0000000000017861
AUTHOR
Francesco Lavano
Executive functions rehabilitation proposal: A tailored intervention
Executive functions (EFs) are cognitive processes that allow the development of intentional behaviors e requiring the ability to formulate goals and objectives, capacity for initiative, to anticipate the consequences of actions, to organize behavior and monitor it and adapt it based on the context. Patients with EFs deficiencies exhibit specific disorders of planning, regulation and correction intentional conduct and cognitive activity, while they have no problem in the execution of usual action sequences.
Addictions substance free during lifespan
The addictions substance free is an umbrella definition comprises internet addiction, sexual addiction, gambling pathological, workholism, videogames and computer addiction. Actually, the technological addictions is frequent in young adolescents. The term Digital Natives indicates the children born in an information system of learning and communication different from that of the generations previous. This temporal range was strongly characterized by growing presence of technological communication toolsin daily life. The effects of hyper-exposition to technological tools tend to create a relational virtuality without a body is born,therefore, already within the family ties and during adolesc…
Anxiety disorders in developmental age
Anxiety disorders represent the more common psychiatric disorder in developmental age and it is estimated that a third of adolescents satisfy the criteria for an anxiety disorder at the age of 18. Many researches show that the disorders of anxiety in childhood are associated with anxiety disorders in adulthood, depressive disorders and use of psychoactive substances. Suffering from anxiety disorders, such as specific phobia, agoraphobia, social anxiety or panic disorder, represents a strong predictor for the development of other psychiatric disorders consequential. In the literature the debate on the weight of environmental factors and genetic factors in determining the development of anxie…
The cerebral localization of executive functions
Executive Functions (EFs) are a complex neuropsychological tool that can lead all action of daily-life indipendently from age. The attempt to associate specific regions of the central nervous system (CNS) with specific sensory functions, motor and cognitive skills is one of the most recurring themes in the history of neuroscience. The concept of cerebral localization of mental activities started from the formulations of beginning phrenologists in Nineteenth century, passing through the holistic conceptions and antilocalization that marked some periods of the Twentieth century, until the beginning of the new millennium, characterized by the enormous popularity of the techniques of functional…
Sympathetic, metabolic adaptations, and oxidative stress in autism spectrum disorders: How far from physiology?
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is a complex and multifaceted neurobehavioral syndrome with no specific cause still identified, despite the worldwide increasing (prevalence for 1,000 children from 6.7 to 14.6, between 2000 and 2012). Many biological and instrumental markers have been suggested as potential predictive factors for the precocious diagnosis during infancy and/or pediatric age. Many studies reported structural and functional abnormalities in the autonomic system in subjects with ASD. Sleep problems in ASD are a prominent feature, having an impact on the social interaction of the patient. Considering the role of orexins (A and B) in wake-sleep circadian rhythm, we could speculate…
The complex cognitive system of executive functioning: A conceptual review
Every day we are faced with a variety of situations that require the use of cognitive processes different, such as recognizing and memorizing stimuli, understanding and producing statements, solving problems. In recent decades, cognitive psychology and neuropsychology have made considerable advances in description of these processes and how they can be disrupted as a result of an injury to the nervous system central. However, it is clear that our adaptation to the environment is not limited to perceiving, reading, and speaking. A fundamental aspect of mental life is represented by the need to continuously modulate the use of these cognitive resources to contingent needs according to our goa…
AUGMENTATIVE AND ALTERNATIVE COMMUNICATION (AAC) IN NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS: A MINIREVIEW
Children with neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), cerebral palsy or severe motor speech disorders may beneficiate of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems that may improve the developing language and the communication abilities. The term AAC tend to include each form of communication supplementing or replacing the natural speech production.
A minireview about preterm birth and main specific neurodevelopmental disorders
The preterm birth interrupts the physiological processes that allow the development of the Nervous System and of the body apparatus. Preterm children present a multi-organ dysfunction inversely proportional to the gestational age, leading to respiratory, cardiovascular, haematological, metabolic, infectious, and neurological problems.
ANGER IN CHILDREN: A MINIREVIEW
Aggressive behavior is a peculiar characteristic of most animal species playing an important role in species preservation and two types have been identified: interspecific and intraspecific aggression. The interspecific refers purely to the instinct of predation, while the intraspecific is the purpose for species preservation. Anger has been found in very young children between the ages of four and seven, is manifested through vocalizations, expressions and global movements affecting the entire body of the child: it is a means of communication privileged to express themselves and communicate. Anger must be considered a positive event, even if it may frighten it has a positive effect: transf…
Technology, educational challenges: Serious game and rehabilitation
During child neurodevelopment, parenting plays the key role for accompanying children trough the evolutionary path, taking into account the various risks and dangers that may occur. Actually, certain delays or developmental disturbances may be considered as the consequence of incorrect parenting behavior. In this perspective the use of electronic devices may be observed seriously.
The main sequelae of preterm birth: Focus on neurodevelopmental disorders
Preterm birth is a traumatic event that interrupts the physiological processes that allow the development of the Nervous System and the body systems, resulting in a multi-organ dysfunction, of an entity in inverse proportion to the gestational age, which causes respiratory, cardiovascular, metabolic, infectious endocrine problems. and neurological. In particular, at a neurological level, in the most serious cases, for macroscopic lesions of the Central Nervous System, there is the risk of incurring in evolutionary Disabilities (Infantile Cerebral Palsy etc.); but in the absence of severe damage, since the birth occurs at a critical moment of the cerebral development in which the cortex is b…
Maternal stress and coping strategies in developmental Dyslexia: An Italian multicenter study
BackgroundStudies about the impact of developmental dyslexia (DD) on parenting are scarce. Our investigation aimed to assess maternal stress levels and mothers’ copying styles in a population of dyslexic children.MethodsA total of 874 children (500 boys, 374 girls; mean age 8.32 ± 2.33 years) affected by DD was included in the study. A total of 1,421 typically developing children (789 boys, 632 girls; mean age 8.25 ± 3.19 years) were recruited from local schools of participating Italian Regions (Abruzzo, Calabria, Campania, Puglia, Umbria, Sicily) and used as control-children group. All mothers (of both DD and typically developing children) filled out an evaluation for parental stress (Pare…
The rorschach test evaluation in chronic childhood migraine: A preliminary multicenter case-control study
Object Migraine headache prevalence ranges from 1.2 to 3.2% at 7 years of age, increasing with age up to 4-19% in adolescents.1 The aim of the present study is investigating the personality style associated with children and adolescent affected by Migraine without aura (MwA), through administration of the projective Rorschach test and statistical comparison with a group of age- and sex matched healthy controls. Methods 137 patients (74 males and 63 females), aged 7.3–17.4 years (mean age 11.4, SD 3.02 years), affected by MwA according to the IHs-3 criteria. The projective Rorschach test has been administrered to all the cases and controls. Statistical comparisons of groups were performed th…
Non-Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Parasomnias and Migraine: A Role of Orexinergic Projections
Introduction: Sleep and migraine share a common pathophysiological substrate, although the underlying mechanisms are unknown. The serotonergic and orexinergic systems are both involved in the regulation of sleep/wake cycle, and numerous studies show that both are involved in the migraine etiopathogenesis. These two systems are anatomically and functionally interconnected. Our hypothesis is that in migraine a dysfunction of orexinergic projections on the median raphe (MR) nuclei, interfering with serotonergic regulation, may cause Non-Rapid Eye Movement parasomnias, such as somnambulism. Hypothesis/theory: Acting on the serotonergic neurons of the raphe nuclei, the dysfunction of orexinergic…
Anxiety and depression levels in prepubertal obese children: a case-control study
Introduction Childhood obesity has become worldwide epidemic both in Western and in developing Countries and has been accompanied by many serious and severe comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea syndrome, depression, dyslipidemia, impaired glucose homeostasis, steatohepatitis, and intracranial hypertension, as well as medical concerns unique to youth such as accelerated pubertal and skeletal development and orthopedic disorders. To date no specific studies about the psychological assessment in pediatric obesity are present. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the putative relationship between psychological troubles and obesity in a sample of school-aged chil…
Visual–spatial training efficacy in children affected by migraine without aura: a multicenter study
Francesco Precenzano,1,* Maria Ruberto,2,* Lucia Parisi,3 Margherita Salerno,4 Agata Maltese,3 Beatrice Gallai,5 Rosa Marotta,6 Serena Marianna Lavano,7 Francesco Lavano,6 Michele Roccella3 1Clinic of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Headache Center for Children and Adolescent. Department of Mental and Physical Health and Preventive Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 2Department of Medical-Surgical and Dental Specialties, Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, 3Department of Psychological, Pedagogical and Educational Sciences, 4Sciences for Mother and Child Health Promotion, University of Palermo, Palermo, 5D…
Digital natives: Lucky or jellied?
The technology now seems to have involved not only the world of adults, but also and especially that of children, becoming a form of communication and rapid interaction and widespread dissemination. Some parents start to worry about a possible technolog- ical dependency, given the hours spent by the youngest, called digital children, in front of computer, smartphones and tablets. A decade ago, the sociologist Mark Prensky spoke of digital natives, that is the first generation of children grew up with consoles, videogames and computers while today we are witnessing an evolution of this concept in the third generation of digital, appeared approximately with the arrival of iPad and tablet and …