Sexual objectification of the female body and mind-body disciplines: theoretical review of the literature

openL’oggettivazione sessuale, fa parte di un fenomeno più ampio chiamato “deumanizzazione”; questo processo permette che un individuo venga percepito e di conseguenza trattato non come essere umano ma al pari di un oggetto, una merce. Nell’oggettivazione sessuale, anche conosciuta come sessualizzazione, la persona oggettivata viene ridotta ad uno strumento per il soddisfacimento dei bisogni e piaceri altrui, il cui valore risulta confinato unicamente alla sua capacità di attrarre sessualmente ed eccitare. L’eccessiva rilevanza della visione oggettivante maschile e societaria del corpo femminile, che viene perpetuata all’interno di una società da mezzi di comunicazione di massa, rende le donne silenti e influisce negativamente sul loro benessere psicofisico: aumenta la percezione di emozioni negative, quali vergogna, stress, rabbia, ansia, diminuisce la motivazione all’azione e riduce la consapevolezza degli stati fisici ed emotivi interni. Inoltre, aumentano gli stati depressivi, le disfunzioni sessuali e i disturbi del comportamento alimentare. Alcune forme di esercizio, come lo yoga, possono essere particolarmente efficaci nel favorire una minore auto-oggettivazione e risultati più adattivi in termini di immagine corporea e motivazione. La natura non giudicante della mindfulness e la sua forte attenzione alla presenza del proprio corpo nel presente sono aspetti che si trovano preponderanti in discipline come lo yoga e la meditazione. La mindfulness indirizza le persone verso una maggiore consapevolezza dei loro pensieri e delle loro emozioni, in una maniera non giudicante e accettante, fattore che potrebbe rappresentare la capacità di saper gestire in maniera proattiva pensieri ed emozioni negative. Per concludere si parlerà di alfabetizzazione mediatica e educazione sessuale e all’affettività per crescere e consapevolizzare su una problematica che sta diventando sempre più dilagante e dannosa per i singoli e per la società.Sexual objectification is part of a broader phenomenon called 'dehumanisation'; this process allows an individual to be perceived and consequently treated not as a human being but as an object, a commodity. In sexual objectification, also known as sexualisation, the objectified person is reduced to an instrument for satisfying the needs and pleasures of others, whose value is confined solely to his or her ability to sexually attract and excite. The excessive relevance of the male and societal objectifying view of the female body, which is perpetuated within a society by the mass media, renders women silent and negatively affects their psychophysical well-being: it increases the perception of negative emotions, such as shame, stress, anger, anxiety, decreases motivation for action, and reduces awareness of internal physical and emotional states. In addition, depressive states, sexual dysfunction and eating disorders increase. Certain forms of physical exercise, such as yoga, can be particularly effective in promoting less self-objectification and more adaptive results in terms of body image and motivation. The non-judgmental nature of mindfulness and its strong focus on the presence of one's body in the present are aspects that are prevalent in disciplines such as yoga and meditation. Mindfulness directs people towards a greater awareness of their thoughts and emotions, in a non-judgmental and accepting manner, which may represent the ability to proactively manage negative thoughts and emotions. To conclude, media literacy and sex and affectivity education will be discussed in order to grow and raise awareness on an issue that is becoming increasingly pervasive and harmful to individuals and society

A reevaluation of mixed depressive states from the DSM-5- TR perspective: a series of prototypical cases

Mixed depressive states are defined by the co -presence of depressive and manic symptoms. They represent extremely variable conditions from the point of view of clinical expressiveness and are difficult to recognize, ranging from clear schizophrenic -like psychoses and pseudodemented pictures to subsyndromal psychopathology. At the basis of the extreme variability of depressive pictures with mixed features are the different combinations that depressive and manic symptoms can assume. Furthermore, the intensity of depressive symptoms and manic symptoms, combined, can be variable, a factor that contributes to making the picture even more variable. Each form of mixed depressive state therefore presents its own specific symptomatic characteristics and specific difficulties in differential diagnosis and each form requires a different therapeutic strategy. In this work we have distinguished four possible specific subtypes of mixed depressive states, describing their specific clinical presentation and the therapeutic options most supported by the literature with the aim of contributing to a better recognition of mixed depressive states, to avoid incorrect diagnoses at patient and treatments that are useless if not worsening

Motion artefacts in cone beam CT: an in vitro study about the effects on the images

OBJECTIVE: In cone beam CT (CBCT), imperfect patient immobility, caused by involuntary movements, is one of the most important causes of artefacts and image quality degradation. Various works in literature address this topic, but seldom is the nature of the movement correlated with the type of artefact and the image degradation in a systematic manner, and the correlation analyzed and explained. METHODS: All three types of movements that can occur during a scan—nodding, tilting and rolling—were applied to a dry skull, in various manners from abrupt to gradual through the entire scan, at different times and angles, over a wide range of displacements. 84 scans were performed, with different skull movements, and the resulting images examined by two skilled radiologists, rated in a four-point scale and statistically analyzed. A commercial CBCT machine was used, featuring supine patient positioning. RESULTS: Different types of movements induce different artefacts, in different parts of the anatomy. In general, movement of short duration may lead to double contours (bilateral or monolateral depending upon the angle of the scan at which they occur), whereas gradual movements result into blurring. CONCLUSION: Not all movements cause motion artefacts that equally jeopardize the image. Rolling is the type of movement that most severely affects the image diagnostic value. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: These findings may help practitioners to identify the causes of motion artefacts and the resulting image degradation, and remediate them, and manufacturers to improve the patient-positioning devices

An attempted "suicide pact" in Covid-19 era - psychiatric perspectives

Background A "suicide pact" is a joint and actively induced death of two individuals with the essential and unavoidable characteristic of a mutual consent. One of the partners (dominant in the relationship, commonly male) usually induces the action and in most cases, it is the one who actively carries it out. Undiagnosed psychopathological dimension or pathological subthreshold traits are found in those who enter into suicide agreements, the presence of cluster B personality traits such as narcissistic or borderline is of particular relevance in the dominant partner, while in the submissive one dependent personality traits are more frequent. As in the case of other similar health emergencies, COVID-19 pandemic seems to lead to greater suicidality, including the "suicide pacts" of couples whose motivation varies including firstly financial problems, strictly followed by fear of infection and not being able to return home from abroad. Case presentation We reported a case of a couple who entered a suicide agreement consequently to the economic difficulties caused by COVID-19 pandemic, hospitalized in our department. Both partners were assessed with Adult Autism Subthreshold Spectrum (AdAS Spectrum) and both crossed the threshold for clinically relevant autistic traits (M = 67; F = 49). Conclusion This case further confirms the link between COVID-19 pandemics and suicidality. The role of autism spectrum traits as a vulnerability factor towards the development of severe psychopathological consequences after traumatic events is also stressed

Characterization of antiseizure medications effects on the EEG neurodynamic by fractal dimension

Objectives: An important challenge in epilepsy is to define biomarkers of response to treatment. Many electroencephalography (EEG) methods and indices have been developed mainly using linear methods, e.g., spectral power and individual alpha frequency peak (IAF). However, brain activity is complex and non-linear, hence there is a need to explore EEG neurodynamics using nonlinear approaches. Here, we use the Fractal Dimension (FD), a measure of whole brain signal complexity, to measure the response to anti-seizure therapy in patients with Focal Epilepsy (FE) and compare it with linear methods. Materials: Twenty-five drug-responder (DR) patients with focal epilepsy were studied before (t1, named DR-t1) and after (t2, named DR-t2) the introduction of the anti-seizure medications (ASMs). DR-t1 and DR-t2 EEG results were compared against 40 age-matched healthy controls (HC). Methods: EEG data were investigated from two different angles: frequency domain—spectral properties in δ, θ, α, β, and γ bands and the IAF peak, and time-domain—FD as a signature of the nonlinear complexity of the EEG signals. Those features were compared among the three groups. Results: The δ power differed between DR patients pre and post-ASM and HC (DR-t1 vs. HC, p < 0.01 and DR-t2 vs. HC, p < 0.01). The θ power differed between DR-t1 and DR-t2 (p = 0.015) and between DR-t1 and HC (p = 0.01). The α power, similar to the δ, differed between DR patients pre and post-ASM and HC (DR-t1 vs. HC, p < 0.01 and DR-t2 vs. HC, p < 0.01). The IAF value was lower for DR-t1 than DR-t2 (p = 0.048) and HC (p = 0.042). The FD value was lower in DR-t1 than in DR-t2 (p = 0.015) and HC (p = 0.011). Finally, Bayes Factor analysis showed that FD was 195 times more likely to separate DR-t1 from DR-t2 than IAF and 231 times than θ. Discussion: FD measured in baseline EEG signals is a non-linear brain measure of complexity more sensitive than EEG power or IAF in detecting a response to ASMs. This likely reflects the non-oscillatory nature of neural activity, which FD better describes. Conclusion: Our work suggests that FD is a promising measure to monitor the response to ASMs in FE

Characterization of antiseizure medications effects on the EEG neurodynamic by fractal dimension

Objectives: An important challenge in epilepsy is to define biomarkers of response to treatment. Many electroencephalography (EEG) methods and indices have been developed mainly using linear methods, e.g., spectral power and individual alpha frequency peak (IAF). However, brain activity is complex and non-linear, hence there is a need to explore EEG neurodynamics using nonlinear approaches. Here, we use the Fractal Dimension (FD), a measure of whole brain signal complexity, to measure the response to anti-seizure therapy in patients with Focal Epilepsy (FE) and compare it with linear methods. Materials: Twenty-five drug-responder (DR) patients with focal epilepsy were studied before (t1, named DR-t1) and after (t2, named DR-t2) the introduction of the anti-seizure medications (ASMs). DR-t1 and DR-t2 EEG results were compared against 40 age-matched healthy controls (HC). Methods: EEG data were investigated from two different angles: frequency domain—spectral properties in δ, θ, α, β, and γ bands and the IAF peak, and time-domain—FD as a signature of the nonlinear complexity of the EEG signals. Those features were compared among the three groups. Results: The δ power differed between DR patients pre and post-ASM and HC (DR-t1 vs. HC, p < 0.01 and DR-t2 vs. HC, p < 0.01). The θ power differed between DR-t1 and DR-t2 (p = 0.015) and between DR-t1 and HC (p = 0.01). The α power, similar to the δ, differed between DR patients pre and post-ASM and HC (DR-t1 vs. HC, p < 0.01 and DR-t2 vs. HC, p < 0.01). The IAF value was lower for DR-t1 than DR-t2 (p = 0.048) and HC (p = 0.042). The FD value was lower in DR-t1 than in DR-t2 (p = 0.015) and HC (p = 0.011). Finally, Bayes Factor analysis showed that FD was 195 times more likely to separate DR-t1 from DR-t2 than IAF and 231 times than θ. Discussion: FD measured in baseline EEG signals is a non-linear brain measure of complexity more sensitive than EEG power or IAF in detecting a response to ASMs. This likely reflects the non-oscillatory nature of neural activity, which FD better describes. Conclusion: Our work suggests that FD is a promising measure to monitor the response to ASMs in FE

Presence and correlates of autistic traits among patients with social anxiety disorder

IntroductionDue to their similar behavioral presentation, it can sometimes be challenging to distinguish between a social anxiety disorder (SAD) and the social avoidance that is frequently described in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Moreover, a growing body of evidences is reporting that a significant proportion of subjects with ASD also meet the requirements for SAD and, vice versa, subjects with SAD tend to exhibit a higher prevalence of autistic traits.AimIn this framework, the current study aims to evaluate prevalence and correlates of autistic traits in a sample of adult subjects diagnosed with SAD and healthy controls (HC), also evaluating which autism spectrum dimensions may statistically predict higher SAD symptoms.Methods56 subjects with a clinical diagnosis of SAD and 56 gender and age matched HC were recruited from the Psychiatric Clinic of the University of Pisa. Subjects were assessed with the SCID-5, the Social Anxiety Spectrum – Short Version (SHY- SV) and the Adult Autism Subthreshold Spectrum (AdAS Spectrum).ResultsSAD group scored significantly higher in all AdAS Spectrum and SHY-SV domains and total score compared to the HC group with no significant gender difference. SHY-SV total and domain scores, were strongly and positively and strongly correlated with all AdAS Spectrum domains and total score. AdAS Spectrum total score and Childhood/Adolescence, Non-Verbal Communication, Empathy and Restricted interests and Rumination domain scores score were significant predictors of higher SHY-SV score.ConclusionOur results confirm the link between SAD and autistic traits also in adult population, describing not only high levels of autistic traits in SAD adults, but also significant correlations between many core features of the two disorders and a predictive role of autistic traits on higher SAD symptoms

Emotional dysregulation as a part of the autism spectrum continuum: a literature review from late childhood to adulthood

The concept of emotional dysregulation (ED) has recently gained interest in the scientific literature and is commonly defined as the inability to use the modulatory mechanisms involved in emotion regulation, resulting in a functioning meaningfully below the baseline. Even though the data available are still limited, an increasing number of studies have hypothesized a promoting role for some of the core features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the development of ED, in particular being repetitive behaviors, social difficulties and alexythimia. In this framework, the purpose of this study was to review the literature that is currently available about presence and correlates of ED in young adults with autism spectrum conditions as well as to offer some insights about possible implications for illness trajectories. The data reported seems to point to a shared etiology between ED and repetitive/restricted ASD symptoms, with perseveration features serving as the foundation for the inability to control one’s emotions. In this context, a neurodevelopmental basis for ED could be consistent with the transnosographic conceptualization of ASD, which hypothesizes a potential neurodevelopmental basis for several psychiatric disorders, whose autistic traits would be the phenotypical presentation

Podocyte Regeneration Driven by Renal Progenitors Determines Glomerular Disease Remission and Can Be Pharmacologically Enhanced

Podocyte loss is a general mechanism of glomerular dysfunction that initiates and drives the progression of chronic kidney disease, which affects 10% of the world population. Here, we evaluate whether the regenerative response to podocyte injury influences chronic kidney disease outcome. In models of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis performed in inducible transgenic mice where podocytes are tagged, remission or progression of disease was determined by the amount of regenerated podocytes. When the same model was established in inducible transgenic mice where renal progenitors are tagged, the disease remitted if renal progenitors successfully differentiated into podocytes, while it persisted if differentiation was ineffective, resulting in glomerulosclerosis. Treatment with BIO, a GSK3s inhibitor, significantly increased disease remission by enhancing renal progenitor sensitivity to the differentiation effect of endogenous retinoic acid. These results establish renal progenitors as critical determinants of glomerular disease outcome and a pharmacological enhancement of their differentiation as a possible therapeutic strategy

Characterization of antiseizure medications effects on the EEG neurodynamic by fractal dimension

ObjectivesAn important challenge in epilepsy is to define biomarkers of response to treatment. Many electroencephalography (EEG) methods and indices have been developed mainly using linear methods, e.g., spectral power and individual alpha frequency peak (IAF). However, brain activity is complex and non-linear, hence there is a need to explore EEG neurodynamics using nonlinear approaches. Here, we use the Fractal Dimension (FD), a measure of whole brain signal complexity, to measure the response to anti-seizure therapy in patients with Focal Epilepsy (FE) and compare it with linear methods.MaterialsTwenty-five drug-responder (DR) patients with focal epilepsy were studied before (t1, named DR-t1) and after (t2, named DR-t2) the introduction of the anti-seizure medications (ASMs). DR-t1 and DR-t2 EEG results were compared against 40 age-matched healthy controls (HC).MethodsEEG data were investigated from two different angles: frequency domain—spectral properties in δ, θ, α, β, and γ bands and the IAF peak, and time-domain—FD as a signature of the nonlinear complexity of the EEG signals. Those features were compared among the three groups.ResultsThe δ power differed between DR patients pre and post-ASM and HC (DR-t1 vs. HC, p < 0.01 and DR-t2 vs. HC, p < 0.01). The θ power differed between DR-t1 and DR-t2 (p = 0.015) and between DR-t1 and HC (p = 0.01). The α power, similar to the δ, differed between DR patients pre and post-ASM and HC (DR-t1 vs. HC, p < 0.01 and DR-t2 vs. HC, p < 0.01). The IAF value was lower for DR-t1 than DR-t2 (p = 0.048) and HC (p = 0.042). The FD value was lower in DR-t1 than in DR-t2 (p = 0.015) and HC (p = 0.011). Finally, Bayes Factor analysis showed that FD was 195 times more likely to separate DR-t1 from DR-t2 than IAF and 231 times than θ.DiscussionFD measured in baseline EEG signals is a non-linear brain measure of complexity more sensitive than EEG power or IAF in detecting a response to ASMs. This likely reflects the non-oscillatory nature of neural activity, which FD better describes.ConclusionOur work suggests that FD is a promising measure to monitor the response to ASMs in FE