Publications by authors named "Giulia Serra"

Cross-sectional imaging is widely used to characterize adrenal gland tumors in humans. In small animal veterinary medicine, while some studies have attempted to distinguish between types of adrenal gland neoplasia using CT, peer-reviewed studies investigating canine adrenal glands on MRI are scant. This prospective, pilot, single-center, method comparison, cadaveric study aimed to assess the agreement between ex vivo MRI findings and analogous histopathological findings of the adrenal glands in dogs.

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Correct classification of irritability is extremely important to assess prognosis and treatment indications of juvenile mood disorders. We assessed factors associated with low versus high parent- and self-rated irritability using the affective reactivity index (ARI) in a sample of 289 adolescents diagnosed with a bipolar or a major depressive disorder. Bivariate analyses were followed by multilinear logistic regression model.

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The relationship between the duration of major depressive disorder (MDD) and therapeutic response to standard antidepressant treatment (SAT) is unknown. -methyl-D-aspartate receptor uncompetitive antagonists are emerging drugs for MDD. We investigated whether the antidepressant effect of esmethadone (REL-1017) could be related to the duration of depression.

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Objective: To identify childhood psychopathological features that predict the onset of adolescent Bipolar (BD) versus Unipolar Major Depressive Disorder (UD) during adolescence.

Method: We analyzed clinical data from 495 juveniles diagnosed with DSM-5 UD ( = 359), and BD ( = 136), using bivariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression model.

Results: BD subjects exhibited earlier onset of any psychiatric feature compared to UD.

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Abnormal deposition of α-synuclein is a key feature and biomarker of Parkinson's disease. α-Synuclein aggregates can propagate themselves by a prion-like seeding-based mechanism within and between tissues and are hypothesized to move between the intestine and brain. α-Synuclein RT-QuIC seed amplification assays have detected Parkinson's-associated α-synuclein in multiple biospecimens including post-mortem colon samples.

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Primary thoracic wall neoplasia is uncommon in dogs and the prognosis depends on tumor type. The aims of this retrospective, multi-center, observational study were to describe CT features of primary thoracic wall neoplasia in dogs and to test the hypothesis that CT features would differ among tumor types. Dogs with a diagnosis of primary thoracic wall bone neoplasia and thoracic CT study were included.

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Improvement of cognitive function in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) is an important treatment outcome. REL-1017 (esmethadone HCl) is a novel -methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) channel blocker and a potentially rapidly acting antidepressant. The objective of this study was to define the effects of REL-1017 on subjective cognitive measures in patients with MDD.

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Early identification of bipolar disorder may provide appropriate support and treatment, however there is no current evidence for statistically predicting whether a child will develop bipolar disorder. Machine learning methods offer an opportunity for developing empirically-based predictors of bipolar disorder. This study examined whether bipolar disorder can be predicted using clinical data and machine learning algorithms.

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Background: Gender differences have been reported in the severity and psychopathological features of major depressive disorders among adults but are poorly reported in adolescent samples.

Objective: This study aimed to examine gender differences in the psychopathology of mixed depression among adolescents.

Methods: We analyzed 341 outpatients with the current major depressive episode (MDE) retrospectively to identify patients with DSM-5 MDE with mixed features.

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Background: Recently in the field neurodegenerative diseases increasing attention has been pointed to CSF biomarkers and their integration with neuroimaging (1). Frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) refers to a heterogeneous group of clinical syndromes with different underlying proteinopathies including tau pathology. CSF biomarkers have been proposed as diagnostic and prognostic factors.

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In human medicine, pituitary apoplexy (PA) is a clinical syndrome characterised by the sudden onset of neurological signs because of haemorrhage or infarction occurring within a normal or tumoral pituitary gland. The diagnosis is usually performed combining neurological signs and imaging findings. The aim of the present study is to describe the abnormal neurological signs, the diagnostic imaging findings, based on Computed Tomography (CT) and/or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and the outcome in a population of dogs with suspected PA.

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Article Synopsis
  • Noonan syndrome (NS) is a genetic developmental disorder linked to mutations in the Ras-MAPK signaling pathway, resulting in variable clinical symptoms.
  • This study evaluates the psychopathological features, particularly depressive and hypo-manic symptoms, in 37 children and adolescents with NS, finding significant signs of attention deficit, irritability, emotional dysregulation, and anxiety.
  • The average cognitive levels of the subjects were found to be normal, emphasizing the importance for clinicians to monitor mood disorders in individuals with Noonan syndrome.
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Objective: To characterize how disease progression is associated with mortality in a large cohort of patients with Parkinson disease (PD) with long-term follow-up after subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS).

Methods: Motor and cognitive disabilities were assessed before and 1, 2, 5, and 10 years after STN-DBS in 143 consecutive patients with PD. We measured motor symptoms "off" and "on" levodopa and STN-DBS and recorded causes of death.

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Aims: To identify early clinical factors predictive of later morbidity in major depressive disorder (MDD).

Methods: We analysed factors associated with long-term depressive morbidity (%-time ill) between a first-lifetime major depressive episode and last follow-up of 116 adults diagnosed with DSM-IV major depressive disorder. Bivariate comparisons were followed by multivariable linear regression modelling.

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Background: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrojejunostomy (PEG) and radiologically inserted gastrojejunostomy (RIG) are both safe and effective techniques for gastrojejunal tube placement. The authors compared these 2 procedures in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) who required the continuous intrajejunal delivery of a levodopa/carbidopa gel suspension (LCIG).

Methods: Outcomes were retrospectively collated from 30 PEG and 12 RIG procedures performed at 2 centers in patients with advanced PD for the delivery of LCIG.

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