The aim of the study was to investigate the state of parameters characterising different sites of metabolism and the degree of endogenous intoxication in first-episode drug-naïve schizophrenic [first episode of schizophrenia (FES)] patients. It is hypothesised that the FES is the initial step in the development of pathologically disturbed biochemical status that is characteristic of chronic schizophrenia.

Platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) and serum semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (SSAO) activities, serum concentrations of middle-mass endotoxic molecules (MMEM) and malondialdehyde and parameters of the serum albumin functional state were measured in 26 FES patients and 15 age-matched healthy controls.

Severity of disorder before the treatment was 75.5 ± 2.2, according to Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale score. FES patients were characterised by significant increase in MAO activity (99%) and MMEM concentration (124%) and significant decrease in SSAO activity (26%) as compared with controls. Changes of all other parameters were insignificant. Regression analysis has showed a significant relationship of three parameters – MAO, SSAO and MMEM, with values of PANNS score. Two methods of extraction of factor analysis revealed that MAO and SSAO belonged to Factor 1, whereas MMEM and albumin functional parameters belonged to Factor 2.

Comparing our earlier data on chronic schizophrenic patients with present data, we hypothesise that FES patients are at the stage that leads to a stable, pathological state of metabolism.

Here, we examined the cingulum bundle, a long-range white matter tract mediating dorsal limbic connectivity, using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tractography, in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) versus controls. We hypothesised that cingulum bundle microstructure would be altered in ASD, based on evidence implicating abnormal white matter connectivity in this disorder.

DTI data were acquired for 19 ASD participants (IQ ⩾ 70; 7–18 years; mean = 12.4 ± 3.1) and 16 age-matched controls (7–18 years; mean = 12.3 ± 3.6) on a 3 T magnetic resonance imaging system. Deterministic tractography was used to isolate the cingulum bundle. Left and right cingulum bundles were examined for differences in several DTI metrics in ASD children/adolescents versus controls, including: fractional anisotropy (FA), mean, axial, and radial diffusivity.

Significant age × group interaction effects were found for all DTI metrics (mean diffusivity: F1,28 = 9.5, p = 0.005, radial diffusivity: F1,28 = 7.8, p = 0.009, axial diffusivity: F1,28 = 5.2, p = 0.03, FA: F1,28 = 4.4, p = 0.04). Interaction effects were driven by increases in cingulum bundle diffusivity (mean, radial, and axial diffusivity), and decreased FA, in younger ASD participants within our sample versus controls.

Our results point to immature microstructural organisation of the cingulum bundle in ASD, particularly during the early years of life, with implications for limbic network synchronisation and complex socio-emotional performance.

We investigated the relationship of oestrogen receptor (ER) status to the severity of depressive symptoms and quality of life (QOL) impairment in breast cancer patients.

Seventy-seven breast cancer patients with comorbid depression were evaluated with the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), the Clinical Global Impression-Severity of Illness (CGI-S) for depression, and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast (FACT-B). ER status was determined using immunohistochemical analysis.

The ER-positive group (n = 31) showed significantly higher scores compared with the ER-negative group (n = 46) on HAMD total (p = 0.04) and somatic anxiety factor (p = 0.004) scores as well as CGI-S score (p = 0.03). As for QOL measured with the FACT-B, a significantly higher score was found on the Functional Well-Being (FWB) subscale in the ER-positive group (p = 0.001). The relationships were further analysed using generalised linear models (GLM), after controlling for the influence of the current anti-oestrogen treatment. The analysis revealed that ER status was still significantly related to the FWB subscale score of the FACT-B (p = 0.04). However, the HAMD and CGI-S scores were no longer significantly related to ER status after the influence of anti-oestrogen treatment was controlled for.

These results suggest that ER status, which is a well-known biological prognostic factor in breast cancer, may be related to the severity of certain aspects of depressive symptoms or QOL impairment, implying a role of the ER in affective and behavioural regulation. However, anti-oestrogen treatments significantly influence these relationships.

Preclinical models of human mood disorders commonly focus on the study of negative affectivity, without comparably stressing the role of positive affects and their ability to promote resilient coping styles. We evaluated the role of background constitutional affect of rats by studying the separation and reunion responses of infants from low and high positive affect genetic lines (i.e., differentially selected for High and Low 50 kHz ultrasonic vocalisations (USVs).

Infants from Low and High 50 kHz USV breeding lines were isolated from mothers and exposed to either social (familiar or unfamiliar bedding) or neutral (clean bedding) odour cues between two short isolation periods, and tested in homeothermic and hypothermic ambient temperatures. Negative affect was estimated by monitoring separation distress calls (35–45 kHz USVs).

Low Line pups called at higher rates than High Line, and their rates were stable regardless of odour cue. In contrast, High Line pups increased vocalisations during the second compared with the first isolation periods and during exposure to both familiar and unfamiliar odour cues, but not to neutral odour. Furthermore, the greatest increase in USV emission was seen in the second isolation period following exposure to the unfamiliar odour. However, both lines showed comparable elevated distress USVs to the thermal stressor.

High Line animals, selected for a positive affective phenotype (50 kHz USVs), exhibited reduced separation anxiety responses in infancy, making this a promising animal model for the role of constitutional affective states in emotional responsivity and potential resilience against emotional disorders.

ConstaTRE is an open-label, randomised, controlled, relapse prevention trial in patients with stable schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder switched to risperidone long-acting injectable (RLAI) or oral quetiapine, and was designed to test the hypothesis that injectable antipsychotic treatment with risperidone would be more effective than oral therapy with quetiapine. Here we report the functional recovery results from the ConstaTRE trial.

Clinically stable adults previously treated with oral risperidone, olanzapine, or oral first-generation antipsychotics were randomised to RLAI or quetiapine for 24 months. Functional recovery was assessed using the Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale (SOFAS) and two quality-of-life (QoL) measures [Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form-12 (SF-12) and Schizophrenia Quality-of-Life Scale Revision 4 (SQLS-R4)].

A total of 666 patients were randomised and treated with RLAI (n = 329) or quetiapine (n = 337). Relapse occurred in 16.5% RLAI and 31.3% quetiapine patients. Significant improvements in SOFAS, SF-12, and SQLS-R4 scores were observed from baseline to month 24 with both RLAI and quetiapine. At months 6, and 12, and endpoint, improvement in SOFAS score was significantly greater for RLAI than quetiapine (p < 0.05).

Among patients with stable schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, the likelihood of functional recovery appears to be higher in those switching to RLAI than to quetiapine, although improvements in functional status and QoL were observed with both treatments.