The infrared refraction technique is sufficiently sensitive to resolve equivalent changes in axial length of only +/- 10 microm in alert mice. Prolonged occlusion produces a significant myopic shift in B6 mice, but not in D2 mice. Even among isogenic B6 mice, the response is variable for reasons that presumably trace back to subtle developmental, environmental, and technical factors.

Although it has been shown that different mouse strains may have differently large eyes, the present study shows that a specific gene knockout can produce relative myopia, compared with the wild-type with near-identical genetic background. Further experiments are needed to determine whether the observed effects of Egr-1 deletion are due to changes in function within the retina or other ocular tissues or to changes of function in other systems that may affect ocular growth from outside the eye.

Aim The association between bipolar disorder and creativity may be related to symptoms of the disorder itself or personality traits present before the onset. To further explore the relationship between creativity and clinical risk for bipolar disorder, creativity among individuals with a history of depressive disorder and varying risk for future (hypo‐)manic episodes was assessed and compared. Methods Thirty‐eight participants completed the diagnostic process, including Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM‐IV) Diagnosis, Hamilton Depression Scale and Young Mania Rating Scale. The early detection tools Bipolar Prodrome Symptom Interview and Scale‐Prospective (BPSS‐P), Early Phase Inventory for Bipolar Disorders (EPIbipolar) and bipolar‐at‐risk‐(BAR) criteria were used to assign participants into different at‐risk groups. Assessment of creativity included Barron‐Welsh Art Scale (BWAS) and Creative Achievement Questionnaire (CAQ). Scores were compared between low‐ and high‐risk groups for the development of bipolar disorder. Results Participants meeting BAR criteria scored significantly higher on the BWAS than the non‐BAR group (P = 0.03). EPIbipolar groups did not differ significantly in creativity scores. Participants with mood swings, especially when associated with increased activity and euphoric features, had significantly higher BWAS scores compared to individuals without mood swings (P = 0.04). Sleep disturbances, substance abuse, anxiety, ADHD and behavioural disturbances in childhood or adolescence had no effect on creativity level or achievement scores. Generalisability was reduced by small sample size and inclusion of depressive participants only considered at‐risk for bipolar disorder. Conclusions There is evidence of increased creativity, but not of higher creative achievements, in persons at‐risk of bipolar disorder. Mood swings are strongly associated with creativity.

No abstract

A high correlation between both techniques was found for three of the four parameters (ACD, VCD, and AL). However, as the absolute values were different, both techniques cannot replace each other mainly because (1) one is non-contact and the other contact and can induce a minor indentation of the cornea and (2) each device uses different types of waves that cross the ocular interfaces differently. While consistency and repeatability were better by OLCI, a disadvantage is that, different from humans, it can only be used in anesthetized chicks.

Atropine caused a longlasting suppression of the pupil responses in the mouse eye. That the duration of recovery was not obviously dose-dependent suggests that all doses used in this study were saturating the receptors in the iris musculature.

Zusammenfassung. Psychosen manifestieren sich häufig im jungen Erwachsenenalter und können schwerwiegende Auswirkungen auf das Leben der Betroffenen und ihrer Angehörigen haben. In den meisten Fällen geht der Erstmanifestation eine mehrjährige Prodromalphase mit heterogener Symptomatik und erheblichem Funktionsverlust voraus. Eine Identifikation dieser Personen mit erhöhtem Erkrankungsrisiko ermöglicht es, präventive Maßnahmen zu ergreifen. Eine frühe Diagnosestellung und Einleitung einer adäquaten Behandlung, die pharmakologische, psycho- und soziotherapeutische Ansätze umfasst, sind von hoher Bedeutung für die Prognose der Erkrankung. Am besten können diese Ziele im Rahmen von spezialisierten Behandlungsangeboten für junge, erstmals psychotisch erkrankte Menschen bzw. mit erhöhtem Erkrankungsrisiko erreicht werden. Während solche Zentren in vielen Ländern Teil der Regelversorgung sind, sind sie im deutschsprachigen Raum noch die Ausnahme. Das Frühinterventions- und Therapiezentrum FRITZ am Urban bietet ambulante und stationäre Angebote zur Behandlung von Risikopersonen für die Entwicklung psychotischer Störungen und Patienten in einer frühen Phase der Erkrankung. Durch niedrigschwellige Beratungsangebote, eine zugewandte und unterstützende Haltung des multiprofessionellen Teams, das Angebot stabiler Bezugspersonen, die Wahrung der Patientenautonomie, eine Stärkung des Selbstwertes, sowie den Einbezug von Peers soll ein positiver Erstkontakt mit dem Versorgungssystem ermöglicht werden. Die Behandlung ist intensiv psychotherapeutisch ausgerichtet und soll durch frühen Einsatz von Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Strategien nicht nur zu einer Symptomremission, sondern auch zu einer funktionellen Recovery beitragen.

The objective of the study was to investigate the development of clinical outcomes of young people with early psychosis in a specialized inpatient treatment and assess the feasibility of such an intervention in an inpatient setting. The study was a prospective cohort study of patients with early psychosis treated at the specialized inpatient treatment “Fühinterventions-und Therapiezentrum, FRITZ” (early intervention and therapy center) in Berlin, Germany. The primary outcomes were attitudes towards psychiatric medication and patient satisfaction with treatment after 6 weeks. Secondary outcomes were clinical symptoms, functioning, remission, recovery, all-cause treatment discontinuation, and rehospitalisation at 6 and 12 months after inpatient treatment. We recruited 95 inpatients with early psychosis. Attitudes towards psychiatric medication (Δ6weeks = 3.00, d6weeks = 0.55; Δ6mo = 2.15, d6mo = 0.35; Δ12mo = 3.03, d12mo = 0.52) and patient satisfaction (Δ6weeks = 0.21, d6weeks = 0.40; Δ6mo = 0.32, d6mo = 0.43; Δ12mo = 0.13, d12mo = 0.17) changed with medium effect sizes at six weeks up to a 6- and 12-month follow-up. Clinical outcomes changed significantly with medium-to-large-effect sizes over 12 months CGIΔ12mo = 1.64, d12mo = −1.12; PANSS totalΔ12mo = 20.10, d12mo = −0.76; GAFΔ12mo = 19.58, d12mo = 1.25). The all-cause treatment discontinuation rate was 13.69% (n = 13) at a 6-month and 35.79% (n = 34) at a 12-month follow-up. The rehospitalization rate was 30.53% (n = 29) at a 6-month and 43.16% (n = 41) at a 12-month follow-up. Patients with specialized inpatient treatment for early psychosis showed improvements in attitude towards psychiatric medication, patient satisfaction, symptoms, and functioning for up to 12 months.Trial registration: DRKS00024351, 2021/02/11 retrospectively registered.