Effective Strategies for Managing COVID-19 Emergency Restrictions for Adults with Severe ASD in a Daycare Center in Italy

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a serious challenge for the life and mental health of people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). COVID-19 sanitary restrictions led to significant changes in the lives of people with ASD, including their routines; similarly, these modifications affected the daily activities of the daycare centers which they attended. The present retrospective study evaluated the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on challenging behaviors in a cohort of people with severe ASD attending a daycare center in Italy at the beginning of the pandemic. During the first two weeks of the pandemic, we did not observe variations in challenging behaviors. This suggests that adaptations used to support these individuals with ASD in adapting to the COVID-19 emergency restrictions were effective for managing their behavior

Elevated urine levels of bufotenine in patients with autistic spectrum disorders and schizophrenia

Previous studies have suggested that the endogeneous psychotomimetic molecule bufotenine (N-N notdimethyl-5-idroxytryptamine) may play a role in the pathogenesis of severe mental disorders. The potential association of bufotenine with the clinical features of autism and schizophrenia is not entirely understood. In this study, we measured urinary levels of bufotenine in subjects with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), schizophrenia and healthy comparison subjects free of psychiatric symptoms. We also sought to assess whether urine concentrations of this molecule may be associated with the clinical characteristics of psychiatric patients. DESIGN: Urine bufotenine levels were measured using a high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) assay in young adults with severe ASD (n = 15), patients with schizophrenia (n = 15), and healthy control subjects (n = 18). The Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale was used to measure adaptive behaviors in ASD individuals. The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) was used for patients with schizophrenia. RESULTS: Urine bufotenine levels were significantly higher in ASD subjects (3.30 +/- 0.49 mug/L, P < 0.05) and patients with schizophrenia (4.39 +/- 0.43 mug/L, P < 0.001) compared with controls (1.53 +/- 0.30 mug/L). Among patients with ASD, there was a significant positive correlation between urine bufotenine and hyperactivity scores on the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (r = 0.479, P < 0.05). No other associations were detected. CONCLUSIONS: our results indicate that elevated urine levels of the endogeneous psychotomimetic molecule bufotenine may play a role in ASD and schizophrenia, and can be correlated with hyperactivity scores in autism

Efficacy of IV Immunoglobulins on Psychiatric Symptoms: A Case Report

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a fairly common psychiatric illness with a prevalence between 1.8% and 2% in the general population..

La cooperazione internazionale allo sviluppo nella formazione sanitaria in Italia.

The health personnel are among the most requested ones in the field of international cooperation.Unfortunately, university training in the health sector does not provide for a specific course oriented to training in the field of cooperation. Specific training on health cooperation are post-graduate training or field experiences outside the degree course.A questionnaire was administered to the medical and nursing students of Brescia and Pavia to explore their knowledge, interests and attitudes towards cooperation.Our analysis confirmed the lack of knowledge about the international cooperation, but at the same time an interest by students to fill this gap

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Ginkgo biloba

Ginkgo biloba (Gb) has demonstrated antioxidant and vasoactive properties as well as clinical benefits in several conditions such as ischemia, epilepsy, and peripheral nerve damage. Additionally, Gb is supposed to act as potential cognitive enhancer in dementia. So far, several trials have been conducted to investigate the potential effectiveness of Gb in neuropsychiatric conditions. However, the results of these studies remain controversial. We conducted a systematic review and a meta-analysis of three randomised controlled trials in patients with schizophrenia and eight randomised controlled trials in patients with dementia. Gb treatment reduced positive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia and improved cognitive function and activities of daily living in patients with dementia. No effect of Gb on negative symptoms in schizophrenic patients was found. The general lack of evidence prevents drawing conclusions regarding Gb effectiveness in other neuropsychiatric conditions (i.e., autism, depression, anxiety, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and addiction). Our data support the use of Gb in patients with dementia and as an adjunctive therapy in schizophrenic patients

The mediating effect of mood spectrum on the relationship between autistic traits and catatonia spectrum

BackgroundIn the recent years, several studies have shown a correlation between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and catatonia. It is also known that both conditions are found to be associated with mood disorders. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between autistic traits and catatonic symptoms, as well as the potential mediating role of mood disorder spectrum in the relationship between them.MethodsThe total sample of 514 subjects was composed by four diagnostic groups, composed by patients affected by catatonia (CTN), borderline personality disorder (BPD), major depressive disorder (MDD) and healthy controls (HC). Subjects were assessed with the SCID-5-RV, the Adult Autism Subthreshold Spectrum (AdAS Spectrum) and the Catatonia Spectrum (CS) and the Mood Spectrum Self-Report (MOODS-SR). Statistical analyses included Pearson’s coefficient calculation, multiple linear regression, and mediation analysis.Resultsall the correlations appear to be strongly positive and significant with the strongest coefficient emerging between AdAS Spectrum total score and CS total score (r = 0.762, p &lt; 0.001). The Mediation Analysis showed that AdAS Spectrum total score showed a significant indirect effect on CS total score through MOODS-SR total score (b = 0.168, 95% bootstrapped CI [0.127:0.207]).ConclusionThe present study highlights the presence of a mediating role of the mood disorder spectrum in the relationship between autistic traits and the catatonia spectrum

Something to talk about: Gossip increases oxytocin levels in a near real-life situation

Gossip is a pervasive social behavior. Its evolutionary survival seems related to its social functions, such as establishing group rules, punishing trespassers, exercising social influence through reputational systems, and developing and strengthening social bonds. We aimed at evaluating the effect of gossip on hormones (oxytocin and cortisol) and at identifying potential mediators of hormonal response to gossip. Twenty-two female students were randomly assigned to a gossip conversation or to an emotional non-gossip conversation. Additionally, all participants underwent a neutral conversation on the second day of the study. Salivary oxytocin and cortisol levels were measured. Oxytocin increased significantly in the gossip compared to the emotional non-gossip conversation. A decrease in cortisol levels was observed in all three conditions (gossip, emotional non-gossip, neutral). Change in cortisol levels was similar across conditions. Psychological characteristics (e.g. empathy, autistic traits, perceived stress, envy) did not affect oxytocin rise in the gossip condition. Our findings suggest that oxytocin may represent a potential hormonal correlate of gossip behavior

ÔØ Å ÒÙ× Ö ÔØ Serum omega-3 fatty acids are associated with ultimatum bargaining behavior Serum omega-3 fatty acids are associated with ultimatum bargaining behavior

ABSTRACT In the ultimatum game (UG), two players are involved to bargain over a division of a given sum of money. The proposer makes an ultimatum offer of a fraction of money, while the responder can either accept or reject the proposer&apos;s decision. In case of rejection of the proposed splitting by the responder, neither player gets anything. Adverse psychological reactions are deemed to play a role in the rejection of unfair offers. Low serum levels of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have been linked to impulse control and hostility. This study examined the serum omega-3 and omega-6 fractions in relation to the ultimatum bargaining behavior. Participants were sixty economy students (31 males and 29 females, mean age: 24.4 ± 2.3 years) who played a €10 ultimatum game. Ultimatum offers were constrained to be €5 (proposer keeps €5) or €1 (proposer keeps €9) to generate a roughly even split between fair (5:5) and unfair (1:9) offers. Fasting serum alphalinolenic (ALA), eicosapentaenoic (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), linoleic acid (LA) and arachidonic acid (AA) were assayed with gas chromatography. In participants who rejected unfair offers there was a significant depletion of ALA, EPA and DHA. Moreover, the ratio of serum omega-3/omega-6 fatty acids was significantly lower in patients who rejected unfair offers as compared to those who did not. The results of this study suggest that a depletion of the serum omega-3 fatty acids is associated with rejections of unfair ultimatum offers in an experimental neuroeconomic setting

Edvard Munch, 1863-1944

Edvard Munch has been one of the most prolific European artists of XX century. Despite he is mainly famous for his masterpiece "The Scream", he deserves to be recognized for his eclectic work. His production was influenced by several personal and familiar events and by his psychopathological condition

HCV prevalence and treatment outcomes among drug users in an outpatient center for drug addiction in Northern Italy

Introduction: We aimed at evaluating hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence and treatment referral outcomes in a large population of drug users in Northern Italy. Material and methods: Each participant underwent a quick capillary blood test. Positive participants underwent HCV RNA quantification. HCV RNA positive subjects were referred to treatment and evaluated immediately at the end of treatment and at 3 and 6 months after treatment. Results: Of the 636 participants tested, 244 were positive. Intravenous drug use was more frequent among subjects who tested positive for HCV antibodies (99%). Among subjects who tested positive, 68% were HCV-RNA positive while 32% were negative. Among people referred to treatment, nearly 30% did not show up while 70% completed the treatment with success. Over 99% of people who started direct-acting antiviral agent (DAA) have a sustained response. Discussion: We observed a significant higher prevalence of HCV positive subjects among people who inject drugs (99%) and we observed a high success rate for HCV treatment engagement. Conclusions: Rapid testing for HCV represents a potential tool for HCV screening among high-risk groups