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Abstract Background Most scales that assess the presence and severity of psychotic symptoms often measure a broad range of experiences and behaviours, something that restricts the detailed measurement of specific symptoms such as delusions or hallucinations. The Psychotic Symptom Rating Scales (PSYRATS) is a clinical assessment tool that focuses on the detailed measurement of these core symptoms. The goal of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the French version of the PSYRATS. Methods A sample of 103 outpatients suffering from schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorders and presenting persistent psychotic symptoms over the previous three months was assessed using the PSYRATS. Seventy-five sample participants were also assessed with the Positive And Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Results ICCs were superior to .90 for all items of the PSYRATS. Factor analysis replicated the factorial structure of the original version of the delusions scale. Similar to previous replications, the factor structure of the hallucinations scale was partially replicated. Convergent validity indicated that some specific PSYRATS items do not correlate with the PANSS delusions or hallucinations. The distress items of the PSYRATS are negatively correlated with the grandiosity scale of the PANSS. Conclusions The results of this study are limited by the relatively small sample size as well as the selection of participants with persistent symptoms. The French version of the PSYRATS partially replicates previously published results. Differences in factor structure of the hallucinations scale might be explained by greater variability of its elements. The future development of the scale should take into account the presence of grandiosity in order to better capture details of the psychotic experience.

Using head-mounted eye tracker material, we assessed spatial recognition abilities (e.g., reaction to object permutation, removal or replacement with a new object) in participants with intellectual disabilities. The "Intellectual Disabilities (ID)" group (n = 40) obtained a score totalling a 93.7% success rate, whereas the "Normal Control" group (n = 40) scored 55.6% and took longer to fix their attention on the displaced object. The participants with an intellectual disability thus had a more accurate perception of spatial changes than controls. Interestingly, the ID participants were more reactive to object displacement than to removal of the object. In the specific test of novelty detection, however, the scores were similar, the two groups approaching 100% detection. Analysis of the strategies expressed by the ID group revealed that they engaged in more systematic object checking and were more sensitive than the control group to changes in the structure of the environment. Indeed, during the familiarisation phase, the "ID" group explored the collection of objects more slowly, and fixed their gaze for a longer time upon a significantly lower number of fixation points during visual sweeping.

Abstract Background Two case studies are presented to examine how cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) of auditory hallucinations can be fitted to mild and moderate intellectual disability. Methods A 38-year-old female patient with mild intellectual disability and a 44-year-old male patient with moderate intellectual disability, both suffering from persistent auditory hallucinations, were treated with CBT. Patients were assessed on beliefs about their voices and their inappropriate coping behaviour to them. The traditional CBT techniques were modified to reduce the emphasis placed on cognitive abilities. Verbal strategies were replaced by more concrete tasks using roleplaying, figurines and touch and feel experimentation. Results Both patients improved on selected variables. They both gradually managed to reduce the power they attributed to the voice after the introduction of the therapy, and maintained their progress at follow-up. Their inappropriate behaviour consecutive to the belief about voices diminished in both cases. Conclusion These two case studies illustrate the feasibility of CBT for psychotic symptoms with intellectually disabled people, but need to be confirmed by more stringent studies.

Abstract Background "Michael's game" is a card game which aims at familiarizing healthcare professionals and patients with cognitive behavioral therapy of psychotic symptoms. This naturalistic study tests the feasibility and the impact of the intervention in various naturalistic settings. Method Fifty five patients were recruited in seven centers. They were assessed in pre and post-test with the Peters Delusion Inventory – 21 items (PDI-21). Results Forty five patients completed the intervention significantly reducing their conviction and preoccupation scores on the PDI-21. Conclusion This pilot study supports the feasibility and effectiveness of "Michael's game" in naturalistic setting. Additional studies could validate the game in a controlled fashion.