Publications by authors named "Alessandra Costanza"
Article Synopsis
- The study aims to compare sociodemographic factors, clinical features, comorbidities, and treatment patterns between patients with bipolar disorder type I (BD I) and type II (BD II).
- A total of 680 patients were assessed; findings revealed that BD I patients tend to be younger males who are single and unemployed, whereas BD II patients have a higher prevalence of suicide attempts and psychiatric comorbidities, along with more frequent alcohol use.
- The results highlight distinct profiles for BD I and II, emphasizing the need for tailored therapeutic strategies and improved clinical classifications to enhance treatment outcomes.
Article Synopsis
- Early diagnosis and treatment of bipolar disorder (BD) in youths lead to improved long-term outcomes, yet about one-third of affected patients do not receive adequate medication.
- The authors review current literature on managing BD in children and adolescents, primarily focusing on the effectiveness and side effects of various pharmacological treatments.
- Key findings indicate that while D2-blockers may have adverse effects, lurasidone is effective for acute juvenile bipolar depression, and lithium is beneficial for managing manic episodes; anticonvulsants are helpful as additional treatments for those not responding to first-line therapies, with no support for antidepressants in juvenile BD.
Article Synopsis
- - Recent research indicates a potential link between the immune system and schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs), highlighting the role of neuroinflammation as both a protective response and a factor in chronic conditions that can lead to brain dysfunction.
- - Microglia, the immune cells in the brain, have been identified as significant contributors to various neurodegenerative diseases and may play a role in the inflammatory processes associated with SSDs.
- - The article reviews the effects of certain treatments, like clozapine and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which may help alleviate symptoms of SSDs by modulating immune responses in the brain.
: mechanical restraint (MR) is a controversial issue in emergency psychiatry and should be better studied to implement other alternative therapeutic interventions. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of MR in an Italian psychiatric unit and identify the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics as well as the pharmacological pattern associated with MR. : all subjects (N = 799) consecutively admitted to an Italian psychiatric inpatient unit were recruited.
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- This study examines the link between chronotype (individual sleep patterns) and cardiometabolic health in patients with bipolar disorder (BD).
- Researchers analyzed data from 170 BD patients, assessing their chronotype and performing blood tests to evaluate cholesterol and body mass index (BMI).
- Findings indicate that patients with an evening chronotype had higher BMI and cholesterol levels, suggesting a potential connection between sleep patterns and increased obesity and cardiovascular risk in those with BD.
Article Synopsis
- Schizophrenia is a complicated mental health disorder that might be linked to problems with the immune system.
- The review highlights new evidence connecting immune dysfunction to schizophrenia's clinical features, expanding on previous genetic and molecular research.
- It proposes a hypothesis about how immune cells, especially microglia, play a role in the development of schizophrenia, aiming to improve understanding and treatment of the disorder.
: Gender differences are poorly investigated in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD), although they could be useful in determining the most appropriate pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment. The aim of the present study was to compare sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and the emotional and behavioral dimensions (such as coping, alexithymia, and sensory profile) between males and females with BPD. : Two hundred seven participants were recruited.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of this study was to investigate the association between Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and affective temperaments, considering the relevance of ionic balances in neural excitability, as a possible neurobiological basis for temperamental expression. A cross-sectional study involving 55 adult CF patients was conducted. Sociodemographic, clinical and therapeutic characteristics, temperamental and personality dispositions and depressive and anxiety symptoms were evaluated through standardized semi-structured and structured interviews.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Language is usually considered the social vehicle of thought in intersubjective communications. However, the relationship between language and high-order cognition seems to evade this canonical and unidirectional description (ie, the notion of language as a simple means of thought communication). In recent years, clinical high at-risk mental state (CHARMS) criteria (evolved from the Ultra-High-Risk paradigm) and the introduction of the Clinical Staging system have been proposed to address the dynamicity of early psychopathology.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The aim of the present study is to identify the main sociodemographic and clinical correlates associated with frequent service users (FSUs) in an Italian psychiatric emergency department.
Methods: This study is an observational and prospective clinical investigation. All subjects (N = 549) consecutively admitted to the Psychiatric Inpatient Unit of the IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino ((Genoa, Italy) were recruited over a period of 18 months.
Despite the unprecedented wave of research and publications sparked by the recent pandemic, only few studies have investigated the impact of COVID-19 on the Italian community-based system of mental health care. We aimed to summarize the available evidence from the literature also considering what we have learned from our daily clinical practice. As hospital care was restricted by COVID-19, although reducing their opening hours and activities, Community Mental Health Centers promoted continuity of care for at-risk populations, supporting them to cope with loneliness and hopelessness during quarantine and self-isolation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Multiple medications are frequently prescribed to patients with bipolar disorder (BD). The aim of the present study was to identify sociodemographic and clinical characteristics associated with complex polypharmacy in patients affected by BD.
Methods: 556 patients with BD were included.