Person:
Maciejewski, Paul

Profile Picture

Email Address

AA Acceptance Date

Birth Date

Research Projects

Organizational Units

Job Title

Last Name

Maciejewski

First Name

Paul

Name

Maciejewski, Paul
Author's Publications: search.filters.isAuthorOfPublication.cc0333d0-15e2-4c6d-8c5f-1027aa4da59f

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Publication
    Decreased axial diffusivity within language connections: A possible biomarker of schizophrenia risk
    (Elsevier BV, 2013) Kubicki, Marek; Shenton, Martha; Maciejewski, Paul; Pelavin, P.E.; Hawley, K.J.; Ballinger, T.; Swisher, T.; Jabbar, G.A.; Thermenos, Heidi; Keshavan, Matcheri; Seidman, Larry Joel; DeLisi, Lynn
    Siblings of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia are at elevated risk for developing this disorder. The nature of such risk associated with brain abnormalities, and whether such abnormalities are similar to those observed in schizophrenia, remain unclear. Deficits in language processing are frequently reported in increased risk populations. Interestingly, white matter pathology involving fronto-temporal language pathways, including Arcuate Fasciculus (AF), Uncinate Fasciculus (UF), and Inferior Occipitofrontal Fasciculus (IOFF), are frequently reported in schizophrenia. In this study, high spatial and directional resolution diffusion MRI data was obtained on a 3T magnet from 33 subjects with increased familial risk for developing schizophrenia, and 28 control subjects. Diffusion Tractography was performed to measure white matter integrity within AF, UF, and IOFF. To understand these abnormalities, Fractional anisotropy (FA, a measure of tract integrity) and Trace (a measure of overall diffusion), were combined with more specific measures of axial diffusivity (AX, a putative measure of axonal integrity) and radial diffusivity (RD, a putative measure of myelin integrity). Results revealed a significant decrease in Trace within IOFF, and a significant decrease in AX in all tracts. FA and RD anomalies, frequently reported in schizophrenia, were not observed. Moreover, AX group effect was modulated by age, with increased risk subjects demonstrating a deviation from normal maturation trajectory. Findings suggest that familial risk for schizophrenia may be associated with abnormalities in axonal rather than myelin integrity, and possibly associated with disruptions in normal brain maturation. AX should be considered a possible biomarker of risk for developing schizophrenia.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Publication
    Prolonged Grief Disorder: Psychometric Validation of Criteria Proposed for DSM-V and ICD-11
    (Public Library of Science, 2009) Prigerson, Holly; Horowitz, Mardi J.; Jacobs, Selby C.; Parkes, Colin M.; Aslan, Mihaela; Goodkin, Karl; Raphael, Beverley; Marwit, Samuel J.; Wortman, Camille; Neimeyer, Robert A.; Bonanno, George; Block, Susan; Kissane, David; Boelen, Paul; Maercker, Andreas; Litz, Brett T.; Johnson, Jeffrey G.; First, Michael B.; Maciejewski, Paul
    Background: Bereavement is a universal experience, and its association with excess morbidity and mortality is well established. Nevertheless, grief becomes a serious health concern for a relative few. For such individuals, intense grief persists, is distressing and disabling, and may meet criteria as a distinct mental disorder. At present, grief is not recognized as a mental disorder in the DSM-IV or ICD-10. The goal of this study was to determine the psychometric validity of criteria for prolonged grief disorder (PGD) to enhance the detection and potential treatment of bereaved individuals at heightened risk of persistent distress and dysfunction. Methods and Findings: A total of 291 bereaved respondents were interviewed three times, grouped as 0–6, 6–12, and 12–24 mo post-loss. Item response theory (IRT) analyses derived the most informative, unbiased PGD symptoms. Combinatoric analyses identified the most sensitive and specific PGD algorithm that was then tested to evaluate its psychometric validity. Criteria require reactions to a significant loss that involve the experience of yearning (e.g., physical or emotional suffering as a result of the desired, but unfulfilled, reunion with the deceased) and at least five of the following nine symptoms experienced at least daily or to a disabling degree: feeling emotionally numb, stunned, or that life is meaningless; experiencing mistrust; bitterness over the loss; difficulty accepting the loss; identity confusion; avoidance of the reality of the loss; or difficulty moving on with life. Symptoms must be present at sufficiently high levels at least six mo from the death and be associated with functional impairment. Conclusions: The criteria set for PGD appear able to identify bereaved persons at heightened risk for enduring distress and dysfunction. The results support the psychometric validity of the criteria for PGD that we propose for inclusion in DSM-V and ICD-11.