Italian Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders: cognitive and behavioral deficits.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) refer to a group of clinical conditions that occur in a person exposed to alcohol before birth. Neuroimaging shows abnormalities in brain structure, cortical development, white matter microstructure, and functional connectivity in individuals with FASD. These abnormalities modify the normal developmental trajectories resulting in deficits in cognition and behavior across several domains, including general intelligence, memory, language, attention, learning, visuospatial abilities, executive functioning, fine and gross motor skills, and social and adaptive functioning.

Comprehensive Monitoring of Psychoactive Substances in Psychiatric Patients Using Liquid Chromatography-High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry: A Key Tool for Treatment Planning and Understanding Consumption Patterns in Rome, Italy.

Background: The comprehensive monitoring of licit and illicit drug consumption plays a crucial role in understanding the complexities of patient conditions and designing effective treatment strategies. In this study, the prevalence of psychoactive prescription drugs, classical illicit drugs, and new psychoactive substances (NPS) were objectively assessed in individuals diagnosed with drug-related psychiatric disorders or episodes.

Methods: Blood, urine, and hair samples were collected from psychiatric patients admitted to the Mental Health Department and Drug Addiction Service of the North Rome Local Health Authority with declared or suspected psychoactive drug use.

Emergency Psychiatric Consultations During and After the COVID-19 Lockdown in Italy. A Multicentre Study.

The aim was to analyse the psychiatric consultations in nine Italian hospital emergency departments, by comparing the lockdown and post-lockdown periods of 2020 with the equivalent periods of 2019. Characteristics of psychiatric consultations, patients, and drug prescriptions were analyzed. Joinpoint models were used to identify changes in the weekly trend of consultations.