Publications by authors named "Emanuela Amici"

Background: Although second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) have proven to be effective therapeutic options for patients with schizophrenia, there is a notable lack of evidence on patients' subjective perspectives regarding their well-being, quality of life, and satisfaction with these medications. This study aimed to evaluate the treatment satisfaction and effectiveness of lurasidone on quality of life and functioning in adult patients with schizophrenia in real-world Italian clinical practice.

Methods: This was a multicentre, national, non-interventional, single-arm, 3-month prospective study.

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Background: Partial dopamine D receptor agonists are used for psychotic symptoms in adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Recently, interest surged for partial dopamine D receptor agonists in substance use disorders (SUDs). Since it is believed that SUDs decrease the efficacy of pharmacotherapy of underlying psychiatric disorders, we tested the efficacy of the partial D agonist brexpiprazole in patients with schizophrenia who were either comorbid with a SUD (SUD group) or not comorbid (non-SUD) to assess treatment response and the effect of brexpiprazole on substance craving in SUD.

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Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), social-emotional impairments (SEIs), and neurodevelopmental disorders (NDs) are frequent in psychiatric disorders, including substance-use disorders. We aimed to determine the prevalence of ACE, SEI, or ND in individuals with cannabis-use disorder (CUD). We compared individuals with preCUD-onset ACE, SEI, or ND to those without.

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Background: The Covid 19 pandemic might have impacted response to drug treatment in major depressive episode (MDE). We compared responses to three different antidepressant drugs, i.e.

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Background: Treatment-resistance in schizophrenia is 30-40%. Its neurobiology remains unclear; to explore it, we conducted a combined spectrometry/tractography/cognitive battery and psychopathological rating study on patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS), dividing the sample into early-onset (N = 21) and adult-onset TRS (N = 20). Previous studies did not differentiate between early- (onset 13-18 years) and adult-onset (>18 years at formal diagnosis of schizophrenia) TRS.

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Age-at-onset (AAO) affects psychiatric disorder outcome; substance (SUDs) or alcohol use disorders (AUDs) may influence their onset. Affective temperaments may affect early AAO and drug-use proneness. To investigate whether SUD/AUD moderated temperamental effects in determining AAO of mental disorders.

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Background: Major Depressive Episodes (MDEs) may characterise many psychiatric disorders. Its pharmacotherapy is laid with unmet needs, rendering the testing of new drugs necessary.

Objective: To compare the effects of vortioxetine with those of other antidepressants (OADs) in a 1-year naturalistic setting.

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Long-acting injectable (LAI) aripiprazole was found to be efficacious in schizophrenia. In common clinical practice, the use of LAIs is often restricted to chronic patients with frequent relapses and poor adherence. Recently, some investigators advanced the idea of early LAI use also in young people with schizophrenia at their first psychotic episode (FEP).

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Background: To overcome nonadherence in patients with psychosis switch to long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotic formulations is adopted. Most oral versus LAI comparisons showed similar antipsychotic responses. Psychoses often overlap with substance use disorder (SUD).

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Metabolic syndrome is associated with elevated morbidity and mortality for overt coronary artery disease (CAD). In diabetic patients, CAD is often silent. The relation between metabolic syndrome and silent CAD has never been studied.

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Background: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is associated with coronary artery disease (CAD). In diabetic patients, CAD is often silent. Among diabetic patients with silent CAD, the prevalence of ED has never been evaluated.

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Background: The metabolic syndrome is a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors (central obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, disturbance in glucose metabolism) associated with insulin-resistance. The cluster of risk factors defining the metabolic syndrome increases cardiovascular risk more than each single component. The aim of the present longitudinal study was to evaluate the relationship between weight loss and changes in insulin-resistance and in the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome 1-year after SAGB implantation.

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Objective: In patients with uncomplicated diabetes, there is low probability of finding significant coronary artery disease (CAD) by noninvasive tests. Therefore, screening for its presence is not justified, and it is important to find reliable predictors of silent CAD to identify patients with uncomplicated diabetes for further screening. The relationship between lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], apolipoprotein(a) [apo(a)] polymorphism, and silent CAD has never been studied.

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