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.

Better IQ but worse Premorbid Academic Adjustment in cannabis-users psychotic patients: another brick in the intuition

Purpose: several studies report that patients with psychosis who used cannabis in their lifetime have a better cognitive performance than those who did not and this association is most likely due to a better premorbid functioning. We aimed to test the hypothesis of a better premorbid functioning in First Episode Psychosis (FEP) cannabis-using and non-using patients coming from different European countries. Materials and Methods: 1.745 people (746 cases; 999 healthy controls) completed the assessment for Intellectual Quotient (IQ) (WAIS-brief version) premorbid adjustment (Premorbid Adjustment Scale – PAS) and cannabis use (CEQ-Revised). We first obtained two main factors from PAS: “Premorbi…

Are there specific neuropsychological deficits underlying poor insight in first episode psychosis?

Insight in psychosis is a multi-dimensional phenomenon, and has been hypothesised to have some sort of neuropsychological basis. It is unclear to what extent specific neuropsychological abilities are able to predict insight beyond the effect of generalised cognitive ability. We aimed to test this, alongside the relationship of insight with illness duration and diagnosis, in a sample of first episode psychosis patients. We recruited 102 patients experiencing their first episode of psychosis and assessed their insight, symptoms, diagnosis as well as administering a full neuropsychological battery. Low insight was related to worse performance in a variety of neuropsychological tasks. Regressio…

La comorbilità nello stalking

Lo stalking descrive una varietà di comportmanti di minaccia e di controllo, messi in atto intenzionalmente dall'autore allo scopo di provocare paura nella propria vittima. Nel corso degli ultimi vent'anni questa condizione è diventata oggetto di attenzione giuridica e clinica. é noto che più della metà degli stalker afferenti ai servizi psichiatrici e giudiziari è affetta da almeno un disturbo psichiatrico in comorbilità, tuttavia ad oggi non esiste un inquadramento diagnostico univoco del fenomeno che viene di volta in volta accostato alle esperienze psicotico, ai disturbi ossessivo-compulsivi ed alla psicopatia.

The EUropean Network of National Schizophrenia Networks Studying Gene-Environment Interactions (EU-GEI)

Funder: FP7 Ideas: European Research Council; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100011199; Grant(s): HEALTH-F2-2010-241909

Correlati neurobiologici dei processi terapeutici

Eventi di vita stressanti in un campione di pazienti affetti da psicosi all’esordio: prevalenza, sintomatologia ed età d’esordio

Introduzione: Un consistente numero di studi suggerisce un’elevata prevalenza di eventi traumatici nella storia di soggetti con disturbi psicotici (Shevlin et al, 2008). Piu’ che l’impatto di un singolo evento di vita stressante, l’esposizione cumulativa ad esperienze traumatiche sembra incrementare il rischio di psicosi (van Winkel et al, 2008). Scopo dello studio e’ valutare la prevalenza di tali eventi in soggetti al primo episodio psicotico a confronto con controlli sani e la possibile correlazione con la sintomatologia psicotica e l’età di esordio. Metodologia: In atto sono stati reclutati 74 soggetti al primo episodio psicotico (51 m, 23 f; em=26.39, ds=9.36) e 27 controlli sani (18 m…

Bridging the gap between research into biological and psychosocial models of psychosis.

Paul Bebbington's recent Special Article provides an excellent synthesis of recent advances in psychosocial research on psychosis. However, we doubt that a model based solely on social epidemiology and cognitive theory can totally describe psychosis, and to be fair, Bebbington does not suggest that it does. A complete model must also incorporate what we have learned from non-social epidemiology, neuroscience, and genetics. Evidence indicates that both the social risk factors that interest Bebbington and biological risk factors, such as abuse of stimulants and cannabis, can provoke psychotic symptoms by dysregulating striatal dopamine. The role of neurodevelopmental deviance also needs to be…

Plenary Session

S77. JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS AND FACIAL EMOTION RECOGNITION IMPAIRMENT IN FIRST EPISODE PSYCHOSIS ACROSS EUROPE

Abstract Background Jumping to conclusions (JTC) is a well-established reasoning and data gathering bias found in patients with psychosis even at illness onset (First Episode Psychosis, FEP). Preliminary work in this field focused primarily on the association with delusions, although jumping to conclusions has also been found in non-deluded schizophrenia patients after remission, and in individual with at risk mental state. Moreover, psychotic patients tend to show impairments in social cognition, struggling in identifying, processing and interpreting social clues. Deficits in facial emotion recognition (FER) – a key component of the construct – represent a well-replicated finding in schizo…

Profilo neuropsicologico dei pazienti al first-episode: variabilità della performance cognitiva tra sintomi positivi e negativi

I fattori terapeutici in psicoterapia, tra teoria, modelli, tecnica e arte: l'importanza della personalità del terapeuta

Effetti dell’uso di cannabis e sintomi psicopatologici in un campione di primi episodi psicotici

Introduction: Cannabis is one of the most common substances used by patients with a first episode of psychosis. The aim of the study was to investigate the most frequent effects of cannabis use, their relationship with psychotic symptoms and characteristics of the consumption. Methods: 116 first episode psychosis were recruited, 50% of which (n=58) used cannabis lifetime. We investigated the characteristics of the consumption and the effects of cannabis using the Cannabis Experience Questionnaire-mv (CEQmv) and the psychotic symptoms using the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS). Results: The effects more often experienced by cannabis users were slowed down thinking and feeling to …

Comorbidity between Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder

La Dipendenza sessuale.

Interaction between cannabis consumption and childhood abuse in psychotic disorders:preliminary findings on the role of different patterns of cannabis use

Aim: Several studies have suggested that lifetime cannabis consumption and childhood abuse synergistically contribute to the risk for psychotic disorders. This study aimed to extend existing findings regarding an additive interaction between childhood abuse and lifetime cannabis use by investigating the moderating role of type and frequency of cannabis use. Methods: Up to 231 individuals presenting for the first time to mental health services with psychotic disorders and 214 unaffected population controls from South London, United Kingdom, were recruited as part of the Genetics and Psychosis study. Information about history of cannabis use was collected using the Cannabis Experiences Questi…

Do child abuse and maltreatment increase risk of schizophrenia?

INTRODUCTION: IntroductionaaAlthough childhood abuse is a recognised risk factor for depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and substance misuse, its role in the aetiology of psychotic disorder remained controversial. This is in part because the putative effect of childhood trauma on psychosis has been mostly evaluated by small, cross sectional, uncontrolled studies that raised methodological issues. METHODS: Papers concerning the association between childhood trauma and psychotic disorders (to November, 2011) were identified using a comprehensive search of PubMed, Psychinfo, and Scopus and analysing reference list of relevant papers. A narrative synthesis was used to summarise results…

Quality of life, Body image, and psychiatric implications in patients with urn trauma: preliminary study of the Italian version of Burn Specific Health Scale-brief

Burn patients may suffer both physical and psychopatological consequences and their quality of life and the presence of psychopathological symptoms should be evacuate. The Burn Specific Health Scale-Brief (BSHS-B) is a tried and test-instrument for assessing burn patients’ quality of life. The aim of this study is to propose the Italian translation of BSHS-B and presents the preliminary results of an exploratory study. The Italian version of BSHS-B was administered to a sample group of 50 burn victims. Reliability was verified by Cronbach’s alpha, and construct validity was evaluated through correlation with the Short Form 36 Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36) and the Self-report Symptom I…

Il Cyberstalking

Il Cyberstalking è una forma diffusa di molestia effettuata tramite l'utilizzo delle nuove tecnologie, come e-mail, chat e social network. Si stima che tra il 2-13% e l'8-32% delle donne negli Stati Uniti è vittima di cyberstalking. Il crescente interesse per questo nuovo crimine informatico è testimoniato dal recente adeguamento del sistema legislativo italiano (art. 612-bis del Codice Penale). Le azioni dei cyberstalker potrebbero essere mosse dal desiderio di vendetta, da un'ossessione d'amore o dalla ricerca di intimità.

FIRST EPISODE PSYCHOSIS PATIENTS ACROSS EUROPE DIFFER IN INTELLECTUAL QUOTIENT (IQ) AND EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS

Background Children who later develop Schizophrenia on average are more likely to present with lower IQ; this has been considered evidence for the neurodevelopmental theory of schizophrenia. Though, recent studies have shown that first episode psychosis patients with a history of cannabis use have significantly higher premorbid and current IQ compared to those who never used it. This suggests that abnormal early neurodevelopment does not explain the aetiology of all cases of Schizophrenia, leaving space to environmental hazards. The present study aims to: investigate differences in IQ, as a marker of neurodevelopment, and in exposure to environmental risk factors in a large sample first epi…

L'uomo senza certezze e le sue qualità: dall'identità monolitica alle identità liquide.

Psychometric properties of the dissociative symptoms scale (DSS) in Italian outpatients and community adults

This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Dissociative Symptoms Scale (DSS) among Italian adults from outpatient and community samples. The DSS is a self-report measure of clinically relevant dissociation in adults. An Italian translation of the DSS was administered with measures of lifetime traumatic experiences, psychoform dissociation, and somatoform dissociation to 175 psychiatric outpatients and 423 individuals from the community. The DSS scores for outpatient and community adults were significantly different and showed good internal reliability, good convergent and construct validity, and a four-factor structure (depersonalization and derealization, gaps in awareness …

Searching for the truth about schizophrenia requires the application of similarly high standards of proof to biological and social risk factors

In their provocative paper, Bentall and Varese (2012) criticize our review on child abuse and schizophrenia (Sideli, Mule, La Barbera, & Murray, 2012) and suggest that we have a biological bias whi...

Qualità della vita e carico assistenziale dei caregiver di pazienti affetti da demenza

Obiettivo: In questo lavoro intendiamo valutare la qualità della vita e il grado di distress dei caregiver di pazienti affetti da demenza afferenti presso il Centro di Riferimento Regionale Demenze Senili-Alzheimer - Unità Valutativa Alzheimer, dell’A.S.P. di Palermo. Metodi: L’assessment si compone di una batteria testo-logica che comprende i seguenti tests: Relative Stress Scale, Caregivere Burden Inventory, Neuropsychiaric Inventory, Short Form-36 Healty Survey. Risultati: Dall’analisi dei dati emerge che il grado di stress del caregiver risulta proporzionale al numero di anni di accudimento del paziente. Inoltre i caregiver di sesso femminile dedicano un numero sensibilmente maggiore di…

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…

Cannabis Use and the Risk for Psychosis and Affective Disorders.

Objective: This review discusses the relationship between cannabis use and psychotic, bipolar, depressive, and anxiety disorders, as well as suicide. It summarizes epidemiological evidence from cross-sectional and long-term prospective studies and considers possible etiological mechanisms. Methods: Systematic reviews and methodologically robust studies in the field (from inception to February 2019) were identified using a comprehensive search of Medline, PsychINFO, and Embase and summarized using a narrative synthesis. Results: Consistent evidence, both from observational and experimental studies, has confirmed the important role of cannabis use in the initiation and persistence of psychoti…

I videogiochi, gli stili di vita e la salute mentale di bambini e adolescenti

Dove il bullismo sconfina nella realtà virtuale: il Cyberbullismo

LA COMORBIDITA' TRA IL DISTURBO DA DEFICIT DELL'ATTENZIONE/IPERATTIVITA' ED IL DISTURBO DI PERSONALITA' BORDERLINE NELL'ETA' ADULTA

LA PSICHIATRIA E L'INFORMATION AND COMUNICATION TECNOLOGY (ICT): LE RISORSE E I RISCHI

LA DIPENDENZA DA INTERNET

Childhood Maltreatment, Educational Attainment, and IQ: Findings From a Multicentric Case-control Study of First-episode Psychosis (EU-GEI).

[Background and hypothesis] Evidence suggests that childhood maltreatment (ie, childhood abuse and childhood neglect) affects educational attainment and cognition. However, the association between childhood maltreatment and Intelligence Quotient (IQ) seems stronger among controls compared to people with psychosis. We hypothesised that: the association between childhood maltreatment and poor cognition would be stronger among community controls than among people with first-episode of psychosis (FEP); compared to abuse, neglect would show stronger associations with educational attainment and cognition; the association between childhood maltreatment and IQ would be partially accounted for by ot…

Una vita in gioco: determinanti psicopatologiche e aspetti psicodinamici dei giocatori long term

L'approccio integrato antipsicotici-psicoterapia nel trattamento del disturbo Borderline di personalità

Qualità di vita e carico assistenziale dei care-givers di pazienti affetti da demenza senile

Le linee erotiche, tra fantasia e desiderio

Traumi infantili in un campione di pazienti affetti da psicosi all’esordio: associazione con psicopatologia e funzioni cognitive. Risultati preliminari

Introduzione: Numerosi studi hanno evidenziato l’associazione tra traumi infantili e psicosi (Morgan, Fisher, 2007). Sebbene inizialmente fosse enfatizzato il ruolo dell’abuso sessuale, recentemente l’associazione con l’abuso fisico e’ stata riportata come piu’ forte (Fisher et al, 2010; Rubino et al, 2009). Scopi dello studio sono valutare la prevalenza di eventi avversi infantili in un campione di soggetti al primo episodio psicotico e la sua relazione con la psicopatologia e le funzioni cognitive. Metodologia: Sono stati reclutati 74 soggetti al primo episodio psicotico (51 m, 23 f; em=26.39, ds=9.36). Sono state somministrate le seguenti interviste e test: CECA-Q (Bifulco et al, 2005) p…

Cannabis users have higher premorbid IQ than other patients with first onset psychosis.

Background: A number of studies have reported that patients with psychosis who use cannabis have better cognitive performance than those who do not. This is surprising as cannabis can impair cognition in healthy subjects. An obvious question is whether the better current performance of psychotic patients who have used cannabis is a reflection of their having a higher premorbid IQ than those psychotic patients who haven't used cannabis. Aim: In a sample of patients at their first episode of psychosis, we tested the hypothesis that patients who smoked cannabis would have a higher premorbid IQ than patients who did not. Methodology: 279 participants (119 patients and 160 healthy controls) were…

Substance use, medication adherence and outcome one year following a first episode of psychosis

Both substance use and poor medication adherence are associated with poor outcome in psychosis. To clarify the contributions of substance use and poor medication adherence to poor outcome in the year following a first episode of psychosis, 205 patients were evaluated for use of tobacco, alcohol, cannabis and stimulants at their psychosis onset, and in a 1-year follow-up. Data on medication adherence and symptom remission were also collected. Patients had high rates of overall substance use before (37-65%) and after psychosis onset (45-66%). 44% showed poor medication adherence and 55% did not reach remission from psychosis. Nicotine dependence and cannabis use after psychosis onset signific…

Eating disorders on the web: risks and resources.

Our work is aimed at exploring the recent literature data on web sites, forums, and blogs, which promote eating disorders as normal life styles and their implication in the changes of the psychopatology of such disorders. We also want to understand whether new technologies have an impact in the course of the disorders or, on the other hand, whether they can also represent an instrument for searching help or information about them. The search strategy included a search of PsycINFO, Medline, and Ovid databases to identify research reports about pro-ana sites and their implication on the course of anorexia using the following key words: pro-ana, thinspiration, anorexia-web, online help eating …

La mente nei mondi tecnologici: le modificazioni della regolazione affettiva e i nuovi stili emotivi e cognitivi

The relationship of symptom dimensions with premorbid adjustment and cognitive characteristics at first episode psychosis: Findings from the EU-GEI study

Premorbid functioning and cognitive measures may reflect gradients of developmental impairment across diagnostic categories in psychosis. In this study, we sought to examine the associations of current cognition and premorbid adjustment with symptom dimensions in a large first episode psychosis (FEP) sample. We used data from the international EU-GEI study. Bifactor modelling of the Operational Criteria in Studies of Psychotic Illness (OPCRIT) ratings provided general and specific symptom dimension scores. Premorbid Adjustment Scale estimated premorbid social (PSF) and academic adjustment (PAF), and WAIS-brief version measured IQ. A MANCOVA model examined the relationship between symptom di…

Opinions about people with schizophrenia among medical students: Findings from an Italian cross-sectional study.

Background: Accumulating evidence suggests that stigmatisation toward people with schizophrenia (PWS) is common among healthcare professionals and represents a major barrier to care. Aim: The study aimed at comparing the opinions about PWS among Italian medical students at different stages of education. Methods: Study participants were 234 medical students, attending either the first three-years pre-clinical or the following three-years clinical stage. Participants read an unlabelled case-vignette of schizophrenia and completed the Opinions on Mental Illness Questionnaire. Results: A greater proportion of students at the clinical stage identified schizophrenia in the clinical description, c…

IQ differences between patients with first episode psychosis in London and Palermo reflect differences in patterns of cannabis use.

Aims: Cognitive impairment is a possible indicator of neurodevelopmental impairment, but not all psychotic patients are cognitively compromised. It has been suggested that heavy cannabis use may precipitate psychosis in those who show no such compromise. This study compares two samples of patients with first-episode psychosis and their respective non-psychotic controls, in London (UK) and Palermo (Italy), and examines whether different patterns of cannabis use are reflected in differences in IQ. Methods: The two studies used the same inclusion/exclusion criteria and instruments. The sample comprised 249 subjects from London (106 patients and 143 controls) and 247 subjects from Palermo (120 …

Childhood adversity and psychosis: a systematic review of bio-psycho-social mediators and moderators.

AbstractThe association between childhood adversity (CA) and psychosis has been extensively investigated in recent years. An increasing body of research has also focused on the mediating or moderating role of biological and psychological mechanisms, as well as other risk factors that might account for the link between CA and psychosis. We conducted a systematic search of the PsychINFO, Embase, Ovid, and Web of Science databases for original articles investigating the role of genetic vulnerabilities, environmental factors, psychological and psychopathological mechanisms in the association between CA and psychosis up to August 2019. We included studies with individuals at different stages of …

Profilo neuropsicologico in pazienti al first episode psychosis e nei familiari di primo grado: un'ipotesi di vulnerabilità genetica

Psychopathology and female detention at the “Pagliarelli” jail of Palermo: preliminary results

Most of the studies carried out on prisoners have considered male samples or they investigated specific psychiatric disorders. The present study aims to estimate the presence of current and lifetime psychiatric disorders among female inmates. Secondary aims are to evaluate the correlation between a current psychiatric disorder and other variables, and the association with a psycho-pharmacotherapy and a request for a clinical psychological interview. The study included 25 women with a final sentence at the “Casa Circondariale Pagliarelli” from October 2016 to July 2017. The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) was used to assess the presence of any current or lifetime psychia…

Touch to. A dialogue between Luce Irigaray and Jean Luc Nancy towards a new hermeneutic of Divine's experience

Aspetti psicodinamici e prospettive d’intervento terapeutico nei pazienti con trauma da ustione

F99. FIRST EPISODE PSYCHOSIS PATIENTS WHO USED CANNABIS DEVELOP THEIR ILLNESS AT A SIGNIFICANTLY YOUNGER AGE THAN THOSE WHO NEVER USED CONSISTENTLY ACROSS EUROPE AND BRAZIL

Abstract Background Patients presenting to psychiatric services with their first episode of psychosis (FEP) report higher rates of previous cannabis use than the general population (Donoghue et al., 2011; Myles, Myles and Large, 2016). Evidence suggested that 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 different countries, once having taken into account different patterns of cannabis use (i.e. frequency of use and age at first use). Methods We analysed data on patterns…

analisi dei punteggi PANSS in un campione di pazienti affetti da psicosi

Social disadvantage and psychosis: a case control study on italian First-Episodes of Psychosis (FEP)

Introduction: A growing body of literature suggests that people affected by psychotic disorders are more likely to be unemployed, tend to live alone, have a poor social network, and are not able to establish long-term relationships (Morgan et al., 2008). Aims: To investigate social disadvantage in a sample of first-episode of psychosis patients and geographically matched controls. Methods: The study sample consists of 52 healthy controls and 37 FEP who were assessed using the MRC Sociodemographic Schedules. Results: Preliminary results suggest that, consistently with the literature, cases are more exposed than controls to social disadvantage. They tend to reach a lower education degree (OR …

A Cross-Sectional Survey on Burnout Prevalence and Profile in the Sicilian Population of Ambulance Driver-Rescuers.

AbstractIntroduction:Burnout is present at a high rate in emergency medicine. The ambulance driver-rescuers, who furnish first aid to the victims, are the non-medical part of the Italian 118-service staff. There is a lack of research on burnout risk in Italian Emergency Medical Services and, particularly, for this category of workers. The two Italian studies, including a little group of ambulance driver-rescuers, reported inconsistent findings.Hypothesis:This survey investigated for the first time the prevalence and exact profile of burnout in a large sample of Italian driver-rescuers. As a secondary aim, the study described how the items of the Italian version of the Maslach Burnout Invent…

Schizofrenia e realtà virtuale: una rassegna delle applicazioni cliniche

Aim: The use of virtual reality (VR) in psychotherapy and rehabilitation of psychiatric disorders has become more widespread. The key characteristics of virtual environments for most clinical applications are the enriched experience provided to the patient and the possibility of a high control of the interaction with the tool. This work presents an overview of the scientific papers dealing with current applications of Virtual Reality (VR) in patients with schizophrenia. Method: A search for articles was conducted using PubMed and PsycINFO with a combination of key words including schizophrenia, virtual reality, cybertherapy and rehabilitation. A total of 30 papers were found that discuss li…

Cognitive thought diary in supportive psychology for people undergoing radiotherapy: a feasibility study

BAC KGROUND: Radiation therapy (RT ) has become one of the most widely-used and efficient treatments for cancer; nevertheless, people who undergo radiotherapy suffer the physical and psychological consequences of this stressful treatment, in addition to the psychosocial distress related to cancer. However, a Radiotherapy Unit is often a place where several patients crowd in from various hospitals with restricted timetables and, for logistic reasons, it is not easy to provide regular psychological sessions for each one. It is important to find a setting that allows us the involvement of the largest number of patients referred to the unit. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the feasibility a…

Effects of COVID‐19 lockdown on eating disorders and obesity: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Abstract Objective This systematic review and meta‐analysis aimed to examine: the pooled prevalence of symptomatic behaviours and mental health deterioration amongst individuals with eating disorders (EDs) and obesity during the COVID‐19 confinement. Moreover, we examined changes in EDs and distress before and during the confinement, and the association between psychosocial factors and EDs symptoms. Method A systematic search was carried out in biomedical databases from January 2020 to January 2021. Both cross‐sectional and longitudinal studies that used quantitative measures of ED symptoms and psychological distress during and after the COVID‐19 confinement were included. Results A total o…

La Cannabis come fattore di rischio per i disturbi psicotici: uno studio su un campione italiano

Treated Incidence of Psychotic Disorders in the Multinational EU-GEI Study

Importance: Psychotic disorders contribute significantly to the global disease burden, yet the latest international incidence study of psychotic disorders was conducted in the 1980s. Objectives: To estimate the incidence of psychotic disorders using comparable methods across 17 catchment areas in 6 countries and to examine the variance between catchment areas by putative environmental risk factors. Design, Setting, and Participants: An international multisite incidence study (the European Network of National Schizophrenia Networks Studying Gene-Environment Interactions) was conducted from May 1, 2010, to April 1, 2015, among 2774 individuals from England (2 catchment areas), France (3 catch…

What does augment the risk to use cannabis on an everyday-basis in psychotic patients?

Introduction There are strong enough evidences of the fact that risk of psychosis is augmented by cannabis use. In a recent analysis, the strongest predictor of case-control status was daily-skunk use, i.e. the ORs for skunk users increase with the frequency of use5. We know also that FEP who smoked cannabis in their lifetime are less neuropsychologically impaired i.e. they have better premorbid and current IQ6. In this study we wanted to test what augments the probability to be everyday users, taking into account premorbid social and academic adjustment and cognition as predictors, along with age at first cannabis-use and % of THC in cannabis used. Methods The sample was made of 834 First …

La Psichiatria e l'Information and Communication Technology (ICT): le risorse e i rischi

Reliability, Validity, and Factor Structure of the Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (MDS–16) in an Italian Sample

Maladaptive daydreaming (MD) is an extensive fantasy activity that replaces human interaction and interferes with work and interpersonal functioning. In this study, we investigated the nomological network of the MD construct and examined the psychometric properties of the Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale (MDS-16) in an Italian sample. The MDS-16 is a self-report measure composed of 16 items designed to assess MD. Participants in this study were 468 individuals (333 volunteers, 56.8% female; 135 self-diagnosed maladaptive daydreamers, 78.5% female) between 18 and 56 years of age. MDS-16 scores showed good internal reliability. An exploratory factor analysis suggested a 2-factor solution (interf…

The Relationship Between Dissociative Experiences and Cannabis Use: a Systematic Review

Purpose of Review This systematic review aimed to investigate the relation between cannabis use and dissociation. Recent Findings Four analytical and 14 descriptive cross-sectional studies were included. There is no variation in the rates of cannabis use among individuals with dissociative experiences compared with the general population. In addition, the prevalence of dissociative disorders in subjects using cannabis is not different from those not using cannabis. The majority of the studies employed inadequate sampling procedures and a concurrent or retrospective assessment of the two variables, which might have increased the risk of bias, and only a few of them controlled for potential c…

Aspetti clinici e psicosociali delle dipendenze

La qualità della vita e il rischio psicopatologico dei pazienti ustionati: una revisione narrativa della letteratura

Nonostante i progressi della medicina e della chirurgia, i traumi da ustione a tutt’oggi rappresentano una causa significativa di menomazione e disabilita, comportano una significativa riduzione della qualita della vita e sono associati a diversi esiti psicopatologici, inclusi la depressione e il disturbo da stress post-traumatico. Questa revisione narrativa non sistematica della letteratura si propone di presentare le evidenze piu significative relative alla qualita della vita, ai sintomi psicopatologici, ai relativi fattori protettivi e di rischio, agli strumenti di valutazione e agli interventi psicologici rivolti ai pazienti ustionati. I risultati mostrano che la storia naturale delle l…

Premorbid Adjustment and IQ in Patients With First-Episode Psychosis: A Multisite Case-Control Study of Their Relationship With Cannabis Use

Abstract Psychotic patients with a lifetime history of cannabis use generally show better cognitive functioning than other psychotic patients. Some authors suggest that cannabis-using patients may have been less cognitively impaired and less socially withdrawn in their premorbid life. Using a dataset comprising 948 patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP) and 1313 population controls across 6 countries, we examined the extent to which IQ and both early academic (Academic Factor [AF]) and social adjustment (Social Factor [SF]) are related to the lifetime frequency of cannabis use in both patients and controls. We expected a higher IQ and a better premorbid social adjustment in psychotic p…

Autostima,sensation seeking e impulsività nell'uso problematico delle nuove tecnologie in adolescenza

Better social but worse academic premorbid adjustment in cannabis-users psychotic patients across Europe

Background: Several studies report that patients with psychosis who used cannabis have a better cognitive performance than those whodid not (Rabin et al. 2011). In a previous study we found out a higher premorbid IQ, and a better IQ in psychotic patients who smoked cannabis in their lifetime, and our findings were consistent with the idea that this association is due to a better premorbid functioning rather than to an ameliorative effect of cannabis use on cognitive performance (Ferraro et al., 2013). A 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 e…

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…

O2.1. FIRST EPISODE PSYCHOSIS PATIENTS ACROSS EUROPE DIFFER IN INTELLECTUAL QUOTIENT (IQ) AND EXPOSURE TO ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS

Abstract Background Children who later develop Schizophrenia on average are more likely to present with lower IQ; this has been considered evidence for the neurodevelopmental theory of schizophrenia. Though, recent studies have shown that first episode psychosis patients with a history of cannabis use have significantly higher premorbid and current IQ compared to those who never used it. This suggests that abnormal early neurodevelopment does not explain the aetiology of all cases of Schizophrenia, leaving space to environmental hazards. The present study aims to: investigate differences in IQ, as a marker of neurodevelopment, and in exposure to environmental risk factors in a large sample …

FIRST EPISODE PSYCHOSIS PATIENTS WHO USED CANNABIS DEVELOP THEIR ILLNESS AT A SIGNIFICANTLY YOUNGER AGE THAN THOSE WHO NEVER USED CONSISTENTLY ACROSS EUROPE AND BRAZIL

Background: Patients presenting to psychiatric services with their first episode of psychosis (FEP) report higher rates of previous cannabis use than the general population (Donoghue et al., 2011; Myles, Myles and Large, 2016). Evidence suggested that 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 different countries, once having taken into account different patterns of cannabis use (i.e. frequency of use and age at first use). Methods: We analysed data on patterns of lif…

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…

Interaction between cannabis consumption and childhood abuse in psychotic disorders: preliminary findings on the role of different patterns of cannabis use

Aim Several studies have suggested that lifetime cannabis consumption and childhood abuse synergistically contribute to the risk for psychotic disorders. This study aimed to extend existing findings regarding an additive interaction between childhood abuse and lifetime cannabis use by investigating the moderating role of type and frequency of cannabis use. Methods Up to 231 individuals presenting for the first time to mental health services with psychotic disorders and 214 unaffected population controls from South London, United Kingdom, were recruited as part of the Genetics and Psychosis study. Information about history of cannabis use was collected using the Cannabis Experiences Question…

Evaluating the feasibility of the Italian version of the computerized interactive remediation of cognition training for schizophrenia (circuits)

Background: Circuits is a computerized cognitive remediation program for individuals with schizophrenia. this study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of the italian version of circuits. MethODs: Feasibility was measured through ad-hoc questionnaires in a non-clinical sample (N.=30; target-score 70%; study 1); in patients with schizophrenia (N.=5; target-score 60%; study 2) and cr therapists (N.=3; target-score 60%; study 2). study 3 was a pilot study investigating: 1) enrolment, compliance, and retention rates; 2) satisfaction; 3) potential post-treatment and follow-up improvements in patients with schizophrenia (N.=20). these results were used to estimate sample size and feasibility for a …

Le fantasie perverse nella scelta del partner

INCIDENCE OF PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS IN PALERMO: PRELIMINARY DATA

Background: The incidence of psychotic disorders varies in different geographical areas (McGrath 2004). Recent data suggest that the incidence is higher in males, migrant minorities and in urban areas. There aren’t many available epidemiological data on the incidence of psychotic disorders in Italy. This is the first incidence study on psychotic disorders carried out in Palermo, the capital of Sicily. Methods: we screened all patients presenting with their first episode of psychosis to the mental health services of our catchment area (5 inpatient, 5 outpatient units and 3 private psychiatric hospitals) over a period of three years (2008-2011). The diagnosis of psychosis was defined using th…

Durata di psicosi non trattata e consumo di cannabis in un campione di pazienti al primo episodio psicotico

Introduzione: la durata di psicosi non trattata (DUP) nei pazienti affetti da psicosi all’esordio rappresenta un fattore predittivo dell’outcome e del decorso del disturbo (Perkins, 2005). La relazione tra consumo di cannabis e DUP è ancora controversa. In questo lavoro viene analizzato il rapporto tra DUP ed età di esordio, consumo di cannabis, funzionamento cognitivo, livello di istruzione e stato di occupazione in un gruppo di pazienti affetti da psicosi all’esordio reclutati nell’ambito dello studio SGAP (Sicilian Genetic and Psychosis) svolto in collaborazione con l’Institute of Psychiatry, King's College of London. Metodologia: sono stati reclutati 74 pazienti di età compresa tra 18 e…

Eventi di vita stressanti in un campione di pazienti affetti da psicosi all’esordio: prevalenza, sintomatologia ed età d’esordio. Risultati preliminari

Il testamento biologico: dimensioni culturali, prospettive simboliche e psicodinamiche

Recenti vicende umane e giuridiche hanno portato in primo piano il tema del testamento biologico e del rapporto tra l’uomo, la malattia e la morte. L’interrogativo sulla morte è connesso con quello della vita umana che viene considerata ora come la semplice sopravvivenza dell’organismo biologico, ora come un’esperienza che racchiude aspetti emotivi, affettivi e relazionali. Le discipline psicologiche possono aiutare a riflettere sul rapporto della società contemporanea con la malattia e con la morte, sui riti che accompagnano tali esperienze, sui processi decisionali che sottostanno al testamento biologico. Nell’epoca contemporanea la medicina si accosta al morente con l’idea di vincere la …

Osservazioni preliminari sulla valutazione dei fattori di rischio psicopatologico in un campione di pazienti ustionati

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and borderline personality disorder: Differential diagnosis and comorbidity from childhood to adulthood [Disturbo da deficit dell'attenzione/iperattività e disturbo di personalità borderline: Diagnosi differenziale e comorbilità dall'età infantile all'età adulta]

Aims Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder is childhood-onset disorder that presents high rates of co-morbidity with personality disorders. Although the implications of having ADHD in childhood for the development of antisocial personality disorder have been long known, less information are available on its relationship with borderline personality disorder. Through a review of the literature, we explored the issue of co-morbidity between attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and borderline disorder and analyze the role of possible modulating variables. Particular attention has been given to differential diagnosis between attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in adulthood and border…

I videogiochi, gli stili di vita e la salute mentale di bambini e adolescenti

Consumo di cannabis e pattern psicopatologico di pazienti al primo episodio psicotico: confronto tra due campioni

Alcuni studi in letteratura supportano l’associazione tra consumo di cannabis, età di esordio ed espressività psicopatologica nei pazienti al primo episodio psicotico (Orlandi, 2001). Questo lavoro si propone di analizzare la gravità della sintomatologia psicotica in relazione al consumo di cannabis, confrontando due campioni di pazienti all'esordio psicotico (FEP) reclutati a Palermo e a Londra.

geni psicosi e cannabis: caratteristiche di un campione siciliano rappresentativo di pazienti al primo episodio psicotico

ADDITIVE INTERACTION BETWEEN LIFETIME CANNABIS USE AND CHILDHOOD TRAUMA IN INCREASING THE RISK FOR PSYCHOSIS. A REPLICATION ANALYSIS ON A SAMPLE OF FIRST EPISODE OF PSYCHOSIS PATIENTS

Background: Additive interaction between childhood trauma and cannabis use in increasing risk for psychotic disorders has been recently demonstrated in a prospective (Harley et al., 2009) and a cross sectional study (Konigs et al., 2011), although not replicated in another survey (Kuepper et al., 2011). This study aimed to analyse additive interaction between lifetime cannabis and severe child abuse in increasing the risk for psychosis in a sample of first episode psychosis patients and geographically matched controls. In addition, analyses were re-run separately for males and females in order to investigate whether the association was moderated by gender. Methods: The sample consisted of 2…

Attaccamento, alessitimia e dissociazione nella dipendenza tecnologica

Adverse effects of heavy cannabis use: even plants can harm the brain.

The spread of laws legalising cannabis for medicinal or recreational use has been accompanied by more relaxed attitudes towards cannabis. Data from the United States show that in states that have legalised cannabis, prevalence of daily, weekly, and monthly cannabis use was 11.3%, 18.3%, and 25.0% respectively, whereas in countries where it is still illegal, it was lower (7.4%, 11.6%, and 16.8% respectively). Evidence indicates a trend of increase among adolescents, a particular vulnerable category for the initiation of substance use. In parallel, we have seen the concentration of THC (D-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) in the cannabis sold both in the United States and in Europe rising and those typ…

La doppia diagnosi nella dipendenza alcolica: una ricerca sulla correlazione fra alcolismo, alessitimia e disturbi di personalità

La ricerca si propone la valutazione della comorbilità psichiatrica in una popolazione clinica di alcol dipendenti. Lo studio si è svolto presso il servizio tossicodipendenze del distretto 11 della città di Palermo e ha previsto il reclutamento di un campione clinico costituito da 45 soggetti. Il campione è stato sottoposto alla somministrazione di due interviste psichiatriche (TAS-20 e SCID-II) e si è cercato di individuare l’esistenza di una correlazione fra gli esiti delle stesse e gli indici di prognosi precedentemente stabiliti e valutati. L’analisi dei risultati ha dimostrato la presenza di una correlazione piuttosto significativa fra elementi suggestivi di prognosi sfavorevole e esit…

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 …

Attenzione e impulsività nei disturbi dello spettro ossessivo-compulsivo

Adolescenti ed uso delle nuove tecnologie. Una ricerca esplorativa

Disturbi di Personalità e Nuove dipendenze

Ruolo di modulazione sulle funzioni cognitive dell’abuso di cannabis su un campione di soggetti al primo episodio psicotico

Funzioni esecutive e riabilitazione residenziale. Studio preliminare su utenti in Strutture Residenziali Intermedie di Palermo

lo studio ha confrontato le funzioni esecutive di pazienti con disturbi psicotici coinvolti in programmi riabilitativi in Strutture Residenziali di Palermo. Metodi: sono stati reclutati 16 utenti di Comunità Alloggio (CA) e 14 utenti di Comunità Terapeutiche Assistite (CTA), tra 18 e 65 anni, valutati tramite somministrazione di Trail Making Test(TMT), Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), Stroop Test, 4 subtest della WAIS-R e Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). Risultati: i due campioni presentano caratteristiche sociodemografiche omogenee. Gli utenti delle CTA fanno rilevare maggiore uso di neurolettici (73,3% vs. 18.8% p 0,004) e un trend non significat…

Il trattamento del gioco d'azzardo patologico: variabili psicopatologiche e psicoterapeutiche. Uno studio epidemiologico

DUP AND CANNABIS CONSUMPTION IN A SICILIAN FIRST EPISODE PSYCHOTIC (FEP) SAMPLE

Attaccamento ai luoghi e prospettive abitative in un campione di utenti in comunità terapeutiche assistite psichiatriche

Aim: The study aimed to inquire place attachment bonds in a sample of psychiatric patient hosted in Residential Mental Health Facilities of Palermo. Satisfaction for current accommodation in the Facility, reasons for place preference and housing perspectives were explored. Methods: A questionnaire consisting in 31 open questions was administered to 39 subjects living in three Residential Mental Health Facilities of Health Department of Palermo. Results: Own room and terraces with plats are the patients' favourite places in the Facilities. During the first month of stay, these places satisfy need for retirement and distraction, while in the following period they become spaces where meet peop…

ADOLESCENTI E USO DELLE NUOVE TECNOLOGIE - UNA RICERCA ESPLORATIVA.

Qualità di Vita, immagine del corpo e complicanze psichiatriche in pazienti con trauma da ustione

THE ROLE OF CHILDHOOD TRAUMA AND COGNITIVE DEFICIT IN MODERATING THE RISK FOR PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS: A COMPARISON BETWEEN PALERMO AND SOUTH-EAST LONDON FIRST EPISODE PSYCHOSIS (FEP) SAMPLES

The efficacy of a functional therapy program for gambling disorder: A Pilot study

Background: Despite the great progress achieved by treatment approaches for Gambling Disorder (GD) the relevance of studying efficacious therapies still remains high. This pilot study aims at the evaluation of the efficacy of a standardized protocol based on Functional theory for GD. Functional Therapy (FT) is an integrated body-mind therapy.Methods: Twenty-eight pathological gamblers completed the FT protocol consisted in 16 sessions, two times a week for a total duration of two months, in an individual setting. No one of the patients was taking any psychopharmacological therapy. Psychological assessment both at baseline (T0) and at the end of the treament (T1) includes the South Oaks Gamb…

Scheda 14: I Videogiochi, gli stili di vita e la salute mentale di bambini e adolescenti

Aspetti psicologici ed uso problematico dele nuove tecnologie in adolescenza

JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS AND FACIAL EMOTION RECOGNITION IMPAIRMENT IN FIRST EPISODE PSYCHOSIS ACROSS EUROPE

Background Jumping to conclusions (JTC) is a well-established reasoning and data gathering bias found in patients with psychosis even at illness onset (First Episode Psychosis, FEP). Preliminary work in this field focused primarily on the association with delusions, although jumping to conclusions has also been found in non-deluded schizophrenia patients after remission, and in individual with at risk mental state. Moreover, psychotic patients tend to show impairments in social cognition, struggling in identifying, processing and interpreting social clues. Deficits in facial emotion recognition (FER) – a key component of the construct – represent a well-replicated finding in schizophrenia. …

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…

SEXUAL ADDICTION, CYBERSEX, LOVE ADDICTION

Validation of the Italian version of the Burn Specific Health Scale-Brief

Introduction A growing awareness of psychological and functional impairment due to burns have led to the development of specific instruments to evaluate Quality of Life in this population, such as the Burn Specific Health Scale - Brief (BSHS-B), whose psychometric properties have been consistently verified. The aim of this study was to translate the BSHS-B into Italian and to investigate its reliability and validity. Methods Translation procedures were carried out according to accepted standards. Internal reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Concurrent validity was evaluated through correlations between the BSHS-B and the Short-Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36), the Self…

La Sex Addiction

La dipendenza sessuale comprende un insieme di condizioni psicopatologiche caratterizzate da pensieri e fantasie sessuali intrusive associate a perdita di controllo sui comportamenti sessuali. Un crescente interesse è stato rivolto a questa condizione, ancora non riconosciuta dai sistemi nosografici ufficiali e descritta ora come “compulsività sessuale”, ora come “impulsività sessuale”, ora come “dipendenza sessuale”. Interessando una percentuale compresa tra il 3 ed il 6% della popolazione generale, la dipendenza sessuale comporta spesso gravi conseguenze di natura relazionale, lavorativa, economica e legale con un grado variabile di disabilità. Diversi modelli sono stati proposti per spie…

Dinamiche della blogosfera: dal sentimento comunitario emozionale alla psicopatologia

Cannabis Users and Premorbid Intellectual Quotient (IQ)‏

• The chapter focuses on premorbid Intellectual Quotient (IQ) in cannabis users, one of the most controversial topics in studies on the harmful effects of cannabis use on cognition. • Several studies have ascertained acute and residual effects of cannabis use in the memory domain, but only a minimal general cognitive effect after a long-term period of abstinence. • A number of longitudinal studies were able to obtain IQ measures before and after cannabis consumption, but they yielded discordant findings. • Authors, however, observed a relationship between higher premorbid IQ and recreational or discontinued use while a lower premorbid IQ resulted as a predictor for regular or heavy cannabis…

The contribution of cannabis use to variation in the incidence of psychotic disorder across Europe (EU-GEI): a multicentre case-control study.

Background: Cannabis use is associated with increased risk of later psychotic disorder but whether it affects incidence of the disorder remains unclear. We aimed to identify patterns of cannabis use with the strongest effect on odds of psychotic disorder across Europe and explore whether differences in such patterns contribute to variations in the incidence rates of psychotic disorder. Methods: We included patients aged 18–64 years who presented to psychiatric services in 11 sites across Europe and Brazil with first-episode psychosis and recruited controls representative of the local populations. We applied adjusted logistic regression models to the data to estimate which patterns of canna…

DOES POLYGENIC RISK SCORE FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA IMPACT ON JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS? PRELIMINARY FINDINGS FROM THE EU-GEI CASE-CONTROL STUDY

Background: Jumping to conclusions (JTC) is a reasoning and data gathering bias that results in the tendency to require less evidence and make hasty decisions. Preliminary work on reasoning bias focused primarily on the association with delusions, although jumping to conclusions has also been found in non-deluded schizophrenia (SZ) patients. Literature to date has shown JTC as a well-established bias in psychosis even at First Episode Psychosis (FEP), after remission, and in individuals with at risk mental state. Furthermore, JTC has been found to be associated with proneness to psychotic-like experiences in the general population. In teresting findings showed also an association with lower…

Identifying gene-environment interactions in schizophrenia: contemporary challenges for integrated, large-scale investigations

European Community Recent years have seen considerable progress in epidemiological and molecular genetic research into environmental and genetic factors in schizophrenia, but methodological uncertainties remain with regard to validating environmental exposures, and the population risk conferred by individual molecular genetic variants is small. There are now also a limited number of studies that have investigated molecular genetic candidate gene-environment interactions (G x E), however, so far, thorough replication of findings is rare and G x E research still faces several conceptual and methodological challenges. in this article, we aim to review these recent developments and illustrate h…

Attenzione sostenuta, pianificazione strategica e flessibilità cognitiva nei Disturbi dell'Umore

Familiarità, psicosi e cannabis: caratteristiche di un campione siciliano di pazienti al primo episodio psicotico

Ruolo dell'insight nell'espressività psicopatologica in un gruppo di pazienti affetti da psicosi all'esordio

Una buona capacità di insight pare costituire un fattore predittivo di minore espressività psicopatologica nei pazienti affetti da psicosi. In questo lavoro intendiamo analizzare le relazioni tra grado di insight e gravità dei sintomi psicotici utilizzando i punteggi totali e parziali ottenuti alla Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) in un gruppo di pazienti affetti da psicosi all'esordio nell'ambito del progetto SGAP "Sicilian Genetic and Psychosis" svolto in collaborazione con il GAP Study dell'Institute of Psychiatry, King's College of London.

Ruolo della working memory e dello stile di risposta Jumping To Conclusions in un campione di pazienti al first episode psychosis

The continuity of effect of schizophrenia polygenic risk score and patterns of cannabis use on transdiagnostic symptom dimensions at first-episode psychosis: findings from the EU-GEI study

The work was supported by Guarantors of Brain post-doctoral clinical fellowship to DQ; Clinician Scientist Medical Research Council fellowship (project reference MR/M008436/1) to MDF; Heisenberg professorship from the German Research Founda- tion (grant no. 389624707) to UR; the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. The EU-GEI Project is funded by the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme under grant agreement No. HEALTH-F2-…

Lo Shopping Compulsivo

Recensione a Vincelli F., Riva G., Molinari E., La realtà virtuale in psicologia clinica. Nuovi percorsi d'intervento nel disturbo di panico con agorafobia. In "Psicotech"

Recensione a 28 giorni dopo. Il futuro ha i giorni contati (England 2003). In "Psicotech"