Relationship of Neuropeptide S with Clinical and Metabolic Parameters of Patients during Rehabilitation Therapy for Schizophrenia

Abstract

Neuropeptide S (NPS) is a factor associated with the central regulation of body weight, stress, anxiety, learning, memory consolidation, wakefulness–sleep cycle, and anti-inflammatory and neuroplastic effects. Its stress-reducing, anti-anxiety, arousal without anxiety, and pro-cognitive effects represent an interesting option for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. The purpose of the study was to examine the potential associations of NPS levels in the blood with clinical and metabolic parameters during the rehabilitation therapy of patients with schizophrenia. Thirty-three male subjects diagnosed with schizophrenia were randomly divided into two groups. The rehabilitation group (REH, N16) consisted of patients who were subjected to structured, 3-month intensive rehabilitation therapy, and the control group (CON, N17) consisted of patients who were subjected to a standard support mechanism. Both groups continued their pharmacological treatment as usual. The NPS concentration, as well as clinical and metabolic parameters, were compared in both groups. Additionally, a group of healthy (H) males (N15) was tested for NPS reference scores. To look for the specificity and selectivity of the NPS relationship with clinical results, various factor models of the positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) were analyzed, including the original PANSS 2/3 model, its modified four-factor version, the male-specific four-factor model, and two five-factorial models validated in large groups in clinical and multi-ethnic studies. Results and conclusions: (1) Structured rehabilitation therapy, compared to unstructured supportive therapy, significantly reduced the level of schizophrenia disorders defined by various factor models derived from PANSS. (2) The clinical improvement within the 3-month rehabilitation therapy course was correlated with a significant decrease in neuropeptide S (NPS) serum level. (3) The excitement/Hostility (E/H) factor, which included schizophrenic symptoms of the psychotic disorganization, was specific and selective for the reduction in serum NPS, which was stable across all analyzed factor models. (4) The long-term relationship between serum NPS and clinical factors was not accompanied by basic metabolic parameters.

Relationship of Neuropeptide S (NPS) with Neurocognitive, Clinical, and Electrophysiological Parameters of Patients during Structured Rehabilitation Therapy for Schizophrenia

“…However, since the General subscale is a collection of a variety of symptoms, the result could not be tracked further based on the original PANSS model. For further analysis of PANSS symptomatology versus NPS serum level see Markiewicz-Gospodarek et al (2022) [8].…”

“…All recruited patients had remained relatively stable, i.e., without active psychotic episodes for not less than 18 months. The patients cannot be treated as clinically "residual" according to ICD-10-DCR, as they were quite young, active, and multi-episodic, so they fit the pattern of episodic schizophrenia with stable or progressive development of negative symptoms in the intervals between psychotic episodes (ICD-10-DCR: F20.01/F20.02) [8]. No current suicidal risk was diagnosed.…”

“…Neuropeptide S (NPS) has multiple neuropsychiatric functions [7], and it has been postulated that it may play an important role in regulating cognitive functioning [8]. The problem is that so far, the studies have been conducted almost exclusively on animals [9].…”

Impact of varying maternal dietary folate intake on cerebellar cortex histomorphology and cell density in offspring rats

“…Purkinje cell arrangement from the cluster stage is determined by Reelin gene expression and its downstream molecules, apolipoprotein E receptor 2 (ApoER2) and very‐low‐density lipoprotein receptor (VLDRL) (Markiewicz et al, 2023; Nimura et al, 2019; Rahimi‐Balaei et al, 2018). Mutations in the Reelin gene and targeted deletion of ApoER2 and VLDRL genes cause ectopic Purkinje cells by preventing cluster dispersal (Jossin, 2020; Nimura et al, 2019; Rahimi‐Balaei et al, 2018; Sotelo and Rossi, 2021).…”

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and matrix metalloproteinase-9 activity during rehabilitation therapy of schizophrenic patients – environmental pilot study

“…Optimal treatment of schizophrenia in different settings (urban, rural) remains a strategic challenge and should include various and specific psychosocial interventions in addition to the optimal use of medications, with the aim of improving the well-being of patients from the abovementioned settings [27]. Intensive rehabilitation, especially using the neurofeedback (NF) technique on the levels of neuropeptides such BDNF or neuropeptide S (NPS) and its relationship to the patient's clinical condition, has already been demonstrated in previous human studies [4,23,28].…”