Olfactory Function in Schizophrenia: A Lifespan Analysis

描述：(申请人提供)越来越多的证据表明，精神分裂症是一种影响额颞区的神经行为障碍 大脑的一部分。一个相对被忽视的，但在许多方面都是理想的，对 额缘系统有嗅觉。嗅觉加工是由边缘神经调节的 与精神分裂症的病理生理学有关的结构。患有疾病的患者 精神分裂症患者有严重的嗅觉缺陷，这种缺陷在第一次发作时就会发生。 疾病的发作。与相对静态的认知缺陷模式不同 然而，从病程来看，嗅觉能力似乎有所下降。 以线性方式，独立于正常衰老和性别影响。家庭 然而，研究也证明了嗅觉的显著缺陷。 精神分裂症先证者未受影响的一级亲属的鉴定。 因此，似乎嗅觉大脑区域受到 基因介导的发育和神经退化过程。 不幸的是，人们对它的发展历程、范围和 精神分裂症患者嗅觉加工障碍的偏侧性 赤字相互作用，以及随着年龄和年龄的增加而缓解的方式 性别。在这个项目中，我们将研究心理物理与 嗅觉障碍和嗅觉衰退患者的横断面研究 精神分裂症和健康对照。可靠且经过充分验证的 评估气味识别、检测领域的心理物理电池 阈值敏感度、记忆力和强度/享乐性将被赋予 可以检测到不同的赤字/下降。所有嗅觉措施都将 单方面实施，这样就可以详细说明侧向效应。 将获得神经心理和情绪测量以进行调查 与嗅觉功能的相互作用以及评估是否有任何下降 在寿命上是特定的嗅觉。这些措施将被调查 男性和女性精神分裂症患者(n=96)和健康对照组(n=96)年龄 18-57岁，每十年有足够的个体数量来产生一个 发展轨迹的横断面估计。为了评估 嗅觉功能是否下降是因为服用了抗精神病药物， 将分十年和急性阶段评估抗精神病药物的累积负担 效果将在48个神经镇静剂-幼稚和 以前用药的患者在用药前和用药后设计中使用标准 药物治疗。

DESCRIPTION: (provided by applicant) There is growing evidence to suggest that schizophrenia is a neurobehavioral disorder that affects fronto-temporal areas of the brain. A relatively neglected, but in many ways ideal, probe of the fronto-limbic system is olfaction. Olfactory processing is mediated by limbic structures implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Patients with schizophrenia have significant olfactory deficits, which occur at the first onset of illness. Unlike the relatively static pattern of cognitive deficits seen over the course of illness, though, olfactory abilities appear to decline in a linear fashion, independent of normal aging and gender effects. Family studies, however, have also demonstrated significant deficits in olfactory identification in unaffected first-degree relatives of schizophrenic probands. It would seem, therefore, that olfactory brain regions are affected by genetically-mediated developmental, as well as neurodegenerative processes. Unfortunately, little is known about the developmental course, scope and laterality of olfactory processing deficits in schizophrenia, how these deficits interact, and the manner in which they are moderated by age and gender. In this project, we will investigate the psychophysical correlates of olfactory dysfunction and decline, cross-sectionally, in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls. A reliable and well-validated psychophysical battery assessing the domains of odor identification, detection threshold sensitivity, memory and intensity/hedonics will be given so differential deficits/decline can be detected. All olfactory measures will be administered unilaterally so laterality effects can be detailed. Neuropsychological and emotional measures will be obtained to investigate interactions with olfactory functions as well as assess whether any decline over the lifespan is specific to olfaction. These measures will be investigated in men and women with schizophrenia (n=96) and healthy controls (n=96) age 18-57, with a sufficient number of individuals in each decade band to yield a cross-sectional estimate of developmental trajectory. In order to assess whether any declines in olfactory function are due to antipsychotic use, cumulative antipsychotic burden will be assessed across decade bands and acute effects will be assessed in a subsample of 48 neuroleptic-naive and previously-medicated patients in a pre- post-medication design using a standard medication.