Follow-up of a cohort of individuals with ultra high risk for psychosis: assessment of genetic transition markers

• Grant number: 16/09069-1
• Support type: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: September 01, 2016 - August 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Psychiatry
• Principal researcher: Alexandre Andrade Loch
• Grantee: Alexandre Andrade Loch
• Home Institution: Instituto de Psiquiatria Doutor Antonio Carlos Pacheco e Silva (IPq). Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da USP (HCFMUSP). Secretaria da Saúde (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Assoc. researchers: Daniel Shikanai Kerr ; Wagner Farid Gattaz

Abstract

Schizophrenia affects about 1% of the population, and is a disorder that tends to be chronic and disabling. Consequently, science the past years has directed its efforts to target individuals at high risk of for psychosis ("ultra-high risk", UHR). However, to date, the present body of knowledge demonstrates that conversion rates for UHR individuals to psychosis vary widely, and much effort has been made to render more specific criteria. Environmental / individual factors (neuropsychological performance, childhood trauma, perinatal events, personal or family history of migration, urbanicity) and biological (genetic) factors are involved to a greater risk of conversion. From a population sample of 1500 individuals aged between 18 and 30 years old from São Paulo, we selected 150 individuals with high scores on a screening scale for UHR and 75 control subjects. In addition to clinical evaluation (SIPS questionnaire - Structured Interview for Psychosis-Risk Syndromes, neuropsychological assessment), such individuals will have their blood drawn for genetic evaluation. The blood will be assessed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in real time (Taqman®) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) related to genes of the dopaminergic system (DRD1, DRD2, DRD3, DRD4, COMT), the glutamatergic system (GRIK4 , GAD1, GRIN2B), and other important SNPs of schizophrenia-related genes (NRG1, DISC1, DTNBP1, DAO, DAOA) will be evaluated. Multivariate statistical analyzes, and structural equation modeling (latent classes analysis ) will be held, including data from the psychiatric interview (psychiatric symptoms - SIPS), neuropsychological data and genetic data so that we can develop risk algorithms for transition to psychosis. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

LOCH, ALEXANDRE ANDRADE; FREITAS, ELDER LANZANI; HORTENCIO, LUCAS; CHIANCA, CAMILLE; ALVES, TANIA MARIA; SERPA, MAURICIO HENRIQUES; ANDRADE, JULIO CESAR; VAN DE BILT, MARTINUS THEODORUS; GATTAZ, WAGNER FARID; ROESSLER, WULF. Hearing spirits? Religiosity in individuals at risk for psychosis-Results from the Brazilian SSAPP cohort. SCHIZOPHRENIA RESEARCH, v. 204, p. 353-359, FEB 2019. Web of Science Citations: 0.