The etiology of nervous system diseases is complicated, posing significant harm to patients and often resulting in poor prognoses. In recent years, the role of dopaminergic system in nervous system diseases has attracted much attention, and its complex regulatory mechanism and therapeutic potential have been gradually revealed. This paper reviews the role of dopaminergic neurons, the neurotransmitter dopamine, dopamine receptors and dopamine transporters in neurological diseases (including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia), with a view to further elucidating the disease mechanism and providing new insights and strategies for the treatment of neurological diseases.
Humans ; Dopamine/metabolism* ; Nervous System Diseases/physiopathology* ; Parkinson Disease/physiopathology* ; Receptors, Dopamine/metabolism* ; Dopaminergic Neurons/physiology* ; Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins/metabolism* ; Alzheimer Disease/physiopathology* ; Schizophrenia/physiopathology* ; Animals

In different stages of schizophrenia (SZ), alterations in gray matter volume (GMV) of patients are normally regulated by various pathological mechanisms. Instead of analyzing stage-specific changes, this study employed a multivariate structural covariance model and sliding-window approach to investigate the illness duration-related developmental trajectory of GMV in SZ. The trajectory is defined as a sequence of brain regions activated by illness duration, represented as a sparsely directed matrix. By applying this approach to structural magnetic resonance imaging data from 145 patients with SZ, we observed a continuous developmental trajectory of GMV from cortical to subcortical regions, with an average change occurring every 0.208 years, covering a time window of 20.176 years. The starting points were widely distributed across all networks, except for the ventral attention network. These findings provide insights into the neuropathological mechanism of SZ with a neuroprogressive model and facilitate the development of process for aided diagnosis and intervention with the starting points.
Humans ; Schizophrenia/pathology* ; Gray Matter/pathology* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Disease Progression ; Male ; Female ; Brain/pathology* ; Cerebral Cortex/pathology* ; Adult

OBJECTIVES: Stigma is common among community-dwelling patients with schizophrenia and has a profound negative impact on both psychiatric symptoms and quality of life. This study aims to explore the association between stigma and quality of life in this population and to examine the multiple mediating roles of anxiety and depression symptoms. METHODS: The multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling method was used to select the community-dwelling patients with schizophrenics in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China. The questionnaire included general demographic characteristics, stigma question, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and the 12-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12). The SF-12 was used to measure quality of life, including physical health and mental health dimensions. A multiple mediation model was used to analyse the mediating effects of anxiety and depression symptoms together between stigma and quality of life. RESULTS: A total of 1 087 community patients with schizophrenia were included with a mean age of 50.68±12.73 years; 525 (48.30%) were male. Stigma was reported by 543 patients (49.95%). Anxiety symptoms were present in 292 patients (26.86%), and depression symptoms in 407 patients (37.44%). The physical health quality of life score was 72.01 ± 20.99, and the mental health quality of life score was 71.68 ± 19.38. Multiple mediation analysis showed that stigma directly affected quality of life, and also indirectly affected quality of life through anxiety and depression symptoms. Anxiety and depression jointly mediated 42.26% of the total effect of stigma on physical health quality of life and 47.51% on mental health quality of life. CONCLUSIONS Reducing stigma and preventing anxiety and depression symptoms in community-dwelling patients with schizophrenia can effectively improve their quality of life and support reintegration into society.
Humans ; Quality of Life ; Male ; Depression/psychology* ; Middle Aged ; Social Stigma ; Schizophrenia ; Female ; Anxiety/psychology* ; China ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Adult ; Schizophrenic Psychology ; Independent Living ; Aged

Schizophrenia (SZ) stands as a severe psychiatric disorder. This study applied diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data in conjunction with graph neural networks to distinguish SZ patients from normal controls (NCs) and showcases the superior performance of a graph neural network integrating combined fractional anisotropy and fiber number brain network features, achieving an accuracy of 73.79% in distinguishing SZ patients from NCs. Beyond mere discrimination, our study delved deeper into the advantages of utilizing white matter brain network features for identifying SZ patients through interpretable model analysis and gene expression analysis. These analyses uncovered intricate interrelationships between brain imaging markers and genetic biomarkers, providing novel insights into the neuropathological basis of SZ. In summary, our findings underscore the potential of graph neural networks applied to multimodal DTI data for enhancing SZ detection through an integrated analysis of neuroimaging and genetic features.
Humans ; Schizophrenia/pathology* ; Diffusion Tensor Imaging/methods* ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Brain/metabolism* ; Young Adult ; Middle Aged ; White Matter/pathology* ; Gene Expression ; Nerve Net/diagnostic imaging* ; Graph Neural Networks

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to explore the current status and risk factors of oral health-related quality of life OHRQoL in patients with mental disorders and provide evidence for effective intervention measures. METHODS: A total of 397 patients diagnosed with mental illness were selected by convenience sampling, and investigation was carried out using general data questionnaire, health literacy in dentistry-14 (HeLD-14), oral health impact profile-14 (OHIP-14), and oral health status checklist. RESULTS: The total score of OHIP-14 in patients with mental disorders was 8(2, 14). The score of HeLD-14 was negatively correlated with the score of OHIP-14 (r=-0.142, P<0.01). The results of multiple linear regression showed that six variables including annual family income, schizophrenia, sweets, frequency of visits to the dentist, dental caries, and missing teeth affected OHRQoL of patients with mental disorders (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The poor OHRQoL of psychiatric patients is associated with many factors. Medical personnel should pay attention to their oral health problems and develop targeted oral care programs throughout the course of disease to improve oral health and related quality of life of patients.
Humans ; Quality of Life ; Oral Health ; Mental Disorders ; Risk Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Male ; Female ; Dental Caries ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Schizophrenia

BACKGROUND

Schizophrenia, a common mental disorder, is associated with cognitive impairment in middle-aged and older adults. Research highlights challenges such as white matter loss, dementia risk, psychosocial issues, nursing home admissions, and limited cognitive benefits from antipsychotics. Animal-Assisted Therapy (AAT) is an emerging intervention for mental and physical illnesses, including schizophrenia.

This quasi-experiment included 20 patients from a health care facility, selected through purposive sampling based on inclusion/exclusion criteria.

AAT significantly improved lower body strength (CST) and cognitive abilities (MOCA- P) but had no effect on agility (TUG). Male participants showed greater improvements than females in all domains: CST (+7.8), TUG (-2.365), and MOCA-P (+12). The dropout rate was 50% for females and 20% for males, primarily due to eligibility for discharge.

AAT significantly enhances lower body strength and cognitive function but does not improve agility. It is a safe, feasible adjunct therapy for chronic mental health conditions, though targeted interventions for mobility challenges are needed.

Humans ; Histamine ; Receptors, Histamine H2 ; Schizophrenia/drug therapy*

Schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric disorder with complex etiology and diverse clinical manifestations, whose pathogenesis and triggering factors remain incompletely understood. Numerous studies have demonstrated significant gender differences in the age of onset, clinical presentation, disease progression, treatment efficacy, and prognosis among patients with schizophrenia. These differences are largely attributed to variations in sex hormone levels, with estrogen emerging as a key focus of research. Some studies suggest that adjunctive estrogen therapy during schizophrenia treatment not only alleviates symptoms but also reduces the required dosage of antipsychotic medications. A systematic review of research on estrogen as an adjunctive treatment for schizophrenia may provide new perspectives and references for future therapeutic strategies.
Humans ; Schizophrenia/drug therapy* ; Estrogens/therapeutic use* ; Antipsychotic Agents/administration & dosage* ; Male ; Female ; Sex Characteristics ; Clinical Trials as Topic ; Estrogen Replacement Therapy

Social behaviors are fundamental and intricate functions in both humans and animals, governed by the interplay of social cognition and emotions. A noteworthy feature of several neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia (SCZ), is a pronounced deficit in social functioning. Despite a burgeoning body of research on social behaviors, the precise neural circuit mechanisms underpinning these phenomena remain to be elucidated. In this paper, we review the pivotal role of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in modulating social behaviors, as well as its functional alteration in social disorders in ASD or SCZ. We posit that PFC dysfunction may represent a critical hub in the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders characterized by shared social deficits. Furthermore, we delve into the intricate connectivity of the medial PFC (mPFC) with other cortical areas and subcortical brain regions in rodents, which exerts a profound influence on social behaviors. Notably, a substantial body of evidence underscores the role of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) and the proper functioning of parvalbumin-positive interneurons within the mPFC for social regulation. Our overarching goal is to furnish a comprehensive understanding of these intricate circuits and thereby contribute to the enhancement of both research endeavors and clinical practices concerning social behavior deficits.
Prefrontal Cortex/physiopathology* ; Humans ; Social Behavior ; Animals ; Autism Spectrum Disorder/physiopathology* ; Schizophrenia/physiopathology* ; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate/physiology* ; Interneurons/physiology*

Humans ; Bipolar Disorder ; Schizophrenia ; Depression ; Electroencephalography