Oxidative stress markers, cognitive functions, and psychosocial functioning in bipolar disorder: an empirical cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between oxidative stress markers and cognitive functions and domains of psychosocial functioning in bipolar disorder. METHODS: Oxidative stress markers, cognitive functions, and domains of psychosocial functioning were evaluated in 51 patients with bipolar disorder who were in remission. Correlation analyses between these parameters were calculated with data controlled for duration of illness and number of episodes. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant correlation between oxidative stress markers and cognitive functions. In terms of psychosocial functioning, significant correlations were found between malondialdehyde and sense of stigmatization (r = -0.502); household activities and superoxide dismutase (r = 0.501); participation in social activities and nitric oxide (r = 0.414); hobbies and leisure time activities and total glutathione (r = -0.567), superoxide dismutase (r = 0.667), and neurotrophin 4 (r = 0.450); and taking initiative and self-sufficiency and superoxide dismutase (r = 0.597). There was no correlation between other domains of psychosocial functioning and oxidative stress markers. CONCLUSION: These results imply that oxidative stress markers do not appear to correlate clearly with cognitive impairment and reduced psychosocial functioning. However, there were some associations between selected oxidative markers and activity-oriented functional markers. This may represent a true negative association, or may be an artifact of oxidative stress being a state rather than a trait marker.

Towards an integrative approach to understanding quality of life in schizophrenia: the role of neurocognition, social cognition, and psychopathology.

UNLABELLED: The term "schizophrenia" refers to a debilitating group of disorders that usually results in a severely impaired quality of life (QoL). Symptomatology appears to have a substantial role in determining QoL, although the relationship between QoL and specific psychotic symptoms is still unclear and has demonstrated mixed results. Due to the intrinsic importance of social functioning in QoL, and the mediating effect of social cognition on social functioning, the aim of this study was to try to investigate QoL in schizophrenia, not only in terms of symptomatology, but also in consideration of potential neurocognitive and social cognitive contributing factors. METHODS: Twenty-eight clinically stable patients with schizophrenia performed a broad range of neurocognitive and social cognitive assessments, and also participated in a semi-structured interview of QoL, assessing four partially independent subdomains of QoL. A stepwise regression model was used to determine the best predictors of QoL, and additionally a mediator analysis was performed to test for the mediating power of social cognition on QoL. RESULTS: Negative symptoms, intelligence, executive functioning and social cognition all had some power in predicting QoL in schizophrenia. Though most interestingly, mental state reasoning was specifically found to be most strongly related with the Intrapsychic Foundation subdomain of QoL, whereas neurocognition and symptom severity were associated with other subdomains of QoL. CONCLUSIONS: The association between mental state reasoning and the more "internal" aspects of QoL in schizophrenia may reflect a specific role for social cognition in introspective and subjective judgments of one's own QoL, whereas neurocognition and negative symptomatology may be more predictive of the external or extrinsic aspects of QoL. In conclusion, social cognitive skills appear to play a crucial role in the experience of one's own subjective well-being, which could help to explain previous inconsistencies in the literature investigating QoL in schizophrenia.

Impact of family involvement on social cognition training in clinically stable outpatients with schizophrenia -- a randomized pilot study.

Recovery of social functioning is a largely unattained goal in schizophrenia rehabilitation. In the recent past, new neurocognitive and social cognitive training approaches have been introduced to improve functioning in various domains of patients' social life. These programs have neglected, to some degree, the social environment in which the training takes place. Accordingly, the present study sought to examine if family-assisted social cognitive training could improve quality of life, social functioning and social cognition in schizophrenia patients as compared to a social stimulation approach. In a randomized, controlled, parallel group trial design with two groups, one receiving family-assisted social cognitive training once a week (F-SCIT) and the other, social stimulation once every three weeks (SS), both for 14-weeks period, patients were assessed at baseline, before randomization and 16weeks after randomization. Participants were recruited from Celal Bayar University Psychosis Unit and were in a clinically stable condition. Patients who received F-SCIT significantly improved in quality of life, social functioning and social cognition, whereas the SS group worsened in nearly all outcome variables. Family-assisted SCIT is effective in improving quality of life, social functioning and social cognition.

[The perceived burden of care and its correlates in schizophrenia]. / Sizofrenide Ailenin Yükünü Etkileyen Etmenler.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to investigate the perceived level of burden of care and its correlates in family members of schizophrenia patients. METHOD: The study included 239 schizophrenic patients that were followed-up at the psychiatric outpatient clinics of Izmir Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, and Celal Bayar University Medical School, and 239 of their primary caregivers. Patients were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANNS), Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF), Social Functioning Scale (SFS), Brief Cognitive State Examination (BCE), and UKU Side Effect Rating Scale. Their primary caregivers were assessed using the Perceived Family Burden Scale (PFBS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). RESULTS: Caregiver PFBS scores ere correlated with male patients, female caregivers, inadequate social support, economic difficulty, the presence of chronic physical disorder in the caregivers, patient violence toward the caregivers, total duration of illness, the number of patient hospitalizations, PANNS total and subscale scores, and SFS, BDI, and BAI scores. Perceived burden of care was predicted by the severity of the patients' positive symptoms, SFS independence/competence and interpersonal functioning subscale scores, and caregivers' anxiety and depression levels. CONCLUSION: In order to decrease the burden of care in schizophrenia we recommend effective management of patient symptoms, enhancement of patient social functioning, interventions that target caregivers with high levels anxiety and depression, and social support provided by healthcare professionals.