative psychosis were underrepresented. TLE proved to be preferentially associated with interictal psychoses. Within the TLE group, medial TLE in particular was found to be more closely associated with psychosis. Our data support the original postulation of Landolt, stating that alternative or drug-induced psychoses constitute a definite subgroup of interictal psychoses, which are different from chronic epileptic psychoses that simulate schizophrenia.

[A study on methamphetamine psychosis in a psychiatric clinic--comparison of acute and chronic-type cases].

This study compares patients with acute methamphetamine psychosis to those with chronic methamphetamine psychosis and it investigates how the two groups differ in terms of psychosomatic findings, social background, and so on. The subjects consisted of 100 outpatients diagnosed at our clinic as having methamphetamine-induced psychosis over a period of sixteen years (1979 to 1995). Of these patients, 73 were of the acute type (currently using the drug or totally abstinent for less than 3 months), and 27 were of the chronic type (totally abstinent from the drug from 2 to 38 years). Psychosomatic Findings Ninety five patients (68 acute-type and 27 chronic-type) were classified into six clinical clusters, depending on which of the following states was dominant: paranoid-hallucinatory state, schizophrenia-like state, short-tempered and impulsive state, manic-depression-like state, neurosis-like state, and permanent-encephalopathic state. In the clinical cluster of paranoid-hallucinatory state, all 32 patients were of the acute-type. On the other hand, of those patients in the clinical cluster of neurosis-like state, the majority (N = 25) were of the chronic-type. Social Background The social background of 99 patients (72 acute-type and 27 chronic-type) was investigated under the three headings of: gangsters, criminal records and broken families. Of 19 patients who are gangsters, 18 cases were acute and the remaining case was chronic. Of 64 patients with criminal records, 51 were acute and 13 were chronic. Of 24 patients who come from broken families, 20 were acute and 4 were chronic. In all of these three items, the rate of acute-type patients was significantly higher than that of chronic-type patients. Based on the results obtained, the medical treatment and the prognosis of the patients, the author refers to preventive measures for stimulant-drug abuse.

Psychotic disorder caused by a general medical condition, with delusions. Secondary "organic" delusional syndromes.

Many medical and neurologic disorders cause psychosis with delusions. The pathophysiology of this final common pathway may shed light on idiopathic psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. By focusing on the "basal ganglia-thalamocortical" and "corticostriatal-thalamocortical" loops that connect limbically related cortical regions with the mesolimbic-mesostriatal dopamine system we can view the neural network that may produce delusional thinking when its restitutive function fails. Given its importance in the memory system of the medial temporal lobe, as the recipient of the emotional valencing from the amygdala, and as a key "loop" structure for cognitive functional integrity, the hippocampus may be a nodal area in the development of rational as opposed to delusional thinking.

[Mefloquine-induced psychoses--problems in etiologic classification based on 2 case reports]. / Mefloquininduzierte Psychosen--Probleme der Kausalzuordnung anhand zweier kasuistischer Berichte.

Psychiatric disorders following treatment with Mefloquine were described several times since the introduction of this antimalarial drug in Germany in 1985. On the basis of two case reports problems of the diagnosis and of the correlation of psychiatric disorders with the medication are discussed. Particularly are an analysis of the development of the ADR and a comparison of the psychiatric symptoms with known ADR-cases and with other psychiatric diseases important. This seems to be significant for an optimal treatment as well as for the assessment of the prognosis.

Criminal responsibility in amphetamine psychosis.

Historical changes in forensic psychiatric evaluation on criminal responsibility and proceedings in psychopathological findings of amphetamine psychosis are reviewed at first. The classification of amphetamine related mental disorders are proposed in 6 types. Among them, the clinical characteristics and psychopathological features of "Anxiety-situational reaction type" (Fukushima) are described. According to some reasonable grounds, offenders diagnosed as anxiety-situational reaction type should be evaluated as diminished responsibility in place of irresponsibility. Finally, two cases of murder committed under the influence of amphetamine, are reported in detail.

Considerations on "organic" exclusion criteria for schizophrenia.

Given the variety of "organic" or "toxic" conditions that may produce, precipitate, or exacerbate psychotic disorders, it is important to attempt to clarify existing nosologies and to highlight the need for research strategies that may help to validate relevant distinctions. This review provides a brief discussion of some of those issues.

[Psychiatric complications of corticotherapy]. / Les complications psychiatriques de la corticothérapie.

Corticosteroid therapy may induce numerous psychiatric disorders. Minor changes of the euphoric mood type are observed in 75% of the patients under treatment. Major adverse effects are encountered in not more than about 5% of the cases. They consist of acute polymorphous psychotic manifestations which may be manic or depressive or, when high doses of corticosteroids are taken, of the organic confusion type. Such manifestations are particularly frequent in women and in some diseases such as lupus erythematosus or pemphigus. In the vast majority of cases they follow a favourable course when corticosteroids are reduced or discontinued and a symptomatic treatment with neuroleptic drugs is prescribed. Psychic dependence on corticosteroids and withdrawal syndromes have also been reported.