Cognitive remediation for the treatment of neuropsychological disturbances in subjects with euthymic bipolar disorder: findings from a controlled study.

Introduction: Individuals with euthymic Bipolar Disorder (BD) can experience deteriorated cognitive functioning, with such deterioration being associated with functional impairment. Cognitive remediation (CR) is considered an effective add-on intervention for neuropsychological impairments, but relatively few CR controlled studies have been performed on BD. In the present study the efficacy of a CR intervention designed for the improvement of cognition and functioning in patients with euthymic BD was tested.

[Experience of group art therapy with music improvisation in the integrated treatment at a psychiatric Day Hospital: preliminary results].

Aim: The study aims at evaluating the resocializing effects of music therapy as add-on therapy in the course of integrated, pharmacological and psychological, treatment.

Methods: During a six months period, 24 patients belonging to a psychiatric Day Hospital were recruited and divided into 2 groups. An accurate music anamnesis was collected for each patient.

[Effects of Group Psychoeducation on stress reactivity neuroendocrine profile in stabilized bipolar patients. A controlled study].

Introduction: Patients with bipolar disorder show a high relapse rate generally related to their poor adherence to the prescribed medications and to their high stress vulnerability, linked to genetic, neuroendocrine and cognitive factors.

Aims: The first aim of this study was to verify if for a group of pharmacologically stabilized bipolar patients, the attendance to a Group Psychoeducation program according to the Barcelona model would result in an improvement of their stress resilience, as measurable by evaluating their morning cortisol secretory profile. The second aim of the study has been to verify if these effects would maintain stable over time, organizing follow-up evaluations, after one year and after two years form the end of the group psychoeducation program.

[Cinema-based interventions implemented at the Day Hospital of Sapienza University of Rome - Policlinico Umberto I Hospital: group therapy, projective evaluation, psychoeducation and treatment].

Cinema has been extensively used in psychiatric care. In the present article the cinema-based interventions implemented at the Day Hospital of Sapienza University of Rome - Policlinico Umberto I Hospital with various modalities and aims (e.g.

A preliminary study on hot and cool executive functions in bipolar disorder and on their association with emotion regulation strategies.

Objective: Individuals with bipolar disorder (BD) experience difficulties in cognitive and emotional regulation in different phases of illness. In the present study, we aimed at exploring differences on hot and cool executive functioning (EF) between BD patients in euthymia (BDe) and mania (BDm), and associations of hot and cool EF with emotion regulation strategies.

Methods: Thirty-seven BD patients (among which 18 with a current manic episode and 19 in euthymia) and 15 healthy controls completed a battery of tests assessing hot and cool EF and emotion regulation strategies.

Relational variables in short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy: an effectiveness study.

This study examined associations between specific elements of therapeutic relationships and short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy (STPP) outcomes. Notably, we focused on therapists' subjective experiences during their first clinical interaction with patients, countertransference patterns and therapeutic alliance evaluated early in treatment, in relation to patient symptom changes at the end of STPP. Twenty clinicians completed the Comprehensive Psychopathological Rating Scale to evaluate patients' (=32) symptom severity at the beginning and end of STPP.

Psychoeducational intervention focused on healthy living improves psychopathological severity and lifestyle quality in psychiatric patients: preliminary findings from a controlled study.

Background: Individuals with psychiatric disorders incur an increased risk of morbidity and mortality, with higher prevalence of cardio-metabolic risk factors s largely contributing to a significant reduction in life expectancy.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was at evaluating the clinical effectiveness of an educational intervention targeting lifestyle habits in patients with mood and psychotic disorders.

Methods: Patients (n = 32) were randomly assigned to receive, in addition to the pharmacological treatment, either five sessions of group psychoeducation focused on healthy lifestyle or five sessions of a control group therapy.

[History of Clinical Psychiatry of Sapienza University of Rome in Policlinico Umberto I].

The present article intends to go over the history of the Psychiatric Clinic of the Sapienza University of Rome, starting from the beginning of the teaching of Psychiatry at Santa Maria della Pietà mental hospital, back in 1871, to the eventual founding, at the University "La Sapienza" and the Umberto I general hospital, of the Institute of Psychiatric Clinic and next of the Nervous and Mental Diseases' Clinic with the enclosed specialization school in Psychiatry. A detailed overview is supplied on the characters of the eminent scientists who have succeeded over time at the head of the Clinic and on the description of its different organization, conceived by each of them because of their educational and cultural roots. In this humus is born, in 1966, the journal Rivista di Psichiatria, still alive.

[Osteoporosis and major depression: open debate on a bidirectional relationship].

Osteoporosis and depression are two chronic diseases that affect large population groups with great impact on morbidity, mortality and quality of life. Existing studies of the relationship between depression and osteoporosis have been heterogeneous in their design and use of diagnostic instruments for depression, which might have contributed to the different results on the comorbidity of these two conditions. Moreover, the direction of the causative link is still controversial and the etiology remains unclear.

[Coffee consumption in depressive disorders: it's not one size fits all].

Caffeine is considered the world's most popular psychoactive substance. Its actions on the central nervous system, mainly mediated by antagonism of adenosine receptors and subsequent modulation of dopaminergic activity, would be particularly sought by depressed patients, as an attempt of self-medication. However, published data suggested that coffee consumption may worsen psychopathological conditions in mood disorders.

[Comorbidity of hysterical pathologies associated with gynecological diseases: historical perspectives and current evidence].

Background: In spite of a large amount of observations made in Psychiatric Day-Hospital of Sapienza University of Rome relating to comorbidity between sexual and gynecological disorders and hysteria, we have attempted to quantify the incidence of this phenomenon in order to assess their significance.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on medical records of patients hospitalized at the Day-Hospital of the Policlinico Umberto I in Rome between 1989 and 2009.

Results: It seems to be confirmed the hypothesis of a high frequency of correlating these disorders, although the results lead to a number of critical reflections on its significance and the method adopted.

[The representation of Italian psychiatry in Italian Treccani Encyclopedia in 1930's].

The article reconstruct the situation of Italian psychiatry around 1930, using as unusual sources the pages of the Enciclopedia Italiana di Scienze, Lettere e Arti. This important work, conceived in 1925 and finished in 1937, is due - as well known - to the strong interest of Giovanni Gentile and to his capacity to involve in the project a great part of Italian intellectual world, without any ideological preclusion. The section devoted to Medical Sciences, including Psychiatry, was directed by Nicola Pende (1880-1970) and Giacinto Viola (1870-1943).

[Motivation in brief psychotherapy: a 30 patients study, valued in a psychiatric day-hospital].

Introduction: The most important predictive factor for a successful outcome in Brief Psychotherapy is the motivation of patients to the treatment itself. Against the scarcity of literature on the subject, so far limited to offer standardized tools to assess motivation, applied mainly to education and work's areas, in spite of a possible application in psychotherapy, it was considered necessary to develop a questionnaire ad hoc.

Materials And Methods: It was therefore created a pattern of motivational diagnosis of the problem based on a sequence of questions and answers, which would make possible the classification of each case and then that could lead to the use of a specific method.

[Internet addiction disorder and social networks: statistical analysis of correlation and study of the association with social interaction anxiousness].

Introduction: Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) is an emerging psychiatric disorder, assimilable to impulse control problems and related to maladaptive use of new networks and social and virtual technologies.

Aim: Our study aims to analyze the presence of IAD among adolescents and to study the correlation with social interaction anxiousness. We investigated also the possibility that the Social Network (SN) represent a source of risk for the development of IAD.

[Defense mechanisms as outcome measure in short-term psychotherapy related to symptoms, severity and overall functioning: a preliminary study].

Unlabelled: The assessment of defense mechanisms in psychotherapy is currently one of the most used ways to evaluate the effectiveness of psychotherapy. In literature there are few reports on defense mechanisms changes by short-term treatments.

Aim: To determine whether the defense mechanisms are changed after twelve sessions of short-term psychotherapy related to psychopathological symptoms, severity and overall functioning.

[Categorical and dimensional diagnosis in schizoid and narcissistic personality disorders: critical interpretation of literature cases].

In the general reflection inherent categorical and dimensional diagnosis and the opportunity to put neurotic and psychotic personality in the various chapters of the discipline, a never-ending discussion on the similarities and differences between clinical pictures classified in separate entries (think of the comings and goings from one cluster to another between schizoid and avoidant personality disorder). Other cogent discussion focused on the nosographical criteria, targeted to a modified classification that takes into account dimensional rather than descriptive criteria. About personality disorders think of the debate on their degree of severity, as assessed by criteria such dissimilar from various authors, as to be very different in this sense a ranking according to the variables considered (eg, classifications by Kernberg and Millon).

[SSRI antidepressants and negative schizophrenic symptoms: differences between paroxetine and fluvoxamine in patients treated with olanzapine].

Introduction: After the advent of SSRI, antidepressants in low doses and in combination with neuroleptic treatment entered into use in clinical practice. The indication is the depression that may overlap with schizophrenic disorder.

Aim: Our work, based on "serotonin dimension" of schizophrenic disorder and accepting the neuropharmacological paradox that is cotherapy antipsicotic drug/SSRI, has investigated two different combinations of integrated treatment: olanzapine+paroxetine and olanzapine+fluvoxamine.

[SSRI discontinuation syndrome: incidence and differences on three groups of patients treated with paroxetine].

In recent years, many cases have been published about the appearance of a specific syndrome after the suspension or the sharp reduction in dose of antidepressants. Most of the reports and records relating to the very short half-life SSRI paroxetina. The following work intended to investigate the syndrome, its impact and its correlation with some parameters: age, sex, diagnosis, time of taking and antidepressant drug, therapeutic compliance, suspension and symptoms.