Role of cigarette use in hyponatremia in schizophrenic patients

Article Abstract:

Hyponatremia, or low blood sodium concentration, is a common problem among schizophrenics who become water intoxicated because of compulsive water drinking. This is a serious problem which can lead to seizures, coma, and death. Secondary problems such as impairments in water excretion (possibly due to medications), other symptoms of psychosis, and cigarette smoking may compound this problem. Schizophrenics are commonly heavy smokers, and some even eat cigarettes. Cigarette smoking causes the urine to become more concentrated, through the secretion of vasopressin, which has an antidiuretic effect. Two case studies of schizophrenic patients who developed grand mal seizures and were found to have hyponatremia are discussed. One patient was a heavy smoker, and the other was psychotic and ate cigarette butts. To further assess the effect of cigarettes on water metabolism, six health professionals who were heavy smokers were recruited for study. The two patients and six normal subjects fasted and refrained from smoking for 12 hours before controlled water drinking and periodic urine sampling were initiated. Cigarettes were introduced into the protocol, and the urine sampling continued. Blood samples were taken before the cigarettes and at the end of the study period. The two schizophrenics showed 94 and 77 percent reductions in free water clearance, respectively, after either smoking or ingesting two cigarettes. The average decrease in free water clearance for the healthy group was 94 percent at 60 minutes after smoking two cigarettes. This study supports the hypothesis that cigarettes, whether ingested or smoked, may be a strong contributor to the pathogenesis of hyponatremia in schizophrenics. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Risk factors, Physiological aspects, Smokers, Tobacco, Hyponatremia, Vasopressin, Vasopressins

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Sensory input deficits and negative symptoms in schizophrenic patients

Article Abstract:

Positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia have been found to have different repercussions. The type of symptoms experienced seems to have an effect on the progression and outcome of the disease. Negative symptoms typically consist of withdrawal and anhedonia, a lack of pleasure from normally pleasurable activities. Positive symptoms include delusions and hallucinations. A study examined 40 schizophrenic patients and 35 normal control subjects to test some hypotheses that associate degrees of stimulus identification and information processing with the presence of either negative or positive symptoms. Patients with negative or a combination of negative and positive symptoms tended to exhibit deficits in recognizing sensory inputs. A significant increase in the time required to respond to visual stimuli in this group was observed when compared with the schizophrenics who displayed only positive symptoms and with the normal control group. The results also reinforce the hypothesis asserting a connection between negative or mixed symptoms and a reduced ability to process information. These data support the idea that there are multiple abnormalities in the sensory perceptions of patients with this subgroup of schizophrenia. Similarities between the negative or mixed symptom group and patients who have organic impairment as a result of head injuries were observed. This suggests that there may be a functional organic brain impairment in this particular group of schizophrenics.

Human information processing, Perception, Disorders of, Perceptual distortion

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Effect of distraction on communication failures in schizophrenic patients

Article Abstract:

Previous studies have shown that schizophrenics are distracted by irrelevant information and that this is associated with disordered thinking. The degree of thought disorder correlates with the amount of distraction. Problems in speech communication are commonly observed in schizophrenic patients, but a direct assessment of speech failure in conjunction with periods of information overload has not been performed. To further investigate this relationship, 17 schizophrenic and 14 manic patients were assessed, along with 15 normal control subjects. The performance of these subjects was evaluated by an interviewer during distraction conditions and without distraction conditions, and the linguistic variability of the subject's speech was recorded. The speech of the schizophrenic patients became more disorganized in the presence of distraction, which indicated that the distraction resulted in impaired communication. Neither the manic nor the normal subjects were similarly affected by distractions. The fact that all of the schizophrenic and manic subjects were being treated with neuroleptic medications probably influenced the resulting data. It was hypothesized that these drugs most likely reduced the effect of language dysfunction in these patients. Researchers are currently performing a follow-up study to assess the effect of neuroleptics on performance. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Telecommunications systems, Speech disorders

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