Pasquale Ricci

Work-Related Noise Exposure in a Cohort of Patients with Chronic Tinnitus: Analysis of Demographic and Audiological Characteristics

Work-related noise exposure is one of the major factors contributing to the development of adult-onset hearing loss and tinnitus. The aim of this study was to analyze, in patients with chronic tinnitus and long-term occupational noise exposure, (A) characteristics of hearing loss, tinnitus, comorbidities, demographic characteristics and a history of work-related noise exposure and (B) differences among individuals employed in occupations with high and low risk of developing work-related noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). One hundred thirty six patients with chronic tinnitus and at least a 10 year-long working history were divided into two groups based on the risk of their profession to induce NIHL. Individuals employed in jobs at high risk for NIHL were mostly males and exhibited a poorer hearing threshold, more evident in the left ear. Tinnitus was mostly bilateral; the next largest presentation was left-sided; patients described their tinnitus as buzzing or high-pitched. Correlation between age, length of tinnitus and worse hearing was found. Patients with a higher degree of hearing impairment were mostly males and were more likely to have a family history of hearing loss and at least one cardiovascular comorbidity. Our study shows some differences in individuals with tinnitus and a history of a profession associated with increased exposure to NIHL compared to those without such a history.

Quality of life in dementia sufferers: diet and exercise in an evaluatory role.

BACKGROUND Among the myriad of factors modulating quality of life assessments estimated in patients presenting a variety of cognitive impairments, the distinctive and critical influence of diet and exercise cannot be overestimated. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to review the evidence to confirm the association between these health-endowering agents and cognitive performance in People With Dementia as well as providing a correlation between Mini Mental State Examination scores and available anthropometric data. METHODS The authors tested the hypothesized correlation on a sample of subjects with instrumentally confirmed cognitive impairment using parameters as Body Mass Index and calf circumference. RESULTS The results confirm the hypothesis and suggesting the possible use of anthropometric data in the process of objective evaluation of the patient with cognitive impairment that could also be used for forensic medicine.

Traumatic Hemipelvectomy: Surgical and Medical-Legal Aspects

Background: Traffic accidents are major causes of disability and mortality due to the increasing number of vehicles, changes in lifestyle and high-risk behavior among the general population. Traumatic hemipelvectomy is a type of exceptional lesion representing 0.6% of all pelvic fractures, although lesions of the lower extremities are more usual than those of the upper extremities.Case presentation: The authors present an unusual case of traumatic left hemipelvectomy, and consider the medical-legal aspects resulting from an accident of a motorcycle driver, which involved a lateral collision between the subject’s motorcycle and a car.Conclusion: With traumatic hemipelvectomy in young subjects difficulties arise at any level and in all medical fields: clinically, surgical and medicolegal

Blood pressure in indoor and outdoor workers

INTRODUCTION The aim of our study is to evaluate the changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure in two occupational categories: outdoor workers (traffic policemen and environment technicians) and indoor workers. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study was conducted comparing the results obtained from three samples of male workers: 175 outdoor traffic policemen, 175 outdoor environment technicians and 175 indoor workers. The outdoor and indoor groups were made comparable by age, length of service, body mass index, alcohol consumption, smoking status. RESULTS The mean values of systolic and diastolic blood pressure were found higher in traffic policemen and technicians than in indoor workers, as well as higher values of systolic blood pressure in traffic policemen than in technicians. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that outdoor working affects the blood pressure, contributing to an increased cardiovascular risk.

Head trauma with clinical and medical legal interest

In clinical and legal cases some injuries found in living patient or dead body can give rise to difficulties of interpretation regarding the nature of the legally relevant formation mechanism. A field of study that offers often this issue is the brain hemorrhage that it could be traumatic or no traumatic. The authors propose a narrative review of the literature that enables us to recognize in the analysis of the kind of bleeding or type of associated lesions, useful and updated support tools for settlement of the case in question.

Altered levels of IL-18 in sera of autism patients as well as in reeler brain

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with onset in the first 3 years of life, with an incidence in Italy of 6–10 new cases per 10,000 children per year. Affected children show impaired social interactions, repetitive or stereotypical behaviors and interests. Disruption/dysregulation of neuroimmune functioning, whether expressed in the patient or during the course of the individual’s brain development, are implicated in Idiopathic ASD (1). Quantitative and qualitative differences in immune function between children with ASD and typically developing controls have been demonstrated, including evidence for increased neuroinflammation and cytokine production in brain specimens obtained from individuals with ASD(2). Peripheral innate immune activation is starting to be recognized as a prominent feature of diseases affecting the central nervous system.(3) In a recent study we have shown that elevated levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-1, interleukin-6, interleukin-12, interleukin-23, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and BDNF were present in sera of autistic patients (4).We have recently observed that the levels of IL-18 detected in the sera of autistic children were rather lower than those measured in the sera of matched healthy children. We decided to inquire if an alteration in the amount of IL-18 in different areas of the CNS and in the serum was also detectable in Reeler eterozygous mice, a mouse model of autism, compared to wild type mice. IL-18 was localized in different brain regions by immunohistochemistry and in whole brain homogenates by western blots. Quantitative analysis of the cytokine in serum was performed by ELISA.