The findings of this study-the first, to our knowledge, to compare the relationship between AVHs and MATRICS domains across schizophrenia and bipolar disorder with psychosis-support theories that deficits in WM underly the genesis of AVHs. WM potentially represents a shared mechanism of AVHs across diagnoses, supporting dimensional classifications of these psychotic disorders. However, non-cognitive factors predictive of hallucination severity may be specific to schizophrenia.

Both the NSI Total and Validity-10 cut scores consistently identified potential symptom exaggeration across three mild TBI samples. Clinicians and researchers who use the NSI are encouraged to utilize either embedded validity measure in their practice.

When compared to women, men have a higher incidence of schizophrenia, with increases in negative and cognitive symptoms, and an overall poorer disease course. Schizophrenia is conceptualized as a disorder of aberrant gene transcription and regulation. Thus, epigenetics, the study of environmentally induced changes in gene regulation, could advance our understanding of the molecular underpinnings of schizophrenia. Peripheral histone methyltransferase (HMT) mRNA levels have been previously shown to be significantly increased in patients with schizophrenia and correlate with symptomology. In this independent study, peripheral lymphocytes were extracted and clinical symptoms were measured on 74 participants, (40 patients with schizophrenia (19 women, 21 men) and 34 healthy individuals (19 women, 15 men)). HMT (G9α, SETDB1 and GLP) mRNA levels and their resulting histone modification H3K9me2 were measured with RT-PCR and ELISA respectively. Plasma estradiol levels were also measured via ELISA and correlated with HMT mRNA. Clinical symptoms were measured utilizing the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Heinrichs Carpenter Quality of Life Scale (QLS). The results indicate that men with schizophrenia expressed the highest levels of G9α, SETDB1 mRNA and H3K9me2 protein levels. Additionally, higher levels of symptom presentation and an overall poorer quality of life were correlated with higher HMT mRNA and H3K9me2 protein levels in a sex-dependent pattern. These data support the hypothesis of a sex-dependent restrictive epigenome contributing towards the etiology of schizophrenia. The histone methyltransferases measured here could be potential future therapeutic targets for small molecule pharmacology.

Individuals with schizophrenia (SZ) and individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) demonstrate impaired emotional memory and decreased enjoyment of pleasant experiences (e.g., anhedonia). However, it is unclear whether these impairments reflect similar or different processes in the two diagnostic groups. This study compared emotional memory performance in three groups of females – controls, MDD, and SZ. Given that physical and social trait anhedonia has been shown to differentiate course of illness and emotional functioning within each disorder, the present study also examined whether trait anhedonia related to emotional memory differently in the groups. Participants viewed emotional and neutral images and twenty-four hours later completed an incidental recognition test. SZ participants demonstrated a trend for the worst memory performance. Across all groups, high intensity and negative images were remembered most accurately, while groups were not differentially influenced by the valence of the stimuli. Physical anhedonia was predictive of reduced memory for negative stimuli across all diagnostic groups. Group specific findings indicated that higher levels of social anhedonia were predictive of poorer memory, but only in the SZ group. Effects remained significant when controlling for depressive symptoms. Results are considered in light of the differing role of anhedonia in SZ and MDD.