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Picascia M, Cerami C, Panzavolta A, Bernini S, Calculli A, Regalbuto S, Pisani A. Risk factors for post-COVID cognitive dysfunctions: the impact of psychosocial vulnerability. Neurol Sci 2023:10.1007/s10072-023-06884-9. [PMID: 37349527 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-023-06884-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive dysfunction is a well-established manifestation of the post-COVID syndrome. Psychological vulnerability to stressors can modify disease trajectories, causing long-term risk for negative outcomes. Nonetheless, how premorbid risk factors and response to stressor affect neuropsychological changes is still incompletely understood. In this study, we explored the impact of psychosocial variables on cognitive functioning in a post-COVID sample. METHODS All subjects were submitted to a comprehensive neuropsychological battery and an assessment of perceived loneliness, post-traumatic stress, and changes in anxiety and depression levels. A social vulnerability index was also calculated. The set of psycho-social variables was reduced to two Principal Component Analysis (PCA) components: distress and isolation. RESULTS Forty-five percent of individuals showed cognitive impairments, with predominant memory and executive deficits. Post-traumatic stress disorder was clinically relevant in 44% of the sample. Social vulnerability scores of the sample were comparable to those of general population. The individual performance in learning and response initiation/suppression was directly related to distress component, encasing anxiety, stress, and depression measures. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that psychosocial assessment of post-COVID patients can detect fragile individuals at risk of cognitive impairments. Dedicated psychological support services may play a useful role in the prevention of post-COVID cognitive dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chiara Cerami
- IRCCS Mondino Foundation, 27100, Pavia, Italy.
- IUSS Cognitive Neuroscience (ICoN) Center, University School for Advanced Studies IUSS, Piazza della Vittoria 10, 27100, Pavia, Italy.
| | - Andrea Panzavolta
- IUSS Cognitive Neuroscience (ICoN) Center, University School for Advanced Studies IUSS, Piazza della Vittoria 10, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Alessandra Calculli
- IRCCS Mondino Foundation, 27100, Pavia, Italy
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Simone Regalbuto
- IRCCS Mondino Foundation, 27100, Pavia, Italy
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Antonio Pisani
- IRCCS Mondino Foundation, 27100, Pavia, Italy
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100, Pavia, Italy
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Scarpazza C, Costa C, Battaglia U, Berryessa C, Bianchetti ML, Caggiu I, Devinsky O, Ferracuti S, Focquaert F, Forgione A, Gilbert F, Pennati A, Pietrini P, Rainero I, Sartori G, Swerdlow R, Camperio Ciani AS. Acquired Pedophilia: international Delphi-method-based consensus guidelines. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:11. [PMID: 36653356 PMCID: PMC9849353 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02314-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Idiopathic and acquired pedophilia are two different disorders with two different etiologies. However, the differential diagnosis is still very difficult, as the behavioral indicators used to discriminate the two forms of pedophilia are underexplored, and clinicians are still devoid of clear guidelines describing the clinical and neuroscientific investigations suggested to help them with this difficult task. Furthermore, the consequences of misdiagnosis are not known, and a consensus regarding the legal consequences for the two kinds of offenders is still lacking. The present study used the Delphi method to reach a global consensus on the following six topics: behavioral indicators/red flags helpful for differential diagnosis; neurological conditions potentially leading to acquired pedophilia; neuroscientific investigations important for a correct understanding of the case; consequences of misdiagnosis; legal consequences; and issues and future perspectives. An international and multidisciplinary board of scientists and clinicians took part in the consensus statements as Delphi members. The Delphi panel comprised 52 raters with interdisciplinary competencies, including neurologists, psychiatrists, neuropsychologists, forensic psychologists, expert in ethics, etc. The final recommendations consisted of 63 statements covering the six different topics. The current study is the first expert consensus on a delicate topic such as pedophilia. Important exploitable consensual recommendations that can ultimately be of immediate use by clinicians to help with differential diagnosis and plan and guide therapeutic interventions are described, as well as future perspectives for researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Scarpazza
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy. .,Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, Padova, Italy. .,IRCCS S. Camillo Hospital, Venezia, Italy.
| | - Cristiano Costa
- grid.5608.b0000 0004 1757 3470Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, Padova, Italy ,grid.5608.b0000 0004 1757 3470Department of Neuroscience, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Umberto Battaglia
- grid.5608.b0000 0004 1757 3470Department of Applied Psychology, FISPPA – University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Colleen Berryessa
- grid.430387.b0000 0004 1936 8796School of Criminal Justice, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ USA
| | - Maria Lucia Bianchetti
- grid.5608.b0000 0004 1757 3470Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Ilenia Caggiu
- grid.5608.b0000 0004 1757 3470Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Orrin Devinsky
- grid.137628.90000 0004 1936 8753Epilepsy Center, NYU School of Medicine, New York, USA
| | - Stefano Ferracuti
- grid.7841.aDepartment of Human Neurosciences Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Farah Focquaert
- grid.5342.00000 0001 2069 7798Bioethics Institute Ghent, Department of Philosophy and Moral Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Arianna Forgione
- grid.5608.b0000 0004 1757 3470Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Fredric Gilbert
- grid.1009.80000 0004 1936 826XEthics, Policy & Public Engagement (EPPE) ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science (ACES), Faculty of Arts, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
| | | | - Pietro Pietrini
- grid.462365.00000 0004 1790 9464IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Lucca, Italy
| | - Innocenzo Rainero
- grid.7605.40000 0001 2336 6580Neurology I, Department of Neuroscience “Rita Levi Montalcini”, University of Torino, Turin, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Sartori
- grid.5608.b0000 0004 1757 3470Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Russell Swerdlow
- grid.412016.00000 0001 2177 6375University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS USA
| | - Andrea S. Camperio Ciani
- grid.5608.b0000 0004 1757 3470Department of Applied Psychology, FISPPA – University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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Boutros S, El Hachem E, Mattar J, Hallit S, Mattar H. Arabic version of the Hayling sentence completion test: scale validation, normative data and factors associated with executive functions in a sample of the Lebanese adults. Head Face Med 2020; 16:36. [PMID: 33308273 PMCID: PMC7730776 DOI: 10.1186/s13005-020-00251-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study was conducted for several reasons, primarily because of the lack of an Arabic version of the HSCT that could be beneficial in our clinical practice. Another reason is the need to find potential relationships between various factors with executive functions, especially problematic mobile phone use as suggested by many previous studies, since smartphones have become, nowadays, a daily companion of people from all generations. Thus, it is important to conduct this study in Lebanon to be adapted to the ideas, customs and social behavior of the Lebanese citizens. Hence, the objectives of the current study are to use the Arabic version of the HSCT in healthy community-dwelling Arabic-speaking adults in Lebanon, to check its validity compared to other versions of the test, as well as to identify risk factors that might affect the executive functions in these adults. METHODS Between August-December 2019, 350 participants were randomly selected. The Arabic version of the HSCT, divided into automatic and inhibition conditions, was used; in each condition, participants' response-time and number of errors committed were recorded. RESULTS None of the scale items was removed. For the automatic condition, response-time items converged over one factor (αCronbach = 0.905) and number of errors converged over seven factors (αCronbach = 0.334). For the inhibition condition, response-time converged over one factor (αCronbach = 0.943) and number of errors converged over four factors (αCronbach = 0.728). Using electricity as a heating method inside the house was significantly associated with a lower response-time, whereas higher problematic mobile phone use was associated with higher response-time. Using wood as a heating system inside the house and higher problematic mobile phone use were associated with higher number of errors, while using Arabian incense (bakhour) inside the house was associated with lower number of errors. CONCLUSION We were able to set normative data for the HSCT Arabic version for use in the Lebanese population. Problematic mobile phone use was associated with lower inhibitory control in terms of response-time and errors number.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Boutros
- Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), Jounieh, Lebanon.
| | - Emilio El Hachem
- Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), Jounieh, Lebanon
| | - Joseph Mattar
- Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), Jounieh, Lebanon
| | - Souheil Hallit
- Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), Jounieh, Lebanon.
- INSPECT-LB: Institut National de Santé Publique, Épidémiologie Clinique et Toxicologie-Liban, Beirut, Lebanon.
| | - Hanna Mattar
- Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), Jounieh, Lebanon
- Department of Neurology, Notre Dame des Secours University Hospital, Byblos, Lebanon
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Rao SP, Nandi R, Dutt A, Kapur N, Harris JM, Thompson JC, Snowden JS. Distinct performance profiles on the Brixton test in frontotemporal dementia. J Neuropsychol 2020; 15:162-185. [PMID: 33058472 DOI: 10.1111/jnp.12228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The Brixton Spatial Anticipation Test is a well-established test of executive function that evaluates the capacity to abstract, follow, and switch rules. There has been remarkably little systematic analysis of Brixton test performance in the prototypical neurodegenerative disorder of the frontal lobes: behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) or evaluation of the test's ability to distinguish frontal from temporal lobe degenerative disease. We carried out a quantitative and qualitative analysis of Brixton performance in 76 patients with bvFTD and 34 with semantic dementia (SD) associated with temporal lobe degeneration. The groups were matched for demographic variables and illness duration. The bvFTD group performed significantly more poorly (U = 348, p < .0001, r = .58), 53% of patients scoring in the poor-impaired range compared with 6% of SD patients. Whereas bvFTD patients showed problems in rule acquisition and switching, SD patients did not, despite their impaired conceptual knowledge. Error analysis revealed more frequent perseverative errors in bvFTD, particularly responses unconnected to the stimulus, as well as random responses. Stimulus-bound errors were rare. Within the bvFTD group, there was variation in performance profile, which could not be explained by demographic, neurological, or genetic factors. The findings demonstrate sensitivity and specificity of the Brixton test in identifying frontal lobe degenerative disease and highlight the clinical value of qualitative analysis of test performance. From a theoretical perspective, the findings provide evidence that semantic knowledge and the capacity to acquire rules are dissociable. Moreover, they exemplify the separable functional contributions to executive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sulakshana P Rao
- Neuropsychology and Clinical Psychology Unit, Duttanagar Mental Health Centre, Kolkata, India
| | - Ranita Nandi
- Neuropsychology and Clinical Psychology Unit, Duttanagar Mental Health Centre, Kolkata, India
| | - Aparna Dutt
- Neuropsychology and Clinical Psychology Unit, Duttanagar Mental Health Centre, Kolkata, India
| | - Narinder Kapur
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, UK
| | - Jennifer M Harris
- Cerebral Function Unit, Manchester Centre for Clinical Neurosciences, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, UK.,Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, UK
| | - Jennifer C Thompson
- Cerebral Function Unit, Manchester Centre for Clinical Neurosciences, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, UK.,Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, UK
| | - Julie S Snowden
- Cerebral Function Unit, Manchester Centre for Clinical Neurosciences, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, UK.,Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, UK
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Ottaviani C, Zingaretti P, Petta AM, Antonucci G, Thayer JF, Spitoni GF. Resting Heart Rate Variability Predicts Inhibitory Control Above and Beyond Impulsivity. J PSYCHOPHYSIOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1027/0269-8803/a000222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Abstract. Heart rate variability (HRV) has been linked to effective functioning of prefrontal-subcortical inhibitory circuits. Despite the recognized role of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in executive functions linked to inhibitory capacity, studies linking HRV to executive functions are inconsistent, likely due to potential confounders. The present study sought to examine this relation in a sample of 50 healthy participants (31 females; Mage = 24.2 years) who underwent assessment of resting HRV and two executive tasks assessing inhibitory control, namely the Rule Shift Cards and the Hayling Sentence Completion Test. Hierarchical multiple regressions showed that HRV predicted performance on both tasks (i.e., time taken to inhibit a strongly activated response) above and beyond the role of sex, body mass index, and impulsivity. Present results disconfirm that the HRV-executive function association is only due to confounders, and corroborate such relationship with the use of two ecological tasks assessing inhibitory control. Current findings support the Neurovisceral Integration Model and provide plausible explanation for previous inconsistent results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Ottaviani
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Pietro Zingaretti
- PhD Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | | | - Gabriella Antonucci
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Julian F. Thayer
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Grazia Fernanda Spitoni
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
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