Inositol 6 g daily may be effective in depression but not in schizophrenia

Inositol is an important precursor for second messenger synthesis and has been reported to be reduced by lithium treatment in rat brain and in human CSF in depression. An open trial of 6 g/day in 11 depressed patients resistant to previous treatment led to major improvement in nine patients. The enzyme synthesizing inositol has been reported to be elevated in schizophrenia, suggesting an attempted compensation for possible inositol deficiency. A controlled double-blind crossover trial in 10 chronic schizophrenic patients of 6 g/day of inositol for 30 days did not reveal any benefit.     

Sex difference in age at onset of schizophrenia: discrepant findings from India

Consecutive male (n=100) and female (n= 100) DSM-IV schizophrenics newly registered for treatment in a large psychiatric hospital were examined with regard to age at onset of the first psychotic symptom. Age at onset of the first psychotic symptom did not differ between the sexes regardless of whether schizophrenia was diagnosed by DSM-IV or by several alternative systems. Age at onset defined by other criteria, namely age at first contact with a physician, and age at first admission for psychiatric care, also did not show any differences between the sexes. Survival analysis of subjects having a documented date of birth revealed a female preponderance at younger ages. A higher positive symptom score predicted older age at onset of the first psychotic symptom in the total sample. These findings call into question the universality of the traditional view of a younger age at onset of schizophrenia among males. Tentative neurodevelopmental and cultural explanations are presented to explain why there is no sex difference in age at onset of schizophrenia in India.     

舒血宁治疗脑衰弱综合征的双盲对照研究

１４３例脑衰弱综合征患者随机分成舒血宁组和对照组，进行双盲的前瞻性研究。通过脑衰弱量表，打洞试验，连线实验的回查，结果表明：应用舒血宁治疗脑衰弱综合征，整体疗效明显优于对照组，脑衰弱量表的总评分显著优于对照组，而且对脑衰弱量表各个症状都有显著改善，易激惹，烦恼两项症状降分幅度较大，打洞、连线试验表明舒血宁治疗后患者的注意力、记忆力都有明显的改善，而且没有发现明显副作用。作者认为舒血宁治疗脑衰弱综合征有显著的作用，作为一种治疗脑血管疾患伴发精神症状和早期预防脑血管痴呆的新药是可行的。     

住院精神分裂症患者自杀危险因素调查

对全国９省市９所医院１０年间住院精神分裂症自杀死亡资料分析，自杀率占住院病人总数的０．６３％，占精神分裂症总数的０．７８％，占慢性精神分裂症的０，５０％。偏执型占６５．６·％。自杀原因受幻觉妄想支配２３．８％，悲观厌世２８．６％；精神症状好转（５９．５％）和自知力恢复期（４７．６％）易自杀。自杀方式自缢（５７．１％）和服药（２３．８％）居首。男性自杀多于女性。     

Human slow-wave sleep and the cerebral cortex

SUMMARY  Recent hypotheses about the roles of human slow-wave sleep (hSWS—delta EEG activity) are appraised. The possible linkage between hSWS and the functions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) are explored with respect to normal subjects and to disorders involving PFC deficits.     

甲叉四氢叶酸还原酶C677T与精神分裂症的连锁不平衡研究

目的 通过对甲叉四氢叶酸还原酶（methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase,MTHFR)C677T错义突变与精神分裂症的连锁不平衡研究，探讨该突变与精神分裂症的关系。方法 对115个精神分裂症同胞及核心家系中，用XDT和MAPMAKER／SIBS软件系统进行MTHFRC677T与精神分裂症的连锁不平衡分析。按照不同的诊断范围将家系分类，分别在全体家系及发病年龄小于25岁的家系中进行连锁不平衡分析。结果 在4种不同的诊断分类下，对全体家系进行连锁不平衡分析未发现阳性结果。对发病年龄小于25岁的患者家系进行分析时发现，在4种不同的诊断灵感上均具有显著性意义，P值分别小于0．05及0．01。结论 MTHFR C677T错义突变可能为影响精神分裂症易感性的基因之一，尤其是在发病年龄较早的患病群体中。     

A clinical trial of adjunctive oestrogen treatment in women with schizophrenia

Summary A double-blind, 28-day, placebo-controlled study was conducted with three groups of women of child-bearing age (N = 12 in each group) who received standardised antipsychotic medication plus a) 50 μg transdermal estradiol or b) 100 μg transdermal estradiol or c) transdermal placebo. Preliminary analyses show that women receiving 100 μg of estradiol made greater improvements in the symptoms of schizophrenia than either the 50 μg estradiol or placebo groups. The addition of 100 μg adjunctive transdermal oestrogen significantly enhanced treatment responsivity of acute, severe psychotic symptoms in women with schizophrenia. The positive impact of oestrogen treatment on psychotic symptoms via a multiplicity of possible actions (see accompanying articles in this issue) may prove clinically useful in the overall treatment of women with schizophrenia. Accepted June 2002, Published online September 16, 2002 Correspondence: Prof. Jayashri Kulkarni, Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Alfred Hospital, Commercial Road, Prahran. Vic. 3181, Australia; e-mail: jayashri.kulkarni@med.monash.edu.au     

Association study of dopamine D3 receptor gene and schizophrenia

Several groups have reported an association between schizophrenia and the MscI polymorphism in the first exon of the dopamine D3 receptor gene (DRD3). We studied this polymorphism using a North American sample (117 patients plus 188 controls) and an Italian sample (97 patients plus 64 controls). In the first part of the study, we compared allele frequencies of schizophrenia patients and unmatched controls and observed a significant difference in the total sample (P = 0.01). The second part of the study involved a case control approach in which each schizophrenia patient was matched to a control of the same sex, and of similar age and ethnic background. The DRD3 allele frequencies of patients and controls revealed no significant difference between the two groups in the Italian (N = 53) or the North American (N = 54) matched populations; however, when these two matched samples were combined, a significant difference was observed (P = 0.026). Our results suggest that the MscI polymorphism may be associated with schizophrenia in the populations studied. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Neurophysiological and psychological predictors of genetic risk for schizophrenia

Mathematical genetic analyses were performed on a sample of schizophrenic families (25 probands and 58 first-degree relatives). Heritability coefficients were estimated for EEG power spectrum parameters and their topography, and also for psychological test data on thought and speech process disorder, designed to assess altered selectivity in cognitive activity. Multiple regression equations for genetic counseling regarding the prognosis of mental illness were derived from the neurophysiological and psychological measures.     

513例住院精神分裂症患者临床特点的性别差异

目的 :比较男性及女性精神分裂症住院病人的起病年龄、症状特点、病程演变特点及社会功能等指标的差异。方法 :选择 5 13例住院精神分裂症患者 ,详细收集临床资料 ,并进行《阳性及阴性症状评定量表》 (PANSS)及《大体功能量表》 (GAF)的评定 ,以此为依据进行性别间的比较分析。结果 :(1)总体上看 ,男性患者的起病年龄 (2 5 6± 7 3岁 )显著早于女性患者 (2 7 5± 8 6yrs) (P <0 0 1) ,但有家族史的患者间起病年龄差异不显著 (2 6 3± 6 9岁vs 2 6 8± 8 4岁 ) ;与男性相比 ,女性患者具有如下倾向 :症状模式较多为持续阳性症状 ,多为发作性波动或轻度恶化病程 ,阳性及情感症状更明显 ,且未婚或离婚的比例(5 3 9% )显著低于男性 (67 2 % )。结论 :男性及女性精神分裂症患者在发病年龄、症状特点及病程转归等多方面均存在显著差异 ,提示在制定治疗康复方案方面 ,应有所区别