The Level of Expressed Emotion (LEE) scale was developed to provide an index of the perceived emotional climate in a person's influential relationships. Unlike existing measures, the scale was constructed on the basis of a conceptual framework described by expressed emotion theorists. In addition to providing an overall score, the 60‐item scale assesses the following four characteristic attitudes or response styles of significant others: Intrusiveness, emotional response, attitude toward illness, and tolerance/expectations. The scale underwent extensive psychometric development procedures: (1) theoretically based item generation; (2) pilot testing with normal and psychiatric populations to select the final items; and (3) construct validation within a schizophrenic population. The results were quite favorable and indicate that the LEE scale has sound psychometric properties of internal consistency; reliability; independence from sex, age, and amount of contacts; and construct validity.

Neural stem cells (NSCs) generate neurons throughout life in the mammalian hippocampus. However, the potential for long-term self-renewal of individual NSCs within the adult brain remains unclear. We used 2-photon microscopy and followed NSCs that were genetically labeled through conditional recombination driven by the regulatory elements of the stem cell-expressed genes GLI Family Zinc Finger 1 (Gli1) or Achaete-scute homolog 1 (Ascl1). Through intravital imaging of NSCs and their progeny, we identify a population of Gli1-targeted NSCs showing long-term self-renewal in the adult hippocampus. In contrast, once activated, Ascl1-targeted NSCs undergo limited proliferative activity before they become exhausted. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, we show that Gli1- and Ascl1-targeted cells have highly similar yet distinct transcriptional profiles, supporting the existence of heterogeneous NSC populations with diverse behavioral properties. Thus, we here identify long-term self-renewing NSCs that contribute to the generation of new neurons in the adult hippocampus.

During immature stages, adult-born neurons pass through critical periods for survival and plasticity. It is generally assumed that by 2 months of age adult-born neurons are mature and equivalent to the broader neuronal population, raising questions of how they might contribute to hippocampal function in old age when neurogenesis has declined. However, few have examined adult-born neurons beyond the critical period or directly compared them to neurons born in infancy. Here, we used a retrovirus to visualize functionally relevant morphological features of 2-to 24-week-old adult-born neurons in male rats. From 2 to 7 weeks, neurons grew and attained a relatively mature phenotype. However, several features of 7-week-old neurons suggested a later wave of growth: these neurons had larger nuclei, thicker dendrites, and more dendritic filopodia than all other groups. Indeed, between 7 and 24 weeks, adult-born neurons gained additional dendritic branches, formed a second primary dendrite, acquired more mushroom spines, and had enlarged mossy fiber presynaptic terminals. Compared with neonatal-born neurons, old adult-born neurons had greater spine density, larger presynaptic terminals, and more putative efferent filopodial contacts onto inhibitory neurons. By integrating rates of cell birth and growth across the life span, we estimate that adult neurogenesis ultimately produces half of the cells and the majority of spines in the dentate gyrus. Critically, protracted development contributes to the plasticity of the hippocampus through to the end of life, even after cell production declines. Persistent differences from neonatal-born neurons may additionally endow adult-born neurons with unique functions even after they have matured.

The relationship of the Camberwell Family Interview (CFI) with two self‐report scales purported to measure levels of expressed emotion was assessed. Fifteen schizophrenic patients and 22 of their relatives completed the Level of Expressed Emotion Scale (LEE) and the Influential Relationships Questionnaire (IRQ). The relatives of patients also participated in Camberwell Family Interviews (CFI). Results supported the value of the self‐report measures in evaluating the affective environment of patients with schizophrenia.

The relationship of the Five Minute Speech Sample (FMSS) to the Camberwell Family Interview and its coding system were evaluated. The Camberwell Family Interview and the FMSS were administered to twenty-three relatives of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. Overall, the results supported the utility of the FMSS and its coding system as a brief screening device for measuring expressed emotion.