The brief international cognitive assessment for multiple sclerosis (BICAMS): Normative values with gender, age and education corrections in the Italian population

Background: BICAMS (Brief International Cognitive Assessment for Multiple Sclerosis) has been recently developed as brief, practical and universal assessment tool for cognitive impairment in MS subjects. It includes the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), the California Verbal Learning Test-2 (CVLT2) and the Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised (BVMT-R) . In this study we aimed at gathering regression based normative data for the BICAMS battery in the Italian population.Methods: Healthy subjects were consecutively recruited among patient friends and relatives. Corrections for demographics were calculated using multivariable linear regression models. Test-retest reliability was assessed using the Pearson correlation coefficient.Results: The BICAMS battery was administered to 273 healthy subjects (180 women, mean age 38.9 ± 13.0 years, mean education 14.9 ± 3.0 years). Test-retest reliability was good for all the tests.Conclusions: The study provided normative data of the BICAMS for the Italian population confirming good test-retest reliability which can facilitate the use of the battery in clinical practice, also for longitudinal patient assessments

Beyond disease: Happiness, goals, and meanings among persons with multiple sclerosis and their caregivers

The experience of persons with multiple sclerosis (MS) and their caregivers is usually investigated in terms of emotional distress and health-related quality of life, while well-being indicators remain largely underexplored. In addition, findings are often interpreted from the clinical perspective, neglecting socio-cultural aspects that may crucially contribute to individuals' functioning. At the methodological level, most studies rely on scaled instruments, not allowing participants to freely express their needs and resources. Based on the bio-psycho-social perspective endorsed by the International Classification of Functioning, well-being indicators were investigated among 62 persons with MS (PwMS), their 62 caregivers and two control groups, matched by age and gender. Participants completed the Positive Affect Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and the Eudaimonic and Hedonic Happiness Investigation instrument (EHHI). EHHI provides information on participants' happiness, goals and meanings through scaled and open-ended questions, contextualized within major life domains. No relevant differences emerged among PwMS and caregivers, compared with the respective control groups, as concerns life domains associated with happiness, goals and meaning. Participants across groups prominently mentioned family, highlighting its intrinsic value and its relevance as a sharing context; health did not represent a major theme for PwMS; community, society and religion/spirituality issues were substantially neglected by all participants. PwMS and caregivers reported lower levels of positive affect than their control groups, while no substantial differences emerged for negative affect, happiness and meaningfulness levels in life and across most domains. Results suggest that the experience of MS is associated with well-being in relevant life domains, such as family and close relationships. Although PwMS and caregivers identified a lower number of goals and meaning-related opportunities compared to control groups, they showed a positive adjustment to disease through the development of personal and family resources. These assets are often undervalued by health professionals and social institutions, while they could be fruitfully exploited through the active involvement of PwMS and their families as expert and exemplary informants in initiatives aimed at promoting the well-being of individuals and communities

Sex- and age-related differences in the management and outcomes of chronic heart failure: an analysis of patients from the ESC HFA EORP Heart Failure Long-Term Registry

Aims: This study aimed to assess age- and sex-related differences in management and 1-year risk for all-cause mortality and hospitalization in chronic heart failure (HF) patients. Methods and results: Of 16 354 patients included in the European Society of Cardiology Heart Failure Long-Term Registry, 9428 chronic HF patients were analysed [median age: 66 years; 28.5% women; mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 37%]. Rates of use of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) were high (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers, beta-blockers and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists: 85.7%, 88.7% and 58.8%, respectively). Crude GDMT utilization rates were lower in women than in men (all differences: P\ua0 64 0.001), and GDMT use became lower with ageing in both sexes, at baseline and at 1-year follow-up. Sex was not an independent predictor of GDMT prescription; however, age >75 years was a significant predictor of GDMT underutilization. Rates of all-cause mortality were lower in women than in men (7.1% vs. 8.7%; P\ua0=\ua00.015), as were rates of all-cause hospitalization (21.9% vs. 27.3%; P\ua075 years. Conclusions: There was a decline in GDMT use with advanced age in both sexes. Sex was not an independent predictor of GDMT or adverse outcomes. However, age >75 years independently predicted lower GDMT use and higher all-cause mortality in patients with LVEF 6445%

Association between loop diuretic dose changes and outcomes in chronic heart failure: observations from the ESC-EORP Heart Failure Long-Term Registry

[Abstract] Aims. Guidelines recommend down-titration of loop diuretics (LD) once euvolaemia is achieved. In outpatients with heart failure (HF), we investigated LD dose changes in daily cardiology practice, agreement with guideline recommendations, predictors of successful LD down-titration and association between dose changes and outcomes. Methods and results. We included 8130 HF patients from the ESC-EORP Heart Failure Long-Term Registry. Among patients who had dose decreased, successful decrease was defined as the decrease not followed by death, HF hospitalization, New York Heart Association class deterioration, or subsequent increase in LD dose. Mean age was 66±13 years, 71% men, 62% HF with reduced ejection fraction, 19% HF with mid-range ejection fraction, 19% HF with preserved ejection fraction. Median [interquartile range (IQR)] LD dose was 40 (25–80) mg. LD dose was increased in 16%, decreased in 8.3% and unchanged in 76%. Median (IQR) follow-up was 372 (363–419) days. Diuretic dose increase (vs. no change) was associated with HF death [hazard ratio (HR) 1.53, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.12–2.08; P = 0.008] and nominally with cardiovascular death (HR 1.25, 95% CI 0.96–1.63; P = 0.103). Decrease of diuretic dose (vs. no change) was associated with nominally lower HF (HR 0.59, 95% CI 0.33–1.07; P = 0.083) and cardiovascular mortality (HR 0.62 95% CI 0.38–1.00; P = 0.052). Among patients who had LD dose decreased, systolic blood pressure [odds ratio (OR) 1.11 per 10 mmHg increase, 95% CI 1.01–1.22; P = 0.032], and absence of (i) sleep apnoea (OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.09–0.69; P = 0.008), (ii) peripheral congestion (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.29–0.80; P = 0.005), and (iii) moderate/severe mitral regurgitation (OR 0.57, 95% CI 0.37–0.87; P = 0.008) were independently associated with successful decrease. Conclusion. Diuretic dose was unchanged in 76% and decreased in 8.3% of outpatients with chronic HF. LD dose increase was associated with worse outcomes, while the LD dose decrease group showed a trend for better outcomes compared with the no-change group. Higher systolic blood pressure, and absence of (i) sleep apnoea, (ii) peripheral congestion, and (iii) moderate/severe mitral regurgitation were independently associated with successful dose decrease

Prescrizioni al telefono. Chi ci tutela?

Gli autori analizzano gli aspetti medico-legali della prescrizione telefonica in ambito pediatric

Cross-informant agreement on preadolescent's emotional and behavioral problems in a non-clinical cohort of northern Italy subjects : a pilot study

Background: The emotional-behavioral repertoire has been extensively studied in children and adolescents, devoting less effort to preadolescence. Objective: To investigate the emotional-behavioral repertoire compared to different sources of information \u2013 parents versus children \u2013 on a pilot non-clinical sample of Italian preadolescents. Methods: Thirty pre-adolescents aged 11 to 14 years old (16 females, 14 males) are consecutively referred to the Service of Psychotherapy, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan for an evaluation of their mental health status. Pre-adolescents and their parents were respectively asked to fill in the Youth Self- Report (YSR) and the Child Behavior Check List (CBCL). Results: Significant differences between mothers and fathers emerged at Syndrome Scales (SSs): Anxious/ Depressed (p=0.026), Social Problems (p=0.035); at DSM-oriented Scales (DOSs) in Emotional Problems (p=0.012) and at the scales in Internalization (p=0.019). There are also significant differences on the total score (p=0.035). Comparing answers reported by pre-adolescents versus those reported by their parents, the number of scales with significant differences increases (SSs. Anxious/Depressed: p=0.032; Somatic Complaints: p=0.004; Thought Problems: p=0.010; DOSs. Anxiety Problems: p=0.044; Somatic Problems: p=.006; Internalization: p=0.016), with influences also the total score (p=0.049). Discreet correlations in all the global scales and in total scores between pre-adolescents and mothers, but not fathers, were found. Conclusions: Parents show differences in their perception of children\u2019s emotional- behavioral problems, especially of internalizing behaviors. These results suggest the specific importance of an extended family analysis at this stage of development

L’accordo tra fonti d’informazione nel repertorio emotivo-comportamentale del preadolescente : uno studio pilota.

Introduzione. Il repertorio emotivo-comportamentale nello sviluppo \ue8 stato ampiamente studiato in bambini e adolescenti, dedicando minore spazio alla preadolescenza, delicato periodo di cambiamenti nell\u2019immagine di s\ue9 e del proprio rapporto con gli altri. Le ricerche italiane, spesso focalizzate su soggetti reclutati in Centri di Salute Mentale o popolazioni specifiche (es.DSA, ipotiroidismo, spina bifida), hanno dato maggiore importanza all\u2019epidemiologia della popolazione generale, rispetto alle correlazioni tra fonti d\u2019informazione. Obiettivo: Indagare il repertorio emotivo-comportamentale rispetto alle diverse fonti d\u2019informazione, genitori-ragazzi, su un campione pediatrico pilota di preadolescenti. Metodologia. Trenta ragazzi dai 10 ai 14anni (16femmine,14maschi) vengono inviati consecutivamente, dopo visita pediatrica di routine, al Servizio di Psicologia clinica e Psicoterapia, Dipartimento di Neuroscienze e Salute Mentale, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico di Milano per effettuare un bilancio di salute psichica. Sottoscritto il Consenso Informato e riportate le informazioni anagrafiche di base, viene chiesto a ragazzi e genitori (29madri,20padri) di compilare, rispettivamente, la YouthSelf-Report-YSR (Achenbach et al.,2001) e le ChildBehaviorCheckList\u2013CBCL (Achenbach et al.,2001). Risultati. Differenze significative tra madri e padri emergono alle Scale Sindromiche(SS) in AnsiaDepressione (t=2.294,df=46,p=.026) e ProblemiSociali (t=2.178,df=46,p=.035); alle Scale DSM-oriented(S-DSMo) in ProblemiAffettivi (t=2.617,df=46,p=.012) e alle Scale di Carattere Generale(SCG) in Internalizzazione (t=2.431,df= 46,p=.019). Significative anche le differenze sui totali (t=2.178,df=46,p=.035). Rispetto ai figli, il numero di scale con differenze significative cresce (SS. AnsiaDepressione: F=3.613,df=2,p=.032; LamenteleSomatiche: F=5.854,df=2,p=.004; ProblemiDiPensiero: F=4.864,df=2,p=.010. S-DSMo. ProblemiD\u2019Ansia: F=3.269,df=2,p=.044; ProblemiSomatici: F=5.477,df=2,p=.006. SCG. Internalizzazione: F=4.367,df=2,p=.016), con influenze anche sul punteggio totale (F=3.147,df=2,p=.049). Discrete le correlazioni in tutte le SCG e nel totale tra ragazzi e madri, ma non con i padri. Indagando variabili intervenienti emerge, tuttavia, una correlazione diretta tra il numero totale di figli e la differenza tra il punteggio CBCL/YSR totale madri-figli (r=.428,p=.026), alterazione non rilevata per i padri. Nessuna associazione tra l\u2019et\ue0 del figlio, l\u2019et\ue0 o la scolarit\ue0 dei genitori e queste differenze. Conclusioni. I genitori mostrano divergenze rispetto alla percezione dell\u2019assetto emotivo-comportamentale dei figli, soprattutto sulle problematiche internalizzate. Le risposte delle madri, generalmente pi\uf9 vicine a quelle dei ragazzi, risultano, tuttavia, maggiormente divergenti all\u2019aumentare del numero di figli. I risultati, pur con qualche differenza, paiono in linea con gli studi internazionali, suggerendo l\u2019importanza dell\u2019assetto familiare allargato in questa fase di sviluppo

Short-Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy with Mentalization-Based Techniques in Major Depressive Disorder patients: Relationship among alexithymia, reflective functioning, and outcome variables : A Pilot study

OBJECTIVES: In depressed patients, recent advances have highlighted impairment in mentalizing: identifying and interpreting one's own or other's mental states. Short-Term Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (STPP) has proven to be effective in reducing symptoms and improving relational/functional abilities in these subjects. Therefore, the first aim of our study was to evaluate effectiveness of STPP with Mentalization-Based Techniques (STMBP) on their clinical outcomes and the second, to investigate Reflective Functioning and alexithymia concerning treatment outcomes in depressed subjects. DESIGN: A baseline evaluation of reflective functioning, alexithymia and depression was conducted before an STMBP treatment. Patients were re-tested successively after 40 weeks (T1) and in a follow-up after 1 year at the end of the treatment (T2). METHODS: A total of 24 patients principally diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) underwent a STMBP conducted by two expert therapists. Global Assessment Functioning (GAF), Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) data were collected at the baseline (T0) by two clinical therapists, along with RF scores rated by two trained raters. HAM-D, TAS-20 and GAF follow-ups were conducted at the end of the treatment after 40 weeks (T1) and after 1-year follow-up (T2). RESULTS: Results highlighted an improvement of both HAM-D and TAS-20 scores in our sample. Moreover, a negative correlation between RF and TAS-20 was found. Both HAM-D and RF at T0 influenced depressive outcomes at the end of the treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Results confirmed the effectiveness of STMBP in MDD, suggesting also an inverse association between RF and alexithymia. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Our study demonstrates how STMBP could be effective in MDD even after 40 sessions, maintaining its effect in a 1-year follow-up. STMBP improves subjective capability of reflecting on the mental states of oneself and others. Our intervention allows patients to orientate thoughts from inside to outside, reducing negative beliefs also in absence of a pharmacological therapy (during the follow-up)

Personality traits predict perceived health-related quality of life in persons with multiple sclerosis

Background: Personality traits can affect health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in different disorders. In multiple sclerosis (MS), personality traits can determine patients' willingness to take on more risky treatment options, predispose to neuropsychiatric symptoms and affect coping strategies. Objectives: We investigated the role of personality traits as possible predictors of HRQoL in a large cohort of persons with MS (PwMS). Methods: In total, 253 consecutively recruited PwMS were screened for intellectual deficits with Raven Colour Progressive Matrices (RCPM), state anxiety with STAI-X1 and major depression on a clinical basis. PwMS' self-perceived mental and physical health status was measured with the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), and the personality profile with the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ-R). The correlation between HRQoL and personality traits was investigated by means of analysis of variance, adjusting for possible confounders. Results: Of the 253 MS patients, 195 (F:M=2.75), aged 41.7±10.2 years were included in the analysis. The variance of SF-36 mental and physical composite score was largely explained by extraversion and neuroticism. Conclusions: Our data confirm that PwMS' HRQoL is largely influenced by personality traits, which may therefore act as predictors of perceived quality of life and should be included in clinical and experimental settings focusing on HRQoL

Prevenzione primaria del disagio psichico in pre-adolescenza e adolescenza : il progetto Mafalda

INTRODUZIONE: L\u2019adolescenza \ue8 il periodo che vede il manifestarsi di molti dei disturbi psichici dell\u2019et\ue0 adulta. Un recente studio italiano (Frigerio A., Rucci P., Goodman R., Ammaniti M., Molteni M., et al, Studio PrISMA; 2009) ha indagato la prevalenza dei disturbi mentali in un campione composto da oltre 5000 soggetti pre-adolescenti di et\ue0 compresa tra i 10 e i 14 anni. Da questo studio \ue8 emerso che il 9,8% dei soggetti presentavano problemi \u201cemotivo-comportamentali\u201d. L\u20198,2% soffriva di un disturbo mentale diagnosticato con DSM-IV e ICD-10. Il 6,5 % del campione soffriva di disturbi emotivi internalizzanti (disturbi d\u2019ansia e depressivi), rispetto all\u20191,2% che soffriva di disturbi esternalizzanti (disturbo della condotta, disturbo oppositivo provocatorio e ADHD). Inoltre, degli adolescenti con poblemi emotivo-comportamentali solo il 14% \ue8 risultato essersi rivolto ad un servizio di salute mentale. METODOLOGIA: Il progetto Mafalda \ue8 attivo presso il Servizio di psicologia Clinica e Psicoterapia, Area Omogenea di Salute mentale, Dipartimento di Neuroscienze e Salute mentale,Ospedale Policlinico di Milano. Individuare precocemente fattori di rischio e fattori protettivi individuali e familiari riduce significativamente la possibilit\ue0 dell\u2019esordio di un disturbo psichico. L\u2019obiettivo \ue8 potenziare i fattori protettivi, individuali, familiari, psicosociali e scolastici. Il progetto si rivolge a: pre-adolescenti e adolescenti e ai loro familiari. Gli utenti vengono inviati dal pediatra di libera scelta per la valutazione di un bilancio psichico dei ragazzi e dei fattori familiari All\u2019interno del progetto vengono effettuati: \u2022 Colloqui di valutazione clinica con il ragazzo/a e con i genitori \u2022 Somministrazione di test psicometrici specifici: \u2022 CBCL (Child Behavior Checklist for Ages 6-18. di Thomas M. Achenbach; 2001), \u2022 YSR (Youth Self Report for Ages 11-18. di Thomas M. Achenbach; 2001). Ai familiari vengono somministrati: AAI (Adult Attachment Interview. C. George, N. Kaplan, M. Main; 1985), CFI (Camberwell Family Interview. J. Leff, C. Vaughn; 1976) \u2022 Colloqui di valutazione delle dinamiche relazionali genitore-figlio/a e di coppia Dopo la fase di valutazione clinica, nei casi indicati, verranno effettuati interventi individuali e di gruppo per i familiari. RISULTATI: Verranno illustrati nel corso della relazione i dati epidemiologici dei pazienti valutati presso il nostro Servizio tra ottobre 2013 e aprile 2014