Fatigue as Mediator Factor in PTSD-Symptoms after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Background: Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) is a valid treatment for hematological oncological or metabolic diseases. Despite its therapeutic efficacy, it is an aggressive treatment that impacts negatively on quality of life (QoL) and may result in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms. The aim of this study is to explore rates and risk factors for PTSD symptoms, and fatigue in post-HSCT patients with hematological malignancies.

Olfaction and Anxiety Are Differently Associated in Men and Women in Cognitive Physiological and Pathological Aging.

Background: Olfaction impairment in aging is associated with increased anxiety. We explored this association in cognitively healthy controls (HCs), Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Parkinson's disease (PD) patients. Both olfaction and anxiety have sex differences, therefore we also investigated these variances.

Neural correlates of psychodynamic and non-psychodynamic therapies in different clinical populations through fMRI: A meta-analysis and systematic review.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the ongoing crisis in psychiatric and psychological care, contributing to what we have identified as . Psychotherapy is an effective method for easing the psychological suffering experienced also by the various impacts of COVID-19. This treatment can be examined from a neurological perspective, through the application of brain imaging techniques.

Brain functional topology differs by sex in cognitively normal older adults.

Introduction: Late onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, in which almost 70% of patients are women.

Hypothesis: We hypothesized that women show worse global FC metrics compared to men, and further hypothesized a sex-specific positive correlation between FC metrics and cognitive scores in women.

Methods: We studied cognitively healthy individuals from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative cohort, with resting-state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

Memory for the Future: Psychodynamic Approach to Time and Self Through the Default Network.

Time exists in us, and our self exists in time. Our self is affected and shaped by time to the point that a better understanding of the former can aid the understanding of the latter. Psychoanalysis works through self and time, where the self is composed of the biopsychosocial history (the past) of the individual and able to map a trajectory for the future.

Relationship of sex differences in cortical thickness and memory among cognitively healthy subjects and individuals with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer disease.

Background: An aging society has increased rates of late onset Alzheimer disease dementia (ADD), the most common form of age-related dementia. This neurodegenerative disease disproportionately affects women.

Methods: We use data from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) to examine sex differences in cortical thickness (CT) and memory performance.

Brain Entropy During Aging Through a Free Energy Principle Approach.

Neural complexity and brain entropy (BEN) have gained greater interest in recent years. The dynamics of neural signals and their relations with information processing continue to be investigated through different measures in a variety of noteworthy studies. The BEN of spontaneous neural activity decreases during states of reduced consciousness.

Sex Differences of Brain Functional Topography Revealed in Normal Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Cohort.

We applied graph theory analysis on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data to evaluate sex differences of brain functional topography in normal controls (NCs), early mild cognitive impairment (eMCI), and AD patients. These metrics were correlated with RAVLT verbal learning and memory scores. The results show NCs have better functional connectivity (FC) metrics than eMCI and AD, and NC women show worse FC metrics compared to men, despite performing better on the RAVLT.

Altered Cingulate Cortex Functional Connectivity in Normal Aging and Mild Cognitive Impairment.

Purpose: Resting-state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging studies revealed that the brain is organized into specialized networks constituted by regions that show a coherent fluctuation of spontaneous activity. Among these networks, the cingulate cortex appears to play a crucial role, particularly in the default mode network, the dorsal attention network and the salience network. In the present study, we mapped the functional connectivity (FC) pattern of different regions of the cingulate cortex: the anterior cingulate cortex, midcingulate cortex and posterior cingulate cortex/retro splenial cortex, which have been in turn divided into a total of 9 subregions.

Psychoanalysis and Neuroscience: The Bridge Between Mind and Brain.

In 1895 in the Project for a Scientific Psychology, Freud tried to integrate psychology and neurology in order to develop a neuroscientific psychology. Since 1880, Freud made no distinction between psychology and physiology. His papers from the end of the 1880s to 1890 were very clear on this scientific overlap: as with many of his contemporaries, Freud thought about psychology essentially as the physiology of the brain.

Neuroaging through the Lens of the Resting State Networks.

Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) allows studying spontaneous brain activity in absence of task, recording changes of Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent (BOLD) signal. rs-fMRI enables identification of brain networks also called Resting State Networks (RSNs) including the most studied Default Mode Network (DMN). The simplicity and speed of execution make rs-fMRI applicable in a variety of normal and pathological conditions.

Late-Life Depression: Modifications of Brain Resting State Activity.

Late-life depression (LLD) is a common emotional and mental disability in the elderly population characterized by the presence of depressed mood, the loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities, and other depression symptoms. It has a serious effect on the quality of life of elderly individuals and increases their risk of developing physical and mental diseases. It is an important area of research, given the growing elderly population.

Modifications in resting state functional anticorrelation between default mode network and dorsal attention network: comparison among young adults, healthy elders and mild cognitive impairment patients.

Resting state brain activity incorporates different components, including the Default Mode Network and the Dorsal Attention Network, also known as task-negative network and task-positive network respectively. These two networks typically show an anticorrelated activity during both spontaneous oscillations and task execution. However modifications of this anticorrelated activity pattern with age and pathology are still unclear.

The role of body image and self-perception in anorexia nervosa: the neuroimaging perspective.

Anorexia nervosa is a severe psychiatric illness characterized by intense fear of gaining weight, relentless pursuit of thinness, deep concerns about food and a pervasive disturbance of body image. Functional magnetic resonance imaging tries to shed light on the neurobiological underpinnings of anorexia nervosa. This review aims to evaluate the empirical neuroimaging literature about self-perception in anorexia nervosa.

Difficulty describing feelings and post-traumatic symptoms after a collective trauma in survivors of L'Aquila earthquake.

Background: The association between alexithymia and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms has been demonstrated in several studies, but never in victims of a collective trauma such as a natural disaster, which has an impact on an entire community.

Aims: The aim was to assess the relationship between alexithymia and post-traumatic symptoms in a group of people who lived in L'Aquila exposed to the earthquake that hit the town in 2009.

Methods: Eighty-seven participants were included and assessed for alexithymia, PTSD symptoms, depression, anxiety, and psychiatric symptoms.

Acute effects of modafinil on brain resting state networks in young healthy subjects.

Background: There is growing debate on the use of drugs that promote cognitive enhancement. Amphetamine-like drugs have been employed as cognitive enhancers, but they show important side effects and induce addiction. In this study, we investigated the use of modafinil which appears to have less side effects compared to other amphetamine-like drugs.