0000000000066965
AUTHOR
Benjamin D.r. Wiffen
Failure to find association between childhood abuse and cognition in first-episode psychosis patients
AbstractThis study investigated the relationship between severe childhood abuse and cognitive functions in first-episode psychosis patients and geographically-matched controls. Reports of any abuse were associated with lower scores in the executive function domain in the control group. However, in contrast with our hypothesis, no relationships were found amongst cases.
Are there specific neuropsychological deficits underlying poor insight in first episode psychosis?
Insight in psychosis is a multi-dimensional phenomenon, and has been hypothesised to have some sort of neuropsychological basis. It is unclear to what extent specific neuropsychological abilities are able to predict insight beyond the effect of generalised cognitive ability. We aimed to test this, alongside the relationship of insight with illness duration and diagnosis, in a sample of first episode psychosis patients. We recruited 102 patients experiencing their first episode of psychosis and assessed their insight, symptoms, diagnosis as well as administering a full neuropsychological battery. Low insight was related to worse performance in a variety of neuropsychological tasks. Regressio…
Cannabis users have higher premorbid IQ than other patients with first onset psychosis.
Background: A number of studies have reported that patients with psychosis who use cannabis have better cognitive performance than those who do not. This is surprising as cannabis can impair cognition in healthy subjects. An obvious question is whether the better current performance of psychotic patients who have used cannabis is a reflection of their having a higher premorbid IQ than those psychotic patients who haven't used cannabis. Aim: In a sample of patients at their first episode of psychosis, we tested the hypothesis that patients who smoked cannabis would have a higher premorbid IQ than patients who did not. Methodology: 279 participants (119 patients and 160 healthy controls) were…
Interaction between cannabis consumption and childhood abuse in psychotic disorders: preliminary findings on the role of different patterns of cannabis use
Aim Several studies have suggested that lifetime cannabis consumption and childhood abuse synergistically contribute to the risk for psychotic disorders. This study aimed to extend existing findings regarding an additive interaction between childhood abuse and lifetime cannabis use by investigating the moderating role of type and frequency of cannabis use. Methods Up to 231 individuals presenting for the first time to mental health services with psychotic disorders and 214 unaffected population controls from South London, United Kingdom, were recruited as part of the Genetics and Psychosis study. Information about history of cannabis use was collected using the Cannabis Experiences Question…
Neuropsychological, clinical and cognitive insight predictors of outcome in a first episode psychosis study.
The outcome of first episode psychosis (FEP) is highly variable and difficult to predict. We studied prospectively the impact of poor insight and neuropsychological deficits on outcomes in a longitudinal cohort of 127 FEP patients. Participants were assessed on 5 domains of cognitive function and 2 domains of insight (clinical and cognitive). At 12. months, patients were assessed again for symptom severity and psychosocial function. Regression analyses revealed that cognitive insight (a measure of self-reflectiveness and self-certainty) was the best baseline predictor of overall psychopathology at 12. months whereas executive function performance at admission to the study indicated later se…