Personality, Defense Mechanisms and Psychological Distress in Women with Fibromyalgia

Background: Previous studies have shown that many personality traits are associated with fibromyalgia (FM), worsening both the quality of life and psychological distress of patients. Despite the high comorbidity of psychopathological disorders in this syndrome and their association with immature defense styles, few studies have examined the defense mechanisms used by FM patients. The main aim of our study was to investigate personality traits and defense mechanisms in FM patients compared to in a healthy control group (HC). Moreover, we investigated the effect of personality traits and defense mechanisms on psychological distress in both FM and HC groups. Methods: A total of 54 women with FM and 54 healthy women completed the (1) Temperament and Character Inventory—Revised; (2) the Toronto Alexithymia Scale; (3) the Defense Style Questionnaire; and (4) the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Results: The results indicated that FM patients display higher alexithymia, higher harm avoidance, lower self-directedness, lower persistence, and the higher use of a maladaptive defense style compared to HC. We found that alexithymia, harm avoidance, and maladaptive defense style are significant predictors of patients’ psychological distress. Moreover, harm avoidance and adaptive defense style significantly predicted psychological distress in the HC group. Conclusion: The present study is the first to explore the contribution of both defense mechanisms and personality characteristics on the psychological distress of FM patients. Our findings have important clinical implications and may help diagnose and treat FM patients more in depth

Brain-Inspired Spiking Neural Network Controller for a Neurorobotic Whisker System

It is common for animals to use self-generated movements to actively sense the surrounding environment. For instance, rodents rhythmically move their whiskers to explore the space close to their body. The mouse whisker system has become a standard model for studying active sensing and sensorimotor integration through feedback loops. In this work, we developed a bioinspired spiking neural network model of the sensorimotor peripheral whisker system, modeling trigeminal ganglion, trigeminal nuclei, facial nuclei, and central pattern generator neuronal populations. This network was embedded in a virtual mouse robot, exploiting the Human Brain Project's Neurorobotics Platform, a simulation platform offering a virtual environment to develop and test robots driven by brain-inspired controllers. Eventually, the peripheral whisker system was adequately connected to an adaptive cerebellar network controller. The whole system was able to drive active whisking with learning capability, matching neural correlates of behavior experimentally recorded in mice

Bayesian Integration in a Spiking Neural System for Sensorimotor Control

The brain continuously estimates the state of body and environment, with specific regions that are thought to act as Bayesian estimator, optimally integrating noisy and delayed sensory feedback with sensory predictions generated by the cerebellum. In control theory, Bayesian estimators are usually implemented using high-level representations. In this work, we designed a new spike-based computational model of a Bayesian estimator. The state estimator receives spiking activity from two neural populations encoding the sensory feedback and the cerebellar prediction, and it continuously computes the spike variability within each population as a reliability index of the signal these populations encode. The state estimator output encodes the current state estimate. We simulated a reaching task at different stages of cerebellar learning. The activity of the sensory feedback neurons encoded a noisy version of the trajectory after actual movement, with an almost constant intrapopulation spiking variability. Conversely, the activity of the cerebellar output neurons depended on the phase of the learning process. Before learning, they fired at their baseline not encoding any relevant information, and the variability was set to be higher than that of the sensory feedback (more reliable, albeit delayed). When learning was complete, their activity encoded the trajectory before the actual execution, providing an accurate sensory prediction; in this case, the variability was set to be lower than that of the sensory feedback. The state estimator model optimally integrated the neural activities of the afferent populations, so that the output state estimate was primarily driven by sensory feedback in prelearning and by the cerebellar prediction in postlearning. It was able to deal even with more complex scenarios, for example, by shifting the dominant source during the movement execution if information availability suddenly changed. The proposed tool will be a critical block within integrated spiking, brain-inspired control systems for simulations of sensorimotor tasks

Attachment style and parental bonding: Relationships with fibromyalgia and alexithymia

OBJECTIVES:Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain syndrome, and alexithymia, which is a condition that is characterised by deficits in emotional self-awareness, is highly prevalent among individuals with FM. Insecure attachment styles and inadequate parental care appear to play an important role in the onset and maintenance of both alexithymia and chronic pain. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the associations between attachment styles, parental bonding, and alexithymia among patients with FM and healthy controls (HC). METHODS:All participants completed a battery of tests that assessed alexithymia, attachment styles, and parental bonding. Two logistic regression models were tested to examine whether these variables predict (a) group membership (i.e. patients with FM vs. HC) and (b) the likelihood of having alexithymia (i.e. among patients with FM and HC). RESULTS:Alexithymia (i.e. difficulty identifying and describing feelings subscales of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale) significantly predicted group membership (i.e. the likelihood of having FM). On the other hand, educational level and dismissive attachment (i.e. the discomfort with closeness and relationships as secondary subscales of the Attachment Style Questionnaire) were the only significant predictors of the likelihood of having alexithymia. CONCLUSIONS:These findings highlight both the relevance of alexithymic traits to the definition of FM and centrality of an insecure attachment style to the manifestation of alexithymia

Linking cellular-level phenomena to brain architecture: the case of spiking cerebellar controllers

Linking cellular-level phenomena to brain architecture and behavior is a holy grail for theoretical and computational neuroscience. Advances in neuroinformatics have recently allowed scientists to embed spiking neural networks of the cerebellum with realistic neuron models and multiple synaptic plasticity rules into sensorimotor controllers. By minimizing the distance (error) between the desired and the actual sensory state, and exploiting the sensory prediction, the cerebellar network acquires knowledge about the body-environment interaction and generates corrective signals. In doing so, the cerebellum implements a generalized computational algorithm, allowing it "to learn to predict the timing between correlated events" in a rich set of behavioral contexts. Plastic changes evolve trial by trial and are distributed over multiple synapses, regulating the timing of neuronal discharge and fine-tuning high-speed movements on the millisecond timescale. Thus, spiking cerebellar built-in controllers, among various computational approaches to studying cerebellar function, are helping to reveal the cellular-level substrates of network learning and signal coding, opening new frontiers for predictive computing and autonomous learning in robots

Attachment style and parental bonding: Relationships with fibromyalgia and alexithymia

Objectives Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain syndrome, and alexithymia, which is a condition that is characterised by deficits in emotional self-awareness, is highly prevalent among individuals with FM. Insecure attachment styles and inadequate parental care appear to play an important role in the onset and maintenance of both alexithymia and chronic pain. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the associations between attachment styles, parental bonding, and alexithymia among patients with FM and healthy controls (HC). Methods All participants completed a battery of tests that assessed alexithymia, attachment styles, and parental bonding. Two logistic regression models were tested to examine whether these variables predict (a) group membership (i.e. patients with FM vs. HC) and (b) the likelihood of having alexithymia (i.e. among patients with FM and HC). Results Alexithymia (i.e. difficulty identifying and describing feelings subscales of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale) significantly predicted group membership (i.e. the likelihood of having FM). On the other hand, educational level and dismissive attachment (i.e. the discomfort with closeness and relationships as secondary subscales of the Attachment Style Questionnaire) were the only significant predictors of the likelihood of having alexithymia. Conclusions These findings highlight both the relevance of alexithymic traits to the definition of FM and centrality of an insecure attachment style to the manifestation of alexithymia

Untargeted NMR Metabolomics Reveals Alternative Biomarkers and Pathways in Alkaptonuria

Alkaptonuria (AKU) is an ultra-rare metabolic disease caused by the accumulation of homogentisic acid (HGA), an intermediate product of phenylalanine and tyrosine degradation. AKU patients carry variants within the gene coding for homogentisate-1,2-dioxygenase (HGD), which are responsible for reducing the enzyme catalytic activity and the consequent accumulation of HGA and formation of a dark pigment called the ochronotic pigment. In individuals with alkaptonuria, ochronotic pigmentation of connective tissues occurs, leading to inflammation, degeneration, and eventually osteoarthritis. The molecular mechanisms underlying the multisystemic development of the disease severity are still not fully understood and are mostly limited to the metabolic pathway segment involving HGA. In this view, untargeted metabolomics of biofluids in metabolic diseases allows the direct investigation of molecular species involved in pathways alterations and their interplay. Here, we present the untargeted metabolomics study of AKU through the nuclear magnetic resonance of urine from a cohort of Italian patients; the study aims to unravel molecular species and mechanisms underlying the AKU metabolic disorder. Dysregulation of metabolic pathways other than the HGD route and new potential biomarkers beyond homogentisate are suggested, contributing to a more comprehensive molecular signature definition for AKU and the development of future adjuvant treatment. © 2022 by the authors

The Impact of Epidemiological Trends and Guideline Adherence on Candidemia-Associated Mortality: A 14-Year Study in Northeastern Italy

Invasive candidiasis represents a major global health concern, with incidence and mortality rates expected to rise due to medical advancements and unavoidable risk factors. This retrospective, multicentric study was conducted in eight hospitals in a northeastern Italian region, enrolling adult patients diagnosed with candidemia from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2022. Epidemiological trends and clinical characteristics were analyzed and compared to those from a prior regional study (2009–2011), allowing a fourteen-year comparative evaluation. A shift in species distribution was observed, with a decline in Candida albicans (from 65.7% to 57.8%) and a rise in non-albicans species, particularly the Candida parapsilosis complex (from 16.1% to 18.2%). Guideline adherence was assessed applying the EQUAL Candida score; scores ≥ than 11.5 were independently associated with improved in-hospital survival (HR 3.51, p < 0.001). Among individual score components, empiric echinocandin therapy and central venous catheter removal correlated with better outcomes. Centers with routine infectious disease (ID) consultations showed higher survival and adherence, reinforcing the value of specialist involvement. These findings support local epidemiological and management practice surveillance program adoption to address context-specific gaps, promote the adoption of best practices in Candida BSI management—as expanded ID specialist consultations and education programs—and, ultimately, reduce candidemia-related mortality rates