Cognition and heterogeneity in first-episode psychosis before antipsychotic treatment

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Ana Veic looks at an updated systematic review which suggests that patients with psychosis display cognitive difficulties very early in the disease process, and concludes this variation in cognitive function should prompt individual clinical assessments to optimise care.

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Is complex trauma associated with worse outcomes than non-complex trauma?

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Rudo Dube summarises a longitudinal study which finds that people exposed to complex trauma had higher levels of general psychopathology and were more likely to experience conditions such as PTSD, depression and psychotic symptoms.

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Periodontal disease: Does it increase risk of Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment?

Participants who reported higher levels of depression and social isolation had greater risk of loneliness, along with people living alone with dementia.

This blog on a review evaluating the association between periodontal disease (PD), Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) was written by the Scottish Special Care StRs following a critical appraisal workshop. The review included 13 studies and suggests a link between PD and AD/MCI, but the evidence is limited.

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Can we treat cognitive deficits in schizophrenia through electrical brain stimulation?

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Stefanie Sturm summarises a recent systematic review on improving cognitive deficits in schizophrenia using Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS), a form of electrical brain stimulation.

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Survivors of genocide more likely to develop dementia, according to new Israeli study

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Anna Sri explores a recent Israeli study which suggests that people exposed to genocide are more likely to develop dementia, even when a range of confounders are accounted for.

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Towards a symptom-based diagnosis of psychotic spectrum disorders?

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Stefanie Sturm critically analyses a recent paper that suggests a symptom-based continuum of psychosis explains cognitive and real-world functional deficits better than traditional diagnoses.

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Too much TV is associated with decline in verbal memory

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Sarah Gregory summarises findings from a large dataset analysis which explores the relationship between watching television and later cognitive decline.

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Too much of a good thing: the cognitive impact of problematic internet use

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Marissa Kube-Clare reviews a recent meta-analysis on the impact of Problematic Internet Usage on different domains of cognition. The review concluded that Problematic Internet Use was associated with significant cognitive impairment.

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Cognitive functioning in psychosis: is neuropsychological decline continuous, generalised, and specific to schizophrenia?

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Emmeline Lagunes Cordoba and Derek Tracy explore a case control study that looks at cognitive change in people with schizophrenia and other psychoses in the decade following the first episode.

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Cannabis use in the developing brain: evidence from a recent cross-sectional meta-analysis

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Joe Barnby considers the findings of a recent meta-analysis of cross-sectional observational data, which explores the association of cannabis with cognitive functioning in adolescents and young adults.

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