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Biomedical subjects

Jean-Paul Selten

Publications and source records attributed to Jean-Paul Selten.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Mood disorders and migration: meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Migration is a risk factor for the development of schizophrenia. AIMS: To examine whether migration is also a risk factor for bipolar affective disorder, unipolar depressive disorder and mood disorders in general. METHOD: Medline was searched for population-based incidence studies concerning mood disorders among migrants and mean relative risks were computed using a mixed-effects statistical model. RESULTS: Only a few studies of unipolar depressive disorder were retrieved. The mean relative risk of developing bipolar affective disorder among migrants was 2.47 (95% CI 1.33-4.59). However, after excluding people of African-Caribbean origin in the UK this risk was no longer significantly increased. The mean relative risk of mood disorders of unspecified polarity was 1.25 (95% CI 1.04-1.49) and that of any mood disorder was 1.38 (95% CI 1.17-1.62). CONCLUSIONS: There is no conclusive evidence for a large increase in the risk of mood disorders associated with migration.

Anthropology, Cultural↗

Negative association between a history of obstetric complications and the number of neurological soft signs in first-episode schizophrenic disorder.

We examined the relationship between a history of obstetric complications (OCs) and the number of neurological soft signs (NSS) in a group of 132 patients experiencing their first episode of psychosis. We measured NSS by means of a comprehensive standardized assessment and gained information on a selection of nine OCs from the patient's mother. Contrary to our expectations we found significantly more NSS in the group of patients without a history of OCs. This effect was independent of medication in the group of patients with a schizophrenic disorder, but not in the entire group. It is possible that the patients with a history of OCs carry fewer genes for schizophrenia (and NSS) and 'needed' the OCs to develop schizophrenia.

Adult↗

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and the risk of psychosis.

The objective of the current research was to examine the relation between non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) use and risk of psychosis. To this end we performed a longitudinal case-control study using prescription data from a Dutch health insurance company. Men aged 25 years or over and women aged 30 years or over were excluded to prevent inclusion of non-incident cases. This resulted in eighty-two cases and 359 randomly selected controls from the same population. The overall relative risk of incident antipsychotic use for NSAID users, adjusted for age and prescription frequency, was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.48-1.33). After stratification for gender the risk of psychosis was significantly lower (59%) in male NSAID users only. The relative risks for male and female subjects were 0.41 (95% CI: 0.17-0.97) and 1.31 (95% CI: 0.65-2.64), respectively. These results suggest that in men NSAIDs may lower the risk of psychosis.

Adult↗

Acetylsalicylic acid as an adjuvant therapy for schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Findings from both epidemiological and basic research point to the possibility that NSAIDS impede the deterioration in schizophrenia. METHODS: To study the efficacy of acetylsalicylic acid we will perform a randomized placebo controlled double-blind add-on trial of 80 inpatients and outpatients with schizophrenia, schizophreniform or schizoaffective disorder. Patients will be 1:1 randomized to either 3 months 1000 mg acetylsalicylic acid per day or 3 months placebo, in addition to their regular antipsychotic treatment. All patients will receive pantoprazole treatment for gastroprotection. The outcomes of this study are 3-month change in psychotic and negative symptom severity, cognitive function, and several immunological parameters. This trial may (1) yield a new (adjuvant) therapy for schizophrenia and (2) add to the knowledge on the pathogenesis of this major psychiatric disorder.

Journal Article↗

Incidence of schizophrenia among ethnic minorities in the Netherlands: a four-year first-contact study.

There is only one previous report on the first-contact incidence of schizophrenia among immigrants in the Netherlands, which was based on a small number of cases, particularly for second generation immigrants. We conducted another two-year first-contact incidence study in the same geographical area, combined the data of both studies and compared risks over all four years. The incidence of schizophrenia was increased for all first generation non-Western immigrants. The risk was particularly high for second generation immigrants: the age- and gender-adjusted incidence rate ratio was 5.8 (95% CI, 2.9-11.4) for Moroccans, 2.9 (1.6-5.0) for Surinamese, 2.3 (1.0-5.4) for Turks, and 3.5 (1.8-6.8) for immigrants from other non-Western countries.

Adolescent↗

Emergency psychiatry, compulsory admissions and clinical presentation among immigrants to the Netherlands.

BACKGROUND: Black individuals in the UK have higher rates of contact with psychiatric emergency services than their White counterparts. It is unknown whether this is also the case in other European countries. AIMS: To compare the risk of contact with psychiatric emergency services and of compulsory admission between immigrant groups to The Netherlands and Dutch natives, and to determine the unique contribution of ethnicity to compulsory admission. METHOD: Study of 720 people referred to emergency psychiatric services in Greater Rotterdam, The Netherlands. RESULTS: The relative risks (RRs) for contacts with psychiatric emergency services, for having a psychotic disorder and for compulsory admission were significantly higher in most immigrant groups. Moroccans, Surinamese and Dutch Antilleans had the highest risks of compulsory admission. After controlling for symptom severity, danger, motivation for treatment and level of social functioning, non-Western origin was no longer associated with compulsory admission. CONCLUSIONS: Non-Western immigrant groups were overrepresented in psychiatric emergency care and were admitted compulsorily more frequently, possibly owing to a different clinical presentation.

Adult↗

Cannabis--psychosis pathway independent of other types of psychopathology.

AIMS: To investigate if associations between cannabis use and psychotic symptoms occur independently, or occur as a consequence of previous-other types of-psychopathology. METHODS: A 14-year follow-up study of 1580 initially 4- to 16-year-olds who were drawn randomly from the Dutch general population was conducted. At initial assessment, psychopathology was assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist. Across the 14-year follow-up period, cannabis use and psychotic symptoms were assessed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). Because cannabis use is generally condoned in The Netherlands, false-negative reports of cannabis use may occur less frequently than in countries with stricter drug policies, which supports the value of the present study. RESULTS: Survival analyses indicated that the association between cannabis use and psychotic symptoms occurred independently of initial CBCL scores. CONCLUSIONS: The link between cannabis use and psychotic symptoms is specific, and does not depend on the earlier presence of other types of psychopathology. This indicates that research aimed at unraveling mechanisms that are responsible for this specific association is useful. Further, given the fact that cannabis use seemed to be a specific risk factor for future psychotic symptoms, prevention aimed against cannabis use may prohibit the onset of psychotic symptoms in vulnerable individuals.

Adolescent↗

Cannabis use predicts future psychotic symptoms, and vice versa.

AIMS: To assess if cannabis use is a risk factor for future psychotic symptoms, and vice versa, in adolescents and young adults from the general population. DESIGN: Cohort study. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: 'Zuid Holland' study, a 14-year follow-up study of 1580 initially 4-16-year-olds who were drawn randomly from the Dutch general population. Because cannabis use is generally condoned in the Netherlands, false-negative reports of cannabis use may occur less frequently than in countries with stricter drug policies, which supports the value of the present study. MEASUREMENTS: Life-time cannabis use and psychotic symptoms, assessed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). FINDINGS: Cannabis use, in individuals who did not have psychotic symptoms before they began using cannabis, predicted future psychotic symptoms (hazard ratio = 2.81; 95% confidence interval = 1.79-4.43). However, psychotic symptoms in those who had never used cannabis before the onset of psychotic symptoms also predicted future cannabis use (hazard ratio = 1.70; 95% confidence interval = 1.13-2.57). CONCLUSIONS: The results imply either a common vulnerability with varying order of onset or a bi-directional causal relationship between cannabis use and psychosis. More research on patterns and timings of these relationships is needed to narrow down the possibilities.

Adolescent↗

Schizophrenia and migration: a meta-analysis and review.

OBJECTIVE: The authors synthesize findings of previous studies implicating migration as a risk factor for the development of schizophrenia and provide a quantitative index of the associated effect size. METHOD: MEDLINE was searched for population-based incidence studies concerning migrants in English-language publications appearing between the years 1977 and 2003. Article bibliographies and an Australian database were cross-referenced. Studies were included if incidence reports provided numerators and denominators and if age correction was performed or could be performed by the authors. Relative risks for migrant groups were extracted or calculated for each study. Significant heterogeneity across studies indicated the need for a mixed-effects meta-analytic model. RESULTS: The mean weighted relative risk for developing schizophrenia among first-generation migrants (40 effect sizes) was 2.7 (95% confidence interval [CI]=2.3-3.2). A separate analysis performed for second-generation migrants (seven effect sizes) yielded a relative risk of 4.5 (95% CI=1.5-13.1). An analysis performed for studies concerning both first- and second-generation migrants and studies that did not distinguish between generations (50 effect sizes) yielded a relative risk of 2.9 (95% CI=2.5-3.4). Subgroup comparisons yielded significantly greater effect sizes for migrants from developing versus developed countries (relative risk=3.3, 95% CI=2.8-3.9) and for migrants from areas where the majority of the population is black (relative risk=4.8, 95% CI=3.7-6.2) versus white and neither black nor white. CONCLUSIONS: A personal or family history of migration is an important risk factor for schizophrenia. The differential risk pattern across subgroups suggests a role for psychosocial adversity in the etiology of schizophrenia.

Anthropology, Cultural↗

First-contact incidence of schizophrenia in Surinam.

We tested the hypothesis that the increased incidence of schizophrenia among Surinamese immigrants to The Netherlands could be explained by a similarly high incidence in Surinam. We conducted a 1-year first-contact incidence study in Surinam and compared the findings with data from a similar study conducted in The Netherlands using the same inclusion criteria and instruments. The risk of developing a schizophrenic disorder was 2.4 times higher (95% CI 1.3-4.2) in Surinamese immigrants than in residents of Surinam. The increased risk is probably due to environmental factors in The Netherlands.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Migration, family dysfunction and psychotic symptoms in children and adolescents.

A cross-sectional study of 3426 referred children and adolescents showed that the presence of both migration history and family dysfunction was associated with a fourfold (95% CI 2-9) higher risk of psychotic symptoms compared with the absence of these factors. The relative risk was 2 (95% CI 1-4) for migration history only. Interaction between migration history and family dysfunction accounted for 58% (95% CI 5-91%) of those with psychotic symptoms. These results suggest a relationship between family dysfunction and migration in the development of psychosis.

Adolescent↗

Social defeat: risk factor for schizophrenia?

The hypothesis that chronic and long-term experience of 'social defeat' may increase the risk for schizophrenia is proposed. This increased risk may result from sensitisation of the mesolimbic dopamine system and/or increased baseline activity of this system. Data supporting the social defeat hypothesis are presented.

Dopamine↗

Cannabis use and age at onset of schizophrenia.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to assess the independent influences of gender and cannabis use on milestones of early course in schizophrenia. METHOD: In this population-based, first-contact incidence study conducted in The Hague, the Netherlands, patients (N=133) were interviewed with the Comprehensive Assessment of Symptoms and History, and key informants were interviewed with the Instrument for the Retrospective Assessment of the Onset of Schizophrenia. Milestones of early course were 1) first social and/or occupational dysfunction, 2) first psychotic episode, and 3) first negative symptoms. RESULTS: Male patients were significantly younger than female patients at first social and/or occupational dysfunction, first psychotic episode, and first negative symptoms. Cannabis-using patients were significantly younger at these milestones than were patients who did not use cannabis. Multivariate analyses showed that cannabis use, but not gender, made an independent contribution to the prediction of age at first psychotic episode: male cannabis users were a mean of 6.9 years younger at illness onset than male nonusers. In contrast, age at first social and/or occupational dysfunction and the risk of developing negative symptoms before the first contact with a physician for treatment of possible psychotic disorder were predicted by gender, but not by cannabis use. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate a strong association between use of cannabis and earlier age at first psychotic episode in male schizophrenia patients. Additional studies examining this possibly causal relationship are needed.

Adolescent↗

Diagnostic stability in a Dutch psychosis incidence cohort.

BACKGROUND: No study outside the UK has examined the diagnostic stability of psychotic disorders in a population-based sample. AIMS: To determine diagnostic stability in a Dutch population-based psychosis incidence cohort, to examine the frequencies of diagnostic shifts to and from schizophrenic disorders and to report the revised relative risks of schizophrenic disorders for immigrants. METHOD: A 30-month follow-up study assessed the cohort (n=181) by means of face-to-face diagnostic interviews. RESULTS: Diagnostic stability of schizophrenic disorders was high (91%), but lower for other psychotic disorders. At follow-up, the initial diagnosis was adjusted to schizophrenic disorder more often than that the reverse occurred. Almost half (49%) of the patients who were not initially diagnosed as having a schizophrenic disorder received this diagnosis at follow-up. The relative risks for most immigrant groups were stable. CONCLUSIONS: Schizophrenic disorders are underdiagnosed, rather than overdiagnosed, at first presentation.

Cohort Studies↗

No relationship between risk of schizophrenia and prenatal exposure to stress during the Six-Day War or Yom Kippur War in Israel.

AIM: Maternal stress during pregnancy is a possible risk factor for schizophrenia in the offspring. Using data from the Israel Psychiatric Registry we examined the impact of wars in Israel. METHOD: Retrospective birth cohort study. RESULTS: Relative risks for cohorts exposed to Six-Day War and Yom Kippur War were 0.98 (95% CI: 0.85-1.13) and 1.00 (0.86-1.16). CONCLUSION: The evidence for maternal stress as a risk factor for schizophrenia remains insufficient.

Adult↗

Sex differences in the risk of schizophrenia: evidence from meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Sex differences in the risk of a particular disorder can yield important clues regarding its pathogenesis. The evidence for a sex difference in the risk of schizophrenia is inconclusive. The purpose of this study was to integrate results from the published literature and to provide a quantitative index of the male-female ratio for the incidence of schizophrenia. METHODS: The MEDLINE and PsychLIT databases were searched for English-language publications on "incidence and schizophrenia" that appeared during the period between January 1980 and September 2001. Population-based incidence studies using standard clinical diagnostic criteria were included if they reported sex-specific incidence rates. Sex-specific incidence figures were extracted directly from each study. Categorical analyses were conducted on a subset of studies that met specific methodological criteria (to minimize criterion bias, hospital bias, and age bias). Study categorization and data extraction were performed independently by 2 of us (A. A. and J.-P.S.). RESULTS: Log risk ratio meta-analysis was conducted using a random-effects model. The incidence risk ratios for men to develop schizophrenia relative to women were 1.42 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.30-1.56) when all studies were included in the analysis (49 effect sizes), 1.31 (95% CI, 1.13-1.51) when studies that minimized selection biases were analyzed separately (23 effect sizes), and 1.39 (95% CI, 1.15-1.68) when only high-quality studies were included (11 effect sizes). The sex difference was significantly smaller in studies with sample years before 1980 than those with sample years after 1980. No significant sex differences were reported in studies from developing countries. A final analysis, limited to studies with an age cutoff of 64 years or older (16 effect sizes), yielded a mean risk ratio of 1.32 (95% CI, 1.13-1.55). CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis provides evidence for a sex difference in the risk of developing schizophrenia, as reported in the published literature from the last 2 decades.

Confidence Intervals↗