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Introduction Cognitive deficits have been associated with negative, but not positive, symptoms in schizophrenia. Aim The investigation of the relationship of visual memory performance with schizophrenia symptoms. Patients and methods Forty individuals with schizophrenia who were referred to our Unit were assessed using the Benton Visual Retention Test (BVRT) (visual memory), the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) (symptoms) and the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF) (functioning). The dose of antipsychotic medications was calculated in chlorpromazine equivalents (ChlorpromEqs). Antipsychotic polypharmacy versus monotherapy receipt and the total duration of pharmacotherapy were also recorded. Multiple linear regression models were employed to investigate the relationship of BVRT total errors with PANSS total and subscales’ scores, controlling for antipsychotic dose, receipt of antipsychotic polypharmacy and duration of pharmacotherapy. Results The mean age of participants (32 males, 8 females) was 43.07 years (standard deviation [SD] = 12), mean duration of pharmacotherapy = 15.94 years (SD = 9.65), mean GAF score = 55.16 (SD = 9.76) and the mean antipsychotic dose = 937.26 (SD = 630.39) ChlorpromEqs. Twenty-four individuals were receiving polypharmacy and 16 monotherapy. The PANSS total score was positively associated with the number of total errors in BVRT (B = 0.152, 95% CI = 0.048, 0.256, t = 3.06, P = 0.006). This association was driven by the relationship of visual memory errors with PANSS negative (B = 0.310, 95% CI = 0.053, 0.568, t = 2.53, P = 0.021) and general psychopathology (B = 0.237, 95% CI = 0.1, 0.374, t = 3.63, P = 0.02) scores. The relationship of visual memory performance with positive symptoms was not significant. Conclusions Visual memory deficits are associated with negative and general psychopathology symptoms in schizophrenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction The findings of studies examining the association of cognition with symptoms or functioning in schizophrenia are contradictory. Aim To investigate the clinical and functional correlates of general intelligence in schizophrenia. Method Forty-nine stabilized individuals with schizophrenia were recruited in a cross-sectional study. Intelligence was assessed using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale III (WAIS). Clinical symptoms were measured with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI). Functioning was assessed with the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF) and the Strauss-Carpenter Scale (SCS). Separate linear regression analyses were conducted using WAIS full scale as the dependent variable and the following predictors: PANSS total or PANSS positive or PANSS negative scores or CGI or GAF or SCS scores. Significant predictors were entered in one final overall model. Age and gender were entered as covariates in all analyses. Results ANOVA models for PANSS total, positive and negative psychopathology scores and SCS scores were not significant. However, negative symptoms were inversely associated with intelligence (B = −0.61, 95% CI = −1.012, −0.209, t = −3.06, df = 45, P = 0.004). CGI scores inversely correlated with WAIS total scores (B = −6.078, 95% CI = −9.029, −3.128, t = −4.151, df = 44, P < 0.001). GAF was positively associated with intelligence (B = 0.336, 95% CI = 0.084, 0.589, t = 2.679, df = 45, P = 0.01). In the final (overall) model, only CGI remained significant. One unit increase in CGI (e.g. mildly versus moderately ill) was associated with 5.2 units decrease in full IQ scores (B = −5.168, 95% CI = −9.257, −1.078, t = −2.550, df = 0.002, P = 0.015). Conclusions Clinical global impression of stabilized individuals with schizophrenia predicts their level of general intelligence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Individuals with schizophrenia have cognitive deficits which have been associated with genetic polymorphisms such as those of the gene coding for the catechol-O-methyltransferase enzyme (COMT-[rs4680]). Aim To examine the relationship of schizophrenia diagnosis and COMT-[rs4680] polymorphisms with the performance on the Mini-Mental State examination (MMSE). Patients and methods Ninety-two individuals with schizophrenia and 29 healthy controls were tested on the MMSE. COMT polymorphisms were characterized using the Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms method from DNA isolated from peripheral blood sample lymphocytes. Hierarchical linear regression analysis was used to examine the COMT polymorphisms X diagnosis interaction and the effects on MMSE scores, controlling for age and education. Results Individuals with schizophrenia versus healthy controls had a mean age of 43.69 (standard deviation [SD] = 9.71) versus 43.79 (SD = 7.80) years and mean education of 10.92 (SD = 3.42) versus 12.82 (2.91) years. The two groups significantly differed in education (Mann-Whitney z = 2.55, P = 0.011). We found no evidence that COMT polymorphisms moderated any effect of diagnosis on MMSE or that they are associated with MMSE performance. Individuals with schizophrenia had lower MMSE scores than controls (mean difference = 1.676; 95% Confidence Interval = 0.499, 2.85; t = 2.822, df = 115; P = 0.006). Conclusion Schizophrenia patients have lower MMSE scores controlling for the effect of age and education. COMT polymorphisms are not associated with MMSE scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paradoxes are a special form of reasoning leading to absurd inferences in contrast to logical reasoning that is used to reach valid conclusions. A functional MRI (fMRI) study was conducted to investigate the neural substrates of paradoxical and deductive reasoning. Twenty-four healthy participants were scanned using fMRI, while they engaged in reasoning tasks based on arguments, which were either Zeno's like paradoxes (paradoxical reasoning) or Aristotelian arguments (deductive reasoning). Clusters of significant activation for paradoxical reasoning were located in bilateral inferior frontal and middle temporal gyrus. Clusters of significant activation for deductive reasoning were located in bilateral superior and inferior parietal lobe, precuneus, and inferior frontal gyrus. These results confirmed that different brain activation patterns are engaged for paradoxical vs. deductive reasoning providing a basis for future studies on human physiological as well as pathological reasoning., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Belekou, Papageorgiou, Karavasilis, Tsaltas, Kelekis, Klein and Smyrnis.)

Bipolar disorder (BD) effects on cognition are confounded by the putative cognitive impact of its major pharmacological treatments, given the neurotrophic potential of mood stabilizers, particularly lithium. We examined the area of cognitive flexibility (CF), aiming to disentangle BD from medication effects, using translational methodology. CF was assessed by CANTAB-IED (intra- extra-dimensional shift; Study 1, euthymic BD participants) and its animal analog (Study 2, rats). Both studies included groups (1) control, (2) lithium, chronic, current treatment (LI-CHRON-C, A: > 2 years, N = 32; B: 2 months, N = 11); (3) valproate, chronic, current treatment (VPA-CHRON-C, A: > 2 years, N = 30; B: 2 months, N = 12). Study 2 included 2 additional groups; Group 4: LI-CHRON-PAST (2 months, stopped 1 month pretest, N = 13); Group 5: LI-ACUTE (LI on test days only, N = 13). In Study 1, neither total nor stage (discrimination: D; reversal R; intra- extra-dimensional shifts: IED) IED errors differed between groups [Kruskal-Wallis: H(2, N = 94) 0.95 > p > 0.65]. Similarly in Study 2, errors did not differentiate the 5 pharmacological groups. Differences emerged only between LI-ACUTE and Controls in response latencies (D, R, IED ANOVAS: 0.002 > p > 0.0003; contrasts D, R: p = 0.002, 0.0001). In conclusion, LI and VPA BD patients were indistinguishable from Controls in IED errors, as were animals treated with LI-CHRON, current or past, or VPA-CHRON-C vs Controls. LI-ACUTE treatment produced significant latency deficits vs Controls. Within the limitations of translational comparisons, our results suggest that the normal CF noted in euthymic BDs is not attributable to mood stabilizer effects., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Essential hypertension is associated with reduced pain sensitivity of unclear aetiology. This study explores this issue using the Cold Pressor Test (CPT), a reliable pain/stress model, comparing CPT-related EEG activity in first episode hypertensives and controls., Method: 22 untreated hypertensives and 18 matched normotensives underwent 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). EEG recordings were taken before, during, and after CPT exposure., Results: Significant group differences in CPT-induced EEG oscillations were covaried with the most robust cardiovascular differentiators by means of a Canonical Analysis. Positive correlations were noted between ABPM variables and Delta (1-4 Hz) oscillations during the tolerance phase; in high-alpha (10-12 Hz) oscillations during the stress unit and posttest phase; and in low-alpha (8-10 Hz) oscillations during CPT phases overall. Negative correlations were found between ABPM variables and Beta2 oscillations (16.5-20 Hz) during the posttest phase and Gamma (28.5-45 Hz) oscillations during the CPT phases overall. These relationships were localised at several sites across the cerebral hemispheres with predominance in the right hemisphere and left frontal lobe., Conclusions: These findings provide a starting point for increasing our understanding of the complex relationships between cerebral activation and cardiovascular functioning involved in regulating blood pressure changes.