Condotte compulsive in paziente con sindrome di Aicardi. agenesia del corpo calloso

The corpus callosum, which is the largest white matter structure in the brain of all placental mammals, connects the left and right cerebral hemispheres. An alteration in its morphology, hypoconnectivity or hyperconnectivity is a common marker of various neuropsychiatric pathologies. One of these is Aicardi syndrome, which is characterized by a triad of callosal agenesis, infantile spasms and chorioretinal lacunae. Patients affected by Aicardi syndrome frequently display other malformations together with congenital defects of the eyes, ribs and vertebrae. Based on the current clinical knowledge, this syndrome is now recognized as a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that includes neurological and constitutional symptoms. However, literature data have not yet defined the presence of a particular set of symptoms in psychiatric patients with this condition. The present case is the first report in which an on-going compulsive behaviour focused on the insistence to order objects has been observed in Aicardi syndrom

Dissociative symptoms in female patients with mood and anxiety disorders: a psychopathological and temperamental investigation.

Abstract OBJECTIVE: Dissociative symptoms are frequent among psychiatric patients and may considerably affect patients' psychopathological condition and treatment outcomes. The objectives of the study are to assess the presence of dissociative symptoms in female patients with mood and anxiety disorders, to investigate their correlation with the clinical severity of the disorders and to investigate those personality traits that are more frequent in patients with high levels of dissociation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 50 Caucasian females were enrolled in the study. Patients were assessed through the Self-Report Symptom Check-List, the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) and rating scales for Depression and Anxiety. RESULTS: The mean DES score in the overall sample was 16.6. 32% of patients had a DES score > 20. Depressive symptoms positively correlated with the DES total scores. Dissociator patients presented some significantly different temperamental characteristics in comparison with non dissociator patients. CONCLUSIONS: Dissociative symptoms are highly present in patients with mood and anxiety disorders and correlate with the severity of depressive symptoms. Specific personality traits more frequently observed in dissociator people may represent predisposing factors; their early identification could be clinically relevant

Negative symptoms as key features of depression among cannabis users: a preliminary report.

OBJECTIVE: Cannabis use is frequent among depressed patients and may lead to the so-called "amotivational syndrome", which combines symptoms of affective flattening and loss of emotional reactivity (i.e. the so-called "negative" symptomatology). The aim of this study was to investigate the negative symptomatology in depressed patients with concomitant cannabis use disorders (CUDs) in comparison with depressed patients without CUDs. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-one patients with a diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and concomitant CUD and fifty-one MDD patients were enrolled in the study. The 21-Item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) and the negative symptoms subscales of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) were used to assess depressive and negative symptomatology. RESULTS: Patients with cannabis use disorders presented significantly more severe negative symptoms in comparison with patients without cannabis use (15.18 ± 2.25 vs 13.75 ± 2.44; t100 = 3.25 p = 0.002). DISCUSSION: A deeper knowledge of the "negative" psychopathological profile of MDD patients who use cannabis may lead to novel etiopathogenetic models of MDD and to more appropriate treatment approaches

Trait mindfulness at baseline predicts increases in telomerase activity over time

Introduction Preliminary investigations of cross-sectional samples have linked trait mindfulness with measures related to the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA)-mediated stress response and to the inflammatory system, suggesting that this is one potential pathway linking mindfulness based interventions and health. However, no previous studies explored the association between the trait mindfulness construct and markers of cellular ageing. Methods In the current study we examined in a sample of healthy mothers (n = 92) of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (i.e. women showing high levels of chronic psychological stress) the prospective associations between a multidimensional scale of trait mindfulness, the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), and telomerase activity (TA), a marker of cellular ageing and telomere homeostasis. Participants’ trait mindfulness and TA were assessed at baseline as well as 9 and 18 month follow-up. Results Analysis showed that higher levels of baseline mindfulness on FFMQ observation and describe subscales were related to increase in TA from baseline to 9 month (r = 0.27, P = 0.03 and r = 0.24, P = .04, respectively). Additionally, the FFMQ Describe subscale was related to increase in TA from baseline to 18 month (r = .30, P = .02). Results are reported following covariate adjustment of age, BMI, ethnicity, and education. Discussion Our results showed that higher levels of baseline mindfulness are associated with higher increases in TA after 9 months and 18 months, with increased TA reportedly being associated with decreased oxidative damage, increased telomere length and overall more functional cellular physiology. These findings support a role of mindfulness-related interventions to increase general and mental health

Nootropics use in the workplace. Psychiatric and ethical aftermath towards the new frontier of bioengineering

OBJECTIVE: The authors have sought to expound upon and shed a light on the rise of nootropics, which have gradually taken on a more and more relevant role in workplaces and academic settings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Multidisciplinary databases have been delved into by entering the following keys: "nootropics", "cognitive enhancement", "workplace", "productivity", "ethics", "bioengineering". In addition, a broad-ranging search has been undertaken on institutional websites in order to identify relevant analysis and recommendations issued by international institutions and agencies. Papers and reports have been independently pored over by each author. This search strategy has led to the identification of 988 sources but only 64 were considered appropriate for the purposes of the paper after being selected by at least 3 of the authors, independently. RESULTS: The notion of an artificially enhanced work performance - carried out by the 'superworker' - is particularly noteworthy and resonates with the conception of contemporary work on so many different levels: the rising need and demands for higher degrees of flexibility and productivity on the job, the implications of a '24/7' society, where more and more services are available at any time, the ever greater emphasis on entrepreneurial spirit, individual self-reliance and self-improvement, and last but not least, the impact of an ageing society on economic standards and performance. CONCLUSIONS: Moreover, it is worth mentioning that human enhancement technologies will predictably and increasingly go hand in hand with gene editing, bioengineering, cybernetics and nanotechnology. Applications are virtually boundless, and may ultimately affect all human traits (physical strength, endurance, vision, intelligence and even personality and mood)

USE OF GASEOUS OZONE AS A DISINFECTANT IN MEAT INDUSTRY

The aim of this study was to investigate the possible use of gaseous ozone as a disinfectant for meat industry environments. Firstly microbial inactivation trials were conducted in laboratory conditions on Petri plates inoculated with some microorganisms of importance to the food industry. The treatment with 1 ppm of ozone resulted to be effective in 1 h on the strains in use. Then similar trials were conducted in a meat industry, 1 ppm of ozone was supplied for 3 h. The results confirmed the antimicrobial efficacy of ozone even if it was less active than in laboratory conditions. A different sensibility among the microorganisms was observed, the most resistant being P. fluorescens and B. thuringiensis. Our results confirm the suitability of gaseous ozone as a disinfectant for meat industry environments and underline the need to calibrate ozone treatment parameters on the real environmental conditions of work-room

P300 component in euthymic patients with bipolar disorder type I, bipolar disorder type II and healthy controls: a preliminary event-related potential study

The aim of the present study was to investigate P300 event-related potential components in euthymic bipolar disorder type I (BDI) and bipolar disorder type II (BDII) patients and matched controls. A total of 10 BDI patients, 10 BDII patients and 10 healthy individuals were enrolled in the study. Event-related potential data were collected according to a standard auditory 'oddball' paradigm. A significant groups effect in both the peak amplitude (P<0.001) and the mean amplitude (P<0.001) was observed; post-hoc comparisons showed that the peak and mean amplitudes of BDI and BDII patients were significantly lower than the peak and mean amplitudes of the healthy controls. The neurophysiological patterns found in the present study might at least partially reflect the presence of a mild selective cognitive impairment in euthymic BDI and BDII patients. From a clinical point of view, these evidences support the potential role of cognitive interventions in the treatment of BD

Genetic effects of static magnetic fields. Body size increase and lethal mutations induced in populations of Drosophila melanogaster after chronic exposure

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