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

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*

Objective: To explore the relationship of social support to patients with schizophrenia, family burden with patients' quality of life and family life satisfaction. Methods: Multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling was used to select 358 patients with schizophrenia and 358 patients' family members in Gansu Province who met the inclusion criteria were included. The Social Support Rating Scale, Family Burden Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale and Quality of Life Scale were used in the survey. AMOS 24.0 was used to explore the pathway of influence of family burden on social support to patients with schizophrenia, patients' quality of life and patients' family life satisfaction. Results: There was a two-by-two significant correlation between patients' access to social support, family burden, patients' life quality and family life satisfaction (P<0.05), and the total score of the social support scale negatively predicted the total score of the life quality scale (β=-0.28, P<0.05) and positively predicted the total score of the life satisfaction scale (β=0.52, P<0.05). Family burden was a full mediator between the social support to the patient and the patient's quality of life, and as a partial mediator between the social support to the patient and the family's life satisfaction. Conclusions: Social support to people with schizophrenia is a significant predictor of their quality of life and family life satisfaction. Family burden mediates the relationship of social support to patients with their quality of life and family life satisfaction. Interventions can focus on increasing social support for the patient and reducing the burden on the patient's family to improve the patient's quality of life and increase the satisfaction of the patient's family.
Humans ; Patient Satisfaction ; Quality of Life ; Schizophrenia ; Family Relations ; Social Support

Background: Schizophrenia is a pervasive, chronic mental disorder that negatively impacts the biological, socioeconomic and family well being of the patient. Active involvement of family members and other significant individuals appears to benefit overall management. Objective: To determine the effectiveness of family-focused intervention in improving symptoms of schizophrenia. Methods: The authors searched for eligible clinical trials in the PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Research Gate, Google Scholar and grey literature databases. Participants should be patients diagnosed to have schizophrenia and interventions should involve the family or be labeled as ‘family therapy.’ The primary outcome considered was symptom improvement based on the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS). Secondary outcomes included quality of life, family functioning and subjective experience of the treatment process. The authors used the RevMan 5.4 software for data analysis. Bias, subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed. Strength of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) framework. Results: A total of 1,794 trials were initially identified, of which three publications were included in the review. Two studies used psychosocial approaches whereas one used cognitive behavioral therapy in conjunction with family intervention. Meta-analysis revealed the studies to be heterogeneous based on p values <0.10 and I2 >50%. Subgroup analysis by type of intervention showed no difference between the intervention and control groups, although there was a positive trend in favor of psychosocial intervention for improvement in PANSS score. Family-based intervention had a significant positive effect on quality of life. Conclusion Family-based interventions are effective in the management of schizophrenia, helping to improve quality of life, potentially reducing symptom burden and serving as an adjunct to health institution-based management.
schizophrenia ; meta-analysis