Self-centrality, psychosis and schizotaxia: a conceptual review.

The phenomenon of self-centrality denotes a qualitative modification of the psychotic experience. Transitory experiences of self-reference have regularly been found in subjects in the prodromic phase and at the beginning of psychosis or in the post psychotic phase, and are specifically identified in the semeiotics of Basic Symptoms. However, self-centrality, in addition to being a morphological organizer in the psychotic crisis, also manifests itself in schizotypal personality disorders and in first-degree relatives of schizophrenics (where it is correlated to the degree of schizotypal traits).

Personality disorders and response to medication treatment in panic disorder: a 1-year naturalistic study.

Objective: In this naturalistic and prospective study, personality was assessed in patients with panic disorder (PD), in order to evaluate whether personality features negatively influence the outcome of pharmacological treatment.

Method: Before drug treatment, PD was diagnosed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV disorders and personality was assessed with the Structured Interview for DSM-IV Personality Disorders. Moreover, all patients were evaluated with the SCL-90, the Ham-A and Ham-D.

The effect of pharmacotherapy on personality disorders in panic disorder: a one year naturalistic study.

Background: In this prospective study, Personality Disorders (PersD) were evaluated in patients with Panic Disorder (PD), before and after one year of pharmacotherapy to verify whether personality characteristics changed after treatment.

Method: Sixty PD patients and 60 sex and age-matched normal controls participated in the study. All subjects were evaluated with the SCID-IV, the Structured Interview for DSM-IV Personality Disorders (SIDP), the SCL-90, the Ham-A and the Ham-D.

Relationship between alexithymia and panic disorder: a longitudinal study to answer an open question.

Background: In the present study, we evaluated whether patients with panic disorder (PD) in complete remission were more alexithymic than normal controls.

Methods: Fifty-two PD patients (both during the acute phase of the disorder and after at least 2 months of complete remission) and 52 age- and sex-matched normal subjects completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 and the Hamilton Rating Scales for Anxiety (Ham-A) and for Depression.

Results: A higher rate of alexithymia was found in PD patients than in controls (3.