{"title":"The role of neuroinflammation in schizophrenia: Focus on Th17 cells functions","authors":"Mikhail Melnikov , Anna Lopatina , Anastasiya Sviridova , Dmitriy Chugunov , Theofanis Vavilis , Vasileios-Periklis Stamatellos , Eleni Stamoula , Marco Cosentino","doi":"10.1016/j.ajp.2025.104629","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ajp.2025.104629","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder associated with behavioural, cognitive, and emotional impairments. There are several leading theories on schizophrenia etilology, including genetic, neurotransmitter (dopamine and GABA-glutamate are the leading ones), immunological (microglial, cytokine, kynurenine) and neurodevelopmental (neuro-ontogenetic and neurodegenerative) theories. Despite the fact that in recent decades, the greatest efforts have been directed towards testing and developing genetic and neurotransmitter (including dopamine) theories, the recent evidence suggests that immunological aspects, in particular neuroinflammation (cytokine hypothesis) may play an important role in schizophrenia. Neuroinflammation in schizophrenia is thought to be mediated primarily by the activation of resident immune cells such as microglia. However, peripheral immune cells, which migrate through the blood-brain barrier into the central nervous system (CNS) are also involved in the development of neuroinflammation. Among the infiltrating cells that cause neuroinflammation, CD4<sup>+</sup> T helper (Th) 17 cells attract the most attention. These cells produce proinflammatory cytokines, increase the permeability of the blood-brain barrier, and activate resident microglia. The critical role of Th17 cells in the development of demyelinating and neurodegenerative diseases of the CNS has been established. In addition, the pathogenic role of Th17 cells in mental disorders such as depression and general anxiety disorder has also been demonstrated. In this report, we reviewed the recent evidence supporting the involvement of the Th17 cells in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Based on <em>in vivo</em> and <em>in vitro</em> studies, we suggest that Th17 cells could be considered as a promising additional therapeutic target in schizophrenia and deserve further investigation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8543,"journal":{"name":"Asian journal of psychiatry","volume":"110 ","pages":"Article 104629"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144654543","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yoo Jeong Lee , Ki Dong Ko , In Cheol Hwang, Hong Yup Ahn
{"title":"Health literacy and its relationship with mental health: A nationwide Korean survey","authors":"Yoo Jeong Lee , Ki Dong Ko , In Cheol Hwang, Hong Yup Ahn","doi":"10.1016/j.ajp.2025.104628","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ajp.2025.104628","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8543,"journal":{"name":"Asian journal of psychiatry","volume":"111 ","pages":"Article 104628"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144655516","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"On dosing equity, scientific responsibility, and what remains unsaid","authors":"Carlos De las Cuevas","doi":"10.1016/j.ajp.2025.104626","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ajp.2025.104626","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8543,"journal":{"name":"Asian journal of psychiatry","volume":"110 ","pages":"Article 104626"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144632140","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bengisu Büşra Mammadov , Eren Yildizhan , Nesrin Buket Tomruk
{"title":"Long-acting injectable antipsychotics in the treatment of schizoaffective disorder: A retrospective mirror image study for hospitalizations and treatment costs","authors":"Bengisu Büşra Mammadov , Eren Yildizhan , Nesrin Buket Tomruk","doi":"10.1016/j.ajp.2025.104625","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ajp.2025.104625","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the effect of long-acting injectable antipsychotic (LAI) use on psychiatric hospitalizations and treatment costs in schizoaffective disorder. In our retrospective, naturalistic mirror image study, we evaluated the medical records of patients attending to the community mental health centers affiliated to our hospital with the diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder during last 5 years. Comparisons were made for 43 patients using LAI treatment regarding hospitalizations and treatment costs for the one-year period before and after initiation of LAI with additional comparisons according to the class of LAI. The number and length of hospitalizations were lower after LAI treatment and the cost of drug treatment was higher but the cost of hospitalization was lower compared to the previous year. The cost of medication and total treatment costs in the first year of treatment was higher for patients using second-generation LAI than patients using first-generation LAI. After the initiation of LAI treatment, for the first-generation LAI group; there was no significant difference between the medication costs, but hospitalization costs and total treatment costs were lower and for the second-generation LAI group; the cost of medications was higher, the cost of hospitalizations was lower and the total cost of treatment was higher. Although the overall treatment cost rises due to the high prices of second-generation LAIs relative to hospitalization costs in our country, the reduction in hospitalizations associated with both groups of LAI in schizoaffective disorder is an outstanding outcome that is important for both patients and the community.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8543,"journal":{"name":"Asian journal of psychiatry","volume":"110 ","pages":"Article 104625"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144632139","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Brief facial emotional recognition tool for indian population: Development and validation","authors":"Sandeep Grover, Swapnajeet Sahoo, BN Subodh, Jahanavi Khatri, Amaneet Kaur Gandhi","doi":"10.1016/j.ajp.2025.104620","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ajp.2025.104620","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Facial emotion recognition is an essential component of social cognition. Due to cultural differences in emotional expression and recognition, assessment of facial emotion requires culture and ethnic specific instruments. Currently available instruments in the Indian context have limitations of copyright issues and longer version that limit their use. Hence, there is a need for brief, culturally validated tools for the Indian population.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study aimed to develop an ecologically valid facial emotion recognition tool and validate the same among the Indian population.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The study was conducted in three phases at a tertiary care center. In Phase 1, nine mental health professionals depicted seven emotions, yielding 1636 photographs. After multiple stages of expert review and participant labeling, 130 photographs were shortlisted. In Phase 2, 33 healthy mental health professionals validated these images across two sessions, and images with over 80 % concordance were selected, resulting in a final set of 21 images. In Phase 3, the tool was administered to 45 patients with schizophrenia, 45 biological relatives, and 38 healthy controls.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Patients with schizophrenia demonstrated significantly lower recognition of negative emotions (anger, disgust, fear) compared to healthy controls. Biological relatives also showed poorer recognition compared to healthy controls, particularly for anger, but no significant difference was observed between patients and their relatives. The Cronbach’s alpha value for the tool was 0.631.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The newly developed brief facial emotion recognition tool is a reliable, and culturally appropriate tool for facial emotion recognition in the Indian context, with potential utility in both clinical and research settings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8543,"journal":{"name":"Asian journal of psychiatry","volume":"110 ","pages":"Article 104620"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144632138","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A call to action to curb the use of punitive psychiatry and criminalization of not wearing a hijab: Differential diagnosis civil disobedience from antisocial personality disorder","authors":"Bijan Pirnia","doi":"10.1016/j.ajp.2025.104623","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ajp.2025.104623","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8543,"journal":{"name":"Asian journal of psychiatry","volume":"111 ","pages":"Article 104623"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144604386","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Valerio Ricci , Alessandro Sarni , Marialuiga Barresi , Lorenzo Remondino , Giovanni Martinotti , Giuseppe Maina
{"title":"Cannabis and suicide risk in first-episode psychosis: Mechanisms, interactions, and intervention strategies","authors":"Valerio Ricci , Alessandro Sarni , Marialuiga Barresi , Lorenzo Remondino , Giovanni Martinotti , Giuseppe Maina","doi":"10.1016/j.ajp.2025.104624","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ajp.2025.104624","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cannabis use represents a significant risk factor for both psychotic disorders and suicidal behaviors, with growing evidence suggesting complex interactions between these variables. This systematic review examines the relationship between cannabis use and suicide risk in first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients, and explores underlying mechanisms, moderating factors, and intervention strategies. Following PRISMA guidelines, we analyzed 50 studies involving 12,764 FEP patients. Results demonstrate that cannabis use, especially high-potency cannabis used regularly, is associated with significantly increased suicide risk with studies consistently reporting elevated odds ratios (ranging from 1.43 to 1.84), and dose-dependent effects—daily use showing higher risk (studies reporting OR: 2.73, 95 % CI: 1.89–3.94) and high-THC cannabis carrying greatest risk (OR: 3.12, 95 % CI: 2.11–4.62). Multiple mechanisms mediate this relationship: neurobiological alterations in the endocannabinoid system, exacerbation of depressive symptoms, impaired cognitive functions, increased duration of untreated psychosis, and reduced treatment adherence. Key vulnerability factors include early-onset cannabis use (before age 15–16), female gender, history of childhood trauma, and comorbid psychiatric disorders. Critical high-risk periods were identified, particularly the first month after treatment initiation and following hospital discharge. Effective intervention strategies include integrated early intervention programs combining pharmacological treatment with psychosocial approaches, specifically cognitive-behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and family interventions. Emerging evidence suggests potential therapeutic benefits of CBD and specific risk management protocols. This review highlights the clinical importance of assessing cannabis use patterns in FEP patients and implementing targeted interventions during critical periods, particularly given the increasing availability of high-potency cannabis products globally.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8543,"journal":{"name":"Asian journal of psychiatry","volume":"110 ","pages":"Article 104624"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144605091","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jiahong Su, Jingfeng Su, Weidong Tang, Hengzi Chen, Jiaming Su, Quliang Chen, Handi Zhang
{"title":"Longitudinal analysis of peripheral C3, C4 and CRP in patients with schizophrenia and their association with antipsychotic treatment efficacy","authors":"Jiahong Su, Jingfeng Su, Weidong Tang, Hengzi Chen, Jiaming Su, Quliang Chen, Handi Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.ajp.2025.104621","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ajp.2025.104621","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8543,"journal":{"name":"Asian journal of psychiatry","volume":"111 ","pages":"Article 104621"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144587628","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The clozapine package inserts need to reflect lower doses for Asians","authors":"Jose de Leon , Rajiv Tandon","doi":"10.1016/j.ajp.2025.104622","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ajp.2025.104622","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8543,"journal":{"name":"Asian journal of psychiatry","volume":"110 ","pages":"Article 104622"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144605089","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Huang-Li Lin, Yueh-Pin Lin, Tian-Mei Si, Roy Abraham Kalliyalil, Andi J. Tanra, Amir Hossein Jalali Nadoushan, Toshiya Inada, Seon-Cheol Park, Kok Yoon Chee, Afzal Javed, Kang Sim, Kuan-Lun Huang, Pornjira Pariwatcharakul, Norman Sartorius, Mian-Yoon Chong, Naotaka Shinfuku, Takahiro A. Kato, Shih-Ku Lin
{"title":"Diagnostic distribution of antidepressant users: Findings from the REAP-AD3 study","authors":"Huang-Li Lin, Yueh-Pin Lin, Tian-Mei Si, Roy Abraham Kalliyalil, Andi J. Tanra, Amir Hossein Jalali Nadoushan, Toshiya Inada, Seon-Cheol Park, Kok Yoon Chee, Afzal Javed, Kang Sim, Kuan-Lun Huang, Pornjira Pariwatcharakul, Norman Sartorius, Mian-Yoon Chong, Naotaka Shinfuku, Takahiro A. Kato, Shih-Ku Lin","doi":"10.1016/j.ajp.2025.104617","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ajp.2025.104617","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8543,"journal":{"name":"Asian journal of psychiatry","volume":"111 ","pages":"Article 104617"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144580454","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}