First-episode Psychosis and Migration in Italy: Results from a Study in the Italian Mental Health Services (Pep-Ita Study).

Background: Migrants present high rates of psychosis. A better understanding of this phenomenon is needed.

Methods: We conducted a multicentre First-Episode Psychosis (FEP) prospective study over two years (January 2012-December 2013) to evaluate first-generation migrants presenting with FEP at the participating Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs).

Surgical and pharmacological reassignment: influence on transsexual cardiovascular risk profile.

Background/aim: To evaluate and stratify early cardiovascular risk of transsexuals who underwent pharmacological and/or surgical gender reassignment.

Methods: Fifty-six transsexuals were divided into two groups: group 1 - underwent gonadectomy (orchiectomy for transwomen and hystero-annessiectomy for transmen); group 2 - hormone replacement therapy alone. All participants underwent carotid artery intima-media thickness (C-IMT) and flow-mediated vasodilation (FMD) of brachial artery evaluations.

Experiences of Discrimination, Harassment, and Violence in a Sample of Italian Transsexuals Who Have Undergone Sex-Reassignment Surgery.

The present study aims to provide an overview of experiences of discrimination, harassment, and violence in a sample of Italian transsexuals who have undergone sex-reassignment surgery (SRS). Lack of support for gender transition from family members was also assessed, before and after SRS. Data were collected in the context of a multicentric study (Milan, Florence, and Bari) on SRS outcome.

Aversive emotional interference impacts behavior and prefronto-striatal activity during increasing attentional control.

Earlier studies have demonstrated that emotional stimulation modulates attentional processing during goal-directed behavior and related activity of a brain network including the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and the caudate nucleus. However, it is not clear how emotional interference modulates behavior and brain physiology during variation in attentional control, a relevant question for everyday life situations in which both emotional stimuli and cognitive load vary. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of negative emotions on behavior and activity in IFG and caudate nucleus during increasing levels of attentional control.

Dissociative symptoms in individuals with gender dysphoria: is the elevated prevalence real?

This study evaluated dissociative symptomatology, childhood trauma and body uneasiness in 118 individuals with gender dysphoria, also evaluating dissociative symptoms in follow-up assessments after sex reassignment procedures were performed. We used both clinical interviews (Dissociative Disorders Interview Schedule) and self-reported scales (Dissociative Experiences Scale). A dissociative disorder of any kind seemed to be greatly prevalent (29.

Prefronto-striatal physiology is associated with schizotypy and is modulated by a functional variant of DRD2.

"Schizotypy" is a latent organization of personality related to the genetic risk for schizophrenia. Some evidence suggests that schizophrenia and schizotypy share some biological features, including a link to dopaminergic D2 receptor signaling. A polymorphism in the D2 gene (DRD2 rs1076560, guanine > thymine (G > T)) has been associated with the D2 short/long isoform expression ratio, as well as striatal dopamine signaling and prefrontal cortical activity during different cognitive operations, which are measures that are altered in patients with schizophrenia.

First-episode psychosis and migration in Italy (PEP-Ita migration): a study in the Italian mental health services.

Background: It has been frequently reported a higher incidence of psychotic disorders in immigrants than in native populations. There is, however, a lack of knowledge about risk factors which may explain this phenomenon. A better understanding of the causes of psychosis among first-generation migrants is highly needed, particularly in Italy, a country with a recent massive migration.

DRD2 genotype predicts prefrontal activity during working memory after stimulation of D2 receptors with bromocriptine.

Rationale: Pharmacological stimulation of D2 receptors modulates prefrontal neural activity associated with working memory (WM) processing. The T allele of a functional single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) within DRD2 (rs1076560 G > T) predicts reduced relative expression of the D2S receptor isoform and less efficient neural cortical responses during WM tasks.

Objective: We used functional MRI to test the hypothesis that DRD2 rs1076560 genotype interacts with pharmacological stimulation of D2 receptors with bromocriptine on prefrontal responses during different loads of a spatial WM task (N-Back).

Psychopathological profile and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cirrhosis.

In some tumors, psychosocial interventions may enhance health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients. The effects of psychological variables on HRQOL in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients have been rarely assessed. The aim of this work is to evaluate the psychopathological profile of HCC and cirrhotic patients and its effect on HRQOL.

Transsexual patients' psychiatric comorbidity and positive effect of cross-sex hormonal treatment on mental health: results from a longitudinal study.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the presence of psychiatric diseases/symptoms in transsexual patients and to compare psychiatric distress related to the hormonal intervention in a one year follow-up assessment. We investigated 118 patients before starting the hormonal therapy and after about 12 months. We used the SCID-I to determine major mental disorders and functional impairment.

Personality profiles and coping styles in migraine patients with fibromyalgia comorbidity.

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FM) is frequently associated with migraine. In this study we aimed to compare personality profiles and coping styles across 23 migraine without aura patients sharing FM comorbidity (MWA-FM), 28 migraine without aura patients without FM symptoms (MWA) and 51 age- and sex-matched controls, by means of Big Five Questionnaire (BFQ) and Coping Orientation to Problem Experienced (COPE), and to correlate main results with clinical features. The "Energy" personality factor was significantly reduced in patients presenting with FM symptoms, compared to both migraine without aura patients and controls.

Metabolic syndrome: differences between psychiatric and internal medicine patients.

Objectives: The existence of specific features of Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) in psychiatric population in comparison to not psychiatric patients has not been systematically investigated. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the differences of MetS among a group of psychiatric patients and a group of internal medicine patients in terms of anthropometric measurements, biochemical variables, and cardiovascular risk.

Methods: We enrolled 83 psychiatric inpatients under pharmacological treatment (schizophrenia n = 24, bipolar disorder n = 27, major depression n = 14, other n = 18) and 77 internal medicine patients visited for supposed MetS as affected by overweight or arterial hypertension.

Converging evidence for the association of functional genetic variation in the serotonin receptor 2a gene with prefrontal function and olanzapine treatment.

Importance: Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) receptor 2a (5-HT2AR) signaling is important for modulation of corticostriatal pathways and prefrontal activity during cognition. Furthermore, newer antipsychotic drugs target 5-HT2AR. A single-nucleotide polymorphism in the 5-HT2AR gene (HTR2A rs6314, C>T; OMIM 182135) has been weakly associated with differential 5-HT2AR signaling and with physiologic as well as behavioral effects.

Hormonal treatment reduces psychobiological distress in gender identity disorder, independently of the attachment style.

Introduction: Gender identity disorder may be a stressful situation. Hormonal treatment seemed to improve the general health as it reduces psychological and social distress. The attachment style seemed to regulate distress in insecure individuals as they are more exposed to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system dysregulation and subjective stress.

[Utilizing the Rorschach Test in the diagnosis of gender identity disorder and in the evaluation of eligibility for sex reassignment surgery].

Introduction: Gender identity disorder (GID) is a mental disorder in which gender identity is incongruent with the anatomical sex, in the absence of any clear and defined genetic or biological alteration. The diagnosis of GID as well as the assessment of patient eligibility for sex reassignment surgery (SRS) are prerequisite to the legal recognition procedure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of the Rorschach test in differential diagnosis determination and primarily in providing information on patient eligibility for SRS, in the framework of the clinical, therapeutic and forensic psychometric and psychodiagnostic assessment, and according to the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) criteria.

Suggestion and pain in migraine: a study by laser evoked potentials.

Belief and expectation are part of placebo effect. Migraine patients are characterized by a dysfunctional modulation of pain processing, though a clear placebo effect emerges in clinical trials. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of visual and verbal suggestion on subjective pain sensation and cortical responses evoked by CO2 painful laser stimuli in migraine without aura patients vs healthy controls.

Psychological factors in medical disorders assessed with the diagnostic criteria for psychosomatic research.

The Diagnostic Criteria for Psychosomatic Research (DCPR) are a diagnostic and conceptual framework that aims to translate psychosocial variables that derived from psychosomatic research into operational tools whereby individual patients could be identified. A set of 12 syndromes was developed and grouped in the clusters of abnormal illness behavior (health anxiety, disease phobia, thanatophobia, and illness denial), somatization (functional somatic symptoms secondary to a psychiatric disorder, persistent somatization, conversion symptoms, and anniversary reaction), irritability (type A behavior, irritable mood), demoralization, and alexithymia. This chapter aims to illustrate the criteria for each of the 12 DCPR syndromes and how to diagnose them with the aid of the DCPR Structured Interview, as illustrated in a clinical example.

Familial liability, obstetric complications and childhood development abnormalities in early onset schizophrenia: a case control study.

Background: Genetic and environmental risk factors and gene-environment interactions are linked to higher likelihood of developing schizophrenia in accordance with the neurodevelopmental model of disease; little is known about risk factors and early development in early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) and very early-onset schizophrenia (VEOS).

Methods: We present a case-control study of a sample of 21 patients with EOS/VEOS and a control group of 21 patients with migraine, recruited from the Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neurologic and Psychiatric Science, University of Bari, Italy. The aim was to assess the statistical association between VEOS/EOS and family history for psychiatric disorders, obstetric complications and childhood developmental abnormalities using 2 × 2 tables and a Chi Squared or Fisher test.

Lack of effects of low frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on alpha rhythm phase synchronization in migraine patients.

The study aimed to test the modulation induced by 1 Hz repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) of the occipital cortex on the alpha phase synchronization under repetitive flash stimuli in 15 migraine without aura patients compared to 10 controls. The EEG was recorded by 7 channels, while flash stimuli were delivered at 9, 18, 21 and 24 Hz in basal, rTMS (15 min of 1 Hz stimulation of the occipital cortex) and sham conditions. Migraine patients displayed increased alpha-band phase synchronization under visual stimulation, while an overall desynchronizing effect was evident in controls.

Alexithymia and cancer pain: the effect of psychological intervention.

Background: Alexithymia is likely to be involved in the pain experience of cancer patients, but the extent to which psychological interventions may modify both pain and alexithymia is unclear.

Methods: A group of 52 consecutive cancer patients were enrolled in a 6-month multicomponent psychological intervention trial, and compared to 52 control patients who received standard medical care. Validated scales for pain, alexithymia, coping with disease, illness behavior, psychological distress, and psychosocial functioning were administered at baseline and 6 months later.

Assessing gastrointestinal symptoms and perception, quality of life, motility, and autonomic neuropathy in clinical studies.

Imprecise characterization of complaints of the upper and lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract puts patients at risks of either a delayed diagnosis or misdiagnosis and contributes to an increase in the overall direct and indirect costs of the health system. The current scenario in the case of functional GI diseases originates from at least two conditions: frequency of diseases and bothersome symptoms with an impact on the quality of life (QoL). To make a correct diagnosis is therefore almost mandatory.

Depressive symptoms, vascular risk factors and mild cognitive impairment. The Italian longitudinal study on aging.

Aims: We evaluated the impact of depressive symptoms on the rate of incident mild cognitive impairment (MCI) after a 3.5-year follow-up, and we assessed the interaction between depressive symptoms and vascular risk factors for incident MCI.

Methods: A total of 2,963 individuals from a sample of 5,632 65- to 84-year-old subjects were cognitively and functionally evaluated at the 1st and 2nd surveys of the Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging, a prospective cohort study with a 3.