The Role of Psychological Variables in Predicting Rehabilitation Outcomes After Spinal Cord Injury: An Artificial Neural Networks Study.

: Accurate prediction of neurorehabilitation outcomes following Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) is crucial for optimizing healthcare resource allocation and improving rehabilitation strategies. Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) may identify complex prognostic factors in patients with SCI. However, the influence of psychological variables on rehabilitation outcomes remains underexplored despite their potential impact on recovery success.

Psychopathological Correlates and Psychosocial Functioning in Children and Adolescents with Syncope: A Systematic Review.

Objective: Syncope is defined as a spontaneous and transient loss of consciousness and postural tone due to brief and reversible cerebral hypoperfusion. This review aimed to summarize the research findings regarding the psychological correlates associated with pediatric syncope. Moreover, the study aimed to deepen the understanding of the relationship between psychological disorders and the onset of syncopal episodes in childhood, focusing on clinical features and different clinical classifications.

Definition and Criteria for the Assessment of Expertise in Psychotherapy: Development of the Psychotherapy Expertise Questionnaire (PEQ).

Therapist expertise is a complex, multifaceted, and continually evolving concept. Defining this construct and its constituent components can yield a substantial contribution to the field of psychotherapy, consequently enhancing the comprehension of the fundamental factors that underlie its effectiveness. Within this framework, the present research aimed at developing and assessing the psychometric properties of the Psychotherapy Expertise Questionnaire (PEQ), a self-report measure to assess therapist expertise.

A narrative review on treatment strategies for neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy.

Background And Objective: Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) represents a significant achievement in the translation of scientific research to clinical application, but it is currently the only neuroprotective treatment for HIE. This review aims to revisit the use of TH for HIE and its longitudinal impact on patient outcomes to readers new to the field of HIE.

Anterior vertebral body tethering as a treatment for scoliosis in skeletally immature patients.

A relatively new surgical procedure called Anterior Vertebral Body Tethering (AVBT) is used to treat scoliosis in patients with immature skeletons. It is a growth modulation fusionless system that Crowford and Lenke first described in 2010. We present our observations from 25 patients.

An Integrated Approach to Addictive Behaviors: A Study on Vulnerability and Maintenance Factors.

This study aimed to explore the relationships among the variables involved in a Comprehensive Model of Addiction (CMA), which posits that the presence and severity of addictive behaviors are related to the configuration of seven psychological variables, namely childhood trauma, insecure attachment, affect dysregulation, dissociation, impulsivity, compulsiveness, and obsessiveness. A vulnerability model was proposed, in which it was suggested that affect dysregulation and complex trauma mediated the association between insecure attachment and dissociation. Furthermore, a maintenance model was elaborated, in which it was hypothesized that dissociation influenced affect dysregulation via impulsivity, compulsiveness, and obsessiveness.

The Relationship Between Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms and Dissociation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the relationship between dissociation and obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) and disorder (OCD). Specifically, the study aimed to (a) estimate the pooled prevalence of dissociative disorders among individuals with OCD; (b) systematically review the prevalence of OCD among individuals with dissociative disorders; (c) compare the severity of dissociative symptoms between individuals with OCD and non-clinical controls; (d) estimate the association between OCS and dissociative symptoms in the clinical and non-clinical populations. A systematic search was carried out in biomedical databases from inception to January 2022 according to PRISMA guidelines.

Multidisciplinary Management of Children with Occult Spinal Dysraphism: A Comprehensive Journey from Birth to Adulthood.

Occult spinal dysraphism (OSD) comprises different forms of failure in embryogenic development that can lead to genitourinary, spinal, or lower limb alterations, thus determining progressive neurological deterioration. The correct management of children harboring OSD represents a significant issue during their life up to adulthood. However, patients often have to entertain individual consultations with each specialist.

The Perinatal Assessment of Paternal Affectivity (PAPA): Italian validation of a new tool for the screening of perinatal depression and affective disorders in fathers.

Background: Questionnaires for the screening of paternal perinatal psychological distress are based on clinical manifestations expressed by women, showing limitations in capturing the wide array of signs and symptoms exhibited by men. The current study aimed to validate the Perinatal Assessment of Paternal Affectivity, a new self-report tool for the screening of paternal depressive and affective disorder.

Method: This study used a cross-sectional design with a 3-month test-retest, involving respectively 385 (T1) and a sub-sample of 111(T2) fathers.

An addictive disorders severity model: a chained mediation analysis using structural equation modeling.

Background: The clinical relevance of the degree of severity in addiction disorders supports the need to investigate the variables underlying this aspect of the phenomenon.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the relationships between factors that may influence the severity of addiction disorder, with a particular focus on temperamental disinhibition, emotion dysregulation, interpersonal vulnerability, and their interactions.

Methods: A clinical sample of 502 (77% males and 22% females) was involved.

Autonomic Measures in Differentiating Depressive Disorders: A Potential AID.

Objective: The present study aimed at exploring the potential utility of autonomic regulation as a useful marker in the diagnostic differentiation between unipolar and bipolar depression.

Method: Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), low-frequency (LF) of heart rate variability, and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were assessed in patients with bipolar depression (31) and major depressive disorder (MDD=32), and in healthy controls (HCs=32). Since bipolar depressed subjects were maintained on specific medications to manage manic/hypomanic symptoms, we explored whether mood stabilizers (atypical antipsychotics and anticonvulsants or their combinations) could independently affect the physiological parameters.

Childhood Maltreatment, Educational Attainment, and IQ: Findings From a Multicentric Case-control Study of First-episode Psychosis (EU-GEI).

Background And Hypothesis: Evidence suggests that childhood maltreatment (ie, childhood abuse and childhood neglect) affects educational attainment and cognition. However, the association between childhood maltreatment and Intelligence Quotient (IQ) seems stronger among controls compared to people with psychosis. We hypothesised that: the association between childhood maltreatment and poor cognition would be stronger among community controls than among people with first-episode of psychosis (FEP); compared to abuse, neglect would show stronger associations with educational attainment and cognition; the association between childhood maltreatment and IQ would be partially accounted for by other risk factors; and the association between childhood maltreatment, educational attainment, and IQ would be stronger among patients with affective psychoses compared to those with nonaffective psychoses.

Integrating Psychophysiology within Clinical Practice: A Pilot Cross-sectional Study on Prodromal Symptoms of Schizophrenia, Emotion Regulation, and Personality Functioning.

Objective: To investigate the association between prodromal symptoms of schizophrenia, autonomic activity, and personality functioning.

Method: 10 adolescents underwent semi-structured interviews assessing prodromal symptoms of schizophrenia and personality functioning. Cardiac activity was recorded at baseline, during the clinical interviews, and at recovery to assess concurrent changes in autonomic functioning.

Video-Assisted Thoracoscopy for Vertebral Body Tethering of Juvenile and Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: Tips and Tricks of Surgical Multidisciplinary Management.

VATS (video assisted thoracoscopic surgery) is routinely and successfully performed in minor and major complex thoracic procedures. This technique has been recently introduced for the treatment of severe forms of idiopathic scoliosis (IS) with the aim to repair the deformity, reduce morbidity and to prevent its progression in patients with skeletal immaturity. This study aims to present VATS in anterior vertebral body tethering (AVBT) approach to support the pediatric orthopedic surgeons during vertebral body fixation.

The Role of Personality in Schizophrenia and Psychosis: A Systematic Review.

Although personality is a widely discussed topic within the academic field, little is still known about its role in affecting psychopathology, specifically schizophrenia, which can involve psychosis. While the existing literature connects these fields, it is necessary to deepen the knowledge about the relationship between these and the role that personality disorders and traits have on such psychopathology. With the implementation of the AMPD in the DSM-5 and the related assessment of impairment in personality functioning and pathological personality traits, moving from traditional models as the FFM Model of Personality, the present systematic review aims to clarify and summarize the state of the art of the studies regarding this topic.

Is Low Heart Rate Variability Associated with Emotional Dysregulation, Psychopathological Dimensions, and Prefrontal Dysfunctions? An Integrative View.

Several studies have suggested a correlation between heart rate variability (HRV), emotion regulation (ER), psychopathological conditions, and cognitive functions in the past two decades. Specifically, recent data seem to support the hypothesis that low-frequency heart rate variability (LF-HRV), an index of sympathetic cardiac control, correlates with worse executive performances, worse ER, and specific psychopathological dimensions. The present work aims to review the previous findings on these topics and integrate them from two main cornerstones of this perspective: Porges' Polyvagal Theory and Thayer and Lane's Neurovisceral Integration Model, which are necessary to understand these associations better.

DSM-5 personality trait facets amongst child molesters: an exploratory comparison with other types of offenders.

Background: DSM-5 provided a dimensional model of personality disorders which may be more clinically informative for the assessment and management of prisoners than a categorical one, as diagnoses of personality disorders alone cannot explain the type of violence. The role of DSM-5 personality facets is however understudied in child molesters, and no study compared these clinical features between individuals who have committed sex crime against children and those who have committed other types of crime. The present study compared DSM-5 personality trait facets between prisoners who had committed sex crime against children, prisoners who had committed property crime (i.

A Comprehensive Model for Gambling Behaviors: Assessment of the Factors that can Contribute to the Vulnerability and Maintenance of Gambling Disorder.

Gambling Disorder is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon which requires a careful understanding by analysing both the life experiences and the psychopathological components linked to this type of behaviour. This study aimed to apply a Comprehensive Model of Addiction and to delve deeper the dimensions involved in the vulnerability and maintenance of the disease. Therefore, the effect of alexithymia and traumatic experiences in mediating the relationship between insecure attachment and dissociation, as well as the roles of impulsiveness and compulsiveness in influencing obsessiveness were explored in pathological gamblers.

The Link between Attachment and Gambling in Adolescence: A Multiple Mediation Analysis with Developmental Perspective, Theory of Mind (Friend) and Adaptive Response.

: Several studies have supported the evidence that attachment styles are a central factor in adolescent gambling problems. On this theoretical basis, the aim of the present study is to analyze a hypothesized mediation model exploring both the direct and indirect effects of insecure attachment on gambling disorder by investigating the role of the developmental perspective, theory of mind (friend) and adaptive response in that relationship. : The sample consists of 178 adolescents who underwent the and .

A comparative study of brain tumor cells from different age and anatomical locations using 3D biomimetic hydrogels.

Brain tumors exhibit vast genotypic and phenotypic diversity depending on patient age and anatomical location. Hydrogels hold great promise as 3D in vitro models for studying brain tumor biology and drug screening, yet previous studies were limited to adult glioblastoma cells, and most studies used immortalized cell lines. Here we report a hydrogel platform that supports the proliferation and invasion of patient-derived brain tumor cell cultures (PDCs) isolated from different patient age groups and anatomical locations.

The relationship between dyadic adjustment and psychiatric symptomatology in expectant couples: An actor-partner interdependency model approach.

Background: Many researchers who evaluated psychological distress during the transition to parenthood agree in identifying pregnancy as the most sensitive period for the onset of psychiatric symptomatology for both parents. Furthermore, research highlights a correlation between symptoms experienced by fathers in relation to those experienced by mothers.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate whether dyadic functioning influences the level of psychiatric symptomatology in couples expecting their first child.

Tracking Psychopathy in Female Italian Inmates: The Role of the DSM-5 Alternative Model of Personality Disorders Dysfunctional Personality Domains.

Objective: The present study aimed at testing the relationships between measures of psychopathy and measures of the DSM-5 Alternative Model of Personality Disorders (AMPD) domains in a sample of female offenders who were serving their sentences in Italian prisons.

Method: Thirty-eight Italian adult female inmates were underwent the Italian versions of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) and of the Personality Inventory for DSM-5-Informant Report Form (PID-5-IRF).

Results: According to MM robust regression analysis results, high scores on the PID-5-IRF Disinhibition domain scale and low scores on the PID-5-IRF Anxiousness trait scale were significant and substantial predictors of the PCL-R total score.

Early Signs of Schizophrenia and Autonomic Nervous System Dysregulation: A Literature Review.

Objective: Recent research suggests that early signs of schizophrenia can be detected several years before its onset. Evidence suggests that the identification of at-risk individuals before the psychotic onset can significantly improve the course of the disorder. However, instruments employed for the detection of prodromal symptoms are far from being accurate in the prediction of a future transition to psychosis.