Psychiatric Hospitalization for Psychopathological Disorders and Self-Injurious Behaviors in Italian Children and Adolescents during COVID-19.

The evidence shows that the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically increased the number of urgent psychiatric consultations for children and adolescents in hospital emergency departments (EDs). However, what needs to be further investigated are the characteristics of psychiatric hospitalization in children and adolescents admitted to the Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit wards in EDs. Specifically, this retrospective study aimed to examine changes in (i) the number of inpatients and (ii) the distribution of psychopathological disorders and self-injurious behaviors in our Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit ward during the COVID-19 lockdown in Italy (March-June 2020; October 2020-January 2021) compared with the same months of previous years.

Dopaminergic signalling and behavioural alterations by Comt-Dtnbp1 genetic interaction and their clinical relevance.

Background And Purpose: Cognitive and motor functions are modulated by dopaminergic signalling, which is shaped by several genetic factors. The biological effects of single genetic variants might differ depending on epistatic interactions that can be functionally multi-directional and non-linear.

Experimental Approach: We performed behavioural and neurochemical assessments in genetically modified mice and behavioural assessments and genetic screening in human patients with 22q11.

Anxiety in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Clinical Characteristics and the Role of the Family.

Background: Anxiety Disorder (AD) is among the most common psychiatric comorbidity in children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Likewise, parental psychological distress (PPD) was linked to anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents with ASD. The aim of this study was to characterise, in a sample of children and adolescents with ASD, anxiety symptoms, the functional impairment associated and the presence of PPD.

Orthorexia Nervosa, Eating Disorders, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Selective Review of the Last Seven Years.

Orthorexia nervosa (ON) is defined as an exaggerated, obsessive, pathological fixation on healthy food, healthy eating, or health-conscious eating behaviors. In the literature, there is an ongoing debate over whether ON should be considered simply a lifestyle phenomenon or a psychiatric disorder. In this vein, ON seems to share psychopathological characteristics with both eating disorders (EDs) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

Psychoeducation focused on family accommodation: a practical intervention for parents of children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a neuropsychiatric disorder that is frequently diagnosed in children and adolescents. In pediatric OCD, family plays an important role in the development and maintenance of the disease. In this relationship, both genetic and behavioral factors, such as parental modeling and family accommodation, are significant.

Neurodevelopmental Trajectories and Clinical Profiles in a Sample of Children and Adolescents With Early- and Very-Early-Onset Schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia before the age of 18 years is usually divided into two categories. Early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) presents between the ages of 13 and 17 years, whereas very-early-onset schizophrenia (VEOS) presents at or before the age of 12 years. Previous studies have found that neurodevelopmental difficulties in social, motor, and linguistic domains are commonly observed in VEOS/EOS patients.

Personality Traits and Disorders in Adolescents at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis: Toward a Clinically Meaningful Diagnosis.

Recent meta-analytic data show that approximately 40% of individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR) receive at least one personality disorder (PD) diagnosis. Personality pathology could significantly influence CHR patients' prognosis and response to treatment. We aimed at exploring the PD traits of CHR adolescents, in order to outline a prototypic description of their most frequently observed personality characteristics.

Clinical significance of family accommodation and parental psychological distress in a sample of children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder aged 8-17 years old.

Background: Family Accommodation (FA) refers to the involvement of family members (especially parents) in the compulsive behaviors of children and adolescents with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (e.g. modifying family routines or facilitating avoidance of obsessive-compulsive triggers).

Peer Victimization and Onset of Social Anxiety Disorder in Children and Adolescents.

Background: In the literature, several studies have proposed that children and adolescents with social anxiety had experienced previously victimization from peers and siblings. The aim of this review was to contribute to the updating of recent findings about the relationship between peer victimization and onset of social anxiety in children and adolescents.

Methods: A selective review of literature published between 2011 and 2018 on Social Anxiety Disorder in children and adolescents that experienced peer victimization during childhood and adolescence.

Prevalence and Clinical Significance of Symptoms at Ultra High Risk for Psychosis in Children and Adolescents with Obsessive⁻Compulsive Disorder: Is There an Association with Global, Role, and Social Functioning?

In literature nothing is known about the clinical significance of Ultra High Risk (UHR) symptoms in children and adolescents with diagnosis of obsessive⁻compulsive disorder (OCD). In this study, we examined the prevalence of UHR symptoms and their relationship with severity of obsessive⁻compulsive symptomatology, global, social, and role functioning, and level of associated depressive symptoms in a clinical sample ( = 51) of children and adolescents aged between 8 and 17 years with a diagnosis of OCD. The prevalence of UHR symptoms in this sample was 43.

Use of Transcranial Direct Stimulation in the Treatment of Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is a debilitating disease that affects approximately 1% of the population. Negative symptoms are among the major determinants of the functional impairment and a significant proportion of patients with negative symptoms will continue to experience these symptoms despite antipsychotic medications. There are promising results in the application of brain stimulation, particularly transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), for the reduction of negative symptoms of schizophrenia.

An Overview of Recent Findings on Social Anxiety Disorder in Adolescents and Young Adults at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis.

Background: Some studies have shown that anxiety is particularly frequent in the Clinical High Risk (CHR) for psychosis population. Notably, social anxiety disorder is identified as one of the most common anxiety disorders in CHR adolescents and young adults. Despite this, the frequency and the clinical significance of social anxiety in this population have been underestimated.