Publications by authors named "Rodolfo Furlan Damiano"

This study investigates the relationship between clinical, sociodemographic, and neuropsychological symptoms and serum cytokine concentrations with long-term cognitive and psychiatric outcomes in long-COVID-19 patients. We reassessed 108 adults who survived moderate to severe COVID-19 at two intervals post-discharge (T1, mean 6.9 months; T2, mean 23.

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Cognitive impairment and symptoms of psychiatric disorders have been reported frequently as features of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection. This study aims to investigate subjective memory complaints in COVID-19 survivors and determine if these are more strongly associated with objective cognitive impairment related to sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection or with symptoms of psychiatric conditions. A total of 608 COVID-19 survivors were evaluated in-person 6-11 months after hospitalization, with 377 patients assigned to a "no subjective memory complaint (SMC)" group and 231 patients assigned to an SMC group based on their Memory Complaint Scale scores.

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The present article aims to describe the different steps on how to design, develop and conduct quantitative and qualitative Spirituality and Health (S/H) studies from a Brazilian perspective, discussing definitions and instruments, and proposing a "how-to guide" for those interested in this field of research. A narrative review of the literature has been conducted by experts in the field of S/H aiming to develop a "how-to-guide". Spirituality is a very complex concept that has several challenges in the current scientific literature, including the lack of consensus in the definitions, the numerous dimensions assessed, the diverse instruments for measurement, the criticisms from other scholars, the great diversity of religious and cultural traditions and the growing number of "spiritual but not religious" individuals.

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Background: Anxiety is a common and disabling condition that significantly impacts quality of life. Subsyndromal anxiety (SSA) refers to anxiety symptoms that do not meet the full diagnostic criteria for an anxiety disorder but pose a risk for developing such disorders. We aimed to provide practical recommendations for the treatment of SSA in primary care settings.

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Objective: To investigate the trajectory of positive attributes from childhood to early adulthood and how these trajectories might be modified by environmental factors.

Methods: We enrolled 2,511 participants aged 6 to 14 years from a large prospective school-based community cohort of Brazilian children and adolescents, 45% of whom were girls. They were assessed and followed for up to 3 years (with 80% retention) or 6 years (with 71% retention).

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Introduction: Post-COVID-19 condition (PCC) is characterised by a plethora of symptoms, with fatigue appearing as the most frequently reported. The alterations that drive both the persistent and post-acute disease newly acquired symptoms are not yet fully described. Given the lack of robust knowledge regarding the mechanisms of PCC we have examined the impact of inflammation in PCC, by evaluating serum cytokine profile and its potential involvement in inducing the different symptoms reported.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study explores the idea that shared environmental factors during pregnancy and infancy could contribute to the occurrence of multiple mental disorders in children.
  • Researchers analyzed data from 2,231 children aged 6-14 and their parents to investigate how these early influences correlate with different types of psychiatric disorders.
  • Findings suggest that common risk factors, such as maternal smoking and education level, can influence a general susceptibility to mental health issues while also affecting specific types of symptoms like fear, distress, and external behaviors.
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Recent studies have reported positive effects of Intermittent Fasting (IF) on metabolic parameters, cognition, and mood. However, regarding depressive symptoms, the effect of IF is not clear. The purpose of this review was to assess the available evidence on IF interventions for depression in both clinical and preclinical studies.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to evaluate how sociodemographic, clinical, and biological factors affect the long-term cognitive outcomes in patients who survived moderate to severe COVID-19.
  • Researchers assessed 710 adults about 6 to 11 months post-hospital discharge, using a thorough cognitive battery and various evaluations, ultimately looking for links between cognitive impairment and several health markers.
  • Results showed that while a significant number of participants reported cognitive decline, sociodemographic factors were more closely associated with cognitive performance than clinical and inflammatory factors, suggesting these health markers may not be as influential in long-term cognitive deficits after COVID-19.
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Objective: To provide practical norms for measuring depressive symptoms using the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) in Brazil using a state-of-art psychometrics analysis.

Methods: We used a large and representative Brazilian dataset from the 'Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde - 2019'(PNS-2019), which includes 90,846 Brazilian citizens. First, to assess the scale structure, we assessed the unidimensional model using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA).

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigated the relationship between Post-acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection (PASC) and physical inactivity in COVID-19 survivors, analyzing data from 614 patients in Sao Paulo, Brazil, who underwent follow-ups 6 to 11 months after hospitalization.
  • - Results showed a higher rate of physical inactivity among patients with PASC symptoms, with the frequency increasing from 51% in those with no symptoms to 71% in those with five or more symptoms, highlighting the impact of symptoms like dyspnea and fatigue.
  • - The findings suggest that PASC may contribute to ongoing physical inactivity, indicating a need for targeted interventions to address this issue, potentially improving health outcomes for COVID-19
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Objectives: To re-evaluate a sample of older adults enrolled in a randomized controlled trial of lithium for amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) after 11 to 15 years, re-assessing their current (or last available) global cognitive and functional state.

Methods: We recalled all former participants of the Lithium-MCI trial conducted by our group between 2009 and 2012 to perform a single-blinded, cross-sectional evaluation of their global clinical state to compare the long-term outcome of those who received lithium vs. those who received placebo.

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Refugees are individuals who live outside of their country and are at increased risk of mental health problems. Even though many papers assessed Refugees' mental health, few intended to evaluate in remote areas, such as refugee camps. On this study we assessed 102 individuals who lives in the Dzaleka Refugee Camp - Malawi.

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Preliminary methodologically limited studies suggested that taste and smell known as chemosensory impairments and neuropsychiatric symptoms are associated in post-COVID-19. The objective of this study is to evaluate whether chemosensory dysfunction and neuropsychiatric impairments in a well-characterized post-COVID-19 sample. This is a cohort study assessing adult patients hospitalized due to moderate or severe forms of COVID-19 between March and August 2020.

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Background: Despite the multitude of clinical manifestations of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), studies applying statistical methods to directly investigate patterns of symptom co-occurrence and their biological correlates are scarce.

Methods: We assessed 30 symptoms pertaining to different organ systems in 749 adults (age = 55 ± 14 years; 47% female) during in-person visits conducted at 6-11 months after hospitalization due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), including six psychiatric and cognitive manifestations. Symptom co-occurrence was initially investigated using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and latent variable modeling was then conducted using Item Response Theory (IRT).

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Objective: The present study aims to investigate the occurrence of psychiatric and cognitive impairments in a cohort of survivors of moderate or severe forms of COVID-19.

Method: 425 adults were assessed 6 to 9 months after hospital discharge with a structured psychiatric interview, psychometric tests and a cognitive battery. A large, multidisciplinary, set of clinical data depicting the acute phase of the disease, along with relevant psychosocial variables, were used to predict psychiatric and cognitive outcomes using the 'Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator' (LASSO) method.

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To investigate the definitions of spirituality in the healthcare field, identifying its main dimensions and proposing a framework that operationalizes the understanding of this concept. This is a systematic review following the PRISMA guideline (PROSPERO: CRD42021262091), searching for spirituality definitions published in scientific journals. Searches were carried out in PubMed (all articles listed up to October 2020) and in the reference lists of the articles found in the database, followed by selection under specific eligibility criteria.

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