James Clelland received his PhD in Biochemistry from The University of Essex, UK, and completed his postdoctoral training at University College London. In 1998, he joined The Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research in Orangeburg, New York. His work has been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute on Aging. He has published more than 15 papers in peer-reviewed journals and he serves as an academic editor for the journal Plos One.

There is an inter-relationship between NMDA receptor-mediated signaling and dopamine signaling, and glutamate antagonists recapitulate the positive, negative and cognitive aspects of schizophrenia. Although current antipsychotic medication target dopamine (and a subset also 5-HT) receptors, there is a clear need for better schizophrenia treatments, and this poster will review and discuss the potential for development of medications that may address dysfunction of both systems.

Antipsychotic medication may have a role in structural brain changes found in schizophrenia. Most imaging studies are made in the early phase of the illness, mostly during the first episode, when the possible medication effects may not yet be noticeable. Our aim was to analyze whether lifetime antipsychotic use would have an effect on brain structural changes during a 9-year follow-up in a population based sample of schizophrenia cases with illness duration on average 10.4 years at baseline. Our focus was on total gray matter and subcortical structures. Data of 32 individuals with schizophrenia from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 were collected by interview and from medical records. Lifetime exposure to antipsychotic medication was estimated with dose years. Structural MRI data at ages of 34 and 43 were acquired on 1.5 GE Signa scanner and brain structures were extracted using volBrain automated volumetry system. The data were analyzed with linear regression with intracranial volume as a covariate. Higher lifetime antipsychotic dose associated with increase in both right and left lateral ventricles (standardized beta, b=0.45, p=0.006; and b=0.43, p=0.010; respectively) and with decrease in left caudate (b=-0.38, p=0.023), right accumbens (b=-0.38, p=0.036), and total gray matter (b=-0.38, p=0.035). This is one of the first studies being able to study schizophrenia cases with approximately 20 years of medication history and its effects on brain structure. We found that even after ten years of illness onset it is possible to detect structural brain changes that antipsychotic medication may contribute to.

Students’mental stability can be restored by comfort from a familiar home environment and support from their parents. However, many boarding students face various psychological and physical problems by themselves and cannot benefit from home care. The goal of this study is to examine psychological and emotional stress among students living in a dormitor Between October and November 2014, 124 students (74 male, 50 female) were enrolled at Korea International School (KIS) in Jeju, South Korea. By the Zung Self-rating Depression Scale (ZSDS), they were divided into two groups: the normal group and the depression group. I evaluated each group under the following circumstances: (1) individual school life (breakfast, snack, school class time, self study time, exercise time, sleep time), (2) physical health (neurologic, ophthalmic, auditory, respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, urologic, dermatologic), (3) factor analysis of ZSDS. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences Software (SPSS-version 21) was used to analyze the data. 45.9% of all enrolled students scored in the mild to moderated depression range. Female students had a more prevalent depression rate (female: 54%, male: 41%). There was nearly no statistical difference in physical symptoms, except for dyspepsia (28.4%/47.4%), arthralgia (17.9%/36.8%), and lower back pain (40.3%/59.6%) in the normal and depression groups respectively (P<0.05). The normal range group students had more study time (3.2/2.9 hours) and exercise time (77.2/67.4 minutes). In the factor analysis of ZSDS, the depressive group had a more manifest depressed mood and 50 percentage higher ZSDS items score than the normal group: core depressive factor (items 1: depressed affect, items 3: crying spells, items 14: hopelessness, items 17: personal devaluation, items 18: emptiness, items 20: dissatisfaction), anxiety factor (items 4: sleep disturbance) Our study showed there was nearly no difference in physical symptoms between both groups. However, it informed that the group having depression has more problems with motor symptoms because the group lacks an adequate amount of exercise due to psychological instability. In addition, this study also showed that mood disturbance was clearly more intense while the cognitive functions related to academic performance were proven not to be problematic in the depressive group.

Sudha Thomas has completed her MPhil in Psychiatric Social Work (pre doctoral) at the age of 25 years from National Institute of Mental Health And Neuroscience, India and currently doing her PhD at the same institute and she is working as senior research fellow in project entitled A study of brain imaging, neuropsychological profile, genetic markers and eye movements in the first degree relatives of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) She has published review articles in reputed journals and presented papers in different International and national conferences.

Background: To date there have been very few studies which explored the subjective experiences and needs of typically developing siblings with a brother or sister with autism spectrum disorder and no studies incorporated both parents and siblings views about their experiences related to sibling with autism. Therefore, the aim of the current study was threefold: (1) to identify the psychosocial needs of typically developing siblings with a brother or sister with autism spectrum disorder and (2) to identify socio-demographic and disability characteristics associated with sibling mental health difficulties (3) to prepare a psychosocial intervention package based on needs of typically developing siblings with a brother or sister with autism spectrum disorder.
Methods: Participants were 10 siblings (aged 8–13 years) of children with a brother or sister with autism spectrum disorder and their parents.
Tools: (1) Researcher prepared and used a questionnaire which explores the different psychosocial issues of typically developing sibling (2) A semi-structured interview schedule was used with parents to explore their understanding about typically developing sibling. Results: Both qualitative and quantitative data analysis revealed need for knowledge about autism, needs to improve sibling relationship and needs to improve their own behavioral issues. Psychosocial intervention for the family and siblings is recommended to help them deal with their needs and feelings. Researcher prepare package of psychosocial intervention for siblings and parents on the basis of their felt need.

Introduction: Depression is a mental disorder that highly associated with immune system. Therefore, this study compares the serum levels of IL-21, IL-17, and transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) between patients with major depressive disorder and health controls.
Material and Methods: A convenient sample of 41 patients with major depressive disorder and 40 healthy age-matched controls were participants of this study. The patients were interviewed face to face according to DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. Depression score was measured using completed Beck Depression Inventory in both groups. The serum level of the interleukins of IL-21, IL-17, and TGF-β were assessed using ELISA-kits.
Results: The mean score of Beck Depression score in the patient and control groups was 35.4±5.5 and 11.1±2.3. IL-17 serum level in the patients and the control group was 10.03±0.6 and 7.6±0.6 pg/ml, respectively (P=0.01). TGF-β level in the patients group was significantly higher than that of the control group; 336.7±20.19 vs. 174.8±27.20 pg/ml, (P<0.0001). However, the level of IL-21 was not statistically different between the two groups 84.30±4.57 vs. 84.12±4.15 pg/ml (P>0.05).
Conclusion: Considering pro-inflammatory cytokines, current results support the association of inflammation and depressive disorder. So, it seems that pro-inflammatory factor profile can be used as indicator in following of depression progress and its treatment impacts.