Post-traumatic stress symptoms and burnout in healthcare professionals working in neonatal intensive care units: Results from the STRONG study.

Background: Newborns' deaths and life-threatening conditions represent extremely stressful events for parents and professionals working in NICUs, facilitating the onset of secondary traumatic stress symptoms. The STRONG study aims to better understand the psychological impact on Italian NICUs staff of bereavement care.

Methods: The STRONG (STress afteR lOss in NeonatoloGy) study is a cross-sectional study based on a web survey consisted of four sections: sociodemographic, CommuniCARE-Newborn questionnaire, the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised.

Migraine during COVID-19: Data from Second Wave Pandemic in an Italian Cohort.

Objectives: The study aims to assess the impact of the second COVID-19 pandemic wave on migraine characteristics.

Methods: This is an observational cross-sectional study conducted on migraine patients previously interviewed during the first Italian pandemic outbreak. A second structured telephone interview was conducted between 20 November 2020 and 18 January 2021.

Investigating the Effects of COVID-19 Quarantine in Migraine: An Observational Cross-Sectional Study From the Italian National Headache Registry (RICe).

Previous studies during SARS and Ebola pandemics have shown that quarantine is associated with several negative psychological effects, such as post-traumatic stress symptoms, confusion, and anger. These conditions may affect the course of many diseases, including migraine. Although it is possible that the quarantine measures for the current COVID-19 pandemic affect migraine burden, no information is currently available on this issue.

DTI-derived indexes of brain WM correlate with cognitive performance in vascular MCI and small-vessel disease. A TBSS study.

Indexes derived from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) are sensitive to changes of both T2-hyperintense and normal-appearing brain white matter (WM) in elderly subjects with variable cognitive status. We investigated correlations between global cognitive performance and DTI-derived indexes along the WM tracts in the brain of patients with vascular mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and small vessel disease (SVD). Seventy-six patients with vascular MCI and SVD were assessed through Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) test and underwent DTI examination on a 1.

Application of the DSM-5 Criteria for Major Neurocognitive Disorder to Vascular MCI Patients.

Aims: The DSM-5 introduced the term "major neurocognitive disorders" (NCDs) to replace the previous term "dementia." However, psychometric and functional definitions of NCDs are missing. We aimed to apply the DSM-5 criteria for diagnosing the transition to NCD to patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and small vessel disease (SVD), and to define clinically significant thresholds for this transition.

Effect of Attention Training in Mild Cognitive Impairment Patients with Subcortical Vascular Changes: The RehAtt Study.

Background And Objective: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients with small vessel disease (SVD) are at high dementia risk. We tested the effects of cognitive rehabilitation in these patients using the Attention Process Training-II (APT-II) program in a single-blinded, randomized clinical trial.

Methods: Patients were randomized to APT-II or standard care and evaluated at baseline, 6, and 12 months with functional, quality of life, cognitive tests, and resting state functional MRI (rsfMRI).

Resting state fMRI regional homogeneity correlates with cognition measures in subcortical vascular cognitive impairment.

Background: The hyperintensity of cerebral white matter (WM) in T2-weighted MR images of elderly subjects due to small vessel disease (SVD) is associated with variable clinical features including mild cognitive impairment (MCI), also termed subcortical vascular cognitive impairment (SVCI). The latter is typically characterized by psychomotor slowing, attention deficits, and executive dysfunctions. We hypothesized that functional brain changes might be associated with these distinctive cognitive deficits in patients with SVCI.

Regional Cerebral Disease Progression in Friedreich's Ataxia: A Longitudinal Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study.

Background And Purpose: Imaging biomarkers of disease progression are desirable in inherited ataxias. MRI has demonstrated brain damage in Friedreich ataxia (FRDA) in form of regional atrophy of the medulla, peridentate cerebellar white matter (WM) and superior cerebellar peduncles (visible in T1-weighted images) and of change of microstructural characteristics of WM tracts of the brainstem, cerebellar peduncles, cerebellum, and supratentorial structures (visible through diffusion-weighted imaging). We explored the potential of brain MR morphometry and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to track the progression of neurodegeneration in FRDA.

Progression of microstructural damage in spinocerebellar ataxia type 2: a longitudinal DTI study.

Background And Purpose: The ability of DTI to track the progression of microstructural damage in patients with inherited ataxias has not been explored so far. We performed a longitudinal DTI study in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 2.

Materials And Methods: Ten patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 and 16 healthy age-matched controls were examined twice with DTI (mean time between scans, 3.

Familial periventricular nodular heterotopia, epilepsy and Melnick-Needles Syndrome caused by a single FLNA mutation with combined gain-of-function and loss-of-function effects.

Background: Loss-of-function mutations of the FLNA gene cause a neuronal migration disorder defined as X-linked periventricular nodular heterotopia (PNH); gain-of-function mutations are associated with a group of X-linked skeletal dysplasias designed as otopalatodigital (OPD) spectrum. We describe a family in which a woman and her three daughters exhibited a complex phenotype combining PNH, epilepsy and Melnick-Needles syndrome (MNS), a skeletal disorder assigned to the OPD spectrum. All four individuals harboured a novel non-conservative missense mutation in FLNA exon 3.

Progression of brain atrophy in spinocerebellar ataxia type 2: a longitudinal tensor-based morphometry study.

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is the second most frequent autosomal dominant inherited ataxia worldwide. We investigated the capability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to track in vivo progression of brain atrophy in SCA2 by examining twice 10 SCA2 patients (mean interval 3.6 years) and 16 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (mean interval 3.

Cyclooxygenase-2 and inflammation mediators have a crucial role in reflux-related esophageal histological changes and Barrett's esophagus.

Background: Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) causes injury of the esophageal squamous epithelium, a condition called reflux esophagitis. The sequence reflux-esophagitis-intestinal metaplasia-dysplasia-invasive cancer is widely accepted as the main adenocarcinogenetic pathway in the esophagus; however, the mechanisms of this progression need to be better defined.

Aims: We evaluated COX-2 expression and activity in biopsies from patients affected with GER, and these parameters have been correlated with the stage of the disease, ceramide expression, apoptotic process, and angiogenesis.

Updated management of non-st-segment elevation acute coronary syndromes: selection of patients for low-cost care: an analysis of outcome and cost effectiveness.

Background: The management of patients with acute coronary syndromes without ST-segment elevation (NSTEACS) in a chest pain unit (CPU) should represent a cost-effective advantage over conventional management in a coronary care unit (CCU). However, the safety and advantages of this approach are still unresolved.

Material/methods: Outcomes and management costs were evaluated in patients with NSTEACS with intermediate-high TIMI risk scores (> or =3) randomized to receive management in a CPU or a CCU.

Implementation of myocardial perfusion imaging in the early triage of patients with suspected acute coronary syndromes.

The risk of overlooking an underlying acute coronary syndrome remains an important challenge in patients complaining of chest pain but who have a non-diagnostic ECG (CP). Indeed, myocardial scintigraphy associated with exercise testing (exercise SPET) represents a valuable tool for excluding coronary artery disease (CAD) especially in patients with CP and delayed presentation to the emergency department. We sought to implement diagnoses of CAD in the early triage of CP patients by exercise gated SPET and compare diagnoses with outcomes.

Effectiveness of a multidisciplinary chest pain unit for the assessment of coronary syndromes and risk stratification in the Florence area.

Background: In patients seen at the emergency department (ED) with chest pain (CP), noninvasive diagnostic strategies may differentiate patients at high or intermediate risk from those at low-risk for cardiovascular events and optimize the use of high-cost resources. However, in welfare healthcare systems, the feasibility, accuracy, and potential benefits of such management strategy need further investigation.

Methods: A total of 13,762 consecutive patients with CP were screened, and their conditions were defined as high, intermediate, and low risk for short-term cardiovascular events.

Chest pain unit management of patients at low and not low-risk for coronary artery disease in the emergency department. A 5-year experience in the Florence area.

In this study, we screened a total of 6723 consecutive patients with chest pain and ECG non-diagnostic for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) on presentation to the emergency department (ED). The aim of the study was to avoid missed AMI, improve safe early discharge and reduce inappropriate coronary care unit (CCU) admission. Chest pain patients were triaged using a clinical chest pain score and managed in a chest pain unit (CPU).

Early detection of myocardial ischaemia in the emergency department by rest or exercise (99m)Tc tracer myocardial SPET in patients with chest pain and non-diagnostic ECG.

Chest pain (CP) represents a frequent reason for presentation at the emergency department (ED). A large proportion of patients have non-diagnostic ECG on presentation, and in many cases several hours have elapsed since onset of symptoms. Acute rest myocardial scintigraphy (rest SPET) has been shown to have a relevant role in the detection of patients at risk for coronary events, but its sensitivity and negative predictive value are optimal only within the first 3 h following onset of symptoms.

Aetiologic diagnosis of ischaemic stroke in the emergency department: relevance for triage and clinical management.

Effective strategies for the aetiologic diagnosis in patients with ischaemic stroke can be implemented based on simple clinical criteria and instrumental tests which can be performed in a modern emergency room (ER) within 24 hours from admission. This may bear prognostic and therapeutic relevance for patients with acute stroke. Therefore, in this study we set out to establish the feasibility and accuracy of the aetiologic diagnosis of ischaemic stroke in an ER.

Influence of static magnetic field on the antiproliferative effects of vitamin D on human breast cancer cells.

We describe the effect of a 0.2 tesla (T) static magnetic field generated by a magnetic resonance tomograph and of vitamin D treatment on a human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7). Cell damage and proliferation were monitored by measuring the incorporation of [3H]thymidine in duplicating DNA and by the clonogenic assay.

Searching for a general anaesthesia protocol for rapid detoxification from opioids.

The technique for ultra rapid opioid detoxification is designed to shorten the detoxification period by precipitating withdrawal by the administration of opioid antagonists such as naloxone or naltrexone. This procedure is performed under deep sedation or general anaesthesia to ensure that the patient does not consciously experience the acute withdrawal phase. This strategy has aroused controversy regarding the risk of sedation or anaesthesia in this situation.