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Zaffanello M, Pietrobelli A, Zoccante L, Ferrante G, Tenero L, Piazza M, Ciceri ML, Nosetti L, Piacentini G. Mental Health and Cognitive Development in Symptomatic Children and Adolescents Scoring High on Habitual Snoring: Role of Obesity and Allergy. Children (Basel) 2023; 10:1183. [PMID: 37508681 PMCID: PMC10377772 DOI: 10.3390/children10071183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Obstructive sleep apnea can have a negative impact on children's and adolescents' neurocognitive abilities and hinder their academic and adaptive progress in academic, social, and/or behavioral dimensions. In this retrospective cross-sectional study, we investigated the influence of body weight conditions and allergy status on long-term mental health, cognitive development, and quality of life in children and adolescents who snored. METHODS The study sample included 47 subjects (age range 4.1 to 15.3 years) who exhibited high levels of snoring and underwent home-based polysomnography between 2015 and 2019. Follow-up assessments (3 years on average between baseline and follow-up) entailed phone interviews with the subject's parents/caregivers who completed three validated questionnaires investigating sleep, quality of life, and parental ratings. RESULTS We found a correlation between age at diagnosis and being retrospectively overweight and high levels of snoring. In addition to a higher risk of developing emotional symptoms (8.2% increase in retrospective overweight status for each unit increase in the emotional score at follow-up) and oppositional behavior (9% increase in retrospective overweight status for each unit of oppositional T points at follow-up), we also noted reduced long-term social symptoms (11% decrease in retrospective overweight status for each unit increase in the social score at follow-up) and cognitive symptoms (10.6% decrease in retrospective overweight status for each unit increase in the cognitive score at follow-up), as well as a 6.1% increase in retrospective allergy status for each unit increase in academic performance at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Snoring can have negative impacts on mental health and cognitive development in the long term. Early detection and intervention for neuropsychological disorders is important in children and adolescents who score high on snoring. In the long term, the effects of snoring on neuropsychological disorders may vary based on previous body weight and allergy status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Zaffanello
- Department of Surgery, Dentistry, Pediatrics and Gynecology, University of Verona, 37100 Verona, Italy
| | - Angelo Pietrobelli
- Department of Surgery, Dentistry, Pediatrics and Gynecology, University of Verona, 37100 Verona, Italy
| | - Leonardo Zoccante
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Maternal-Child Integrated Care Department, Integrated University Hospital of Verona, 37126 Verona, Italy
| | - Giuliana Ferrante
- Department of Surgery, Dentistry, Pediatrics and Gynecology, University of Verona, 37100 Verona, Italy
| | - Laura Tenero
- Department of Surgery, Dentistry, Pediatrics and Gynecology, University of Verona, 37100 Verona, Italy
| | - Michele Piazza
- Department of Surgery, Dentistry, Pediatrics and Gynecology, University of Verona, 37100 Verona, Italy
| | - Marco Luigi Ciceri
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Maternal-Child Integrated Care Department, Integrated University Hospital of Verona, 37126 Verona, Italy
| | - Luana Nosetti
- Pediatric Sleep Disorders Center, Division of Pediatrics, Filippo Del Ponte Hospital, Insubria University, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Giorgio Piacentini
- Department of Surgery, Dentistry, Pediatrics and Gynecology, University of Verona, 37100 Verona, Italy
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Zaffanello M, Ferrante G, Zoccante L, Ciceri ML, Nosetti L, Tenero L, Piazza M, Piacentini G. Predictive Power of Oxygen Desaturation Index (ODI) and Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) in Detecting Long-Term Neurocognitive and Psychosocial Outcomes of Sleep-Disordered Breathing in Children: A Questionnaire-Based Study. J Clin Med 2023; 12:jcm12093060. [PMID: 37176501 PMCID: PMC10179379 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12093060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 04/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Pediatric obstructive sleep apnea can negatively affect children's neurocognitive function and development, hindering academic and adaptive goals. Questionnaires are suitable for assessing neuropsychological symptoms in children with sleep-disordered breathing. The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of using the Oxygen Desaturation Index compared to the Obstructive Apnea-Hypopnea Index in predicting long-term consequences of sleep-disordered breathing in children. We conducted a retrospective analysis of respiratory polysomnography recordings from preschool and school-age children (mean age: 5.8 ± 2.8 years) and followed them up after an average of 3.1 ± 0.8 years from the home-based polysomnography. We administered three validated questionnaires to the parents/caregivers of the children by phone. Our results showed that children with an Oxygen Desaturation Index (ODI) greater than one event per hour exhibited symptoms in four domains (physical, school-related, Quality of Life [QoL], and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder [ADHD]) at follow-up, compared to only two symptoms (physical and school-related) found in children with an Obstructive Apnea-Hypopnea Index greater than one event per hour at the time of diagnosis. Our study also found a significant correlation between the minimum SpO2 (%) recorded at diagnosis and several outcomes, including Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire (PSQ) scores, physical, social, and school-related outcomes, and ADHD index at follow-up. These results suggest that the Oxygen Desaturation Index could serve as a valuable predictor of long-term symptoms in children with sleep-disordered breathing, which could inform treatment decisions. Additionally, measuring minimum SpO2 levels may help assess the risk of developing long-term symptoms and monitor treatment outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Zaffanello
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Dentistry, Gynecology and Pediatrics, University of Verona, 37126 Verona, Italy
| | - Giuliana Ferrante
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Dentistry, Gynecology and Pediatrics, University of Verona, 37126 Verona, Italy
| | - Leonardo Zoccante
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Maternal-Child Integrated Care Department, Integrated University Hospital Verona, 37126 Verona, Italy
| | - Marco Luigi Ciceri
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Maternal-Child Integrated Care Department, Integrated University Hospital Verona, 37126 Verona, Italy
| | - Luana Nosetti
- Department of Pediatrics, Pediatric Sleep Disorders Center, F. Del Ponte Hospital, Insubria University, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Laura Tenero
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Dentistry, Gynecology and Pediatrics, University of Verona, 37126 Verona, Italy
| | - Michele Piazza
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Dentistry, Gynecology and Pediatrics, University of Verona, 37126 Verona, Italy
| | - Giorgio Piacentini
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Dentistry, Gynecology and Pediatrics, University of Verona, 37126 Verona, Italy
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Zoccante L, Ciceri ML, Chamitava L, Di Gennaro G, Cazzoletti L, Zanolin ME, Darra F, Colizzi M. Postural Control in Childhood: Investigating the Neurodevelopmental Gradient Hypothesis. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021; 18:ijerph18041693. [PMID: 33578752 PMCID: PMC7916459 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18041693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) have been suggested to lie on a gradient continuum, all resulting from common brain disturbances, but with different degrees of impairment severity. This case-control study aimed to assess postural stability against such hypothesis in 104 children/adolescents aged 5–17, of whom 81 had NDDs and 23 were healthy controls. Compared to healthy controls, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) resulted in the most severely impaired neurodevelopmental condition, followed by Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) and Tourette Syndrome (TS). In particular, while ASD children/adolescents performed worse than healthy controls in a number of sensory conditions across all parameters, ADHD children/adolescents performed worse than healthy controls only in the sway area for the most complex sensory conditions, when their vision and somatosensory functions were both compromised, and performance in Tourette Syndrome (TS) was roughly indistinguishable from that of healthy controls. Finally, differences were also observed between clinical groups, with ASD children/adolescents, and to a much lesser extent ADHD children/adolescents, performing worse than TS children/adolescents, especially when sensory systems were not operationally accurate. Evidence from this study indicates that poor postural control may be a useful biomarker for risk assessment during neurodevelopment, in line with predictions from the gradient hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Zoccante
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Maternal-Child Integrated Care Department, Integrated University Hospital of Verona, 37126 Verona, Italy; (L.Z.); (M.L.C.); (F.D.)
| | - Marco Luigi Ciceri
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Maternal-Child Integrated Care Department, Integrated University Hospital of Verona, 37126 Verona, Italy; (L.Z.); (M.L.C.); (F.D.)
| | - Liliya Chamitava
- Unit of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (L.C.); (L.C.); (M.E.Z.)
| | - Gianfranco Di Gennaro
- Department of Pathology and Diagnostics, Integrated University Hospital of Verona, 37126 Verona, Italy;
| | - Lucia Cazzoletti
- Unit of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (L.C.); (L.C.); (M.E.Z.)
| | - Maria Elisabetta Zanolin
- Unit of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (L.C.); (L.C.); (M.E.Z.)
| | - Francesca Darra
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Maternal-Child Integrated Care Department, Integrated University Hospital of Verona, 37126 Verona, Italy; (L.Z.); (M.L.C.); (F.D.)
| | - Marco Colizzi
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Maternal-Child Integrated Care Department, Integrated University Hospital of Verona, 37126 Verona, Italy; (L.Z.); (M.L.C.); (F.D.)
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-045-812-6832
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Zoccante L, Ciceri ML, Gozzi LA, Gennaro GD, Zerman N. The "Connectivome Theory": A New Model to Understand Autism Spectrum Disorders. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:794516. [PMID: 35250650 PMCID: PMC8892379 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.794516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The classical approach to autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is often limited to considering their neuro-functional aspects. However, recent scientific literature has shown that ASDs also affect many body systems and apparatuses such as the immune system, the sensory-motor system, and the gut-brain axis. The connective tissue, a common thread linking all these structures, may have a pathogenetic role in the multisystem involvement of ASD. Depending on its different anatomical sites, the connective tissue performs functions of connection and support; furthermore, it acts as a barrier between the external and internal environments, regulating the interchange between the two and performing immunological surveillance. The connective tissue shares a close relationship with the central nervous system, the musculoskeletal system and the immune system. Alterations in brain connectivity are common to various developmental disorders, including ASD, and for this reason here we put forward the hypothesis that alterations in the physiological activity of microglia could be implicated in the pathogenesis of ASD. Also, muscle hypotonia is likely to clinically correlate with an altered sensoriality and, in fact, discomfort or early muscle fatigue are often reported in ASDs. Furthermore, patients with ASD often suffer from intestinal dysfunctions, malabsorption and leaky gut syndrome, all phenomena that may be linked to reduced intestinal connectivity. In addition, at the cutaneous and subcutaneous levels, ASDs show a greater predisposition to inflammatory events due to the lack of adequate release of anti-inflammatory mediators. Alveolar-capillary dysfunctions have also been observed in ASD, most frequently interstitial inflammations, immune-mediated forms of allergic asthma, and bronchial hyper-reactivity. Therefore, in autism, altered connectivity can result in phenomena of altered sensitivity to environmental stimuli. The following interpretative model, that we define as the "connectivome theory," considers the alterations in connective elements of common mesodermal origin located in the various organs and apparatuses and entails the evaluation and interpretation of ASDs through also highlighting somatic elements. We believe that this broader approach could be helpful for a more accurate analysis, as it is able to enrich clinical evaluation and define more multidisciplinary and personalized interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Zoccante
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Maternal-Child Integrated Care Department, Integrated University Hospital Verona, Verona, Italy.,Autism Spectrum Disorders Regional Centre of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Marco Luigi Ciceri
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Maternal-Child Integrated Care Department, Integrated University Hospital Verona, Verona, Italy.,Autism Spectrum Disorders Regional Centre of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Luigi Alberto Gozzi
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Maternal-Child Integrated Care Department, Integrated University Hospital Verona, Verona, Italy.,Autism Spectrum Disorders Regional Centre of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Gianfranco Di Gennaro
- Department of Pathology and Diagnostics, Integrated University Hospital Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Nicoletta Zerman
- Department of Surgery, Dentistry, Paediatrics and Gynaecology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
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Colizzi M, Ciceri ML, Di Gennaro G, Morari B, Inglese A, Gandolfi M, Smania N, Zoccante L. Investigating Gait, Movement, and Coordination in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Is There a Role for Motor Abnormalities in Atypical Neurodevelopment? Brain Sci 2020; 10:E601. [PMID: 32887253 PMCID: PMC7565603 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10090601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Motor abnormalities have been suggested to play a role in most neuropsychiatric disorders, as a potential generic neurodevelopmental vulnerability. However, they still represent a neglected area, with a paucity of empirical studies, especially in pediatric populations. This case-control study aimed to comprehensively assess motor functioning in children with atypical neurodevelopment and investigate whether any socio-demographic or clinical characteristics would concur with motor difficulties to distinguish children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) from healthy controls. Socio-demographic (age and gender) and clinical (intelligence quotient, gait, movement, and coordination) data were collected on 114 children aged 5-15 (83 with NDD, 31 healthy controls). Male children were at significantly higher risk for NDD (OR: 13.023, p < 0.001). Furthermore, there was a statistically significant interaction between the total intelligence quotient and overall coordination such that increasing levels of total intelligence quotient appeared to protect against the likelihood of being diagnosed with an NDD, but only in the context of a preserved coordination (OR: 0.964, p = 0.038). Collectively, results may have important public health implications, as they point towards the development of new approaches to establish an early prognosis in neurodevelopment, including assessing motor difficulties and mitigating their impact on children's quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Colizzi
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Maternal-Child Integrated Care Department, Integrated University Hospital of Verona, 37126 Verona, Italy; (M.L.C.); (B.M.); (A.I.); (L.Z.)
| | - Marco Luigi Ciceri
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Maternal-Child Integrated Care Department, Integrated University Hospital of Verona, 37126 Verona, Italy; (M.L.C.); (B.M.); (A.I.); (L.Z.)
- Neurorehabilitation Unit, Integrated University Hospital of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (M.G.); (N.S.)
| | - Gianfranco Di Gennaro
- Department of Pathology and Diagnostics, Integrated University Hospital of Verona, 37126 Verona, Italy;
| | - Beatrice Morari
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Maternal-Child Integrated Care Department, Integrated University Hospital of Verona, 37126 Verona, Italy; (M.L.C.); (B.M.); (A.I.); (L.Z.)
| | - Alessandra Inglese
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Maternal-Child Integrated Care Department, Integrated University Hospital of Verona, 37126 Verona, Italy; (M.L.C.); (B.M.); (A.I.); (L.Z.)
| | - Marialuisa Gandolfi
- Neurorehabilitation Unit, Integrated University Hospital of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (M.G.); (N.S.)
- Neuromotor and Cognitive Rehabilitation Research Centre (CRRNC), Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Nicola Smania
- Neurorehabilitation Unit, Integrated University Hospital of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (M.G.); (N.S.)
- Neuromotor and Cognitive Rehabilitation Research Centre (CRRNC), Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Leonardo Zoccante
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Maternal-Child Integrated Care Department, Integrated University Hospital of Verona, 37126 Verona, Italy; (M.L.C.); (B.M.); (A.I.); (L.Z.)
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Colizzi M, Sironi E, Antonini F, Ciceri ML, Bovo C, Zoccante L. Psychosocial and Behavioral Impact of COVID-19 in Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Online Parent Survey. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10060341. [PMID: 32503172 PMCID: PMC7349059 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10060341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 242] [Impact Index Per Article: 60.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2020] [Revised: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak could result in higher levels of psychological distress, especially among people suffering from pre-existing mental health conditions. Young individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are particularly at risk due to their vulnerability to unpredictable and complex changes. This study aimed to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ASD individuals, whether any pre-pandemic sociodemographic or clinical characteristics would predict a negative outcome, and to narratively characterize their needs. Parents and guardians of ASD individuals filled out an online survey consisting of 40 questions investigating socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of their children, impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on their wellbeing and needs to deal with the emergency. Data were available on 527 survey participants. The COVID-19 emergency resulted in a challenging period for 93.9% of families, increased difficulties in managing daily activities, especially free time (78.1%) and structured activities (75.7%), and, respectively, 35.5% and 41.5% of children presenting with more intense and more frequent behavior problems. Behavior problems predating the COVID-19 outbreak predicted a higher risk of more intense (odds ratio (OR) = 2.16, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.42–3.29) and more frequent (OR = 1.67, 95% CI 1.13–2.48) disruptive behavior. Even though ASD children were receiving different types of support, also requiring specialist (19.1%) or emergency (1.5%) interventions in a relatively low proportion of cases, a number of needs emerged, including receiving more healthcare support (47.4%), especially in-home support (29.9%), as well as interventions to tackle a potentially disruptive quarantine (16.8%). The COVID-19 outbreak has undoubtedly resulted in increased difficulties among ASD individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Colizzi
- Section of Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Maternal-Child Integrated Care Department, Integrated University Hospital of Verona, 37126 Verona, Italy; (E.S.); (F.A.); (M.L.C.); (L.Z.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-045-812-6832
| | - Elena Sironi
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Maternal-Child Integrated Care Department, Integrated University Hospital of Verona, 37126 Verona, Italy; (E.S.); (F.A.); (M.L.C.); (L.Z.)
| | - Federico Antonini
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Maternal-Child Integrated Care Department, Integrated University Hospital of Verona, 37126 Verona, Italy; (E.S.); (F.A.); (M.L.C.); (L.Z.)
| | - Marco Luigi Ciceri
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Maternal-Child Integrated Care Department, Integrated University Hospital of Verona, 37126 Verona, Italy; (E.S.); (F.A.); (M.L.C.); (L.Z.)
| | - Chiara Bovo
- Medical Direction, Integrated University Hospital of Verona, 37126 Verona, Italy;
| | - Leonardo Zoccante
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Maternal-Child Integrated Care Department, Integrated University Hospital of Verona, 37126 Verona, Italy; (E.S.); (F.A.); (M.L.C.); (L.Z.)
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