Altered Food Behavior and Cancer: A Systematic Review of the Literature

: There is evidence of an association between cancer and certain types of altered eating behaviors, including orthorexia, food cravings, and food addiction. Given the growing interest in the topic throughout the scientific community we conducted a systematic review to summarize current evidence on the development of altered food behavior, including food addiction and cancer. The Cochrane Collaboration and the Meta-analysis Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines were followed to perform this systematic review. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement was used to report the process and results. The structured literature search was conducted on 19 April 2022, on PubMed/Medline and Scopus, combining free-text terms and medical subject headings. A total of seven articles were included once the selection process was completed. Food craving has been associated with different types of cancer in adults and young patients, as well as with orthorexia; conversely, compulsive eating has only been explored in patients with prolactinoma treated with dopamine agonists. This systematic review explored a new area of research that warrants further investigation. More research is required to better understand the relationship between cancer and food behavior

The Stability of Social and Behavioral Rhythms and Unexpected Low Rate of Relevant Depressive Symptoms in Old Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: The disruption of social rhythms was found to be associated with depressive disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic; lower rates of these disorders were surprisingly found in old adults. The present study aims to verify the stability of social rhythms during lockdown in a sample of elderly people. Methods: Controlled cohort study (secondary analyses) of a previous randomized-controlled trial with the first evaluation in April 2019 (T0) and then 48 weeks later (T1) during the lockdown. The regulation of social and behavioral rhythms was measured through the Brief Social Rhythms Scale (BSRS); the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ9) was adopted to detect relevant depressive symptoms. Results: 93 elderlies (73.36 +/- 4.97 years old, 50.5% females) were evaluated at T0 and T1. Neither the total score of BSRS nor any of the 10 items showed a statistically significant difference comparing the two survey periods. The frequency of relevant depressive symptoms was 5.3% at T0 and 6.4% at T1 (OR = 0.8, CI95% 0.2-24). Conclusions: Among elderlies who did not show an increased risk of depression during the lockdown, social and behavioral rhythms remained exceptionally stable during the same period. Considering previous evidence about rhythms dysregulation preceding depression, their stability may be considered a factor of resilience

Cognitive Impairment and Risk of Depressive Episodes from a Bipolar Spectrum Perspective: A Case-Control Study in Older Adults during the COVID-19 Lockdown

Background: A wide range of conditions, including mixed depressive symptoms, hyperactivity, cognitive impairment (CI) might be expressions of Bipolar Spectrum Disorder (BSD) according to the neo-Kraepelinian perspective, even in advanced age. CI, which has a high prevalence in the elderly population, when it occurs in comorbidity with depression further hinders therapy response and functional ability. The present study aims to explore risk factors associated with CI in elderly individuals experiencing a depressive episode during lockdown a period marked by significant stressors and rhythm disruption. Methods: A case-control study analyzed data from a previous RCT (secondary analyses) on elderly individuals living at home, assessing depressive symptoms, cognitive performance, hyperactivity, and hypertension before (T0) and during lockdown (T1). Results: Participants with lower pre-pandemic cognitive performance were more prone to lockdown depression compared to those with higher baseline function (F = 6.074; p = 0.016). Among those experiencing lockdown depression without prior depression, those with low cognitive performance were more prevalent than the control group without depression (OR = 11.8; p = 0.015). Conclusion: This study highlights a potentially vulnerable subgroup within the elderly population that requires targeted interventions and support during stressful events. Future research should explore the underlying mechanisms linking cognitive decline and depression in older adults, particularly those with a possible bipolar spectrum predisposition

Hylobius (Callirus) transversovittatus Alonso-Zarazaga et al. 2017

Hylobius (Callirus) transversovittatus (Goeze, 1777) Curculio transverso-vittatus Goeze, 1777: 396. Curculio brunonianus Ponza, 1805: 61 syn. n. Curculio brunonianus Ponza was listed by Sherborn (1924: 916), neglected again in subsequent catalogues of Curculionidae, and considered a nomen dubium by Alonso-Zarazaga et al. (2017: 538). Its type was destroyed already before publication (Ponza 1805: 39, footnote). Dutto et al. (2009: 428) pointed out that an anonymous hand-written note on a copy of Ponza’s (1805) paper refers this name to Hylobius fatuus (Rossi, 1790), which is a synonym of H. transversovittatus (Goeze, 1777) (Alonso-Zarazaga et al. 2017). From this and the original description, we formally synonymize C. brunonianus Ponza, 1805 with H. (Callirus) transversovittatus (Goeze, 1777) (new synonymy). In Italy, H. transversovittatus occurs across most of the mainland regions and in Sicily (Abbazzi & Maggini 2009). In this country, from a conservation point of view, the species is classified as “Least Concern” (Colonnelli & Gatti 2015) but, in reality, is it becoming very rare and even disappearing from many localities (E. Colonnelli, unpublished data).Published as part of Colonnelli, Enzo & Nardi, Gianluca, 2019, The Cleridae, Anthribidae and Curculionidae (Coleoptera) described by Ponza, pp. 196-199 in Zootaxa 4590 (1) on page 197, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4590.1.11, http://zenodo.org/record/265152

Coniocleonus (Plagiographus) cicatricosus Alonso-Zarazaga et al. 2017

Coniocleonus (Plagiographus) cicatricosus (Hoppe, 1795) Curculio cicatricosus Hoppe, 1795: 61. Curculio spinosus Ponza, 1805: 63, pl. 1, Lin. 1[.2] Curculio spinosus Ponza was overlooked for a long time until Weise (1906) referred it with doubt to Coniocleonus cicatricosus (Hoppe, 1795), an opinion formally adopted by Csiki (1934). An anonymous hand-written note (cited by Dutto et al. 2009: 428) associated the name with Plagiographus Chevrolat, 1869. Curculio spinosus is currently a junior synonym of Coniocleonus (Plagiographus) cicatricosus (Hoppe, 1795) (Alonso-Zarazaga et al. 2017: 425). The name is permanently invalid since it is a junior primary homonym of C. spinosus Goeze, 1777 and C. spinosus Gmelin, 1790. Coniocleonus cicatricosus is recorded from most mainland regions of Italy and Sicily (Abbazzi & Maggini 2009: 74, as Stephanocleonus (S.) cicatricosus).Published as part of Colonnelli, Enzo & Nardi, Gianluca, 2019, The Cleridae, Anthribidae and Curculionidae (Coleoptera) described by Ponza, pp. 196-199 in Zootaxa 4590 (1) on pages 197-198, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4590.1.11, http://zenodo.org/record/265152