PINK1, a gene product of PARK6, accumulates in alpha-synucleinopathy brains.
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Brain Diseases↗
Biomedical subjects
Yasuyuki Ohta
Publications and source records attributed to Yasuyuki Ohta.
Clear distinction between preattentive and attentive process in schizophrenia by visual search performance.
Visual information-processing deficits were investigated in patients with schizophrenia using visual search tasks. Subjects comprised 20 patients with schizophrenia and 20 normal subjects. Visual search tasks were modified from those used previously to reveal more distinct differences between feature and conjunction search tasks. The presentation area of items in the present study was more than double the area used in our previous study [Mori, S., Tanaka, G., Ayaka, Y., Michitsuji, S., Niwa, H., Uemura, M., Ohta, Y., 1996. Preattentive and focal attentional processes in schizophrenia: a visual search study. Schizophrenia Research 22, 69-76], and items were distributed over the area randomly in each trial to produce a certain range of locational jitter for each item across trials that prevented a matrix-like presentation of items at fixed positions [Mori, S., Tanaka, G., Ayaka, Y., Michitsuji, S., Niwa, H., Uemura, M., Ohta, Y., 1996. Preattentive and focal attentional processes in schizophrenia: a visual search study. Schizophrenia Research 22, 69-76]. The target was a red square, and distractors were red circles in the feature search task and red circles and green squares in the conjunction search task. Slopes and intercepts of a linear function relating reaction times to set size were computed. In the feature search task, slopes for both groups were almost zero. In the conjunction search task, significant differences in slopes were seen between the two groups irrespective of target presence or absence. Moreover, the slopes were approximately twice as steep during target absence as during target presence. These results indicate more definitively than the results of our previous study [Mori, S., Tanaka, G., Ayaka, Y., Michitsuji, S., Niwa, H., Uemura, M., Ohta, Y., 1996. Preattentive and focal attentional processes in schizophrenia: a visual search study. Schizophrenia Research 22, 69-76] that patients with schizophrenia have deficits in focal attentional processing, although their preattentive processing functions at a normal level.
Adolescent↗
Intrathecal injection of epidermal growth factor and fibroblast growth factor 2 promotes proliferation of neural precursor cells in the spinal cords of mice with mutant human SOD1 gene.
We investigated three steps of neural precursor cell activation--proliferation, migration, and differentiation--in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis spinal cord treated with intrathecal infusion of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) into the lumbar spinal cord region of normal and symptomatic transgenic (Tg) mice with a mutant human Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) gene. We observed that 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) + nestin double-labeled neural precursor cells increased in the spinal cords of Tg mice compared with non-Tg mice, with a much greater increase produced by EGF and FGF2 treatment. The number of BrdU + nestin double-labeled cells was larger than that of BrdU + ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule-1 (Iba1), BrdU + glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), or BrdU + highly polysialylated neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM) double-labeled cells, but none expressed neuronal nuclear antigen (NeuN). On further analysis of the gray matter of Tg mice, the number of BrdU + nestin and BrdU + PSA-NCAM double-labeled cells increased more in the ventral horns than the dorsal horns, which was again greatly enhanced by EGF and FGF2 treatment. Because neural precursor cells reside close to the ependyma of central canal, the present study suggests that proliferation and migration of neural precursor cells to the ventral horns is greatly activated in symptomatic Tg mice and is further enhanced by EGF and FGF2 treatment and, furthermore, that the neural precursor cells preferentially differentiate into neuronal precursor cells instead of astrocytes in Tg mice with EGF and FGF2 treatment.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis↗
[Epidemiological study of schizophrenia on the Island of Tsushima in Nagasaki Prefecture].
The epidemiology of schizophrenia has been studied with regard to the incidence, prevalence, and morbid risk, and there have been comprehensive reviews. However, the incidence and prevalence have not been analyzed simultaneously in many studies. In the present study, which was performed on a remote island, the number of patients could be determined, and they could be followed up by the same observer. This permitted us to conduct comprehensive epidemiological research while providing local mental health care. The subjects were patients diagnosed with schizophrenia according to the DSM-III-R in Tsushima, Nagasaki Prefecture, between April 1, 1988 and March 31, 1996. The incidence of schizophrenia was 2.3 (2.5 in males, 2.1 in females) per 10,000 people of the population, and the age-adjusted incidence was 2.4. Its prevalence was 5.8 (6.1 in males, 5.7 in females) per 1,000 people of the population, and the age adjusted prevalence was 6.2. In both sexes, the number of patients and the prevalence increased annually. The morbid risk was 0.95% (1. 01% in males, 0.89% in females) by the direct method (calculated from the incidence) and 0.85% (0.90% in males, 0.81% in females) by the indirect method (calculated from the prevalence), showing similarity. These incidence, prevalence, and morbid risk results did not markedly differ from the values reported to date. It is important to establish preventive measures for schizophrenia on the basis of the basic data obtained in this study, and to serially evaluate changes in epidemiological parameters of schizophrenia after their application. Furthermore, by comparing these epidemiological findings with those of other mental disorders and other regions, methods are expected to be utilized comprehensively for local mental health care.
Adolescent↗
Evaluating community attitudes to people with schizophrenia and mental disorders using a case vignette method.
Utilizing the case vignette method, community attitudes about people with schizophrenia and mental disorders, and perceived causes of and images regarding schizophrenia were investigated. Participants comprised 1596 respondents living in the area covered by the K health center in N prefecture. The survey utilized the Mental Disorder Prejudice Scale, a case vignette, and other basic attributes. The case vignette survey yielded the following results: when asked about a landlord refusing to rent an apartment to the vignette subject, approximately 80% of respondents agreed with the landlord's decision. However, when asked about necessary conditions for the vignette subject to live in an apartment independently, only 2.4% of respondents chose 'difficult under any circumstance'. Approximately half of the respondents chose the following conditions: 'periodic visits to the hospital', 'availability of a system where people can discuss and address any problems that might arise' and 'attending a sheltered workshop or making attempts to rehabilitate'. Regarding acceptance as a neighbor after meeting the listed conditions, most respondents stated they would 'treat him just like any other neighbor' (47.3%), followed by 'help as much as possible in times of need' (36.3%). In other words, approximately 80.0% of respondents were willing to have the vignette subject as their neighbor. In addition, many respondents thought that schizophrenia is caused by problems in interpersonal relationships (64.8%) and represents an unstable disease (69.9%). When asked about having the subject as a neighbor, respondents were more willing to accept him as a neighbor after clarifying conditions for living arrangements.
Activities of Daily Living↗
Efficacy of 3-year psychiatric daycare treatment in patients with schizophrenia.
The present study investigated the efficacy of a 3-year psychiatric daycare (DC) program with regard to psychiatric symptoms and difficulties with daily living experienced by patients with schizophrenia. The subjects were 28 patients who met the diagnostic criteria from the 4th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for schizophrenia and continued DC treatment for 3 years. The present study assessed participants at two points: at the start of DC and after 3 years, by evaluating socioeconomic factors and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) scores. In addition, in order to measure difficulties with daily living, the Life Assessment Scale for the Mentally Ill (LASMI) and the Etoh Daycare Assessment Scale (ETODAS) developed at the Etoh Hospital, were used. Results indicated that no significant changes in socioeconomic factors or BPRS scores occurred during the 3-year period of DC treatment. However, over this period, mean scores (+/- standard deviation [SD]) for LASMI subcategories decreased from 1.6 +/- 0.8 points to 0.9 +/- 0.7 for daily living and from 1.7 +/- 0.8 to 1.2 +/- 0.7 for interpersonal relations, indicating significant improvement (P < 0.05). In addition, mean scores (+/-SD) for the ETODAS subcategories increased from 3.4 +/- 0.8 to 4.1 +/- 0.8 for expressiveness, from 3.3 +/- 0.9 to 4.0 +/- 0.8 for communication, from 3.1 +/- 0.6 to 3.6 +/- 1.0 for initiative within a group, and from 3.4 +/- 0.5 to 3.8 +/- 0.7 for cooperation in work activities, indicating significant improvement (P < 0.05). The present study suggests that DC can enable patients with schizophrenia to maintain their condition without worsening the psychiatric symptoms, and to improve their daily living skills, social skills in human relations, and work skills.
Activities of Daily Living↗
Nonparaneoplastic limbic encephalitis with relapsing polychondritis.
Relapsing polychondritis (RP), which shows pain, swelling and destruction of the affected parts, is a rare autoimmune disorder affecting cartilage. We report a patient with RP that affected skull cartilage, who subsequently developed multifocal meningoencephalitis. The patient presented with severe recent memory disturbance, anxiety and moderate depression. MRI study showed bilateral median temporal lobe lesions including hippocampi and amygdaloidal bodies, abnormal findings that disappeared after treatment with high-dose steroids. This is thought to be the first case of RP presenting amnesic syndrome and mental disorder associated with nonparaneoplastic limbic encephalitis involving bilateral hippocampi and amygdaloidal bodies detected by MRI.
Anxiety↗
Pathogenesis of conjunctivitis caused by Newcastle disease viruses in specific-pathogen-free chickens.
The pathogenesis of conjunctivitis caused by Newcastle disease viruses (NDVs) was investigated in 3-week-old specific-pathogen-free chickens. The chickens were inoculated intramuscularly, by eye drop or intranasally, with 10(7) plaque forming units of viscerotropic velogenic Newcastle disease virus (VVNDV), mesogenic NDV or lentogenic NDV. Macroscopically, lower palpebral conjunctivae appeared red with oedematous swelling in chickens inoculated with VVNDV. Histologically, mild lesions were focal hyperplasia of the conjunctival epithelial cells with cellular infiltration in the lamina propria of the conjunctivae in the chickens inoculated with VVNDV. Moderate lesions were vascular necrosis with congestion and haemorrhages, hyperplasia of conjunctival epithelial cells, and oedema and cellular infiltration in the lamina propria of the conjunctivae. Fibrin thrombi were observed in the capillaries of the lamina propria. In marked lesions, the whole conjunctiva was affected with more severe and extensive lesions. The mesogenic and lentogenic NDV strains induced no gross conjunctival lesions, but induced mild conjunctivitis without vascular necrosis.
Animals↗
Evaluating stigma against mental disorder and related factors.
This study attempted to identify forms of stigma against individuals with mental disorders and related factors. The subjects comprised 2632 people living in the area covered by the K health center in N prefecture. Factor analysis of the Mental Disorder Prejudice Scale (1211 valid responses) identified three factors: 'rejection', 'peculiarity' and 'human rights alienation'. Regression analysis revealed that age, welfare activities, an active problem-solving attitude, lecture attendance, and previous contact, exerted independent effects with respect to 'rejection'. These results suggest the importance of disseminating accurate information and creating more opportunities for people to have meaningful interactions with people with mental disorders in order to dispell the stigma.
Adult↗
Psychological distress among evacuees of a volcanic eruption in Japan: A follow-up study.
Psychological distress in 248 evacuees from a volcanic eruption was evaluated using a 30-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-30) at four time points after evacuation: 6 months, 12 months, 24 months and 44 months. The proportion of evacuees with psychological distress (defined as a GHQ score >/= 8) significantly decreased from 66.1% (6 months) to 45.6% (44 months). The GHQ mean score significantly improved from 12.6 to 8.9. Investigation of each factor on the GHQ showed progressive improvement over time in 'anxiety, tension and insomnia' and 'anergia and social dysfunction'. However, 'depression' began to improve only after 44 months and 'interpersonal dysfunction' started to worsen after 12 months. The dysfunction in interpersonal relationships continued at 44 months. Examination of the relation between GHQ mean scores and age group showed that recovery from psychological distress was more difficult in middle-aged and older evacuees than in younger evacuees.
Adult↗
Factors affecting the family support system of patients with schizophrenia: a survey in the remote island of Tsushima.
Possible support for home-cared schizophrenic patients and their families was investigated on Tsushima, one of the many isolated islands in Japan. The psychopathologic symptoms of the patients were evaluated using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scales (BPRS), their social adjustment using the Psychiatric Disability Assessment Schedule (DAS), mental states of the families using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), and the quality of life (QOL) using the Life Satisfaction Rating Scales (LSR). The family support systems for the patients were evaluated with regard to: (i) family support for the patient's daily life (FS), (ii) hardships of family life caused by living with the patient (HF), and (iii) empathic attitude of the family toward the patient (EA). Psychotic symptoms of schizophrenic patients were closely related to the mental state and QOL of their families. Family support was significantly correlated with HF and EA. Moreover, the family support system was shown to be related both to the psychotic symptoms of the patient and the mental state of the family. These results suggest that an approach to improve the family support system for the patient may exert positive effects on the patient's psychotic symptoms and his/her social adjustment. We also consider that intervention by a public organization is necessary to improve the family support system on islands.
Adult↗
Characteristics of trees drawn by patients with paranoid schizophrenia.
The objective of the present study was to investigate the relationship between schizophrenia subtype and morphological characteristics of trees drawn in the Baum test. Subjects comprised the following three groups: 20 patients diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia according to International Classification of Diseases (10th revision; ICD-10) criteria; 26 patients with non-paranoid schizophrenia according to ICD-10 criteria; and 53 healthy individuals. Differences in psychiatric symptoms as assessed using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) score were compared between patients with paranoid and non-paranoid schizophrenia. In addition, differences in two morphological characteristics of trees, namely trunk-to-crown ratio and trunk end opening, were compared between the three groups. No differences in psychiatric symptoms were identified between patients with paranoid and non-paranoid schizophrenia. Conversely, mean +/- SD trunk-to-crown ratio was 13.1 +/- 8.0 for patients with non-paranoid schizophrenia, 8.8 +/- 4.6 for patients with paranoid schizophrenia, and 5.4 +/- 3.4 for healthy individuals. Significant differences were identified between all three groups. Furthermore, mean trunk end opening was 0.80 +/- 0.7 for patients with paranoid schizophrenia, 0.38 +/- 0.6 for patients with non-paranoid schizophrenia, and 0.06 +/- 0.3 for healthy individuals. Again, significant differences were apparent between all three groups. These findings suggest that morphological differences in trees drawn in the Baum test can be observed between the two schizophrenia subtypes in terms of not only psychopathological interpretation, but also gestalt formation, as assessed on the basis of trees with collapsed gestalt or with some degree of gestalt. This suggests the possibility of multiple disorders at a physiological level. The present study confirmed that the Baum test can quantitatively assess facets of schizophrenia that existing scales such as BPRS are unable to analyze, and is useful for investigating brain function in patients with schizophrenia.
Adult↗
Effects of an educational program on public attitudes towards mental illness.
The World Psychiatric Association promotes global anti-stigma programs. However, evaluation research is crucial to developing effective programs. The present study examined the effects of a lecture on mental health on public attitudes towards mental illness. Subjects were recruited from individuals employed by private companies and the government. Attitudes towards mental illness were measured using the Mental Illness and Disorder Understanding Scale developed by the authors and the Scale of Negative Attitudes Towards the Independence of People with Mental Disorders. Test scores obtained before and after the lecture were compared. The results demonstrated that scores on both scales improved significantly. The present study suggests the effectiveness of this type of educational program in reducing stigma attached to mental illness and disorder.
Adult↗
Cauda equina syndrome caused by idiopathic sacral epidural lipomatosis.
The patient, who was a non-obese woman with no predisposing conditions of lipomatosis, slowly developed cauda equina syndrome. Spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) presented mass lesion of high intensity on T1-weighted image (WI) and an intermediate signal intensity in T2 WI in the epidural space of S1 to coccyges. It has been reported that most idiopathic epidural lipomatosis (IEDL) is observed in obese men, and all cases have involved the thoracic or lumbar region. This is the first report of a patient with cauda equina syndrome caused by idiopathic sacral epidural lipomatosis (EDL).
Aged↗