Giampaolo La Malfa

Internalizing correlates of dyslexia

BackgroundOver the last ten years a considerable amount of literature has described the socio-emotional discomfort that is often associated with learning disorders at all ages, but a comprehensive review about internalizing symptoms in dyslexia is needed.Data sourcesMedical and psychological search engines (PubMed, PsychArticles and Academic Search Elite) were used to identify all those studies published in peer-reviewed journals, relative to the association of reading difficulties, dyslexia, or learning disorders/disabilities, and internalizing symptoms, anxiety, or depression.ResultsThe present review of studies confirms dyslexia as a specific risk factor for an increased internalizing, anxious and depressive symptomatology. The severity of dyslexia, its comorbidity with attention deficit disorder/hyperactivity disorder, the level of perceived social support and female gender are some of the factors that mostly influence its psycho-social outcomes.ConclusionFindings of this review confirm that suitable social, health and school policies aimed at identifying and treating dyslexia as a cause of discomfort are called for, and confirm the clinical need to assess and contrast additional risk factors that may increase the probability of this suffering in dyslexic students.

Assessment of Basic Symptoms in Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective and Bipolar Disorders

In order to evaluate the basic symptoms differences of schizophrenics, schizoaffectives and bipolar patients, a consecutive series of 72 outpatients participated in the study. According to DSM III-R criteria, 28 had a diagnosis of schizophrenia, 29 of bipolar disorder and 15 of schizoaffective disorder. The assessment of basic symptoms was performed using the Frankfurter Beschwerde-Fragebogen (FBF). Data obtained suggest that perception and thought disturbances are the most characteristic experiences of schizophrenic patients in comparison with bipolar patients. The FBF questionnaire did not highlight a characteristic basic symptoms profile of schizoaffective disorder, when compared with bipolar affective disorder and schizophrenia.

Psychopathology and Mental Retardation: An Italian Epidemiological Study Using the PIMRA.

The incidence of psychopathology was studied in 176 adult patients with mental retardation through administration of the Psychopathology Instrument for Mentally Retarded Adults (PIMRA). Prevalence of answers relating to anxiety, tendency to live apart and body complaints in the group with mild mental retardation was documented. For people with severe intellectual impairments, mood disturbances with inconsistent behaviours was most prevalent. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Circadian rhythm in primary affective disorder

Abstract The occurrence of circadian rhythm for physiological (oral temperature, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate) and psychological variables (performance and mood) was investigated in 22 patients suffering from primary affective disorder. Patients were investigated both before and after treatment with tricyclic antidepressants. A comparison group of 11 mixed psychiatric patients was also investigated. Among the physiological variables only OT retained its normal circadian rhythm. Such a rhythm, conversely, was not detected for the other physiological variables (except SBP in mixed psychiatric cases) in any of the three groups subject to investigation. Blood pressure (both SBP and DBP) was higher in depressives than in nonaffective patients. Performance (measured by a speech test) and mood (assessed by a visual analogue scale) revealed a well-defined circadian rhythm in depressed patients before treatment. Such a daily variation pattern seems to be present, though not to a significant level, also in depressives after treatment and in nonaffective controls. The present data appear to confirm that the normal circadian rhythm of several physiological parameters is disrupted during depression; such abnormality seems to be trait-dependent rather than state-dependent since clinical recovery did not change the chronobiological profiles. The lack of normal circadian rhythm, however, does not seem to be specific to affective illness, as even nonaffective psychiatric patients showed the same abnormality. On the other hand, the typical symptomatic aspects of depression, such as depressed mood and impaired performance, show a precise daily rhythm, with early morning worsening.

A bidimensional model for diagnosis and classification of functional psychoses

Considering the major nosographies since Kraepelin, we underline the stability of the two classical functional psychoses and the difficulties in defining a satisfying classification of the intermediate forms. In an attempt to overcome the dichotomic view of the two traditional psychoses we propose a bidimensional model that is based on prototype descriptions of typical schizophrenic and affective disorders and allows the systematization of the intermediate forms. The advantages of this model are discussed with reference to therapy and prognosis and with regard to its relationship with clinical reality.

Impact of severe intellectual disability on proxy instrumental assessment of quality of life

ABSTRACT Background: Proxy quality of life (QoL) evaluation has been reported to be influenced by many factors. The present study was designed to investigate the impact that the presence of severe intellectual disability (ID) may have on proxy attribution of QoL in the instrumental assessment. Methods: The “other person” form (proxy questionnaire) of the Italian adaptation of the Quality of Life Instrument Package (QoL-IP), the BASIQ [BAtteria di Strumenti per l’Indagine della Qualità di Vita] was administered to 20 first-line operators to assess their perceptions of the QoL of 92 subjects with severe ID and 34 volunteers without ID. The 54-item BASIQ measures three psychological domains (Being; Belonging; Becoming) and nine sub-domains, with each item also assessed across four dimensions (Importance; Satisfaction; Decision-making; and Opportunities). Results: Subjects with ID (as rated by proxies) had higher scores on BASIQ domains than those of non-ID subjects except for the sub-domain of Psychological Being. People with ID also received lower scores from proxies on the Decision-making dimension but higher scores on the Opportunities dimension. Differences between groups were statistically significant for most variables. Conclusions: Findings suggest that prejudicial attitudes towards the QoL of people with severe ID may be either absent in proxies or contained within the scope of the excercise. Previous research indicating that non-integrated QoL assessment may give paradoxical results was also supported.