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The transition to working life is a difficult process for young people with neuropsychiatric disabilities. The transition to adulthood involves a complex interplay between one's visions, social and economic “opportunity structures'' that society delivers. In this essay, the focus has been to cast light on young adults with neuropsychiatric diagnosis, how their experiences and perception has shaped them to choose to further educate themselves or establish themselves in the labor market. The method “life stories'' has been used as inspiration to bring out the interviewees' stories and to look back on their previous schooling. The study was also performed using a qualitative method. Theoretical starting points for this study were the concepts of inclusion, exclusion, and stigma. The transcribed interviews have been analyzed according to the method thematic analysis and the following main themes were identified: experiences of knowledge level about NPD among teachers, experiences of exclusion and inclusion in the school environment, strategies that have emerged to manage their everyday school life,experiences of support in previous schooling, the desire for more information about what support measures are available in further studies and the transition between further studies and establishment in the labor market. In summary the results showed a huge lack of knowledge among teachers regarding NPD andhow the support needs to be adapted for students with NPD. The results also showed that teachers stigmatized NPD students by negative statements related to NPD and NPD students’need of adapted support. This has resulted in that needs of NPD diagnoses have been identified during the later parts of the schooling period for most of the interviewed persons. This early exclusion and stigmatization resulted in a late inclusion during the schooling. The experiences of the interview persons also showed a lack of support and information when making their choice to continue their education or establishment on the labor market. There are also positive experiences that interviewees felt included in the education at some points during their schooling. However, the positive experiences were very few. Choosing to either study further or establish oneself in the labor market after high school is ultimately an individual choice based on people's previous experiences, but also personal interests.

Problematic school absenteeism is a growing problem that affects society as a whole. Every youth is unique and the educational path does not look the same for everyone. The aim of this qualitative study was to investigate how social workers handle and collaborate on problematic school absenteeism in Sweden. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six social workers from different professional fields. When analyzing results, the bioecological model and its system levels were applied. Internal factors that were shown to contribute to absenteeism were anxiety, communication difficulties and neuropsychiatric diagnoses. External factors that emerged were the institutional policies, norms, family, school and relational conditions. The social workers consider home visits to the pupils' families and close relationships as some important and successful factors in reducing school absenteeism. Cooperation needs to take place on several levels for pupils to return to school and integrate into society.

Title: Locally Integrated Groups – A special education alternativeAuthor: Jennie ArvidssonType of essay: Exam essay, second level (15 credits)Supervisor: Barbro Bruce, Examiner: Lisbeth OhlssonProgram: Special Education Program at Malmö Högskola, SwedenDate: 2012-01-12Present study is an attempt to describe how staff perceive their working operations in seven locally integrated groups, for pupils in special educational needs. By submitting a questionnaire to all professions within the groups I have tried to find similarities and differences in their statements from both structured and unstructured questions. The study is an attempt to contribute knowledge about how these groups can be understood and developed, based on a special education perspective, systems theory and sense of coherence (KASAM). The results shows that there is a consensus among the majority of staff opinions of the systems’ opportunities as well as dilemmas. On the other hand, it is possible to discern some differences in how the different professions describe their working operations according to how satisfied they are with didactic activities, interaction with others and the resources the groups has at its disposal. The basis for these differences lies in a variety of factors that have an effect on the staff opinions.Retrospectively, the study shows that the staff of the local integrated groups are looking for a central control of operations, and a clearer formulation of goals and visions. The staff also expressed a desire to establish a network between the groups, which may contribute to an exchange of experiences and increase the feeling of togetherness. More time for planning, developing further skills and continuous supervision are other resources that are sought after.

Yoga has been increasingly utilized as a potential intervention to improve cognitive functioning in patients with neuropsychiatric disorders. However, evidence-based review is limited. Further, whether the observed yoga-related changes in cognitive function are systematically related to specific neuropsychological domains or specific neuropsychiatric disorders remains underexplored. Thus, the aim of this review is to systematically evaluate randomized controlled trials that objectively measure global cognitive function and/or other neuropsychological domains (e.g., attention, executive functioning, social cognition, etc.) in neuropsychiatric populations. Four broad clusters of neuropsychiatric disorder are discussed: focal neurobehavioral syndromes; major neuropsychiatric disorders; neurological conditions with cognitive, emotional, and behavioral features; and comorbid neuropsychiatric and neurological conditions. / Kinesiology

Det finns forskning som visar att neuropsykiatriska funktionsnedsättningar, även kallat NPF-diagnoser hos barn, är starkt förknippade med ett nedsatt välbefinnande hos föräldrarna. Syftet med den här studien var att undersöka hur föräldrar till barn med NPF-diagnos påverkas till följd av sitt barns diagnos och deras upplevelser av samhällets och omgivningens stöd och bemötande med fokus på stigmatisering. Studien har en kvalitativ ansats och bygger på strukturerade intervjuer från fem föräldrar. Resultaten av studien visar att föräldrarnas välbefinnande i positiv bemärkelse är förknippat med en rad faktorer som vikten av samverkan mellan professioner, samhällets och omgivningens bemötande, kunskap och respekt för föräldrarnas expertis kring det egna barnet. Föräldrarna är även i behov av stöd och avlastning och möjlighet till återhämtning. Resultatet visade även på negativa aspekter där skolan och bristande kommunikation, okunskap och dömande förhållningssätt var det som främst bidrog till ett minskat förtroende och till att upprätthålla och förstärka stigmatiseringen av föräldrarna och barnen. / There is research that shows that neuropsychiatric disorders, also called NPF- diagnoses among children, is strongly associated with an impaired well-being among parents. The purpose of this research was to examine how parents with children with NPF-diagnosis are affected as a consequence of their child's diagnosis, including how they experience the support of the society and how they are approached and met, focusing on stigmatization. The study has taken a qualitative approach and is based on structured interviews from five parents. The result shows that the well-being of parents in a positive sense is associated with several factors such as the importance of interaction between professions, how they are approached by society and the knowledge and the respect of the parent´s expertise of the child. The parents are also in need of support and relief and the possibility for recovery. The result also showed some negative aspects, in which the school and lack of communication, ignorance and judgment mainly contributed to a decrease in trust and maintained and reinforced the stigmatization of the parents and the children.

Serotonin was first discovered in the late 1940s as a vasotonic factor and is now considered a principal neurotransmitter in the nervous system. 5-HT6 receptors are one of the most recently identified members of the serotonin receptor family which consists of seven classes (5-HT1-5-HT7). 5-HT6 receptors are G-protein coupled, positively coupled to an adenylate cyclase second messenger system and are primarily found in the central nervous system (CNS). The exact functional role of 5-HT6 receptors has not been determined, but is implicated to have possible involvement in certain neuropsychiatric disorders and cognition. To investigate the functional role of these receptors, it is useful to identify 5-HT6 selective ligands as pharmacological tools. Our laboratory identified one of the first 5-HT6 receptor antagonists: the arylsulfonamide MS-245 (14a). It has been assumed that a sulfonyl (i.e., SO2) moiety is important for the binding of arylsulfonamides at 5-HT6 receptors. We now have identified benzyl analog 33 (R=H) as a single example of a non-sulfonyl analog that retains affinity. This questions the importance of the SO2 group and whether an aryl moiety or other hydrophobic groups (of equal or greater hydrophibicity) is required for binding. The purpose of the present investigation was to determine if the SO2, and the aryl moieties are required for high affinity binding. N1-Alkylsulfonyl- 78, and N1-benzyl-substituted tryptamines 33 were synthesized and affinities compared with their corresponding N1-benzenesulfonyl-substituted counterparts 31 at h5-HT6 receptors. None of the alkylsulfonyl or benzyl analogs displayed and/or retained the affinity of the simple benzenesulfonyl tryptamine analog (31a) (Ki = 4.1 nM). The results show that an arylsulfonyl group at the tryptamine N1 position is optimal, relative to an alkylsulfonyl group, for 5-HT6 receptor affinity. In a comparative analysis utilizing six pairs of tryptamines, it was found that there was little correspondence (r2 = 0.048) between the 5-HT6 receptor affinities of the examined benzyl and benzenesulfonyl pairs. Current findings indicate that an aryl (or substituted aryl)sulfonyl (rather than benzyl) moiety is optimal for high affinity binding, and further suggest that N1-benzenesulfonyl- and their corresponding N1-benzyltryptamine counterparts bind in a different fashion.

Transmembrane signal transduction by ligand-activated G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) controls virtually every aspect of mammalian physiology, and this receptor class is the target of 40-50% of currently marketed pharmaceuticals. In addition to the clinical use of direct GPCR agonists and antagonists, it is now believed that GPCR effectors and regulators may also be viable drug targets with improved therapeutic efficacy and specificity. The prototypic role of Regulator of G protein Signaling (RGS) proteins is inhibition of G protein signaling through acceleration of GTP hydrolysis by GΑ, which promotes re-association of GΑ and GΒΓ subunits with the receptor at the cell membrane. In this way, RGS proteins determine the magnitude and duration of the cellular response to GPCR stimulation. Though RGS protein biochemistry has been well elucidated in vitro, the physiological functions of each RGS family member remain largely unexplored. RGS6 belongs to the R7 subfamily of RGS proteins originally identified in brain. Our acquisition of an RGS6-/- mouse allowed us to survey RGS6 expression in all tissues of the body revealing the greatest expression of RGS6 in brain. Despite robust neural RGS6 expression, little is known regarding functional roles of RGS6 in the brain and spinal cord. In addition, we identified several novel, higher molecular weight RGS6 immunoreactive bands specifically present in the nervous system. The plan of this thesis work was multifaceted. We sought to elucidate novel GPCR signaling cascades modulated by RGS6 in brain while simultaneously characterizing the expression patterns and identity of the novel RGS6 species specifically detected in the nervous system. Considering the large diversity of RGS6 isoforms present in brain, the abundance of potential RGS6 binding partners, and the possibility of discovering new mechanisms involved in RGS6 regulation, elucidation of the novel RGS6 molecular species is of paramount importance. Utilizing RGS6-/- mice we identified RGS6 as a critical modulator of two GPCRs in brain. First, by inhibiting the serotonin receptor 1A (5-HT1AR)-adenylyl cyclase (AC) axis, RGS6 functions to promote anxiety- and depression-related behaviors in mice. As a result, RGS6-/- mice exhibit a robust anxiolytic and antidepressant phenotype remarkably similar to that of animals treated chronically with therapeutic doses of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). RGS6 also inhibits GABAB receptor (GABABR)-G protein- activated inwardly rectifying potassium (GIRK) channel current in cerebellar granule cells, and loss of RGS6 results in cerebellar ataxia and gait abnormalities reversible by GABABR blockade. Furthermore, evaluation of voluntary alcohol drinking behaviors in WT versus RGS6-/- mice revealed a striking reduction in alcohol intake resulting from RGS6 loss in both acute and chronic alcohol consumption paradigms due, at least in part, to potentiation of GABABR signaling. Thus, RGS6 inhibitors have potential clinical utility in the treatment of mood disorders and alcoholism. We have shown that one novel RGS6 immunoreactive band expressed in the brain and spinal cord is a phospho-protein sensitive to Λ phosphatase-mediated dephosphorylation. Further, new information acquired from PCR amplification of RGS6 mRNA species from human brain cDNA libraries has necessitated substantial revisions to the RGS6 splicing scheme devised by the Fisher laboratory in 2003. To the 36 isoforms generated from two alternate transcription start sites (RGS6L vs. RGS6), the inclusion or exclusion of exons 14 and 17, and variable splicing to one of 7 different 3' terminal exons, we have added the possible insertion of three novel internal exons (A1, A2, A3), a retained intron, and two new 3' terminal exons. As a result, the number of RGS6 mRNAs present in brain could be as many as 248 unique species, an astonishing diversity unprecedented in the RGS protein family.

The main objective of this research is to investigate and examine how elementary schools in a medium-sized city in Sweden work to promote participation for students with neuropsychiatric disabilities. The study has three main research questions; how schools encourage and foster participation, how they regard their resources and the difference between resource schools and communal schools. To clarify the scope and these research questions we have conducted a qualitative study with five semistructured interviews with principals and head of unit on three resource schools and two communal schools. The data was then dissected and analysed by deductive analysis method and the system theory. The results show that schools work to promote student participation by first improving their social skills both in class and outdoors, adapting the environment and providing an approach that considers individual needs. We found that the shortage of teachers and staff, as well as the lack of knowledge and experience in such matter, are two main concerns. / Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur grundskolor från klass 1-9 i en mellanstor stad i Sverige, arbetar för att främja delaktighet för elever med neuropsykiatriska funktionsnedsättningar. Studien har tre stycken frågeställningar; hur skolorna främjar delaktigheten, hur de upplever sina resurser och om arbetet skiljer sig mellan resursskolorna och de kommunala skolorna. För att besvara syftet och frågeställningar genomfördes en kvalitativ studie med fem stycken semistrukturerade intervjuer med rektorer och enhetschefer från tre stycken resursskolor och två stycken kommunala skolor. Datan analyserades sedan genom en deduktiv analysmetod. Resultatet visar att skolor arbetar för att främja elevernas delaktighet genom att först utveckla deras sociala förmåga både i klassen och utanför, anpassa miljön och ge individanpassade lösningar anpassad efter alla elevers individuella behov. Brist på personal samt kunskapsbrist hos befintlig personal upplevdes som största resursbristen och den största skillnaden mellan resursskolorna och de kommunala skolorna var personaltätheten.

The post COVID-19 syndrome (PCS) is an emerging phenomenon worldwide with enormous socioeconomic impact. While many patients describe neuropsychiatric deficits, the symptoms are yet to be assessed and defined systematically. In this prospective cohort study, we report on the results of a neuropsychiatric consultation implemented in May 2021. A cohort of 105 consecutive patients with merely mild acute course of disease was identified by its high symptom load 6 months post infection using a standardized neurocognitive and psychiatric-psychosomatic assessment. In this cohort, we found a strong correlation between higher scores in questionnaires for fatigue (MFI-20), somatization (PHQ15) and depression (PHQ9) and worse functional outcome as measured by the post COVID functional scale (PCFS). In contrast, neurocognitive scales correlated with age, but not with PCFS. Standard laboratory and cardiopulmonary biomarkers did not differ between the group of patients with predominant neuropsychiatric symptoms and a control group of neuropsychiatrically unaffected PCS patients. Our study delineates a phenotype of PCS dominated by symptoms of fatigue, somatisation and depression. The strong association of psychiatric and psychosomatic symptoms with the PCFS warrants a systematic evaluation of psychosocial side effects of the pandemic itself and psychiatric comorbidities on the long-term outcome of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.