Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Drugging The Histone Acetyltransferase Ep300 Modulates Alternative Splicing At Schizophrenia Risk Genes, Shravani Malay

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose. We will evaluate the effects of drugging the epigenetic histone acetyltransferase (HAT) enzyme p300, encoded by the schizophrenia risk gene EP300, on genome-wide gene expression in neural cells. We hypothesize that drugging p300 will affect gene expression and alternative splicing of other schizophrenia risk genes. Our motivation is to identify potential new epigenetic treatment avenues for schizophrenia.

Methods. Prior to my joining the lab, an experiment was conducted using the novel p300 HAT inhibitor, A-485, to modulate genomic regulation in a neural cell line (SH-SY5Y). SH-SY5Y cells were exposed to 10μM of A-485 or vehicle (DMSO) for 24 …

Implementing A Medication Preference Questionnaire In Schizophrenia To Decrease The Risk Of Relapse, Chelsea Aldridge

Doctoral Projects

Schizophrenia is a debilitating disorder that affects the mind causing individuals to have delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thought processing, and or negative symptoms ranging from isolation to anhedonia. Schizophrenia has capabilities of becoming a disabling disorder if symptoms are not properly managed with appropriate psychotropic medications. Psychiatrists, Primary Care Providers (PCPs), and Psychiatric- Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (PMHNPs) typically treat the symptoms of schizophrenia with antipsychotics. Antipsychotics fall into two drug classes: first- generation or typical antipsychotics and second- generation or atypical antipsychotics that can be given orally or intramuscularly. Typical antipsychotics generally have more side effects than atypical antipsychotics. However, …

Ethical Issues With Schizophrenia Research And Treatment, Chloé Brogdon

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Schizophrenia is a complex and debilitating mental disorder that affects millions of individuals worldwide. Current medical science is rapidly growing in its understanding of this illness. As researchers and practitioners seek to better understand and treat this condition from a medical and physiological standpoint, it is crucial that ethical implications of research and treatment approaches are fully considered and prioritized. This project investigated the nature and scope of schizophrenia as an illness in order to delve into ethical issues with current research and treatment approaches. Some of the ethical issues identified and analyzed include issues with informed consent, stigmatization, and …

Design And Synthesis Of Substituted N,3,3-Triphenylpropanamide And 1-Benzhydryl-N-Phenylazetidine-3-Carboxamide Analogs And Their Biological Evaluation, Michael Dorogan

Theses and Dissertations

As D₁R agonism has significant implications in the treatment of cognitive deficits, we sought to develop novel D₁R PAMs, through the derigidification of BMS D₁R PAM hit compound. While we were able to synthesize derigidified analogs of the BMS hit compound, derigidification did not produce active D₁R ligands.

Mental Health Navigators Bridging The Gap Of Care For Clients With Schizophrenia: A Review, Valentina Loreto-Ashley, Valentina Loreto-Ashley

DNP Qualifying Manuscripts

Background: Schizophrenia is a thought disorder. As such it affects an individual level of function, and often leads to acute hospitalization. When clients with schizophrenia disorders are discharged, they are a great risk for suicide and danger to others. Services aimed at bridging patients from an acute facility to their community setting could be essential in helping the client in treatment to reach functional recovery and avoid relapse.

Objective: This article explores the role of mental health peer navigators in improving treatment adherence for adult clients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder being discharged from a psychiatric facility into their unique community …

Data-Driven Neuroanatomical Subtypes In Various Stages Of Schizophrenia: Linking Cortical Thickness, Glutamate, And Language Functioning, Liangbing Liang

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The considerable variation in the spatial distribution of cortical thickness changes has been used to parse heterogeneity in schizophrenia. We aimed to recover a ‘cortical impoverishment’ subgroup with widespread cortical thinning. We applied hierarchical cluster analysis to cortical thickness data of three datasets in different stages of psychosis and studied the cognitive, functional, neurochemical, language and symptom profiles of the observed subgroups. Our consensus-based clustering procedure consistently produced a subgroup characterized by significantly lower cortical thickness. This ‘cortical impoverishment’ subgroup was associated with a higher symptom burden in a clinically stable sample and higher glutamate levels with language impairments in …

Education To Improve Long-Acting Injectable Antipsychotic Use, Travis Donald Wolfangel

Dissertations

Purpose: Long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics are underutilized as an evidence-based treatment for schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to determine if a web-based LAI education module changed advance practice prescribers’ knowledge, attitudes, and practice behaviors regarding LAI antipsychotics one month after receiving LAI education at a community-based mental health organization.

Methods: This QI project was an observational pre- post-educational design. The 20-item Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) questionnaire was used to assess advanced practice providers’ knowledge retention, attitude changes, and practice modifications regarding LAI antipsychotics and prospective patient chart reviews were performed. …

A Life Lived With Schizophrenia: When Mother’S Love Is Kept In The Dark Exploring Maternal Communication And Attachment Organization In Families With Schizophrenia, Myrsini Stefanidou Marini

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In recent years, research into the transgenerational transmission of attachment styles has shown that a mother’sattachment style often predicts the attachment style of her infant. Fearsome parental behavior has been found to predict disorganized attachment in infants, which is further associated with a range of mental health disturbances in adolescence. Furthermore, regular patterns of disturbed communication between mother and child have also been found to lead to ‘schizophrenic’ thinking and behavior in the child’s life. While acknowledging that genetic and other biological factors contribute to the emergence of schizophrenia, this study focused on disorganized attachment and disturbed communication between mother …

Comparing Clozapine And Electroconvulsive Therapy In Refractory Schizophrenia, Anthony Alan Beaty

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Papers

Schizophrenia is a complicated problem that millions of Americans struggle with and unfortunately, about 50 percent of schizophrenics become resistant to medication. It is common practice to try multiple drugs to combat this resistance and many patients are placed on clozapine or given electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) as a last resort. Research has shown that many are not receiving the benefits of these treatments due to adverse effects, negative public opinion, and difficulty executing high quality research studies particularly when it comes to ECT. As a result, a significant number of patients that would benefit from these interventions are suffering with …

A Comparison Of Stigma Levels For Individuals With Psychological Disorders And Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities, Isabella E. Wood

Honors Theses

This study compared nine aspects of stigmatization (blame, anger, pity, help, dangerousness, fear, avoidance, segregation, coercion) amongst schizophrenia, binge eating, and intellectual disabilities. The overall MANOVA was significant, F(18, 183) = 89.95, p < .001, Wilks’ Lambda = .10. When the results for the dependent variables were considered separately, all nine dependent variables reached significance (p < .001). Schizophrenia scored highest in all categories except blame and pity. Blame was the highest for binge eating and pity was the highest for intellectual disabilities. Efforts to reduce stigmatization must be tailored to each disorder.

Use Of A Structured Clinical Interview To Eliminate Unspecified Psychiatric Diagnoses, Gabriela Mimbela

Cohort X

Background: A definitive psychiatric diagnosis can provide significant direction to patient treatment strategies and will facilitate the identification of potential risks and qualification for supportive resources. Psychiatric research programs that were initiated in the 1950s led to the classification framework known as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders. These guidelines provide physicians with the information that they need for the appropriate diagnosis of major psychiatric conditions. While the DSM has had a large impact on the practice of psychiatry, there are still no biological markers of these diseases. This has led to the development of diverse assessment …

Mental Health Professionals And Family Burden: Ways To Improve Training And Treatment, Johnnie Lee Jenkins, Iii

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

During deinstitutionalization, schizophrenia treatment shifted from state facilities to communities and families. This change stressed families. This study investigated mental health professionals' (MHPs) knowledge and training about this stress also called family burden (FB). The study had three research questions. These addressed MHPs’ view of FB, what barriers exist in treating FB, can multiple viewpoints define FB, and if these views influence MHPs to reduce it. This grounded theory study used 22 MHPs in seven focus groups (FGs). The participant recruitment process included email, list serves, phone calls, and one state conference. The participants were MHPs licensed for 3 years …

Nurses’ Knowledge Of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy As A Treatment For Schizophrenia, Iwalola Stella Omojola

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Existing evidence indicates that medications alone are not able to fully manage the psychotic symptoms associated with schizophrenia. Inadequately treated schizophrenia not only affects a patient's physical and mental health but also can lead to the onset of more complex issues such as substance and alcohol abuse disorders, homelessness, family conflicts, and violent behavior. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can assist in bridging the gaps associated with the use of medications in the treatment of schizophrenia. The purpose of this project was to increase the knowledge of nurses working at a private healthcare facility regarding the effective utilization of CBT as …

Examination Of Common And Rare Variant Genetic Architecture Of Psychiatric Disorders, Mohammad Ahangari

Theses and Dissertations

Psychiatric disorders are often heterogenous in their manifestation and genome-wide association studies have identified many common risk variants involved in their polygenic architectures with varying degrees of pleiotropy. In recent years, large-scale biobanks have also begun sequencing the genome of their participants to elucidate the role of rare risk variation in the genetic architecture of complex phenotypes, including psychiatric traits. This dissertation sought to better understand the role of both common and rare risk variation in the genetic architecture of psychiatric disorders with a particular focus on schizophrenia and alcohol problems. In the first three analyses, we focused on characterizing …

Cardiology And The Brain: How An Individual's Cardiovascular Health Relates To Their Mental Health, Megan Shea Kopicko

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

A scoping review was conducted to explore the relationship between the cardiovascular system and neurological system to determine if there is a connection between certain mental illnesses and heart health. This study was guided through implementation of Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) framework for scoping reviews. A literature search was conducted using PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar databases. Of the 934,251 sources found, only 21 studies met the study criteria and were ultimately selected for this study. Upon review, three themes were identified: (a) anxiety and cardiovascular disease; (b) schizophrenia and cardiovascular disease; and (c) depression and cardiovascular disease. …

Among Patients With A Dual Diagnosis Of Schizophrenia And Substance Use Disorder What Current Treatments Provide Optimal Outcomes?, Drew Mcnamara

Theses and Graduate Projects

Introduction: This research was conducted on the topic of dual diagnosis (DD) patients with co-occurring schizophrenia (SZ) and substance use disorder (SUD). The research question posed for this topic: among patients with a DD of SZ and SUD what current treatments offer optimal outcomes?

Methods: The research for this paper was predominantly a literature review. Forty-five sources were utilized in its construction. The majority of sources were peer-reviewed studies obtained from an online service via the Lindell Library at Augsburg University. Three textbooks were utilized. One expert interview was conducted.

Results: Three key findings within the research identified first, SUD …

Incidence Of Cancer And Stage At Diagnosis Among People With Recent-Onset Psychotic Disorders, Jared C. Wootten

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Evidence on cancer incidence in people with psychotic disorders, compared to the general population, is equivocal, although those with psychotic disorders so have more advanced stage of cancer at the time of diagnosis. The objective of this thesis was to compare cancer incidence and stage at diagnosis for people with psychotic disorders, relative to the general population. Our systematic review did not observe a significant difference in overall cancer incidence among people diagnosed with psychotic disorders (RR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.00 to 1.16), however people with psychotic disorders were more likely to be present with advanced stage cancer at …

Positive Symptoms Of Schizophrenia And Suicide: A Systematic Review Of Gender, Race/Ethnicity, And Premorbid Iq Variables, Susan Diann Paschall

Dissertations

Schizophrenia is an exceptionally debilitating mental disorder. Its effects permeate all facets of psychosocial functioning and it is associated with premature mortality. As such, suicide is of clinical concern. Positive symptoms such as hallucinations and delusions may influence the risk of suicide among individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia, but additional research is necessary, as the limited literature on this topic is dated and includes heterogeneous results. Early recognition of and intervention for suicide risk factors, such as the presence of positive symptoms of psychosis, may reduce mortality rates for individuals with schizophrenia. The present literature review examined the role of gender, …

Association Between Disability And Physical Activity Levels In Individuals With Serious Mental Illness, Rahul Shinde

Manipal College of Health Professions, Manipal Theses and Dissertations

Background: Every year 970 million people have a mental or substance use disorder globally. Approximately 7.5% i.e. 94 million of Indian population suffers from Serious Mental illness. Serious Mental Illness (SMI) is defined as any mental health condition that severely impairs anywhere from one to many critical life activities. Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are prominent conditions associated with disability and less physical activity. The current research is intended to understand association between disability and physical activity levels in clinically stable individuals with SMI. Aim: To study the relation between disability and physical activity levels in individuals with serious mental illness. …

Evaluating The Impact Of Federal Mental Health Policy: An Analysis Of How Federal Deinstitutionalization Impacted Persons With Severe Mental Illness, Jillian K. Douglas

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

This policy evaluation project evaluated how federal mental health policy changes impact individuals diagnosed with severe mental illness through analyzing how institutionalization and deinstitutionalization policies impact persons with severe mental illness (SMI). In order to determine how federal policy changes impact outcomes for people diagnosed with SMI, psychiatric hospitalization rates per 100,000 from 1850 to 2015 are compared to the life expectancy, incarceration rates per 100,000, and percentage of unhoused population with SMIs in the United States (U.S.) during the same years. Research compiled for this paper found that decreasing the numbers of psychiatric beds correlates within creased rates of …

Schizophrenia, Allison Hopps

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Schizophrenia overview including symptoms. Areas of interest regarding research and ways to advance treatment for schizophrenia patients. There is still much to be known about the disease and research to help patients.

Pineal Gland Abnormalities And The Relationship Of Melatonin To The Development And Symptom Severity Of Schizophrenia: An Integrative Review Of The Literature, Kathryn Margretta

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to critique the literature focusing on the role of pineal gland volume and function and the development of schizophrenia by asking the question, "What is the relationship between pineal gland physiologic function and development and symptom severity of schizophrenia? It is crucial that health care providers continue advocate for better understanding of schizophrenia in order to develop a more appropriate treatment and relive the suffering of those with schizophrenia. A review of published literature focusing on the pineal glands association with schizophrenia was performed using several databases including: ScienceDirect, PubMED, Google Scholar, Cumulated Index …

Risk Stratification For Treatment Decisions In People At Ultra-High Risk For Psychosis: A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis, Olajumoke Marissa Ologundudu

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

People with psychotic disorders have long-term negative health outcomes and contribute large health system costs. Intervening among those at ultra-high risk (UHR) for psychosis may prevent or mitigate risk for psychotic disorder; however, it is unclear if we should treat all UHR individuals or only those above a certain risk threshold. The objectives were to systematically review the literature on the cost-effectiveness of UHR programs, and to conduct an economic evaluation of a risk stratification strategy, where treatment decisions are based on the probability of transitioning to psychotic disorder. Our systematic review found that UHR programs are potentially cost-effective. The …

Cognition In Health And Disease: Two Mouse Model Studies, Heather Lynn Mahoney

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cognitive and circadian dysfunction are common aspects of neuropsychiatric disease that are often overlooked in disease models and treatment strategies. In this work, we first evaluated the potential for cognitive enhancement in healthy adult mice by targeting a kinase involved in regulation of the molecular circadian clock. We then developed and characterized a model of neuropsychiatric disease that could present a target for rescuing circadian and cognitive deficits using this treatment.

Time-of-day effects have been noted in a wide variety of cognitive behavioral tests, and perturbation of circadian rhythms impairs hippocampus-dependent learning and memory. We first asked whether casein kinase …

The Integration Of Primary Care And Psychiatry For Adults With Schizophrenia, Yvonne C. Cobbs Dr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this project, the investigator used the Integrated Primary Care Consulting Psychiatry Toolkit (IPCCPT) to assist with an integrated primary care and psychiatric clinic’s operations through a virtual educational intervention to minimize care fragmentation for adults with schizophrenia. Mortality rates for adults with schizophrenia at this urban outpatient mental health clinic rose in patients with schizophrenia. From March to September 2020, there were 45 patient deaths not related to COVID-19. The investigator conducted a virtual educational webinar on the integration of primary care and psychiatry using the IPCCPT with 37 full-time employees in the clinic. The investigator measured the knowledge …

A Literature Review: An Analysis Of The Widespread Effects Of Solitary Confinement/Social Isolation On Mental Illness And Mortality, Taneasha Muonio

Theses and Graduate Projects

Solitary confinement or isolation is widespread globally and has been used as a form of punishment, reform, reflection, and cleansing throughout time. The devastating impacts of not having social interactions for extended periods of time have been documented and noted.1 These impacts include severe mental health disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicide, motor disturbances, biological changes, and increased mortality.1-3 The analysis of how the United States became the country with the largest prison system and mentally ill population is addressed in this thesis including understanding how the prison-industrial complex was built. Understanding how …

Functional Capacity Profiles In Bipolar Disorder And Schizophrenia, Ashley Sara Emami

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Serious mental illnesses (SMIs) often have an onset early in life and go on to produce disability and functional impairment, which require ongoing supportive services and loss of productivity. Bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SZ) are two of the most common SMIs. BD and SZ differ in their pattern of neurocognitive performance, which suggests differences in the severity of functional impairment between the illness groups. Within these psychiatric illness groups, subgroups may also be identified using cluster analysis. Evidence points to heterogeneity in functional outcomes in BD and SZ, yet very little research has assessed for subgroups based on functional …

Medication Adherence And The Schizophrenic Patient, Vennessa Downs

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

Medication adherence and patients diagnosed with schizophrenia is an ongoing issue for both health care practitioners and the patient. This a concern because patients with schizophrenia may experience severe adverse reactions from delayed care, withdrawal symptoms and cognitive impairment. Psychiatric medications have side effects that induces sickness, this may explain the reluctance of patients not wanting to continue psychiatric medication therapy. The lack of medication adherence in psychiatric patients leads to a disturbed quality of life; inducing clinical depression, anxiety, psychosis and the use of physical and chemical restraints in the hospital. Patients with schizophrenia that have a good insight …

Schizophrenia And Genomics, Tiffini Lasch

Nursing Student Class Projects (Formerly MSN)

There are several advancements in genomics under specific categories, such as cancer and autism. Mental health is one of the leading diseases to cause a significant debt burden in today's society. However, genomics has not translated well into mental health treatment. One area of focus is schizophrenia. Those with schizophrenia suffer from severe and devastating symptoms. The symptoms can lead to harsh complications. Which can make it impossible to function in everyday life. Many believe it is not just genetics alone, but also environmental factors that contribute to schizophrenia. Through large genome-wide associated studies, discoveries are being made. There have …

Psychosis, Spirituality & Expressive Arts Therapy: A Literature Review, Julie Sousa

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This literature review explores varied treatment modalities for individuals who experience psychosis, carrying diagnoses such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective, bipolar I, or bipolar II. These individuals frequently experience marginalization and stigmatization in society. Unfortunately, this is often mirrored within the health care systems that provide treatment. These systems tend to focus heavily on symptoms, highly pathologizing client’s experiences, which can cause resistance to treatment. While psychopharmacology and traditional talk therapy are shown to be effective, they are not always sustainable. Varied treatment modalities are necessary. In order to promote more holistic treatment for these individuals, this literature review highlights recent global …