Pier Maria Furlan

Psychological distress in men with prostate cancer receiving adjuvant androgen-deprivation therapy

OBJECTIVES To compare the occurrence of depression, anxiety, self body image perception, sleep disturbances, and diminished quality of life in prostate cancer patients undergoing adjuvant androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) as opposed to patients in follow-up alone. METHODS AND MATERIALS Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group essential diagnostic criteria, Body Image Scale and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Prostate were administered to consecutive prostate cancer patients who underwent radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy and are presently either under adjuvant ADT or included in a follow-up program. RESULTS Of the 103 patients enrolled, 49 (47.6%) were receiving adjuvant ADT and 54 (52.4%) were not. Compared with the controls, the patients undergoing ADT showed higher levels of depression (P = 0.002), worse self body image perception (P = 0.001), worse quality of life (P = 0.0001) and worse sleep quality (P = 0.04). ADT was significantly associated with depression at multivariate analysis after adjustment for age, stage, Gleason score, as well as demographic and social variables (P = 0.001). Depression scores showed a strong inverse correlation with quality of life scores (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Adjuvant ADT is associated with depression, worse quality of life, and altered self body image in prostate cancer patients.

Association between Major Mood Disorders and the hypocretin receptor 1 gene

BACKGROUND Recent studies suggested a role for hypocretins in the neurobiology of Major Mood Disorders (MMD). The purpose of this study was to investigate hypocretin involvement in MMD evaluating whether particular alleles or genotypes of the hypocretin pathway genes (HCRT, HCRTR1 and HCRTR2) would modify the occurrence and clinical features of the disease. METHODS We selected for the study 229 MMD patients and 259 healthy age-, sex- and ethnicity-matched controls. Cases and controls were genotyped for several single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the HCRT, HCRTR1, and HCRTR2 genes. RESULTS We found that allelic and genotypic frequencies of the rs2271933 G>A polymorphism (Ile408Val) in the HCRTR1 gene were significantly different between cases and controls (p=0.003 and p=0.0004, respectively). The carriage of the A allele was associated with a significantly increased disease risk (OR:1.60, 95% C.I. 1.22-2.10). In addition, we found a significant association between HCRTR1 haplotypes and the disease (permutation p<0.0001). In the analysis of subgroups we confirmed the association only in patients with unipolar depression. LIMITATIONS Our sample was relatively small and included only cases and controls recruited from Northern Italy. Analysis of the disease subgroups warrants reexamination with more subjects. Finally, the effects of the rs2271933 G>A polymorphism on the hypocretin-1 receptor function are unknown. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests that the HCRTR1 gene or a linked locus may modulate the risk for Major Mood Disorders and supports recent studies suggesting an involvement of hypocretin neurotransmitter system in affective disorders.

Four-Year Follow-Up of Long-Stay Patients Settled in the Community After Closure of Italy's Psychiatric Hospitals

OBJECTIVE This study reports on the final phase (1996-1999) of closure of Italys psychiatric hospitals. In this phase the last group of patients was resettled in community-based care. These patients were particularly difficult to resettle, and many hospital staff considered their discharge impossible or inappropriate. Shorter-stay inpatients who were previously resettled in community facilities showed improvement in quality of life and socialization and apparent stability of psychotic symptoms. Compulsory resettlement, implemented by community-based practitioners, provided an opportunity to determine whether it could be considered positive for all patients. METHODS A total of 176 patients were discharged in 1998 from two psychiatric hospitals in Northern Italy until 2002. All patients had been hospitalized for more than 20 years (median stay of 37 years). Patients were resettled in sheltered communities with 24-hour staff (N=101), in apartments with daily support (N=24), in residential health care facilities (N=49), and to their previous homes (N=2). Follow-up evaluations were at three and six months and then yearly (total of six). Psychological condition was evaluated with the 18-item Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. Autonomy and relational skills were assessed with scales developed for the closure project. Analyses of variance were used to assess data. RESULTS Clinical condition steadily improved and substantial improvements were noted in autonomy, socialization, and expression of volition. No worsening occurred in any category. CONCLUSIONS Even among patients with very long hospital stays, resettlement in community-based care and changes in the social framework can have positive results in psychological and social functioning and quality of life.

Presence and significant determinants of cognitive impairment in a large sample of patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Objectives To investigate the presence and the nature of cognitive impairment in a large sample of patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), and to identify clinical and demographic determinants of cognitive impairment in MS. Methods 303 patients with MS and 279 healthy controls were administered the Brief Repeatable Battery of Neuropsychological tests (BRB-N); measures of pre-morbid verbal competence and neuropsychiatric measures were also administered. Results Patients and healthy controls were matched for age, gender, education and pre-morbid verbal Intelligence Quotient. Patients presenting with cognitive impairment were 108/303 (35.6%). In the overall group of participants, the significant predictors of the most sensitive BRB-N scores were: presence of MS, age, education, and Vocabulary. The significant predictors when considering MS patients only were: course of MS, age, education, vocabulary, and depression. Using logistic regression analyses, significant determinants of the presence of cognitive impairment in relapsing-remitting MS patients were: duration of illness (OR = 1.053, 95% CI = 1.010–1.097, p = 0.015), Expanded Disability Status Scale score (OR = 1.247, 95% CI = 1.024–1.517, p = 0.028), and vocabulary (OR = 0.960, 95% CI = 0.936–0.984, p = 0.001), while in the smaller group of progressive MS patients these predictors did not play a significant role in determining the cognitive outcome. Conclusions Our results corroborate the evidence about the presence and the nature of cognitive impairment in a large sample of patients with MS. Furthermore, our findings identify significant clinical and demographic determinants of cognitive impairment in a large sample of MS patients for the first time. Implications for further research and clinical practice were discussed.

Personality disorders among patients accessing alcohol detoxification treatment: prevalence and gender differences

BACKGROUND Alcohol abuse and dependence are frequently associated with psychiatric disorders and personality disorders (PDs) with differences among gender. However, only few studies investigated gender differences in PDs among alcoholics. The aim of this study was to investigate PDs in a sample of patients accessing inpatient alcohol detoxification treatment and to describe gender differences in prevalence and comorbidity of PDs. METHODS The study population consisted of 206 patients entering alcohol detoxification treatment in a specialized clinic in Italy. At enrollment, patients filled in the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III for the assessment of PDs. RESULTS The sample consisted of 150 males and 56 females. Twenty-five percent of males vs 12.5% of females had 1 PD; 16% vs 23%, 2 PDs; and 46% vs 48%, more than 3 PDs. A statistically significant higher proportion of females got high scores on avoidant (21.4% vs 9.3%), self-defeating (50.0% vs 24.0%), and borderline scales (42.9% vs 25.3%). Depressive, self-defeating, and borderline PDs were frequently associated both to other PDs and among each other, particularly among females. CONCLUSIONS Borderline PD is confirmed to be more frequent among females than among males accessing alcohol detoxification treatment. More studies are needed to clarify prevalence and associations of PDs, prognosis, and gender differences in alcoholics patients.

Does substance use disorder affect clinical expression in first-hospitalization patients with schizophrenia? Analysis of a prospective cohort

Although several papers reported a wide range of negative outcomes among patients with both schizophrenia and Substance Use Disorder (SUD), only a few studies evaluated the impact of SUD on psychopathology and thus on the length of first-hospitalization. The aim of the present study was to compare clinical expression of first-episode of schizophrenia between inpatients with and without SUD, giving close attention to the length of stay. One hundred and thirty inpatients at first-episode of schizophrenia were assigned to either SUD or not SUD group depending on SUD diagnosis and were assessed through BPRS at admission, during hospitalization and at discharge. Cross-sectional and longitudinal statistical analysis were performed to investigate differences between groups and also a linear regression was used to evaluate relationship between length of stay and BPRS scores. SUD group showed more disorganization at admission, less marked improvement of symptoms (disorganization, thought disturbance, anergia), and longer hospital stay than not SUD group. Moreover BPRS total score during hospitalization was a significant positive predictor for length of stay. Taken together, these findings suggest that SUD patients have a more severe and drug-resistant expression of schizophrenia, hence, they need longer treatment to achieve the overall symptoms improvement required for discharge.

A comparison of thought and perception disorders in borderline personality disorder and schizophrenia: psychotic experiences as a reaction to impaired social functioning

BackgroundAlthough previous studies suggest a high frequency of psychotic symptoms in DSM-IV Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) there is currently no consensus on their prevalence and characteristics (type, frequency, duration, location etc.). Similarly, there are few papers addressing psychotic reactivity, the crucial aspect of BPD included in the ninth criterion for DSM-IV BPD, which remained unchanged in DSM-IV-TR and DSM-5. The purposes of the present study were to compare thought and perception disorders in patients with DSM-IV BPD and schizophrenia (SC), investigating their relationship with social functioning.MethodsThought and perception disorders and social functioning over the previous two years were assessed by the Diagnostic Interview for Borderline Revised (DIB-R) and Personal and Social Performance scale (PSP) respectively in outpatients with DSM-IV BPD (n = 28) or DSM-IV SC (n = 28).ResultsQuasi-psychotic thought (i.e. transient, circumscribed and atypical psychotic experiences) was more frequent in BPD (BPD = 82.1%, SC = 50%, p = 0.024); whereas true psychotic thought (i.e. Schneiderian first-rank, prolonged, widespread and bizarre psychotic symptoms) was more frequent in SC (SC = 100%, BPD = 46.4%, p < 0.001). However both types of psychotic features were prevalent in both groups. Non-delusional paranoia (e.g. undue suspiciousness and ideas of references) was ubiquitous but was more severe in BPD than SC patients (U(54) = 203.5, p = 0.001). In the BPD group there was a strong negative correlation between personal and social functioning and non-delusional paranoia (τ(28) = 0.544, p = 0.002) and level of personal and social functioning was a significant predictor of the severity of non-delusional paranoia only in the BPD group (β = -0.16, t(23) = 2.90, p = 0.008).ConclusionsBPD patients reported less severe psychotic experiences with more frequent quasi-psychotic thought, less frequent true psychotic thought and more severe non-delusional paranoia than SC patients. Interpersonal functioning seems to predict non-delusional paranoia in BPD, which would validate the “stress-related paranoid ideation”, included in the ninth diagnostic criterion for DSM-IV and DSM-5 BPD. PBD patients had higher scores on the psychotic experiences subscale that support the use of a dimensional assessment of the severity of thought and perception disorders, for example the Clinician-Rated Dimensions of Psychosis Symptom Severity introduced in DSM-5, Section III.

Restless legs syndrome as a cause of sleep disturbances in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.

CONTEXT Sleep disturbances are frequent in cancer patients during chemotherapy; the contributory role of restless legs syndrome (RLS) in this setting has never been assessed. OBJECTIVES This study investigated the role of RLS in causing sleep disturbances and altering the quality of life in cancer patients during chemotherapy. METHODS Evaluation tools included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the RLS questionnaires, the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale for quality of life and anxiety/depression assessment. The study population was 173 cancer patients. The questionnaires were administered during the third chemotherapy cycle. Patients positive for RLS were reassessed six months after the end of chemotherapy. RESULTS In all, 58.8% of patients reported experiencing sleep disturbances (PSQI≥5) and 20% screened positive for RLS. Neither sleep disturbances nor RLS was associated with anemia, neurotoxic cytotoxic drugs, or benzamide treatment. A direct relationship was found between the PSQI and RLS (P=0.007); both PSQI and RLS scores were significantly associated with poor quality of life (P=0.008 and 0.01, respectively) and anxiety (P=0.0001 and 0.01, respectively). PSQI score also was associated with depression (P=0.0001). RLS persisted in four of the 25 RLS-positive patients reassessed at six months after chemotherapy. RLS recovery was associated with a significant reduction in sleep disturbances and improvement in quality of life. CONCLUSION RLS can be a contributory factor in sleep disturbances in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Screening for RLS could aid in tailoring a potentially more efficacious treatment of such disturbances.

Type D Personality and Essential Hypertension in Primary Care: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study Within a Cohort of Patients Visiting General Practitioners.

Abstract To estimate the relationship between type D personality and essential hypertension among patients visiting their GPs for any health problem, 101 hypertensive and 138 nonhypertensive patients were consecutively recruited and assessed using the Type D Personality Scale (DS14). The predictive value of type D personality was determined using a logistic regression model, taking into account the differences in recognized confounders between groups. Type D personality in the hypertension group was twice as frequent as in the no hypertension group and hypertension was more frequent among type D than non–type D patients. Logistic regression showed a significant predictive value of type D personality for hypertension, adjusting for sex, age, body mass index, family history of hypertension, living condition, education, and employment. Therefore, type D personality was strongly related to hypertension and it was a noteworthy predictor of hypertension in a real-world cohort of primary care patients.

Risk of Depressive Events in Long-Term Surviving Patients Affected by Hormone-Related Cancer According to Time After Diagnosis

Depressive disorders consistently worsen thequality of life of long-term surviving patients with cancer. These ad-verse events are a direct consequence of the diagnosis of malignantdiseaseand/ortheantineoplastictreatmentadministered.Thepoten-tiality of antineoplastic treatment to induce depression should becarefullyconsideredinthetreatmentdecisionmakingprocess,butthisissuehasbeenrelativelyneglectedbyoncologists.Daltonetal