Cognitive functioning in long-term cancer survivorship: A survey utilizing both standardized neuropsychological and self-report measures.

Since long-term cancer survivorship is a reality for an increasing number of people, understanding their cognitive functioning is useful for both research and clinical purposes. This study described the cognitive functioning of Italian long-term cancer survivors, using both an objective standardized battery and a self-report questionnaire. A total of 136 Italian adults 5+ years free from cancer and its treatments were administered the Esame Neuropsicologico Breve, the Self-Assessment Scale of Cognitive Functioning, and assessments of other psychological dimensions.

Cognitive Functioning Self-Assessment Scale (CFSS): Further psychometric data.

The "Cognitive Functioning Self-Assessment Scale" (CFSS) is a questionnaire specifically developed for the self-reporting of cognitive functioning in non-neurologic settings. A previous published study had showed its good reading comprehension and face validity, defining it as monofactorial and reliable. This paper provides further psychometric data and norms derived on a larger sample from the general population.

Psychological health in long-term cancer survivorship: an Italian survey on depression and anxiety.

Since long-term survivorship is now a reality for an increasingly number of people with a history of cancer, understanding their psychological health can inform health care policy as well as help supporting individual patients. This study was aimed to describe depression and anxiety (i.e.

Mood states in long-term cancer survivors: an Italian descriptive survey.

Purpose: Since long-term survivorship is now a reality for an increasing number of people with cancer, understanding their mood states (i.e., transient subjective emotional states) can inform health-care policy as well as help support individual patients.

Is long-term cancer survivors' quality of life comparable to that of the general population? An italian study.

Purpose: Since long-term survivorship is now a reality for an increasingly number of people with a history of cancer, understanding their quality of life (QoL) can inform health care policy as well as help supporting individual patients. This study was aimed to quantify QoL of this specific population in comparison with data provided for both the general population and cancer patients and to assess QoL association with several sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological variables.

Methods: Three hundred fourteen Italian long-term cancer survivors (people who have been free from cancer and cancer treatments for at least 5 years) completed a battery of questionnaires including the SF12 for QoL assessment.

Facilitating the integration of emotional states in patients' personal disease experience with cancer: a new brief intervention for managing psychological distress.

Purpose: This paper describes an intervention performed at an Italian oncological institute to manage psychological distress related to the oncological experience. Its objectives are to encourage and normalize awareness of the importance of emotional aspects of the cancer experience, to provide psycho-education to patients on the importance of psycho-social care in promoting well-being, and to introduce our psychology service and promote its usage.

Methods: The intervention consists of three consecutive steps: the psychological distress screening; the clinical interview, which is conducted according to Rogers' client-centered model; and the collection of data regarding the appreciation and usefulness of the initiative, performed through a feedback questionnaire and the codification of the interview contents.

[Sexuality and intimacy after cancer: an explorative survey at 5 years or more since treatment completion].

Introduction: Long-term cancer survivorship is a reality for a growing number of persons diagnosed with cancer and this fact justifies the great effort made to know and to improve quality of life (QoL) after having experienced a cancer and its treatments. In this paper, the perception of both sexuality and intimacy--that represents a QoL domain--is investigated in a sample of long-term cancer survivors to identify potential problematic areas and to verify its association with the main socio-demographic and clinical variables.

Method: 96 long-term cancer survivors (i.

Assessing the body image: relevance, application and instruments for oncological settings.

Purpose: Body image is the sum of physical, cognitive, emotional, and relational elements that, when integrated, allow the development of a whole, healthy self-identity. Even though body image is normally studied in relation to eating disorders, it can also be influenced by other pathologies, including cancer. In oncology, an effective body image assessment is fundamental.

Distance perception in autism and typical development.

Children with autism and typically developing children walked blindfolded to a previously seen target (blindwalking task) and matched the frontal to the sagittal extent of a pattern formed by ropes on the ground (L-matching task). All participants were accurate in the blindwalking task. Children with autism were also very accurate in the matching task.

Updating and inhibition processes in working memory: a comparison between Alzheimer's type dementia and frontal lobe focal damage.

A large debate has recently focused on the componential nature of the working-memory system (), as evidenced by functional-imaging studies and by using more sophisticated experimental paradigms. The present work aims at further disentangling the role and effects of central executive (CE) and of phonological loop (PL). It is suggested that maintaining active verbal information mostly relates to an intact PL, while the inhibition of interfering information preponderantly involves the CE.