Early Intervention in Psychiatry
July 2, 2023
Marija Krcmar, Cassandra Wannan, Suzie Lavoie et al.
6 citations
Basic self-disturbance is a potential core vulnerability marker for schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The Self, Neuroscience and Psychosis (SNAP) study tests a neurophenomenological model of psychosis by examining clinical, neurocognitive, and neurophysiological variables in individuals at ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis. It includes 400 UHR individuals, 100 clinical controls without attenuated psychotic symptoms, and 50 healthy controls. Participants complete baseline assessments and electroencephalography; UHR participants are followed for 24 months with clinical assessments every 6 months. The protocol aims to develop a prediction model for persistence or worsening of UHR symptoms at 12 months and to determine how specific these disturbances are to attenuated psychotic symptoms.
Early Intervention in Psychiatry
December 8, 2023
Giuseppe Pierpaolo Merola, Andrea Patti, Davide Benedetti et al.
2 citations
Aberrant salience (AS) and psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) are linked, and anxiety is common in psychosis-prone individuals and patients. In a study of 163 healthy controls and 44 psychotic patients, AS correlated with more frequent positive PLEs and higher anxiety in both groups. However, the frequency of positive PLEs mediated the relationship between AS and anxiety only among controls, not patients. The authors suggest that in patients, a progressive loss of novelty and insight may impair emotional reactivity to PLEs and the ability to recognize bodily phenomena as anxiety, explaining the difference.
Early Intervention in Psychiatry
October 1, 2018
S. Riches, Rich Maskey, R. Waddingham et al.
A new immersive art exhibition, Altered States of Consciousness, simulated the experience of hearing voices for members of the public in an art gallery and on the London Underground. Among 150 visitors who completed surveys before and after the exhibition, understanding of what it feels like to hear voices, compassion towards voice hearers, and comfort in talking about these experiences all increased significantly. Participants reported enjoying the simulation, learning from it, and not finding it stressful. The exhibition shows potential for improving public engagement and reducing stigma around voice-hearing and unusual sensory experiences.