Borderline personality in patients with poly-diagnoses treated for a Bipolar Disorder

Some patients with dysphoria, explosive behaviour, or suicidal ideation, may receive a diagnosis of, and treatment for Bipolar Disorder (BD) and, not infrequently. The coexistence of these two diagnoses has been explained in different ways. Some authors include the BPD in the bipolar spectrum; others are sceptical about the existence of real comorbidity, suggesting a misdiagnosis. This study aimed to assess the personality of this group of poly-diagnosed patients (PolyD) and hypothesised they had a pathological borderline organisation. Via the administration of the Schedler Westen Assessment Procedure (SWAP-200), we compared PolyD patients with those suffering from BPD or BD only. We performed two different MANCOVAs to test PolyD, BPD and BD patients' differences in PD-factors, Q-traits and age. The sample comprised 45 patients (Mean age=43.3, SD=15.7; Females 57.7%, N=26). BD patients (N=15) did not present any personality disorder, they had a higher functioning and Obsessive Q-traits, and a lower Histrionic PD-factor than both PolyD (N=20) and BPD (N=10) patients. Compared to PolyD patients, BD had inferior PD-Borderline, PD-Antisocial factor and Dependent-Masochistic Q-traits, but there were no other differences with BPD patients. PolyD did not differ from BPD patients in any of the PD-factors and Q-traits. Our results suggest that PolyD patients are different from BD patients and propose to consider the pathological borderline personality as a central core of their disease

Telegram from Anthony Seminerio, New York State Assemblyman, to Geraldine Ferraro

Congratulatory telegram from New York State Assemblyman Anthony Seminerio to Geraldine Ferraro. Includes standard response letter from Ferraro.https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/vice_presidential_campaign_correspondence_1984_new_york/1222/thumbnail.jp

Working Memory, Jumping to Conclusions and Emotion Recognition: a Possible Link in First Episode Psychosis (Fep)

Introduction A large body of literature has demonstrated that people affected by psychotic disorders show deficits in working memory, in Emotion Recognition (ER) and in data-gathering to reach a decision (Jumping To Conclusions - JTC). Aims To investigate a possible correlation between working memory, JTC and ER in FEP. Methods 41 patients and 89 healthy controls completed assessments of working memory using WAIS shortened version, JTC using the 60:40 Beads Task and ER using Degraded Facial Affect Recognition Task. Results According to the literature, cases had poorer performance in working memory tasks (Digit Span: \u3bc7,72 [ds=2,98] vs \u3bc10,14 [ds=3,10], U=865,00, p=0,00; Digit Symbol: \u3bc5,36 [ds=2,43] vs \u3bc10,05 [ds=3,10], U=455,50, p=0,00; Arithmetic: \u3bc5,46 [ds=2,76] vs \u3bc8,74 [ds=3,24], U=865,50, p=0,00; Block Design: \u3bc4,82 [ds=2,72] vs \u3bc7,60 [ds=3,18], U=912,00, p=0,00), in Beads Task (81,6% vs 51,1%, \u3c72=10,27, p=0,001, \u3bc2,53 [ds=3,57] vs \u3bc4,23 [ds=4,77], U=1171,00, p=0,006) and in DFAR (total errors: \u3bc21,62 [ds=7,43] vs \u3bc16,58 [ds=8,69], U=554,50, p=0,002). Furthermore working memory tasks in cases group correlated significantly with JTC (Digit Span: rrho=0,276, p=0,003; Digit Symbol: rrho=0,275, p=0,002; Arithmetic: rrho=0,265, p=0,003; Block Design: rrho=0,292, p=0,001), but only Digit Span with ER (rrho=-0,239; p=0,021). In addition, we found that JTC and ER were significantly associated (rrho=-0,281; p=0,004). Conclusions Data show that working memory impairments, JTC style and dysfunctions in the facial emotions recognition are phenomena strongly correlated in the group of patients. Preliminary results suggest the importance of early rehabilitation as the impairments detected may lead to difficulties in social and relational adaptation in psychotic patients

Cannabis consumption and the risk of psychosis

Summary Objectives: Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug globally and its use has been linked to an increased risk for psychotic disorders. An association between cannabis consumption and psychotic symptoms was consistently reported by several studies. This case-control study aimed to widen the current findings about the impact of cannabis exposure on the risk of psychosis, by investigating the pattern of cannabis consumption in a sample of first-episode of psychosis (FEP) patients compared to healthy controls. Material and methods: 68 individuals who presented for the first time to mental health services of Palermo (Italy) with an ICD-10 diagnosis of psychotic disorders and 74 healthy were enrolled as part of the Sicilian Genetics and Psychosis study. Psychopathological assessment and diagnosis were carried out by the Schedule for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN). Socio-demographic data were collected by the modified version of the Medical Research Council (MRC) socio-demographic scale. All participants were interviewed using the Cannabis Experience Questionnaire \u2013 Modified Version to obtain a detailed assessment of lifetime patterns of cannabis and other illicit drug consumption. Logistic regression was applied to investigate the relationships between various aspects of cannabis use (lifetime use, age at first use, duration, and frequency of use) and case-control status while controlling for potential confounders. Results: Patients started cannabis consumption about 3 years earlier than the control group (t = 3.1, p = 0.002) and were 8 times more likely to having started using cannabis before 15 years (adjusted OR = 8.0, 95% CI 2.4-27) than controls. Furthermore cases were more likely to smoke more frequently than controls (adjusted OR = 4.4, 95% CI 1.08-18). We did not find a difference in duration of cannabis use between cases and controls. Conclusions: The findings suggest that cannabis exposure, and especially daily cannabis consumption, is associated with the risk for psychosis; however, the retrospective study design does not allow drawing firm conclusions about causality

Validation of the Italian version of the Devaluation consumers' Scale and the Devaluation Consumers Families Scale

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the Italian versions of the Devaluation of Consumers Scale (DCS) and the Devaluation of Consumer Families Scale (DCFS), two short-scales examining public stigma towards people with mental disorders and their relatives. Methods: The scales were administered to 117 individuals with a clinical diagnosis of affective or non-affective psychoses (ICD 10 criteria F20-29, F30-33). Translation procedures were carried out according to accepted standards. Internal reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Convergent validity was evaluated in terms of correlation with the Global Functioning Scale (GAF) and with the Questionnaire on Users' Opinions (QUO). Known-group validity was assessed comparing patients at first-episode of psychosis and patients with a history of psychosis of at least 3 years (long-term psychosis). Results: The overall Cronbach's alpha value was 0.85 for DCS and 0.81 for DCFS; subscales' alpha values ranged from 0.80 to 0.55 for DCS, and from 0.68 to 0.55 for DCFS. Negative correlations were found between the Italian DCS and the DCFS total score and the QUO affective problems (DCS -0.33; DCFS -0.235) and social distance subscales (DCS -0.290; DCFS -0.356). Moreover, the GAF positively correlated with some of the DCS and DCFS subscales. Patients with long-term psychosis had higher scores in most DCS and DCFS subscales. Conclusion: The Italian translation of DCF and DCFS showed good internal consistency, known-group validity, and convergent validity. These psychometric properties support their application in routine clinical practice in Italy as well as their use in international studies

VALUTAZIONE DELL’EFFICACIA TERAPEUTICA DI RIMEDIO COGNITIVO COMPUTER MEDIATO CIRCuiTS

Introduzione. La Cognitive remediation (CR) è una terapia psicologica che migliora il funzionamento cognitivo e sociale nelle persone affette da disturbi dello spettro psicotico. Un team di ricercatori inglesi del King's College ha progettato un programma CR computerizzato di nuova generazione, CIRCuiTS (Computerised Interactive Remediation of Cognition – a Training for Schizophrenia), per migliorare il funzionamento cognitivo e sociale dei pazienti affetti da schizofrenia. Questo studio si inserisce all'interno di un più ampio progetto di verifica dell'accettabilità e fattibilità della versione italiana di CIRCuiTS, concentrandosi sulla possibilità di saggiare l'efficacia del trattamento su una popolazione clinica della città di Palermo. Metodi. Uno studio caso-controllo che confronta un gruppo di pazienti sottoposti CIRCuiTS associato al Trattamento Usuale e un gruppo di pazienti a cui viene somministrato il solo Trattamento Usuale (Treatment As Usual o TAU). Il funzionamento cognitivo, sociale e i sintomi sono stati valutati alla pre-e post terapia (a 12 settimane e 26 settimane). Risultati. 45 pazienti hanno aderito allo studio e 27 sono stati inseriti nel gruppo sperimentale CIRCuiTS, completando il programma riabilitativo con una mediana di 22 sessioni. Ci sono stati miglioramenti nella funzioni esecutive al post-trattamento follow-up (p = 0,003) a favore del gruppo CIRCuiTS. È stata altresì riscontrata una differenza statisticamente significativa (p<0,001) rispetto ad un miglioramento della sintomatologia generale. Conclusioni. CIRCuiTS sembrerebbe essere un trattamento utile per migliorare le funzioni esecutive e le condizioni cliniche dei pazienti sottoposti al trattamento. Questo studio costituisce una prova di efficacia che segna l'inizio di una sperimentazione su larga scala del trattamento computer-mediato CIRCuiTS.Introduction. Cognitive remediation (CR) is a psychological therapy, which improves cognitive and social functioning in people with disorders of the psychotic spectrum. A team of British researchers from King's College designed a new-generation computerized CR program, CIRCuiTS (Computerised Interactive Remediation of Cognition – a Training for Schizophrenia), to improve the cognitive and social functioning in patients with schizophrenia. This study is part of a larger project to verify the acceptability and feasibility of the Italian version of CIRCuiTS, focusing on the possibility of testing the effectiveness of treatment on a clinical population of the city of Palermo. Methods. A case-control study comparing a group of patients using CIRCuiTS associated with the usual treatment and a group of patients receiving only the usual treatment (Treatment As Usual or TAU). Cognitive and social functioning and symptoms were assessed at pre- and post-therapy (at 12 weeks and 26 weeks). Results. 45 patients adhered to the study and 27 were included in the CIRCuiTS experimental group, completing the rehabilitation program with a median of 22 sessions. There were improvements in the executive functions at post-treatment and follow-up (p = 0.003) in favor of the CIRCuiTS group. A statistically significant difference was also found (p<0.001) in the general symptomatology. Conclusions. CIRCuiTS is a useful treatment to improve the executive functions and the clinical conditions of the patients undergoing treatment. This study constitutes an evidence of effectiveness that marks the beginning of a large-scale experimentation of the computer-mediated CIRCuiTS

Inteligência como constructo e como processo: sumário das pesquisas ao longo do tempo

The aim of this article is to draw up a sketch of the scientific researches about intelligence, starting from the cultural concept, and the recent mind's theory and on the ethic and political consequences. Firstly the endeavor of evaluating the mental age and IQ in Europe and the Unites States is detached. Following the attempt of the factorialists to go deeper into the intellectual process, throughout its foundations. The search of the general factor by Spearman through the tetraic equation and the enlargement of this bifactorial theory bound for a hierachical conception is discussed. Thurstone's methodological objection and the creation of the centroid method led to a multifactorial theory. Guilford's epistemological criticism to the prior radical empirical model, led him to describe in advance three dimensions of intelligence, including five categories of operations six of products and four of contents - in the original model. The Thorndike' s former position and the enviromentalist multimodal point of view, founded on the learning, is discussed as well as the universal and rational position of Genetic Epistemology with the pedagogic consequences like the radical autonomy of the ontogenetic development. The social perspective of Vigotzky and the contributions of the sovietic psychology are concerned. The closeness of linguists and psychologists is analyzed and the Bruner's contributions along four stages. The great debate between inherits and the environmentalism and its social and political implications. The emergence of the metacogniton as well the theory's theory, the mind's theory, and the new kind of diagnosis and pedagogical intervention. The meaning of the intellectual development for a politics of social emancipation.Partindo da conceituação culturalmente corrente de inteligência, das implicações em termos da recente teoria da mente e das decorrências éticas e políticas, visa-se, neste artigo, tracejar o percurso das investigações científicas nesta área. Inicialmente destaca-se a tentativa de avaliar a idade mental e o constructo de QI, na Europa e nos Estados Unidos. Avalia-se, em seguida, o esforço dos fatorialistas para aprofundar o processo intelectual, a partir de seus determinismos. A busca de Spearman de um fator geral, através de um cálculo estatístico - equação tetrádica - e a ampliação desta teoria, bifatorial, para uma concepção hierárquica. A objeção metodológica de Thurstone e a criação do método centróide e da teoria multifatorial. A crítica epistemológica de Guilford ao modelo radicalmente empirista e a descrição antecipada de três dimensões básicas envolvendo cinco categorias de operações, seis de produtos e quatro de conteúdos (no modelo original). A posição anterior de Thorndike e a visão ambientalista multimodal, centrada na aprendizagem. A visão racionalista e universalista da Epistemologia Genética e as decorrências pedagógicas como autonomia radical no desenvolvimento ontogenético. Críticas. A visão social de Vigotzky e a contribuição da psicologia soviética. A aproximação da lingüística e da cognição. A contribuição de Bruner ao longo de quatro etapas. O grande debate inatismo ambientalismo e implicações político-sociais. O advento da metacognição, teoria da teoria e teoria da mente e as pesquisas de diagnóstico e de intervenção psicopedagógica. O papel do desenvolvimento intelectual para uma política igualitária de emancipação

The Evaluation Of Az66, An Optimized Sigma Receptor Antagonist, Against Methamphetamine-Induced Dopaminergic Neurotoxicity And Memory Impairment In Mice

Sigma (σ) receptors have recently been identified as potential targets for the development of novel therapeutics aimed at mitigating the effects of methamphetamine. Particularly, σ receptors are believed to mitigate some of the neurotoxic effects of methamphetamine through modulation of dopamine, dopamine transporters and body temperature. Furthermore, recent evidence suggests that targeting σ receptors may prevent cognitive impairments produced by methamphetamine. In the present study, an optimized σ receptor antagonist, AZ66, was evaluated against methamphetamine-induced neurotoxicity and cognitive dysfunction. AZ66 was found to be highly selective for σ receptors compared to 64 other sites tested. Pretreatment of male, Swiss Webster mice with i.p. dosing of AZ66 significantly attenuated methamphetamine-induced striatal dopamine depletions, striatal dopamine transporter reductions and hyperthermia. Additionally, neurotoxic dosing with methamphetamine caused significant memory impairment in the object recognition test, which was attenuated when animals were pretreated with AZ66; similar trends were observed in the step-through passive avoidance test. Taken together, these results suggest that targeting σ receptors may provide neuroprotection against the neurotoxicity and cognitive impairments produced by methamphetamine