Considerazioni sulle caratteristiche ottimali della stanza di consulenza psicologica

The counselling room is the physical space in which counseling or psychotherapy service takes place. Despite it is necessary to provide any psychological support or care service, this topic has not been widely discussed in psychological research. First studies about the counselling room are analytic: Freud describes the analysis room by defining the role that the presence and position of the analytical couch plays in analytic practice. Even in child psychoanalysis, the room will be described in detail as an element that allows children to produce material for analysis. The counselling room has been the subject of experimental and health psychology works. With this in mind, we could identify some the- matic cores to which particular attention has been paid, specifically the effects that characteristics of the counselling room exert on communication between occupants, and on the perceptions and feelings of users and psychologists have been investigated. Furthermore, more recent works have attempted to define the ideal characteristics for counselling room. These works have shown an evolution in in- volved methodologies, revealing a greater awareness in research of the holistic effects of this space on the occupants. We believe that knowing the effects that environmental variables have on the coun- selling or psychotherapy process is extremely useful both in public and private contexts, to provide adequate psychological services.La stanza della consulenza è lo spazio fisico in cui un servizio di consulenza o psicoterapia ha luogo. Questo argomento non ha avuto un’ampia trattazione nella letteratura psicologica, nonostante sia un elemento necessario per fornire qualsiasi servizio di supporto o cura psicologici. I primi lavori che ri- guardano la stanza della consulenza sono di matrice psicoanalitica: Freud descrive la stanza dell’analisi definendo il ruolo che nella pratica analitica gioca la presenza e la posizione del lettino nello spazio. Anche nella psicoanalisi infantile la stanza verrà descritta in dettaglio come elemento che permette al bambino di produrre materiale per l’analisi grazie agli elementi presenti in essa. La stanza della con- sulenza è stata oggetto di lavori di psicologia sperimentale e della salute. In quest’ottica possiamo in- dividuare alcuni nuclei tematici a cui si è prestata particolare attenzione, nello specifico sono stati indagati gli effetti che caratteristiche della stanza di consulenza esercitano sulla comunicazione tra gli occupanti e sulle percezioni e sensazioni di utenti e psicologi. Inoltre, studi più recenti hanno ten- tato di definire le caratteristiche ideali per la stanza di consulenza. Questi lavori hanno mostrato un’evoluzione nelle metodologie impiegate, rivelando una maggior consapevolezza nella ricerca sul tema degli effetti olistici delle caratteristiche di questo spazio sugli occupanti. Riteniamo che conoscere gli effetti che le variabili ambientali esercitano sul processo di consulenza o psicoterapia, sia estre- mamente utile sia nei contesti pubblici che privati per fornire servizi psicologici adeguati

La Biodiversità degli invertebrati marini è sottostimata? Il caso di <i>Ophelia bicornis</i> e <i>Ophelia barquii</i> (Annelida, Polychaeta)

Negli ultimi anni gli studi molecolari condotti su invertebrati marini hanno contribuito fortemente alla valutazione della biodiversità locale mediante la risoluzione di complessi casi di tassonomia. Ophelia bicornis s.l. è un polichete che vive in habitat intertidali sabbiosi delle coste mediterranee ed europee atlantiche, la cui sistematica è ancora in fase di definizione. Un nostro precedente studio effettuato tramite alloenzimi ha suggerito che O. bicornis s.l. è costituita da due specie: O. bicornis s.s. e O. barquii, rispettivamente riconducibili a morfotipi con 6 e 5 paia di nefridiopori. Nel presente lavoro è stata abbinata l'analisi morfologica (conteggio dei nefridiopori) con quella genetica (genotipizzazione tramite ISSR). Sono stati analizzati 6 campioni (n=50) di O. bicornis s.l. provenienti da 3 località sarde e 3 siciliane. I dati morfologici indicano una diversa distribuzione dei due morfotipi, che sono stati rilevati in simpatria, sia in località sarde che siciliane. L'analisi genetica effettuata tramite gli ISSR ripropone la distinzione tra individui con 6 e 5 paia di nefridiopori, confermando la precedente separazione di O. bicornis s.l. in due specie distinte. Il presente lavoro i) rappresenta un'ulteriore conferma del fatto che i livelli di biodiversità negli invertebrati marini sono attualmente sottostimati e ii) pone le basi per uno studio più accurato delle caratteristiche dell'habitat di queste specie

Efectividad del vocabulario visual en la corrección de la ortografía arbitraria de las grafías B-V,S-C-Z en alumnos de segundo básico B del colegio John Dewey College de la comuna de Las Condes: un estudio cuantitativo

Tesis (Profesor de Educación General Básica, Licenciado en Educación)El siguiente trabajo de investigación busca analizar la incidencia que tienen la estrategia visual de escritura en la mejora de los errores más típicos en las grafías v – b, s – c – z; estos errores se incluyen dentro de lo que se conoce como ortografía arbitraria. Esta estrategia se aplicará en los alumnos de segundo básico B del colegio John Dewey de la comuna de Las Condes. El presente informe, que da cuenta de la investigación realizada, está dividido en cinco capítulos: En el capítulo I se presenta el planteamiento del problema y la justificación a dicha problemática. Además, se menciona la pregunta de investigación, que intenta delimitar el foco de nuestras acciones; a continuación se explicita la hipótesis, el objetivo general y los objetivos específicos, que darán las directrices del seminario de título. En el Capítulo II se presenta el marco teórico, donde se exponen las principales corrientes teóricas relacionadas con el tema de la ortografía. Se hará una reseña acerca de lo que es la educación lingüística y la escritura. Se definen aspectos centrales acerca del proceso enseñanza-aprendizaje de la ortografía y de los factores que influyen en esta. Asimismo, se precisa acerca del rol del profesor en relación a este aprendizaje y los errores ortográficos más frecuentes. También se expone acerca de la percepción, memoria y sus diversos tipos. Se define lo que es aprendizaje, la memoria visual y la enseñanza de la ortografía a través del vocabulario visual, igualmente los factores perceptivos y recursos que participan en el aprendizaje de la ortografía. El capítulo III corresponde al enfoque metodológico, en el cual describimos qué tipo de enfoque y tipo de estudio utilizamos en nuestra investigación, detallamos la muestra y las variables utilizadas, y el procedimiento utilizado para la recolección de datos. En el capítulo IV se analizan los resultados obtenidos. Primero se tabularán los resultados obtenidos en ambas etapas y se graficarán para lograr una visión más concreta de los resultados. A continuación, se analizará cada uno e inmediatamente se realizará el contraste para apreciar la incidencia de la estrategia en nuestra muestra. Finalmente, en el capítulo V, se entregan las conclusiones pertinentes al estudio realizado, contestando la pregunta de investigación planteada inicialmente

Different patterns of cortical excitability in major depression and vascular depression: a transcranial magnetic stimulation study

BACKGROUND: Clinical and functional studies consider major depression (MD) and vascular depression (VD) as different neurobiological processes. Hypoexcitability of the left frontal cortex to transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is frequently reported in MD, whereas little is known about the effects of TMS in VD. Thus, we aimed to assess and compare motor cortex excitability in patients with VD and MD. METHODS: Eleven VD patients, 11 recurrent drug-resistant MD patients, and 11 healthy controls underwent clinical, neuropsychological and neuroimaging evaluations in addition to bilateral resting motor threshold, cortical silent period, and paired-pulse TMS curves of intracortical excitability. All patients continued on psychotropic drugs, which were unchanged throughout the study. RESULTS: Scores on one of the tests evaluating frontal lobe abilities (Stroop Color-Word interference test) were worse in patients compared with controls. The resting motor threshold in patients with MD was significantly higher in the left hemisphere compared with the right (p < 0.05), and compared with the VD patients and controls. The cortical silent period was bilaterally prolonged in MD patients compared with VD patients and controls, with a statistically significant difference in the left hemisphere (p < 0.01). No differences were observed in the paired-pulse curves between patients and controls. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed distinctive patterns of motor cortex excitability between late-onset depression with subcortical vascular disease and early-onset recurrent drug resistant MD. The data provide a TMS model of the different processes underlying VD and MD. Additionally, our results support the “Vascular depression hypothesis” at the neurophysiological level, and confirm the inter-hemispheric asymmetry to TMS in patients with MD. We were unable to support previous findings of impaired intracortical inhibitory mechanisms to TMS in patients with MD, although a drug-induced effect on our results cannot be excluded. This study may aid the understanding of the pathogenetic differences underlying the clinical spectrum of depressive disorders

A new tool to assess the occurrence of personality traits: the Phenomenological Personality Factor questionnaire

Personality traits are patterns of thoughts, feelings and actions that are usually assessed by means of psychometric questionnaires. In the present study we described the Phenomenological Personality Factor (PPF), a short questionnaire assessing the personality traits, taking into account the different interpretative models of personality

Exploring the Question: “Does Empathy Work in the Same Way in Online and In-Person Therapeutic Settings?”

Providing remote psychotherapy using technology is a growing practice, especially since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even if in numerous studies video conferencing psychotherapy (VCP) was found to be clinically effective, some doubts continue to exist about how the psychotherapeutic alliance works in the online setting, and the characteristics of the empathic process are still poorly understood. This is an exploratory study aimed at analyzing the degree of empathy between the psychotherapist and client pair, and the degree of support perceived by the client who shall be referred to as the patient interchangeably in this study, comparing the sessions in person with those online, during the current pandemic, in order to discriminate the impact of empathy in the digital setting. The sample analyzed was composed of 23 patients with different severity of pathology engaged in online and in-person therapeutic sessions with five psychotherapists of different theoretical leanings. The scores of the support and empathy scale, obtained by both members of the psychotherapeutic couple in the two settings, were analyzed and compared. The test used belongs to an Italian adaptation of the Empathic Understanding (EU) of the Relationship Inventory. What emerged from comparing the scores was interesting: Unlike the psychotherapists, the patients perceived their therapists as significantly more empathic and supportive in the remote setting. These are rather important data, because the literature documents that client empathic perception measures represent a more accurate measure of the empathic relationship and, in general, can predict a good treatment outcome. Although these results need further investigation, they represent an important contribution in filling the scientific gap in the understanding of digital empathy. Also, this study provides new insights for future research on the characteristics and impact empathy has on the practice of remote psychotherapy

Dupilumab in the treatment of severe uncontrolled chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP): A multicentric observational Phase IV real-life study (DUPIREAL)

Background Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is associated with significant morbidity and reduced health-related quality of life. Findings from clinical trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of dupilumab in CRSwNP, although real-world evidence is still limited. Methods This Phase IV real-life, observational, multicenter study assessed the effectiveness and safety of dupilumab in patients with severe uncontrolled CRSwNP (n = 648) over the first year of treatment. We collected data at baseline and after 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of follow-up. We focused on nasal polyps score (NPS), symptoms, and olfactory function. We stratified outcomes by comorbidities, previous surgery, and adherence to intranasal corticosteroids, and examined the success rates based on current guidelines, as well as potential predictors of response at each timepoint. Results We observed a significant decrease in NPS from a median value of 6 (IQR 5–6) at baseline to 1.0 (IQR 0.0–2.0) at 12 months (p &lt; .001), and a significant decrease in Sino-Nasal Outcomes Test-22 (SNOT-22) from a median score of 58 (IQR 49–70) at baseline to 11 (IQR 6–21; p &lt; .001) at 12 months. Sniffin' Sticks scores showed a significant increase over 12 months (p &lt; .001) compared to baseline. The results were unaffected by concomitant diseases, number of previous surgeries, and adherence to topical steroids, except for minor differences in rapidity of action. An excellent-moderate response was observed in 96.9% of patients at 12 months based on EPOS 2020 criteria. Conclusions Our findings from this large-scale real-life study support the effectiveness of dupilumab as an add-on therapy in patients with severe uncontrolled CRSwNP in reducing polyp size and improving the quality of life, severity of symptoms, nasal congestion, and smell

Melanie Klein: il mondo interno nel transfert

Il transfert è uno dei cardini della teoria psicoanalitica. Insieme al controtransfert è lo strumento principale di cui dispone lo psicoterapeuta per conoscere il paziente. Le autrici trattano la concezione kleiniana del transfert e del controtransfert come binomio in cui si condensano e si chiariscono tutti i principi che informano il sistema teorico-clinico di Melanie Klein, costruito tra eredità e spinte innovative. Le autrici concepiscono il transfert come spina dorsale del processo psicoanalitico con il bambino, modalità arcaica costitutiva del funzionamento psichico che si origina dagli stessi processi che nei primissimi stadi dello sviluppo determinano le relazioni oggettuali