We tested the reliability, sensitivity, and validity of a Chinese translation of the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale Revision 4 (SQLS-R4). One hundred Taiwanese individuals with schizophrenia were recruited. The internal consistency reliability was satisfactory for both the psychosocial and vitality domains (Cronbach's a = 0.92, 0.84). The test-retest reliability was also high (psychosocial: ICC = 0.84, vitality: ICC = 0.84) for those individuals whose psychological conditions remained stable between the two-week interval. However, the responsiveness coefficient for those with considerable changes in psychological conditions ranged from very small to moderate, suggesting either low responsiveness for the vitality domain or a complex relationship between the change of psychological conditions and quality of life, and the need to estimate responsiveness more conclusively in a future intervention study. The convergent validity was supported by moderate-to-large correlations between domains measuring related constructs of the SQLS-R4 and SF-36 (r = -0.65 to -0.67). Overall, the results of this study provide preliminary evidence for the reliability and validity of the SQLS-R4 used in Taiwanese individuals with schizophrenia. This study provides a common ground for international researchers to understand quality of life in Taiwanese patients with schizophrenia.

Objectives. To validate the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale Revision 4 (SQLS-R4) Chinese version with factor analysis. We also investigated factors influencing quality of life results. Method. One hundred patients with schizophrenia participated in this study. Experienced psychiatrists evaluated each patient's current psychological condition to assure intact judgment. Participants then filled out the quality of life questionnaire, SQLS-R4. We used principal component analysis to analyze SQLS-R4 with oblique rotation. We also collected demographic data, another subjective and objective quality of life questionnaire, and information about the functional status of the participants at the same time. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze collected factors which may influence the quality of life of schizophrenic patients. Results. We extracted seven factors that explained a 68.1% variance in the patients' quality of life. The factors were relationships with others, loneliness, exhaustion, depressed thinking, somatic concerns, vitality, and worry. Conclusion. We found that the SQLS-R4 factor analysis provided insights into the structure of the quality of life of patients with schizophrenia. We also found that subjective social participation, subjective health, and depression were quality-of-life-related factors. Whether other factors influence the quality of life in patients with schizophrenia requires further investigation.

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Background Recently studies had showed that the amygdala may take part in the cognitive impairment in schizophrenia (SC). However, the mechanism is still unclear, so we explored the relationship between the amygdala resting state magnetic resonance imaging (rsMRI) signal and cognitive function, to provide a reference for the follow-up study. Methods We collected 59 drug-naïve SCs and 46 healthy controls (HCs) from the Third People’s Hospital of Foshan. The rsMRI technique and automatic segmentation tool were used to extract the volume and functional indicators of the SC’s amygdala. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used to assess the severity of the disease, and the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) was used to assess cognitive function. Pearson correlation analysis was used to compare the relationship between the structural and functional indicators of the amygdala and PANSS and RBANS. Results (1) There was no significant difference between SC and HC in age, gender and years of education. Compared with HC, the PANSS score of SC increased and the RBANS score decreased significantly. Meanwhile, the left amygdala volume decreased (t=-3.675, p < 0.001), and the Fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (FALFF) values of bilateral amygdala increased (tL=3.916, p < 0.001; tR=3.131, p = 0.002). (2) The volumes of the left amygdala were negatively correlated with the PANSS score (rL=-0.243, p = 0.039). While the FALFF values of the bilateral amygdala were positively correlated with the PANSS score (rL=0.257, p = 0.026; rR=0.259, p = 0.026). Bilateral amygdala volumes and FALFF values were positively correlated (rL=0.445, p < 0.001; rR=0.326, p = 0.006) and negatively correlated with RBANS score (rL=-0.284, p = 0.014; rR=-0.272, p = 0.020), respectively. Conclusion The abnormal volume and function of the amygdala play important roles in the disease process of SC, and are closely related to cognitive impairment.

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Background: Bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (SC) have many similarities in clinical manifestations. The acute phase of BD has psychotic symptoms, while SC also has emotional symptoms during the onset, which suggests that there is some uncertainty in distinguishing BD and SC through clinical symptoms. Aim: To explore the characteristics of brain functional activities and cognitive impairment between BD and SC. Methods: Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) test was performed on patients in drug-naïve BD and SC (50 subjects in each group), and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scanning was performed meanwhile. Rs-fMRI data were routinely preprocessed, and the value of the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) was calculated. Then each part of the scores of the RBANS and the characteristics of brain function activities were compared between the two groups. Finally used Pearson correlation to analyze the correlation between cognition and brain function. Results: (1) Compared with BD group, all parts of RBANS scores in SC group decreased; (2) The left inferior occipital gyrus (IOG, peak coordinates − 30, -87, -15; t = 4.78, voxel size = 31, Alphasim correction) and the right superior temporal gyrus (STG, peak coordinates 51, -12, 0; t = 5.08, voxel size = 17, AlphaSim correction) were the brain areas with significant difference in fALFF values between BD and SC. Compared with SC group, the fALFF values of the left IOG and the right STG in BD group were increased (p < 0.05); (3) Pearson correlation analysis showed that the visuospatial construction score was positively correlated with the fALFF values of the left IOG and the right STG (rleft IOG = 0.304, p = 0.003; rright STG = 0.340, p = 0.001); The delayed memory (figure recall) score was positively correlated with the fALFF value of the left IOG (rleft IOG = 0.207, p = 0.044). Discussion: The cognitive impairment of SC was more serious than BD. The abnormal activities of the left IOG and the right STG may be the core brain region to distinguish BD and SC, and are closely related to cognitive impairment, which provide neuroimaging basis for clinical differential diagnosis and explore the pathological mechanism of cognitive impairment.

Although a large amount of studies have manifested resting state electroencephalogram oscillatory abnormalities in schizophrenia and their first-degree relatives and in schizotype, the results are far from consistent and no research found any relationship between electroencephalograph (EEG) abnormalities and schizotypal personality in first-degree relatives. The present study is to verify the modifications of EEG power spectra in eyes-open resting state of schizophrenia and first-degree relatives, and to investigate associations between EEG band power and schizotypal personality traits in first-degree relatives of schizophrenia patients. Participant samples in this study consisted of 33 healthy normal controls, 35 unaffected first-degree relatives of schizophrenia patients and 35 schizophrenia patients. Group differences in resting EEG band power were examined via repeated-measures analysis of variance, and correlation between EEG power and schizotypal personality traits via Pearson Correlation analysis. The results showed that patients with schizophrenia exhibited increased delta, theta and alpha activity over anterior and central regions in eyes-open resting state compared with that of normal control. Gamma band power was found for the first time to be negatively correlated to schizotypal personality traits in first-degree relatives of schizophrenia patients. To conclusion, these findings suggested that low-frequency EEG activity might be neural manifestations of pathophysiological changes in the brain of schizophrenia, and gamma band activity might be an approach to measure the genetic liability of the disorder.

Background At present, there is not enough evidence to prove the relationship between blood lipid and electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities in common mental disorders (CMD). This study aimed to explore the relationship between them, to detect and prevent arrhythmia or sudden death. Methods We collected 272 CMD patients (maintained a fixed drug dose pattern for 1 year or more), including 95 schizophrenias (SC), 90 bipolar disorders (BD) and 87 major depressive disorders (MDD), and 78 healthy controls (HC) from the Third People’s Hospital of Foshan, China. We analyzed and compared their blood lipid and ECG indicators, to clarify the relationship between them. Results 350 participants were included. There were no significant differences in age, gender, total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and QTc (p > 0.05) among subjects. And there were significant differences in body mass index (BMI), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein (HDL), heart rate, PR interval and QRS width (p < 0.05). Person correlation analysis showed that QRS width was positively correlated with BMI and TG. And negatively correlated with HDL. Meanwhile, QTc was positively correlated with BMI. Multiple linear regional analysis further proved that TG (B = 3.849, p = 0.007) and LDL (B = 11.764, p = 0.018) were the risk factors, and HDL (B = -9.935, p = 0.025) was the protective factor for QRS width increase. Conclusion Long term medication of CMD patients should strengthen weight management, and conduct regular blood lipid and ECG examinations to achieve early detection and intervention in order to promote their health.