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APP is an important locus predicting the age at onset of dementia in people with Down syndrome.

BackgroundCognitive deficits in various domains have been consistently replicated in patients with schizophrenia. Most studies looking at the relationship between cognitive dysfunction and functional disability are from developed countries. Studies from developing countries are few. The purpose of the present study was to compare the neurocognitive function in patients with schizophrenia who were in remission with that of normal controls and to determine if there is a relationship between measures of cognition and functional disability.MethodsThis study was conducted in the Psychiatric Unit of a General Hospital in Mumbai, India. Cognitive function in 25 patients with schizophrenia in remission was compared to 25 normal controls. Remission was confirmed using the brief psychiatric rating scale (BPRS) and scale for the assessment of negative symptoms (SANS). Subjects were administered a battery of cognitive tests covering aspects of memory, executive function and attention. The results obtained were compared between the groups. Correlation analysis was used to look for relationship between illness factors, cognitive function and disability measured using the Indian disability evaluation and assessment scale.ResultsPatients with schizophrenia showed significant deficits on tests of attention, concentration, verbal and visual memory and tests of frontal lobe/executive function. They fared worse on almost all the tests administered compared to normal controls. No relationship was found between age, duration of illness, number of years of education and cognitive function. In addition, we did not find a statistically significant relationship between cognitive function and scores on the disability scale.ConclusionThe data suggests that persistent cognitive deficits are seen in patients with schizophrenia under remission. The cognitive deficits were not associated with symptomatology and functional disability. It is possible that various factors such as employment and family support reduce disability due to schizophrenia in developing countries like India. Further studies from developing countries are required to explore the relationship between cognitive deficits, functional outcome and the role of socio-cultural variables as protective factors.

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Children who have taken psychostimulants long term for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are now presenting at adult psychiatry clinics at an age at which bipolar disorder and schizophrenia may first appear and at which pregnancy is a possibility. Doctors who may have little experience in the management of ADHD or use of psychostimulants are faced with decisions on whether to continue or withdraw medication. A literature search conducted to clarify these issues revealed that, although psychostimulants are generally efficacious in ADHD, the risks of withdrawal reactions and of possible long-term effects such as drug addiction, psychosis and depression, or effects in pregnancy, have not been adequately investigated. In particular, there is little information on the effects of withdrawal and no firm guidelines on methods of psychostimulant discontinuation. There is a need for further research to clarify the pharmacological issues involved in the drug treatment of ADHD and for overlapping arrangements between child and adult psychiatry clinics in the management of ADHD.

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Summary.-Mammary teat removal (thelectomy) was performed unilaterally in female Sprague-Dawley rats at 35 days of age. They were given 7,12-dimethylbenz-(a)anthracene (DMBA) when aged either 55 days or 79 days. One third were unmated; one third were mated one week and one third mated more than 3 weeks after DMBA administration. Animals were killed when tumour-positive or after one year, when mammary lesions had developed in 99 o of rats. The mean latent period for adenocarcinomas was 18-9 + 2-0 weeks. Benign mammary tumours, mainly secretory adenomas, developed significantly later (39-2 + 17 weeks). The rapid unilateral involution of the thelectomized glands at parturition had no effect on the localization of either adenocarcinomas or benign mammary tumours. Pregnancy and delayed DMBA administration markedly reduced the incidence of adenocarcinomas; lactation had no significant effect.In a separate experiment, precocious puberty induced with pregnant-mare-serum gonadotrophin in 30-day-old female Sprague-Dawley rats enabled their first pregnancy and lactation to be completed by 80 days of age. Parity before carcinogen administration significantly delayed the development of adenocarcinomas.

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