Failure to find association between childhood abuse and cognition in first-episode psychosis patients

AbstractThis study investigated the relationship between severe childhood abuse and cognitive functions in first-episode psychosis patients and geographically-matched controls. Reports of any abuse were associated with lower scores in the executive function domain in the control group. However, in contrast with our hypothesis, no relationships were found amongst cases.

EPA-1417 – Migration history and first episode psychosis: Results from EUGEI project- Italy

The excess of psychosis among migrants and ethnic minorities is a well defined phenomenon in North Europe, while it should be still demonstrated in south Europe. Because of the variation in prevalence and distribution of risk factors in different national contexts, similar studies in different countries are needed to test the hypotheses and to ensure the generalizability of the findings. Moreover, available studies have been mostly focused on risk factors of psychosis during the post migration phase (such as ethnic fragmentation, unemployment, etc) and among well established ethnic minorities (second and further generations of migrants). In Italy, first generation migrants are still the lar…

Influence of Computer-anxiety on the New Forms of Digital Divide

The study analyzes the perceived levels of computer-expertise, computer self-efficacy, Internet attitudes and computer-anxiety in a population of Italian teachers.

Mafia and psychopathy.

Background In popular culture, Mafia members are often portrayed as ruthless, callous and remorseless, but there is no empirical research on their personality traits. Aims The goal of this research was to examine levels of psychopathic traits among Mafia members who have been convicted of a criminal offence. Methods The Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) rated 30 Italian adult male prisoners who had been convicted for Mafia-related crimes (86% resident in one 6-month period) and 39 next adjacent convicted men who were not enrolled in any criminal organisation. Results Mafia members obtained lower PCL-R total scores, interpersonal and affective (PCL-R factor 1) scores and lifestyle scores…

What drives the higher incidence of psychosis in London compared to Palermo?

Background: Incidence of psychosis seems to be lower in Italy than in other European countries (Tansella et al. 1991; Lasalvia et al. 2012, Tarricone et al. 2012); however there are no studies comparing the incidence of psychotic disorder in Northern and Southern Europe. Methods: Incidence and socio-demographic data on all psychotic patients presenting for the first time to the mental health services of Palermo were collected over a period of three years. Palermo incidence rates were compared to South London rates obtained from the AESOP study (Kirkbride et al 2006). South London rates were reanalyzed excluding people aged 16-17 years and substance related psychoses. Second generation migra…

Pathological gambling in adolescence: A narrative review

Pathological gambling is an emerging and increasing phenomenon in Western counties. This work is aimed at reviewing the existing literature on this topic, paying special attention to its development, course and outcome in adolescence. We will explore epidemiological data, the instruments for the diagnostic and clinical assessment, the course and the outcome of the disorder, the comorbidity with other psychiatric syndromes and disorders. The main risk factors will be described at individual, social and community level. We provide an overview of the available pharmacological and psychological treatments and we report a clinical vignette in order to describe the psychological and psychopatholo…

The influence of risk factors on the onset and outcome of psychosis: What we learned from the GAP study

The GAP multidisciplinary study carried out in South London, recruited 410 first episode of psychosis patients and 370 controls; the aim was to elucidate the multiple genetic and environmental factors influencing the onset and outcome of psychosis. The study demonstrated the risk increasing effect of adversity in childhood (especially parental loss, abuse, and bullying) on onset of psychosis especially positive symptoms. Adverse life events more proximal to onset, being from an ethnic minority, and cannabis use also played important roles; indeed, one quarter of new cases of psychosis could be attributed to use of high potency cannabis. The “jumping to conclusions” bias appeared to mediate …

Low incidence of psychosis in Italy: confirmation from the first epidemiological study in Sicily

Purpose: The incidence of psychotic disorders varies in different geographical areas. As there have been no reports from Southern Italy, this study aimed to determine the incidence rate of first-episode psychosis in Palermo, Sicily. Methods: All patients, aged 18–65 years, presenting with a first episode of psychosis (FEP) (ICD-10 F20–29, F30–33) to mental health services in Palermo, were recorded over a 3-year period. Incidence rates of psychotic disorders and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated. Poisson regression was applied to estimate the differences in incidence rate ratio (IRR) by age, sex and migrant status. Results: Two hundred and four FEP participants were iden…

Chronic pain treatment through virtual reality

Chronic pain is a notable issue of public healthcare, causing enormous direct and indirect costs, and a reduction of the quality of life in the affected patients. In this study, we have used Virtual Reality (VR) as a method to reduce stress, anxiety and pain in patients affected by chronic pain. We examined two cohorts of patients: an experimental group and a control group. The patients in the experimental group were administered eight VR sessions, each of those lasted thirty minutes, while the control group had a standard therapy. The results are encouraging: they demonstrate the efficacy of VR treatment and the safety of the method.

Using network community detection to investigate psychological and social features of individuals condemned for mafia crimes

Objective: Only few studies have investigated social and personality characteristics of members of Italian organized criminal groups: Mafia, Camorra, ‘Ndrangheta, and Sacra Corona Unita. This study aimed to explore the most relevant social and clinical features of Mafia criminals and their psychopathic traits. Method: The Psychopathy Check List-Revised (PCL-R) and a socio-demographic questionnaire were administered to 30 condemned for Mafia crimes and imprisoned in the “Pagliarelli” district prison of Palermo (Italy). The results were investigated applying the methods of Network Theory. Results: The study identified two communities, which were statistically different in terms of history of …

Cumulative social disadvantage and psychosis: findings from a southern Italy case-control study

Aim: There are consistent evidence suggesting that psychotic disorders are associated to social disadvantage and isolation in adulthood, and research suggested that they these are not simply a consequence of the functional impairment related to onset of the disease (Stilo et al., 2013; Morgan et al., 2008). To date only a few studies have investigated the impact of social risk factors on psychosis in Italy. This study aimed to replicate existing findings in a case-control sample from Southern Italy. Methods: 134 individuals presenting for the first time to mental health services of Palermo (Italy) with an ICD 10 diagnosis of psychosis and 175 population controls from Palermo (Italy) were en…

Validation of the Italian version of the Devaluation consumers' Scale and the Devaluation Consumers Families Scale

Objectives This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the Italian versions of the Devaluation of Consumers Scale (DCS) and the Devaluation of Consumer Families Scale (DCFS), twoshort-scales examining public stigma towards people with mental disorders and their relatives. Methods The scales were administered to 117 individuals with a clinical diagnosis of affective or non-affective psychoses (ICD 10 criteria F20-29, F30-33). Translation procedures were carried out according to accepted standards. Internal reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Convergent validity was evaluated in terms of correlation with the Global Functioning Scale (GAF) and with the Qu…

Educational Robotics to Improve Mathematical and Metacognitive Skills

This paper describes the use of robotic kits as tools in developing mathematical and metacognitive skills, as the planning, reasoning and problem solving capabilities in young students. A sample of 30 students involved in an extracurricular laboratory based on robotics activities (10 meetings; three hours each, once a week). Quantitative and qualitative data showed that robotics activities may be intended as a new metacognitive environment that allows students to improve the attitude in mathematics, or increase the propensity to reflect on themselves and on their own learning, and higher-level control components, such as forecasting, planning, monitoring and evaluation exercises and problem…

Cannabis consumption and the risk of psychosis

Summary Objectives: Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug globally and its use has been linked to an increased risk for psychotic disorders. An association between cannabis consumption and psychotic symptoms was consistently reported by several studies. This case-control study aimed to widen the current findings about the impact of cannabis exposure on the risk of psychosis, by investigating the pattern of cannabis consumption in a sample of first-episode of psychosis (FEP) patients compared to healthy controls. Material and methods: 68 individuals who presented for the first time to mental health services of Palermo (Italy) with an ICD-10 diagnosis of psychotic disorders and 74 hea…

Internet out of control: The role of self-esteem and personality traits in pathological internet use

Objective: Young people seem particularly likely to develop pathological Internet use (PIU) with the use of social networks, chat, and videos. Sensation-seeking, neuroticism, introversion, and low self-esteem are personality features frequently associated with the disease. The aim of this study was to replicate and to extend previous findings by exploring the combined effect of personality traits and self-esteem on PIU. Method: A sample of 652 male students attending vocational technical schools in Palermo (Southern Italy) was assessed using the following measures: the Zuckerman-Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire to evaluate personality traits; the Multidimensional Self-Concept Scale to asse…

Comparing Long-Acting Antipsychotic Discontinuation Rates Under Ordinary Clinical Circumstances: A Survival Analysis from an Observational, Pragmatic Study

Background Recent guidelines suggested a wider use of long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAI) than previously, but naturalistic data on the consequences of LAI use in terms of discontinuation rates and associated factors are still sparse, making it hard for clinicians to be informed on plausible treatment courses. Objective Our objective was to assess, under real-world clinical circumstances, LAI discontinuation rates over a period of 12 months after a first prescription, reasons for discontinuation, and associated factors. Methods The STAR Network ‘Depot Study’ was a naturalistic, multicentre, observational prospective study that enrolled subjects initiating a LAI without restrictions …

P.0170 Distinct polygenic risk scores in clusters of psychotic subjects with different premorbid trajectories and current IQ

Perceived stigma in patients affected by psychosis: Is there an impact on relapse?

Introduction The World Health Organization (WHO) considers stigma of mental illness as a crucial problem (WHO, 2001). Stigma contributes to the onset (Morgan et al., 2010) and the outcome of people affected by schizophrenia (Himan, 2015). Objectives To evaluate the perception of patients affected by psychotic disorders of being stigmatized by the community. Aims To compare the perception of stigma among subgroups of patients at different stage of their disorder. Methods Thirty-five patients affected by a first-episode of psychosis (FEP) and 96 patients affected by chronic psychosis were recruited. The Devaluation of Consumers Scale (DCS) and the Devaluation of Consumer Families Scale (DCFS)…

Utilizzo della realtà virtuale per la valutazione delle funzioni esecutive in pazienti con disturbo ossessivo compulsivo

Premorbid social adjustment is better in cannabis-using than non-using psychotic patients across Europe

IntroductionA number of authors have hypothesized that psychotic patients who consume cannabis constitute a differentiated subgroup of patients that have better cognitive and social skills, necessary to engage in illegal drug consumption, than non-using patients.ObjectivesGiven that the prevalence, and patterns, of cannabis use are culturally driven, we wanted to study first-episode psychosis (FEP) cannabis-using and non-using patients coming from different European countries as part of the EUGEI-STUDY.AimsWe tested the hypothesis of better premorbid social adjustment in cannabis-using FEP patients, by comparing them to FEP non cannabis users and to their respective healthy controls.Methods…

Parental Attitudes toward Videogames at School

Despite research having highlighted the positive outcomes of the use of videogames to learn, their integration into school contexts remains rare. Literature recognizes the importance of user’s technology acceptance to predict the intention to use and the adoption of new technology in several settings. So far, investigations have primarily focused on students’ and teachers’ opinions, while only a few studies have considered the role of parents. This study aimed to investigate the role of the dimensions of the technology acceptance model on parental preference (254 Italian parents) for the adoption of videogames in primary or secondary schools. Results revealed that 71% of the variance of par…

Alexithymia and personality traits of patients with inflammatory bowel disease

AbstractPsychological factors, specific lifestyles and environmental stressors may influence etiopathogenesis and evolution of chronic diseases. We investigate the association between Chronic Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) and psychological dimensions such as personality traits, defence mechanisms, and Alexithymia, i.e. deficits of emotional awareness with inability to give a name to emotional states. We analyzed a survey of 100 patients with IBD and a control group of 66 healthy individuals. The survey involved filling out clinical and anamnestic forms and administering five psychological tests. These were then analyzed by using a network representation of the system by considering it a…

Virtual Reality environments to reduce dental anxiety

Dental procedural pain and anxiety are issues that affect a conspicuous part of the population, leading to a decrease of dental care frequency. The problem affects the patient as well as the dentist, who often has to face a certain resistance by the patients while doing the necessary procedures. The aim of the study is to demonstrate that is possible to reduce this anxiety through the use of Virtual Reality (VR). A group of 7 patients was immersed in a VR scenario during dental treatment in order to distract them from the feared procedure. The results are encouraging and show how VR is capable of insulating the subject from the surrounding annoying stimuli

Implementazione del Virtual Multiple Errand Test per la valutazione delle funzioni esecutive

23. Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging analysis of the brain of pathological gamblers

Purpose Gambling disorder has been recently reclassified under the category “substance-related and addictive disorders”. Recent studies performed through functional MRI (fMRI) have shown that the perseverance of some behaviors can alter brain activation [1] , [2] . In this work we aim at investigating functional connectivity changes in pathological gamblers (PGs) in comparison to healthy controls (HCs) by means of resting state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (rs-fMRI). Methods and materials Thirteen HCs and fourteen PGs were recruited (all right handed males; drugs free; mean age 36 ± 10 yrs). All acquisitions were performed through a 1,5 T MRI scanner using a 8-channels phased-array…

Internet gaming disorder or internet addiction? A plea for conceptual clarity

Working Memory, Jumping to Conclusions and Emotion Recognition: a Possible Link in First Episode Psychosis (Fep)

Introduction A large body of literature has demonstrated that people affected by psychotic disorders show deficits in working memory, in Emotion Recognition (ER) and in data-gathering to reach a decision (Jumping To Conclusions – JTC). Aims To investigate a possible correlation between working memory, JTC and ER in FEP. Methods 41 patients and 89 healthy controls completed assessments of working memory using WAIS shortened version, JTC using the 60:40 Beads Task and ER using Degraded Facial Affect Recognition Task. Results According to the literature, cases had poorer performance in working memory tasks (Digit Span: μ7,72 [ds=2,98] vs μ10,14 [ds=3,10], U=865,00, p=0,00; Digit Symbol: μ5,36 …

Virtual reality environments to rehabilitation attention deficits in schizophrenic patients

Abstract. Cognitive dysfunction is a core feature of schizophrenia. Patients with schizophrenia shown perform poorly on tasks that require vigilance or sustained attention. Patients with more pronounced attention deficits are least likely to acquire skills in psychosocial programs as the attention problems makes it difficult for them to process the information given in groups, and they may not be able to sustain attention for the session duration. The study aimed to develop a Virtual Reality cognitive training to improve the selective, divide and sustained attention. Specifically, we developed, via the NeuroVr 2.0 software, three different virtual environments with the hierarchical sequence…

Use of Internet in an italian clinical sample

This study is aimed at evaluating Internet use in a psychiatric population. We used the UADI questionnaire to investigate the degree of addictive Internet use in our sample of patients affected by various psychiatric disorders. Several psychological and psychopathological variables related to internet use, have been assessed through the five dimensions of the UADI: dissociation (DIS), Impact on real life (IMP), Experimentation (EXP), Dependence (DEP), Escape (ESC).

Does age of first cannabis use and frequency of use influence age of first-episode psychosis (FEP)?

Background: Cannabis is one of the most commonly used drugs among young people across Europe (EMCDDA data 2014), Moreover, it is one of the most abused illicit drugs among patients suffering from schizophrenia (Linszen et al., 1994) and, particularly, in patients at their first episode of psychosis (Donoghue et al., 2011). Furthermore, patients suffering from psychosis with a history of cannabis use have an earlier age of onset of psychosis (AOP) than those who never used it (Di Forti et al., 2013). We aim to investigate if the reported association between use of cannabis and AOP is consistent across to European samples with expected differences in pattern of cannabis use (i.e. age at first…

Platelet and Plasmatic Lipidic Profile as Potential Marker of Bipolar Disorders: Preliminary Findings

IntroductionAlthough the diagnosis of bipolar disorder is currently based on clinical criteria, preliminary studies showed that palmitic and arachidonic acid levels are able to discriminate adult patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) from those with bipolar disorder (BD).ObjectivesTo replicate and to expand previous findings by investigating the relation between mood disorders and platelet and plasmatic fatty levels.AimsTo compare the lipidic profile of individuals with different mood disorder (MDD vs. BD) and to investigate the relation with specific clinical features (duration of illness, attempted suicide, psychotic symptoms).MethodsPotential participants were recruited from the …

Devaluation towards people with schizophrenia in Italian medical, nursing, and psychology students

IntroductionDiscrimination towards people with schizophrenia (PWS) by healthcare professionals is responsible of underdiagnosis and undertreatment of these patients. Negative attitudes toward PSW in health care professionals tend to be present since their university studies and are related to their knowledge and experience about the disease.Objectives and aimsTo assess opinion towards PSW in medical, nursing and psychology students and to investigate the relation with their knowledge of schizophrenia and its causes.MethodsThe study involved 133 medical, 200 nursing and 296 psychology undergraduate students. The opinion on mental illness questionnaire, the Devaluation Consumers Scale, and th…

Predictors of early dropout in treatment for gambling disorder: The role of personality disorders and clinical syndromes

Several treatment options for gambling disorder (GD) have been tested in recent years; however dropout levels still remain high. This study aims to evaluate whether the presence of psychiatric comorbidities predicts treatment outcome according to Millon's evolutionary theory, following a six-month therapy for GD. The role of severity, duration of the disorder, typology of gambling (mainly online or offline) and pharmacological treatment were also analysed. The recruitment included 194 pathological gamblers (PGs) to be compared with 78 healthy controls (HCs). Psychological assessment included the South Oaks Gambling Screen and the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III. The "treatment fail…

Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging analysis of the brain of pathological gamblers

Purpose . Gambling disorder has been recently reclassified under the category ‘‘substance-related and addictive disorders”. Recent studies performed through functional MRI (fMRI) have shown that the perseverance of some behaviors can alter brain activation [1,2]. In this work we aim at investigating functional connectivity changes in pathological gamblers (PGs) in comparison to healthy controls (HCs) by means of resting state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (rs-fMRI). Methods and materials. Thirteen HCs and fourteen PGs were recruited (all right handed males; drugs free; mean age 36 ± 10 yrs). All acquisitions were performed through a 1,5 T MRI scanner using a 8-channels phased-array …

Real-world effectiveness of long acting aripiprazole: Treatment persistence and its correlates in the Italian clinical practice

Abstract Objectives To identify the variables that are associated with persistence to Aripiprazole-Long Acting (A-LAI), in adult patients with schizophrenia. Methods Observational, retrospective, non-interventional study involving 261 patients with schizophrenia. Results Eighty-six percent of study subjects were persistent for at least 6 months. All subjects with baseline CGI-S of 1 or 2, 95% of subjects with CGI-S of 3, 86% with CGI-S of 4, 82% of subjects with CGI-S of 5, 73% of subjects with CGI of 6 and 90% of subjects with CGI of 7 were persistent. A-LAI treatment continuation rate was higher in patients with: 1) baseline CGI score ≤ 4; 2) schizophrenia dimension (LDPS) mania score ≤ 5…

Cognitive assessment of OCD patients: Neuro VR vs neuropsychological test

This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Neuro- Virtual Reality as tool for the neuropsychological assessment in OCD patients. We used the neuropsychological battery and a virtual version of the Multiple Errand Test (V-MET), developed using the NeuroVR software, in order to evaluate the executive functions, the ability to plan ahead on complex problem solving tasks in daily life in 30 obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) patients and 30 healthy controls. The results showed the presence of difficulties of OCD patients: lower levels of divided attention and higher levels of errors; higher mean rank of inefficiencies, interpretation failures and rule breaks and longer ti…

Quality of life, alexithymia, and defence mechanisms in patients affected by breast cancer across different stages of illness

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of alexithymia and defence mechanisms on the quality of life of patients affected by breast cancer at different stages of the disease. Methods A convenience sample of 110 patients with breast cancer was involved in the study: 41 were receiving adjuvant chemotherapyafter surgery, 29 had disease-free survival in follow-up and 40 were receiving chemotherapy for metastatic disease. Quality of life, alexithymia and defence mechanisms were assessed using the following instruments: EORTC QLQ-C30-BR23, Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and Defense Mechanism Inventory (DMI). Results Compared to the other groups, patients receiving chemoth…

Cognitive rehabilitation of schizophrenia through NeuroVr training.

Cognitive difficulties are prevalent in people with diagnosis of schizophrenia and are associated with poor long-term functioning. In particular, memory, selective, divided and sustained attention and executive functions are altered by this disease. We used a Virtual Reality environment (developed via the NeuroVr2.0 software) for the rehabilitation of shifting, sustained attention and action planning functions using tasks reminiscent of daily life tasks. Test and retest showed significant differences in the assessed cognitive dimensions.

Psicoterapia e Medicina

In un’epoca di grandi trasformazioni tecnologiche è inevitabile che anche la medicina evolva il suo apparato tecnico scientifico verso forme e modalità ultraspecialistiche che se innegabili vantaggi possono offrire per la diagnosi e il trattamento di molte malattie anche gravi, rischiano di ribaltarsi negativamente sulla qualità umana della pratica clinica e sui modelli della relazione terapeutica. L’accento posto oggi di frequente sul recupero di una medicina umanistica e sulla più generale valorizzazione di una antropologia medica sembra proprio volto a compensare la preponderanza nella medicina contemporanea dell’agire tecnico sul sentire psicologico, a scapito di aspetti oggi ritenuti m…

IL TRATTAMENTO INTEGRATO DELLA SCHIZOFRENIA. UN MANUALE PER LA GESTIONE CLINICA

Le prospettive per pazienti con schizofrenia sono oggi decisamente migliori di quanto precedentemente si pensava. L’idea tradizionale era che questa malattia fosse inevitabilmente grave, ricorrente, invalidante e cronica. Tuttavia, è diventato chiaro che con un buon trattamento una percentuale di pazienti può ristabilirsi completamente e molti altri possono vivere una vita gratificante, a condizione di aderire alle indicazioni dei medici. Inoltre, sebbene si affermi spesso che l’eziologia della schizofrenia è sconosciuta, abbiamo appreso molte cose riguardo ai fattori genetici e ambientali che contribuiscono al suo sviluppo. Purtroppo, la percezione sociale della malattia rimane molto negat…