Giuseppe Maniaci

Bilateral Transcranial Magnetic stimulation of the Prefrontal cortex reduces cocaine intake: a Pilot study

Background Chronic cocaine consumption is associated with a decrease in mesolimbic dopamine transmission that maintains drug intake. transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is gaining reliability, a useful therapeutic tool in drug addiction, since it can modulate cortico-limbic activity resulting in reduction of drug craving. Aims In the present study, we investigated the therapeutic effect of bilateral TMS of prefrontal cortex (PFC) in reducing cocaine intake, in a sample of treatment-seeking patients with current cocaine use disorder (DSM-V). Methods Ten cocaine addicts (DSM-V) were randomly assigned to the active or sham stimulation protocol in a double-blind experimental design. Twelve repetitive TMS (rTMS) sessions were administered three times a week for 4 weeks at 100% of motor threshold, over bilateral PFC. Cocaine intake (ng/mg) was assessed by hair analysis at baseline (before treatment, T0), after 1 month (end of treatment, T1), 3 (T2), and 6 (T3) months later. All subjects received psychological support weekly. Results The two-way ANOVA for repeated measures did not show a significant effect of the interaction between time and treatment (F4,32 = 0.35; p = 0.87). Despite that result indicated no difference in the effect of the two conditions (active vs. sham) along time, a decreasing trend in cocaine consumption in active TMS group (F3,23 = 3.42; p = 0.04) vs. sham (F3,15 = 1.88; p = 0.20) was observed when we performed exploratory analysis with time as factor. Indeed, Post hoc comparisons showed a significant reduction in the amount of cocaine detected from the onset to 3 months later (T0–T2; p = 0.02) and to the end of treatment (T0–T3; p = 0.01) in addicts from the active group. Conclusion Bilateral rTMS of PFC at 10 Hz did not show a significant effect on cocaine intake compared to sham. However, a long-term reduction on cocaine intake in active TMS-treated patients was observed when we considered the time as factor. Further studies are required to confirm these encouraging but preliminary findings, in order to consolidate rTMS as a valid tool to treat cocaine addiction.

Psychodiagnostic Assessment of Pathological Gamblers: A Focus on Personality Disorders, Clinical Syndromes and Alexithymia

Comorbid psychopathological syndromes are common in pathological gamblers (PGs), but the contribution of alexithymia, as a disorder of affect regulation, has not been fully explored yet. This study sought to examine the association between personality disorders, clinical syndromes and alexithymia levels in a group of PGs and to highlight a relationship between gambling behaviour and alexithymia scores, apart from the relationship between other disorders and gambling behaviour. Psychological assessment included the South Oaks Gambling Screen, Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI-III) and Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) performed on 70 treatment seeking PGs and 70 healthy controls. Statistical analysis on the results shows a greater presence of mental disorders in PGs together with alterations in emotional processing. Moreover, a significant contribution of alexithymia in predicting gambling behaviour has been revealed. In conclusion, even though the assessment of personality disorders and clinical syndromes in PGs should be considered as an essential diagnostical step, alexithymia must be regarded as a relevant psychological feature, in order to produce the most accurate diagnosis available and select the correct therapeutical choice.

Alterations in the Emotional Regulation Process in Gambling Addiction: The Role of Anger and Alexithymia.

This study aims at the assessment of alexithymia and anger levels in 100 treatment-seeking pathological gamblers compared with controls, who were matched for age, gender and education. Furthermore a positive correlation between alexithymia, anger and severity of gambling disorder and a relationship between gambling behaviour and anger after controlling for alexithymia, are investigated. Finally the role that gender plays in anger in pathological gamblers was also evaluated. Psychological assessment includes the South Oaks Gambling Screen, State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2 and the twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Statistical analysis of the results shows a higher level of anger in pathological gamblers than in controls, together with alterations in emotional processing. Severity of gambling behaviour positively correlates with alexithymia scores, state-anger and trait-anger. Moreover, a significant contribution of anger in predicting gambling behaviour was suggested after controlling for alexithymia. In conclusion, anger and alexithymia must be regarded as relevant components of the assessment of pathological gamblers, in order to select the best therapeutical strategies to prevent self-defeating behaviours and to reduce drop-out from treatments.

Valorization of indigenous dairy cattle breed through salami production

The aim of the research was to produce salami manufactured with meat of three different commercial categories of bovine breed: cow on retirement, beef and young bull. A total of six experimental productions, at small-scale plant, were carried out with and without starter culture inoculums. The evolution of physico-chemical parameters in all trials followed the trend already registered for other fermented meat products. Several LAB species were found during process with different levels of species diversity and frequency of isolation among inoculated (mainly Pediococcus pentosaceus and Staphylococcus xylosus) and uninoculated (mainly Enterococcus devriesei, Lactobacillus curvatus and Lactobacillus sakei) trials. Enterobacteriaceae were found at very low levels during the entire ripening period and no pathogenic bacteria were found in any samples. The multivariate analysis showed that starter inoculums and meat affected significantly the physico-chemical and the microbiological composition of salami. The sensory analysis evidenced the highest overall acceptability was displayed by salami produced with meat from cow on retirement.

Effects of foal presence at milking and dietary extra virgin olive oil on jennet milk fatty acids profile

Abstract Twelve Ragusana jennets were studied to investigate the effects of dietary extra virgin olive oil and presence of the foal during milking on milk fatty acids (FA) profile. At 20, 50 the and 90 days post-foaling, each jennet was milked 4 times per day. The feeding system and the milking procedures are given by Alabiso et al. (2009). FA profiles of the composites from milkings without foals (1MNF+3MNF) and with foals (2MYF+4MYF) were analyzed by gas chromatography. Dietary oil had no significant effect on milk yield or fat content but increased the proportion of C18:1 (n-9) in milk. Jennet milk had a beneficial FA profile compared to bovine milk and thus would be suitable for consumption by infants suffering from cows milk protein allergy, however, augmentation of the long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated FA content warrants further study.

Effects of the foal at the milking and dietary supplementation with extra virgin olive oil on jennet milk production

Abstract The effects of the foal at the milking and the extra virgin olive oil supplementation in the diet, on the milk obtained by 12 Ragusana jennets were studied. The jennets were each fed 3.5+1.5 kg/d of concentrate+bran, and hay ad libitum. They were divided into 2 equal groups with one group receiving an additional dietary supplement of 100 ml/d of olive oil. Milk was collected at day 20 post foaling and every 15-18 d for 5 times. At each collection period jennets were milked 4-times per day. At 07:30 h foals were separated from the jennets and after a 4 hour interval were milked manually (1MNF;1st milking, foal absent). At the end of the 1MNF, each jennet was milked again, with the foals kept near the udder, but prevented from suckling (2MYF; 2nd milking, foal present). After 2MYF, foals were removed a second time and the sequence repeated after another 4 hour interval for the 3rd (3MNF) and 4th (4MYF) milkings. Milk yield was recorded at each milking and samples analyzed for qualitative variables. The milk yield was 26% higher than that reported by Giosuè et al. (2008) in similar conditions. The milk fat content were positively influenced by the presence of the foal at the milking but was not effect by the dietary supplement of olive oil.

ASPA 22nd Congress Book of Abstracts

than that caused by recognized “enterohaemorrhagic” STEC serogroups such as O157 and O111. More widespread use of PCRor enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-based screening tests for the presence of STEC of any serogroup in animal samples will undoubtedly result in increased detection of similar non-O157 outbreaks in the future. This will provide more accurate data on the epidemiology of human STEC disease.

A 3-week feed restriction after weaning as an alternative to a medicated diet: effects on growth, health, carcass and meat traits of rabbits of two genotypes

Feed restriction after weaning is widely used in meat rabbit farms to promote health and reduce mortality, but this practice impacts negatively on rabbit growth and slaughter performance. This study compared a 3-week post-weaning feed restriction with ad libitum medicated feeding, evaluating effects on feed intake, growth, health, carcass and meat quality of rabbits of two genotypes: Italian White pure breed and Hycole hybrid×Italian White crossbred. A total of 512 rabbits at 36 days of age, of both sexes and two genotypes, were divided into four homogeneous groups assigned, from 36 to 57 days of age, to different feeding programmes (FP): restricted non-medicated (R-N), ad libitum non-medicated (L-N), restricted medicated (R-M) and ad libitum medicated (L-M). The diets were medicated with oxytetracycline (1540 mg/kg) and colistin sulphate (240 mg/kg). The restriction, performed by giving 70, 80 and 90 g/day of feed for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd week, was followed by ad libitum feeding in the successive 5 weeks, up to slaughter at 92 days of age. Restricted feeds were ingested at a level of 64% of the feed intake recorded in the ad libitum fed rabbits; it was significantly associated, regardless of medication and rabbit genotype, with a lower feed intake (-22 to -24 g dry matter/day) during the entire experiment, compensatory growth and a lower feed conversion ratio in the ad libitum period, and a lower final live weight (-150 g) than ad libitum feeding (P<0.001). During restriction, mortality was lower in the restricted rabbits (6.25%, 5.47% v. 12.5%, 14.8% for R-N, R-M, L-N and L-M; P<0.05), whereas in the ad libitum period mortality did not differ among the groups (9.23%, 9.90%, 11.0% and 4.59% for R-N, R-M, L-N and L-M). Dressing out percentage was not affected by FP or genotype; heavier carcasses were produced by rabbits fed ad libitum (+100 g; P<0.001) and crossbred rabbits (+122 g; P<0.001). Restriction did not alter meat quality, except for a tendency towards a higher cooking loss and less fat; crossbred meat was higher in L* (+1.3; P<0.01) and b* (+0.51; P<0.05) colour indexes and tenderness (-0.14 kg/cm2; P<0.05) than pure breed meat. Under the conditions of this study, a 3-week restricted feeding after weaning resulted to be a suitable alternative, also for high growth potential genotypes, to the antibiotics to preserve rabbit health. The production of lighter carcasses could be compensated partly by the lower feed conversion ratio showed by restricted rabbits.