Precursors and correlates of transient and persistent longitudinal profiles of psychotic experiences from late childhood through early adulthood

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Alexandros Rammos ◽  
Sarah A. Sullivan ◽  
Daphne Kounali ◽  
Hannah J. Jones ◽  
Gemma Hammerton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Frequency ◽  
Psychotic Disorders ◽  
Early Adulthood ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Traumatic Experiences ◽  
Birth Cohort Study ◽  
Psychotic Experiences ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Clinical Disorder ◽  
Longitudinal Profiles

Background Psychotic experiences are reported by 5–10% of young people, although only a minority persist and develop into psychotic disorders. It is unclear what characteristics differentiate those with transient psychotic experiences from those with persistent psychotic experiences that are more likely to be of clinical relevance. Aims To investigate how longitudinal profiles of psychotic experiences, created from assessments at three different time points, are influenced by early life and co-occurring factors. Method Using data from 8045 individuals from a birth cohort study, longitudinal profiles of psychotic experiences based on semi-structured interviews conducted at 12, 18 and 24 years were defined. Environmental, cognitive, psychopathological and genetic determinants of these profiles were investigated, along with concurrent changes in psychopathology and cognition. Results Following multiple imputations, the distribution of longitudinal profiles of psychotic experiences was none (65.7%), transient (24.1%), low-frequency persistent (8.4%) and high-frequency persistent (1.7%). Individuals with high-frequency persistent psychotic experiences were more likely to report traumatic experiences, other psychopathology, a more externalised locus of control, reduced emotional stability and conscientious personality traits in childhood, compared with those with transient psychotic experiences. These characteristics also differed between those who had any psychotic experiences and those who did not. Conclusions These findings indicate that the same risk factors are associated with incidence as with persistence of psychotic experiences. Thus, it might be that the severity of exposure, rather than the presence of specific disease-modifying factors, is most likely to determine whether psychotic experiences are transient or persist, and potentially develop into a clinical disorder over time.

scholarly journals S134. INCIDENCE, IMPACT AND TRAJECTORIES OF PSYCHOTIC EXPERIENCES FROM CHILDHOOD TO ADULTHOOD, AND PREDICTION OF PSYCHOTIC DISORDER

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S86-S86
Author(s):  
Stanley Zammit ◽  
Jon Heron ◽  
Alexandros Rammos ◽  
Hannah Jones ◽  
Daphne Kounali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
General Population ◽  
Incidence Rate ◽  
Psychotic Disorder ◽  
Psychotic Disorders ◽  
Early Adulthood ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Psychotic Experiences ◽  
Longitudinal Profiles ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Background Given the global burden of disease of psychotic disorders and the promise of benefit from early intervention, there is an imperative to understand the developmental trajectories from onset of psychotic experiences to clinical disorder and to improve identification of individuals at greatest risk. The aims of this study therefore were: 1) to describe, for the first time, the change in incidence of psychotic experiences in the general population from childhood through early adulthood; 2) to describe the prevalence and burden of unmet clinical need of at-risk mental states and psychotic disorder among young adults in the general population; 3) to examine the predictive ability of both self-reported and interviewer-rated measures of psychotic experiences during childhood and adolescence in identifying psychotic disorder by early adulthood; and 4) to describe longitudinal profiles of psychotic experiences from childhood through early adulthood and investigate a comprehensive range of childhood determinants of symptom persistence. Methods We used data from the ALSPAC birth cohort study. Psychotic experiences and disorder were assessed using semi-structured interviews at ages 12, 18, and 24 (N=7,900 with any data). Incidence rates were estimated using flexible parametric modeling, and positive predictive values (PPVs), sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve were estimated for prediction. Longitudinal profiles were constructed based on interviewer ratings and frequency of experiences, with profiles describing no experiences (62.5%), episodic experiences (26.5%), persistent/recurrent low frequency (9.1%), and persistent/recurrent high frequency (1.9%) groups. Multinomial regression was used to examine risk factors for persistence, covering socio-demographic, genetic, behavioural, cognitive, and psychological characteristics during childhood. Results The incidence rate of psychotic experiences increased between ages 12 and 24, peaking during late adolescence. A total of 109 individuals (2.8%) met criteria for a psychotic disorder up to age 24, of whom 70% had sought professional help. Prediction of current psychotic disorder at age 24 (N=47, 1.2%), by both self-report and interviewer-rated measures of psychotic experiences at age 18 (PPVs, 2.9% and 10.0%, respectively), was improved by incorporating information on frequency and distress (PPVs, 13.3% and 20.0%, respectively), although sensitivities were low. The PPV of an at-risk mental state at age 18 predicting incident disorder at ages 18–24 was 21.1% (95%CI 6.1, 45.6), and the sensitivity was 14.3% (95%CI 4.0, 32.7). Longitudinal profile analysis showed that persistence was highest in those with higher levels of emotional instability and borderline personality traits in childhood, whilst persistence was strongly related to concurrent and increasing levels of social isolation, anxiety, self-harm, and substance use over time. Discussion Our study results show a peak in incidence of psychotic experience during late adolescence just prior to the peak incidence rate for schizophrenia, and an unmet need for care in young people with psychotic disorders. Although we show the potential efficiency of self-report measures for prediction, because of the low sensitivity, targeting individuals in non-help-seeking samples based only on more severe symptom cutoff thresholds will likely have little impact on population levels of first-episode psychosis. The primary characteristics indexing whether psychotic experiences are likely to persist over time is the presence of emotion regulation difficulties in childhood, providing evidence of a potentially modifiable target for prevention.

scholarly journals Common versus psychopathology-specific risk factors for psychotic experiences and depression during adolescence

2014 ◽  
Vol 44 (12) ◽  
pp. 2557-2566 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Kounali ◽  
S. Zammit ◽  
N. Wiles ◽  
S. Sullivan ◽  
M. Cannon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Psychotic Disorders ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Birth Cohort Study ◽  
Similar Degree ◽  
Psychotic Experiences ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Potential Risk Factors ◽  
History Of

BackgroundAn argument often used to support the view that psychotic experiences (PEs) in general population samples are a valid phenotype for studying the aetiology of schizophrenia is that risk factors for schizophrenia show similar patterns of association with PEs. However, PEs often co-occur with depression, and no study has explicitly tested whether risk factors for schizophrenia are shared between PEs and depression, or are psychopathology specific, while jointly modelling both outcomes.MethodWe used data from 7030 subjects from a birth cohort study. Depression and PEs at age 18 years were assessed using self-report questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. We compared the extent to which risk factors for schizophrenia across sociodemographic, familial, neurodevelopmental, stress–adversity, emotional–behavioural and substance use domains showed different associations with PEs and depression within bivariate models that allowed for their correlation.ResultsMost of the exposures examined were associated, to a similar degree, with an increased risk of both outcomes. However, whereas female sex and family history of depression showed some discrimination as potential risk factors for depression and PEs, with stronger associations in the former, markers of abnormal neurodevelopment showed stronger associations with PEs.ConclusionsThe argument that PEs are valid markers for studying the aetiology of schizophrenia, made simply on the basis that they share risk factors in common, is not well supported. PEs seem to be a weak index of genetic and environmental risk for schizophrenia; however, studies disentangling aetiological pathways to PEs from those impacting upon co-morbid psychopathology might provide important insights into the aetiology of psychotic disorders.

Childhood trauma as a mediator of the association between autistic traits and psychotic experiences: evidence from the ALSPAC birth cohort

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Dardani ◽  
Rik Schalbroeck ◽  
Hannah Jones ◽  
Daniela Strelchuk ◽  
Gemma Hammerton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Childhood Trauma ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Risk Scores ◽  
Traumatic Experiences ◽  
Birth Cohort Study ◽  
Psychotic Experiences ◽  
Repetitive Behaviour ◽  
Communication Difficulties

Introduction: There is increasing evidence that autistic traits are associated with psychotic experiences. However, the mechanisms underlying such associations are still unknown. In this longitudinal birth cohort study, we examine the relationship between childhood autistic traits and psychotic experiences in adolescence and young adulthood, and the influence of childhood trauma on this association.Methods: We analysed data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort. We used four dichotomized measures of autistic traits (social communication difficulties at age 7, repetitive behaviour at age 5, sociability at age 3, and pragmatic language at age 9). Psychotic experiences were assessed at ages 18 and 24 using the semi-structured Psychosis-Like Symptoms interview. Traumatic experiences between ages 5 to 11 were assessed with questionnaires and interviews administered to children and parents.Results: The maximum sample with complete data was 3410 for the autistic traits-psychotic experiences analyses and 3327 for the mediation analyses. The corresponding maximum sample sizes for the imputed data analysis were 10,053 and 8121, respectively. Social communication difficulties were associated with psychotic experiences (odds ratio [OR] = 1.43, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01–2.02), including those that were distressing and/or frequent (OR = 1.60, 95% CI 1.02–2.52). Childhood trauma mediated approximately 40% of this association. Other autistic traits showed no consistent relationship with psychotic experiences. Results were similar when we adjusted for schizophrenia polygenic risk scores (PRS).Discussion: Childhood social communication difficulties are associated with psychotic experiences by age 24. This association does not appear to be explained by genetic risk as captured by current schizophrenia PRS. The experience of trauma may be an important, potentially modifiable pathway between autistic features and later onset of psychotic psychopathology where interventions could be targeted.

scholarly journals T112. PTSD AS A MEDIATOR OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TRAUMA AND PSYCHOTIC EXPERIENCES

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S273-S273
Author(s):  
Daniela Strelchuk ◽  
Gemma Hammerton ◽  
Jazz Croft ◽  
Jon Heron ◽  
Stanley Zammit ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Childhood Trauma ◽  
Traumatic Event ◽  
Early Adulthood ◽  
Trauma Exposure ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
Birth Cohort Study ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Psychotic Experiences ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Background Trauma exposure is linked to the development of psychotic illnesses, but little is known about potentially modifiable mechanisms underlying this relationship. Despite the high prevalence of PTSD symptoms in psychotic illnesses, only a few studies have examined the role of PTSD as a mediator, and these were all cross-sectional. This study aims to examine whether PTSD symptoms mediate the relationship between trauma and psychotic experiences (PE), using data from a large birth cohort study. Methods We used data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) to test whether: a) PTSD symptoms (at age 15) mediate the relationship between childhood trauma (age 0–14 years) and adolescent frequent or distressing psychotic experiences (age 12–18 years) (study of adolescent PE; n = 2,952), and b) PTSD symptoms (reported at age 24 for traumatic event occurring before age 19) mediate the relationship between childhood/adolescent trauma (age 0–17 years) and incident frequent or distressing psychotic experiences in early adulthood (age 19–24 years) (study of adult PE; n = 2,492). Associations between the variables of interest were examined with logistic regression, and mediation with the parametric g-computation formula. As sensitivity analyses, we i) examined broader and narrower psychotic outcomes, ii) included a measure of psychotic-like experiences at age 14 years as an intermediate confounder in the mediation model for adolescent psychotic experiences, and iii) repeated analyses using imputed data. Results Exposure to trauma was associated with increased odds of psychotic experiences and PTSD symptoms both in adolescence and early adulthood (p<0.001). The association between PTSD and psychotic experiences was stronger in adolescence (p<0.001) than in adulthood (p=0.03). There was moderate evidence that PTSD symptoms mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and adolescent psychotic experiences (proportion mediated 14%), though evidence of mediation was much weaker for adult PE (proportion mediated 8%). In sensitivity analyses we observed similar results when using imputed data, and when modelling psychotic experiences at age 14 as an intermediate confounding for the adolescent PE outcome. The proportion mediated increased when examining more narrowly defined outcomes (19% for adolescent psychotic disorder). Discussion These findings provide some evidence consistent with the thesis that psychotic experiences and disorder can occur consequent to PTSD symptoms after trauma exposure. Targeting PTSD symptoms might help prevent the occurrence of psychotic experiences and disorder in people with a trauma history.

Hearing Loss in Townes-Brocks Syndrome

1994 ◽  
Vol 111 (3P1) ◽  
pp. 175-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R. Rossmiller ◽  
Thomas R. Pasic
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Loss ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Early Adulthood ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Hearing Level ◽  
Mixed Hearing Loss ◽  
Skin Tags ◽  
Conductive Component ◽  
Loss Range ◽  
Moderate Hearing Loss

Townes-Brocks syndrome is an autosomal dominant syndrome consisting of anomalies affecting the ear, hand, foot, anus, and kidney. Anomalies affecting the ear include lop ear, preauricular skin tags, ossicular abnormalities, and a mixed hearing loss. The hearing loss in Townes-Brocks syndrome is predominantly sensorineural, affects high-frequency thresholds more than low-frequency thresholds, and has a variable (usually small) conductive component. The sensorineural component of the hearing loss is slowly progressive. It is typically in the mild range (20 to 40 dB hearing level) during early childhood and progresses to the moderate hearing loss range (40 to 60 dB hearing level) by early adulthood. We present a description of the otologic manifestations and an analysis of audiologic findings in six members of a family With Townes-Brocks syndrome.

Pre-Reflective Self-Awareness in Psychotic Disorders

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 ◽  
pp. 434-444
Author(s):  
Andreas Heinz ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Psychotic Disorders ◽  
Philosophical Anthropology ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
The Self ◽  
Traumatic Experiences ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Hostile Environment ◽  
Psychotic Experiences ◽  
Stream Of Consciousness ◽  
Disorders Of The Self

Disorders of the self figure prominently in psychotic experiences. Subjects de­scribe that “alien” thoughts are inserted in their mind by foreign powers, can sometimes hear their thoughts aloud or describe complex voices interacting with each other. Such experiences can be conceptualized in the framework of a Philosophical Anthropology, which suggests that human experience is characterized by centric and excentric positionality: subjects experience their environment centered around their enlived body and at the same time can reflect upon their place in a shared lifeworld from an excentric point of view. Pre-reflective self awareness has been suggested to ensure that subjects can identify their own thoughts or actions as belonging to themselves, even when they reflect upon them from an excentric point of view. This pre-reflective self awareness appears to be impaired during psychotic experiences, when subjects no longer identify thoughts in their own stream of consciousness as belonging to themselves and instead attribute them to an outside agent. Among several potential causes, it is suggested that such impairments can be due to discrimi­natory or traumatic experiences, which affect the enlived (centric) position of a person and make her feel encircled and deeply threatened by aversive powers. As a consequence, the afflicted individual may fundamentally distance herself from her current centric position in a hostile environment, at the price of experiencing her own thoughts or actions as alien. Philosophical Anthropology may thus help to explain how social exclusion, discrimination and traumatization can promote psychotic experiences and why social support is of primary importance for any treatment of psychosis.

scholarly journals Association between common early-childhood infection and subsequent depressive symptoms and psychotic experiences in adolescence: a population-based longitudinal birth cohort study

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Anna B. Chaplin ◽  
Peter B. Jones ◽  
Golam M. Khandaker
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Early Adulthood ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Birth Cohort Study ◽  
Psychotic Experiences ◽  
Childhood Infections ◽  
Parents And Children ◽  
Childhood Infection ◽  
Very High

Abstract Background Childhood infections are associated with adult psychosis and depression, but studies of psychotic experiences (PEs) and depressive symptoms in childhood, adolescence, and early-adulthood are scarce. Previous studies have typically examined severe infections, but studies of common infections are also scarce. Methods Using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) birth cohort, we examined associations of the number of infections in childhood from age 1.5 to 7.5 years with depressive symptom scores at age 10, 13, 14, 17, 18, and 19 years, and with PEs at 12 and 18 years. We performed additional analysis using infection burden (‘low’ = 0–4 infections, ‘medium’ = 5–6, ‘high’ = 7–9, or ‘very high’ = 10–22 infections) as the exposure. Results The risk set comprised 11 786 individuals with childhood infection data. Number of childhood infections was associated with depressive symptoms from age 10 (adjusted beta = 0.14; standard error (s.e.) = 0.04; p = <0.01) to 17 years (adjusted beta = 0.17; s.e. = 0.08; p = 0.04), and with PEs at age 12 (suspected/definite PEs: adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.18; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.09–1.27). These effect sizes were larger when the exposure was defined as very high infection burden (depressive symptoms age 17: adjusted beta = 0.79; s.e. = 0.29; p = 0.01; suspected/definite PEs at age 12: adjusted OR = 1.60; 95% CI = 1.25–2.05). Childhood infections were not associated with depressive/psychotic outcomes at age 18 or 19. Conclusions Common early-childhood infections are associated with depressive symptoms up to mid-adolescence and with PEs subsequently in childhood, but not with these outcomes in early-adulthood. These findings require replication including larger samples with outcomes in adulthood.

scholarly journals PTSD as a mediator of the relationship between trauma and psychotic experiences

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Daniela Strelchuk ◽  
Gemma Hammerton ◽  
Nicola Wiles ◽  
Jazz Croft ◽  
Katrina Turner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Childhood Trauma ◽  
Early Adulthood ◽  
Traumatic Experiences ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Psychotic Experiences ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Adolescent Trauma ◽  
Parents And Children ◽  
Computation Formula ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Background Traumatic experiences are associated with a higher risk of psychotic illnesses, but little is known about potentially modifiable mechanisms underlying this relationship. This study aims to examine whether post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms mediate the relationship between trauma and psychotic experiences (PEs). Methods We used data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children to examine whether: PTSD symptoms mediate the relationships between (a) childhood trauma and adolescent PEs (study of adolescent PEs; n = 2952), and (b) childhood/adolescent trauma and PEs in early adulthood (study of adult PEs; n = 2492). We examined associations between variables using logistic regression, and mediation using the parametric g-computation formula. Results Exposure to trauma was associated with increased odds of PEs (adolescent PEs: ORadjusted 1.48, 95% CI 1.23–1.78; adult PEs: ORadjusted 1.57, 95% CI 1.25–1.98) and PTSD symptoms (adolescent PTSD: ORadjusted 1.59, 95% CI 1.31–1.93; adult PTSD: ORadjusted 1.50, 95% CI 1.36–1.65). The association between PTSD symptoms and PE was stronger in adolescence (ORadjusted 4.63, 95% CI 2.34–9.17) than in adulthood (ORadjusted 1.62, 95% CI 0.80–3.25). There was some evidence that PTSD symptoms mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and adolescent PEs (proportion mediated 14%), though evidence of mediation was weaker for adult PEs (proportion mediated 8%). Conclusions These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that PTSD symptoms partly mediate the association between trauma exposure and PEs. Targeting PTSD symptoms might help prevent the onset of psychotic outcomes.

Simulations of high-resolution images of amorphous silicon films

1986 ◽  
Vol 44 ◽  
pp. 544-545
Author(s):  
G. Y. Fan ◽  
J. M. Cowley
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscope ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Fourier Transformation ◽  
Amorphous Materials ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Chromatic Aberration ◽  
Structure Information ◽  
Frequency Components ◽  
High Resolution Images ◽  
Spatial Frequency Spectrum

It is well known that the structure information on the specimen is not always faithfully transferred through the electron microscope. Firstly, the spatial frequency spectrum is modulated by the transfer function (TF) at the focal plane. Secondly, the spectrum suffers high frequency cut-off by the aperture (or effectively damping terms such as chromatic aberration). While these do not have essential effect on imaging crystal periodicity as long as the low order Bragg spots are inside the aperture, although the contrast may be reversed, they may change the appearance of images of amorphous materials completely. Because the spectrum of amorphous materials is continuous, modulation of it emphasizes some components while weakening others. Especially the cut-off of high frequency components, which contribute to amorphous image just as strongly as low frequency components can have a fundamental effect. This can be illustrated through computer simulation. Imaging of a whitenoise object with an electron microscope without TF limitation gives Fig. 1a, which is obtained by Fourier transformation of a constant amplitude combined with random phases generated by computer.

SEM image sharpness analysis

1996 ◽  
Vol 54 ◽  
pp. 142-143
Author(s):  
M. T. Postek ◽  
A. E. Vladar
Keyword(s):  
High Frequency ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Quantitative Information ◽  
Primary Electron ◽  
Image Sharpness ◽  
Critical Dimensions ◽  
Sem Image ◽  
Frequency Changes ◽  
Electron Microscopes ◽  
Scanning Electron

Fully automated or semi-automated scanning electron microscopes (SEM) are now commonly used in semiconductor production and other forms of manufacturing. The industry requires that an automated instrument must be routinely capable of 5 nm resolution (or better) at 1.0 kV accelerating voltage for the measurement of nominal 0.25-0.35 micrometer semiconductor critical dimensions. Testing and proving that the instrument is performing at this level on a day-by-day basis is an industry need and concern which has been the object of a study at NIST and the fundamentals and results are discussed in this paper.In scanning electron microscopy, two of the most important instrument parameters are the size and shape of the primary electron beam and any image taken in a scanning electron microscope is the result of the sample and electron probe interaction. The low frequency changes in the video signal, collected from the sample, contains information about the larger features and the high frequency changes carry information of finer details. The sharper the image, the larger the number of high frequency components making up that image. Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis of an SEM image can be employed to provide qualitiative and ultimately quantitative information regarding the SEM image quality.

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