Ugo Sabatello

Slow EEG Amplitude Oscillations During NREM Sleep and Reading Disabilities in Children With Dyslexia

Study Objectives: To analyze non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep microstructure of children with dyslexia, by means of cyclic alternating pattern (CAP) analysis and to correlate CAP parameters with neuropsychological measures. Design: Cross-sectional study using polysomnographic recordings and neuropsychological assessments. Setting: Sleep laboratory in academic center. Participants: Sixteen subjects with developmental dyslexia (mean age 10.8 years) and 11 normally reading children (mean age 10.1 years) underwent overnight polysomnographic recording. Intervention: N/A. Measurements and Results: Sleep architecture parameters only showed some statistically significant differences: number of sleep stage shifts per hour of sleep, percentage of N3, and number of R periods were significantly lower in dyslexic children versus controls. CAP analysis revealed a higher total CAP rate and A1 index in stage N3. A2% and A2 index in stage N2 and N3 were lower in dyslexic children while no differences were found for A3 CAP subtypes. The correlation analysis between CAP parameters and cognitive-behavioral measures showed a significant positive correlation between A1 index in N3 with Verbal IQ, full-scale IQ, and Memory and Learning Transfer reading test; while CAP rate in N3 was positively correlated with verbal IQ. Conclusions: To overcome reading difficulties, dyslexic subjects overactivate thalamocortical and hippocampal circuitry to transfer information between cortical posterior and anterior areas. The overactivation of the ancillary frontal areas could account for the CAP rate modifications and mainly for the increase of CAP rate and of A1 index in N3 that seem to be correlated with IQ and reading abilities.

Validity of Criteria-Based Content Analysis (CBCA) at trial in free-narrative interviews

OBJECTIVE The reliability of child witness testimony in sexual abuse cases is often controversial, and few tools are available. Criteria-Based Content Analysis (CBCA) is a widely used instrument for evaluating psychological credibility in cases of suspected child sexual abuse. Only few studies have evaluated CBCA scores in children suspected of being sexually abused. We designed this study to investigate the reliability of CBCA in discriminating allegations of child sexual abuse during court hearings, by comparing CBCA results with the courts final, unappealable sentence. We then investigated whether CBCA scores correlated with age, and whether some criteria were better than others in distinguishing cases of confirmed and unconfirmed abuse. METHODS From a pool of 487 child sexual abuse cases, confirmed and unconfirmed cases were selected using various criteria including child IQ≥70, agreement between the final trial outcome and the opinion of 3 experts, presence of at least 1 independent validating informative component in cases of confirmed abuse, and absence of suggestive questions during the childs testimonies. This screening yielded a study sample of 60 confirmed and 49 unconfirmed cases. The 14 item version of CBCA was applied to child witness testimony by 2 expert raters. RESULTS Of the 14 criteria tested, 12 achieved satisfactory inter-rater agreement (Maxwells Random Error). Analyses of covariance, with case group (confirmed vs. unconfirmed) and gender as independent variables and age as a covariate, showed no main effect of gender. Analyses of the interaction showed that the simple effects of abuse were significant in both sex. Nine CBCA criteria were satisfied more often among confirmed than unconfirmed cases; seven criteria increased with age. CONCLUSION CBCA scores distinguish between confirmed and unconfirmed cases. The criteria that distinguish best between the 2 groups are Quantity of Details, Interactions, and Subjective Experience. CBCA scores correlate positively with age, and independently from abuse; all the criteria test except 2 (Unusual Details and Misunderstood Details) increase with age. The agreement rate could be increased by merging criteria Unusual and Superfluous details that achieve a low inter-rater agreement when investigated separately. PRACTICE IMPLICATION Given its ability to distinguish between confirmed and unconfirmed cases of suspected child abuse, the CBCA could be a useful tool for expert opinion. Because our strict selection criteria make it difficult to generalize our results, further studies should investigate whether the CBCA is equally useful in the cases we excluded from our study (for example mental retardation).

Personality and suicidal ideation in the elderly: factorial invariance and latent means structures across age

Objectives: Suicide among the elderly is a dramatic global health problem. Although fatal attempts are frequent in the elderly, research indicated that they rarely present long-term elaboration of suicidal ideation and communicate their intents. Consequently, risk factor detection and assessment are salient. Although evidence on the association between personality and suicidal ideation in young adults is accumulating, little is known about its relevance in the elderly. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the components of a measurement model that are invariant across young adults and older adults and then investigate the relations among dimensions of personality and suicide risk. We postulated a specific relation pattern a priori and tested the hypotheses statistically in order to examine the models for equivalency of the factorial measurement. Method: We investigated 316 young adults and 339 older adults, who were administered self-report questionnaires to assess depression, hopelessness, alternative five-factor model of personality, and self–other perception. Results: Multigroup confirmatory factor analyses were conducted, yielding a final model with excellent fit to the data. This model showed a similar pattern of associations between suicidal ideation and personality across both groups. Conclusions: Although the elderly are exposed to specific life stressors associated with suicidal ideation, our findings suggest that the elderly and young adults may be similar on personality and psychopathology variables predicting suicidal ideation than previously hypothesized. Implications are provided for enhanced assessment and intervention of the elderly high in neuroticism, depression, hopelessness, and with negative self–other perception.

Self/other Perception Mediates Between Personality and Suicidal Ideation in Young Adults

Background and Objectives: Individual differences in vulnerability to suici- dal ideation have been recently addressed to internal working models of attachment. Howev- er, to date, research has mainly focused on adolescents. Few studies have investigated the role of adult attachment and personality dimensions in suicidal ideation, either examined from a mediational perspective . In this study, we aimed at testing a theoretical model in which Self/other perception mediates between personality and suicidal ideation in young adults. Methods: Dimensions of Attachment (self/other perception), Personality (the Big Five factor model), and Suicidal Ideation (hopelessness and depression) were assessed in a community sample of 319 young adults from Northern Italy. Structural Equation Model- ing and mediation analysis were conducted. Controlling for demographic variables (i.e., gender, age, education, and job), we tested three structural models. Results : The final model confirmed our hypothesis that self/other perception mediates between personality (high neuroticism and low extraversion) and suicidal ideation, pro- viding excellent fit to data. Conclusions: In line with the conceptual framework of the Attachment Theory, find- ings suggest that failure to resolve attachment-related distress is related to the emergence of negative self/other models in adults. Such internal models are likely to attenuate the as- sociation between neuroticism and extraversion with depressive symptoms, hopelessness and suicidal ideation.

Obsessive–Compulsive Tendencies, Self/Other Perception, Personality, and Suicidal Ideation in a Non-clinical Sample

Research on the risk factors for SI in adults with OC tendencies is limited, and it is still unclear whether the association between OC tendencies and SI in non-clinical individuals exists. The goal of the present study was to test the associations between OC tendencies, self/other perception, personality traits, depressive symptoms and SI among a non-clinical adult population. We investigated an Italian sample of 337 adults, who were administered a set of self-report questionnaires to assess obsessive–compulsive tendencies, depression, self/other perception, personality traits, and hopelessness. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were performed. In the final model we found that personality, obsessive–compulsive factor and suicidal ideation were significantly correlated with each other: personality correlated negatively with obsessive–compulsive factor and suicidal ideation, while obsessive–compulsive factor and suicidal ideation resulted as strongly positively associated. Our results highlight the importance of assessing OC tendencies, negative self/other perception and SI. Understanding their role and interplay will allow for the development and implementation of more advanced prevention and treatment policies.

Giovani autori di reati sessuali: personal profiling , criminogenesi e criminodinamica del juvenile sexual offending

Quello dei giovani autori di reati sessuali (Juvenile Sexual Offender - JSO) e un fenomeno complesso, la cui valutazione psicopatologica e criminologica puo risultare complessa ed insidiosa. Gli Autori, in base a quanto riportato dalla letteratura specialistica ed alla loro personale esperienza clinica e di ricerca, delineano le principali caratteristiche strutturali e di funzionamento dei minori autori di reati sessuali (JSO). Vengono in particolare descritte l’eziopatogenesi, alcuni aspetti criminodinamici ed i principali fattori di rischio di recidiva dei comportamenti sessuali abusanti, quali elementi conoscitivi indispensabili alla valutazione ed alla successiva strategia riabilitativa, di cura, dei minori autori di sexual offending.

Note a margine delle denunce a reticolo

Remarks on latticed allegations - This article aims to analyse the specific characteristics of latticed allegations. This particular sort of allegation, which often involves large numbers of children from a small, restricted community have a number of characteristics which are to be found time and time again and which can render the evaluations of an expert witness extremely complex. Phenomena of mass suggestion and amplification of the episode can, on the one hand, lead to the creation of facts which have never happened but also, on the other, sometimes to the concealment of a very real form of abuse. The authors, after making an exhaustive study of the specific nature of the problems involved, propose a form of detailed investigation which takes into account the particular nature of this type of allegation as well as the cognitive and psychological characteristics of the child. The aim is to help the methodology of the expert witness to acquire a greater epistemological coherence and to guarantee a greater respect for the scientific rules which should form the basis for any medico-legal investigation. Key words: latticed allegations, methodology of expert witness, children’s competence, child sexual abuse. Parole chiave: denunce a reticolo, metodologia dell’indagine peritale, competenza del bambino, abuso sessuale infantile.

La denuncia di abuso da parte dei soggetti disabili: esperienze cliniche e considerazioni psichiatrico-forensi

I risultati di ricerche effettuate indicano che la percentuale di abuso nei soggetti disabili e piu alta di quella trovata nella popolazione generale. Nonostante cio, la valutazione psichiatrico-forense delle denunce di abuso che coinvolgono i disabili e resa difficoltosa da una serie di problemi specifici. In questi casi emerge, infatti, un paradosso: quelle caratteristiche che rendono questi individui piu proni all’abuso sono le medesime che rendono poco o per nulla dimostrabile la stessa ipotesi di abuso, essendo essi a rischio di esclusione dal processo legale. In effetti vengono considerati testimoni non affidabili proprio per le loro debolezze. Recentemente, diversi studi hanno messo in evidenza che gli individui con disabilita possono, in certe circostanze, fornire un resoconto accurato purche se ne rispettino caratteristiche e bisogni e si predispongano modi piu appropriati per ottenerne la testimonianza. Vengono inoltre illustrate alcune vignette cliniche.