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Aiello EN, Pucci V, Diana L, Corvaglia A, Niang A, Mattiello S, Preti AN, Durante G, Ravelli A, Consonni L, Guerra C, Ponti AD, Sangalli G, Difonzo T, Scarano S, Perucca L, Zago S, Appollonio I, Mondini S, Bolognini N. The Telephone Language Screener (TLS): standardization of a novel telephone-based screening test for language impairment. Neurol Sci 2024; 45:1989-2001. [PMID: 38010584 PMCID: PMC11021315 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-023-07149-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aimed at developing and standardizing the Telephone Language Screener (TLS), a novel, disease-nonspecific, telephone-based screening test for language disorders. METHODS The TLS was developed in strict pursuance to the current psycholinguistic standards. It comprises nine tasks assessing phonological, lexical-semantic and morpho-syntactic components, as well as an extra Backward Digit Span task. The TLS was administered to 480 healthy participants (HPs), along with the Telephone-based Semantic Verbal Fluency (t-SVF) test and a Telephone-based Composite Language Index (TBCLI), as well as to 37 cerebrovascular/neurodegenerative patients-who also underwent the language subscale of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS-L). An HP subsample was also administered an in-person language battery. Construct validity, factorial structure, internal consistency, test-retest and inter-rater reliability were tested. Norms were derived via Equivalent Scores. The capability of the TLS to discriminate patients from HPs and to identify, among the patient cohort, those with a defective TICS-L, was also examined. RESULTS The TLS was underpinned by a mono-component structure and converged with the t-SVF (p < .001), the TBCLI (p < .001) and the in-person language battery (p = .002). It was internally consistent (McDonald's ω = 0.67) and reliable between raters (ICC = 0.99) and at retest (ICC = 0.83). Age and education, but not sex, were predictors of TLS scores. The TLS optimally discriminated patients from HPs (AUC = 0.80) and successfully identified patients with an impaired TICS-L (AUC = 0.92). In patients, the TLS converged with TICS-L scores (p = 0.016). DISCUSSION The TLS is a valid, reliable, normed and clinically feasible telephone-based screener for language impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Nicolò Aiello
- PhD Program in Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
| | - Veronica Pucci
- Dipartimento di Filosofia, Pedagogia e Psicologia Applicata (FISPPA), University of Padova, SociologiaPadua, Italy
- Human Inspired Technology Research Centre (HIT), University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Diana
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessia Corvaglia
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences "Luigi Sacco", University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Aida Niang
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Mattiello
- Dipartimento di Filosofia, Pedagogia e Psicologia Applicata (FISPPA), University of Padova, SociologiaPadua, Italy
| | - Alice Naomi Preti
- PhD Program in Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Giorgia Durante
- Dipartimento di Filosofia, Pedagogia e Psicologia Applicata (FISPPA), University of Padova, SociologiaPadua, Italy
| | - Adele Ravelli
- Dipartimento di Filosofia, Pedagogia e Psicologia Applicata (FISPPA), University of Padova, SociologiaPadua, Italy
| | - Lucia Consonni
- Dipartimento di Filosofia, Pedagogia e Psicologia Applicata (FISPPA), University of Padova, SociologiaPadua, Italy
| | - Carolina Guerra
- Dipartimento di Filosofia, Pedagogia e Psicologia Applicata (FISPPA), University of Padova, SociologiaPadua, Italy
| | - Adriana Delli Ponti
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Gaia Sangalli
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Teresa Difonzo
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Scarano
- Department of Neurorehabilitation Sciences, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Perucca
- Department of Neurorehabilitation Sciences, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Zago
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Ildebrando Appollonio
- Neurology Section, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Sara Mondini
- Dipartimento di Filosofia, Pedagogia e Psicologia Applicata (FISPPA), University of Padova, SociologiaPadua, Italy
- Human Inspired Technology Research Centre (HIT), University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Nadia Bolognini
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy.
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.
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Aiello EN, Mameli F, Ruggiero F, Zirone E, Zago S, Piacentini S, Poletti B, Reitano MR, Santangelo G, Ticozzi N, Silani V, Priori A, Ferrucci R. Psychometrics and diagnostics of the Italian version of the Alternate Verbal Fluency Battery (AVFB) in non-demented Parkinson's disease patients. Neurol Sci 2024:10.1007/s10072-024-07436-5. [PMID: 38467953 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-024-07436-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Verbal fluency (VF) tasks are known as suitable for detecting cognitive impairment (CI) in Parkinson's disease (PD). This study thus aimed to evaluate the psychometrics and diagnostics of the Alternate Verbal Fluency Battery (AVFB) by Costa et al. (2014) in an Italian cohort of non-demented PD patients, as well as to derive disease-specific cut-offs for it. METHODS N = 192 non-demented PD patients were screened with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and underwent the AVFB-which includes phonemic, semantic and alternate VF tests (PVF; SVF; AVF), as well as a Composite Shifting Index (CSI) reflecting the "cost" of shifting from a single- to a double-cued VF task. Construct validity and diagnostics were assessed for each AVFB measure against the MoCA. Internal reliability and factorial validity were also tested. RESULTS The MoCA proved to be strongly associated with PVF, SVF and AVF scores, whilst moderately with the CSI. The AVFB was internally consistent and underpinned by a single component; however, an improvement in both internal reliability and fit to its factorial structure was observed when dropping the CSI. Demographically adjusted scores on PVF, SVF and AVF tests were diagnostically sound in detecting MoCA-defined cognitive impairment, whilst this was not true for the CSI. Disease-specific cut-offs for PVF, SVF and AVF tests were derived. DISCUSSION In conclusion, PVF, SVF and AVF tests are reliable, valid and diagnostically sound instruments to detect cognitive impairment in non-demented PD patients and are therefore recommended for use in clinical practice and research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Nicolò Aiello
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Mameli
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Fabiana Ruggiero
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Eleonora Zirone
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Zago
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Barbara Poletti
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università Degli Studi Di Milano, Via Santa Sofia 9, 20122, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Gabriella Santangelo
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Caserta, Italy
| | - Nicola Ticozzi
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, "Dino Ferrari" Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Silani
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, "Dino Ferrari" Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Alberto Priori
- ASST Santi Paolo e Carlo, San Paolo University Hospital, Milan, Italy
- "Aldo Ravelli" Center for Neurotechnology and Experimental Brain Therapeutics, Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Roberta Ferrucci
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università Degli Studi Di Milano, Via Santa Sofia 9, 20122, Milan, Italy.
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Cammisuli DM, Tuena C, Riva G, Repetto C, Axmacher N, Chandreswaran V, Isella V, Pomati S, Zago S, Difonzo T, Pavanello G, Prete LA, Stramba-Badiale M, Mauro A, Cattaldo S, Castelnuovo G. Exploring the Remediation of Behavioral Disturbances of Spatial Cognition in Community-Dwelling Senior Citizens with Mild Cognitive Impairment via Innovative Technological Apparatus (BDSC-MCI Project): Protocol for a Prospective, Multi-Center Observational Study. J Pers Med 2024; 14:192. [PMID: 38392625 PMCID: PMC10890288 DOI: 10.3390/jpm14020192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Spatial navigation (SN) has been reported to be one of the first cognitive domains to be affected in Alzheimer's disease (AD), which occurs as a result of progressive neuropathology involving specific brain areas. Moreover, the epsilon 4 isoform of apolipoprotein-E (APOE-ε4) has been associated with both sporadic and familial late-onset AD, and patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD are more likely to progressively deteriorate. Spatial navigation performance will be examined on a sample of 76 community-dwelling senior citizens (25 healthy controls; 25 individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD); and 26 patients with MCI due to AD) via a virtual computer-based task (i.e., the AppleGame) and a naturalistic task (i.e., the Detour Navigation Test-modified version) for which a wearable device with sensors will be used for recording gait data and revealing physiological parameters that may be associated with spatial disorientation. We expect that patients with MCI due to AD and APOE-ε4 carriers will show altered SN performances compared to individuals with SCD and healthy controls in the experimental tasks, and that VR testing may predict ecological performance. Impaired SN performances in people at increased risk of developing AD may inform future cognitive rehabilitation protocols for counteracting spatial disorientation that may occur during elders' traveling to unfamiliar locations. The research protocol has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the Istituto Auxologico Italiano. Findings will be published in peer-reviewed medical journals and discussed in national and international congresses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cosimo Tuena
- Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, 20145 Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Riva
- Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, 20145 Milan, Italy
- Human Technology Lab, Catholic University, 20145 Milan, Italy
| | - Claudia Repetto
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University, 20123 Milan, Italy
| | - Nikolai Axmacher
- Department of Neuropsychology, Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Varnan Chandreswaran
- Department of Neuropsychology, Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Valeria Isella
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy
- Milan Center for Neurosciences, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Simone Pomati
- Neurology Unit, Luigi Sacco University Hospital, 20157 Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Zago
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Teresa Difonzo
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Giada Pavanello
- School of Specialization in Clinical Psychology, Catholic University, 20123 Milan, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Augusto Prete
- School of Specialization in Clinical Psychology, Catholic University, 20123 Milan, Italy
| | - Marco Stramba-Badiale
- Department of Geriatrics and Cardiovascular Medicine, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, 20145 Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro Mauro
- "Rita Levi Montalcini" Department of Neurosciences, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
- Neurology and Neurorehabilitation Unit, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, "San Giuseppe" Hospital, 33081 Piancavallo, Italy
| | - Stefania Cattaldo
- Clinic Neurobiology Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, "San Giuseppe" Hospital, 33081 Piancavallo, Italy
| | - Gianluca Castelnuovo
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University, 20123 Milan, Italy
- Clinical Psychology Research Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, 20149 Milan, Italy
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Sozzi M, Chierotti MR, Gobetto R, Gomila RM, Marzaroli V, Priola E, Volpi G, Zago S, Frontera A, Garino C. One-Dimensional and Two-Dimensional Zn(II) Coordination Polymers with Ditopic Imidazo[1,5- a]pyridine: A Structural and Computational Study. Molecules 2024; 29:653. [PMID: 38338397 PMCID: PMC10856496 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29030653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Zn(II) coordination polymers are being increasingly studied for their stability and properties. Similarly, there is a growing interest in imidazo[1,5-a]pyridine derivatives, which show great potential in luminescence and pharmaceutical applications. In this work, we successfully synthesized and crystallized three new coordination polymers, using Zn(II) as the metallic node, dicarboxylic acids of different length and nature as linkers, and a linear ditopic imidazo[1,5-a]pyridine derivative, to explore the role of this molecule as a propagator of the dimensionality of the structure or as an ancillary ligand. Our work demonstrates the structural capability of imidazo[1,5-a]pyridines in an unexplored domain for this family of ligands. Notably, we observed a pronounced ability of this heterocyclic scaffold to establish π···π interactions in the solid state. The supramolecular π-stacked assemblies were theoretically analyzed using DFT calculations based on model structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattia Sozzi
- Department of Chemistry and NIS Centre, University of Turin, Via Pietro Giuria 7, 10125 Torino, Italy
| | - Michele R. Chierotti
- Department of Chemistry and NIS Centre, University of Turin, Via Pietro Giuria 7, 10125 Torino, Italy
| | - Roberto Gobetto
- Department of Chemistry and NIS Centre, University of Turin, Via Pietro Giuria 7, 10125 Torino, Italy
| | - Rosa M. Gomila
- Department of Chemistry, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Crta de Valldemossa km 7.5, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - Vittoria Marzaroli
- Department of Chemistry and NIS Centre, University of Turin, Via Pietro Giuria 7, 10125 Torino, Italy
| | - Emanuele Priola
- Department of Chemistry and NIS Centre, University of Turin, Via Pietro Giuria 7, 10125 Torino, Italy
| | - Giorgio Volpi
- Department of Chemistry and NIS Centre, University of Turin, Via Pietro Giuria 7, 10125 Torino, Italy
| | - Stefano Zago
- Department of Chemistry and NIS Centre, University of Turin, Via Pietro Giuria 7, 10125 Torino, Italy
| | - Antonio Frontera
- Department of Chemistry, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Crta de Valldemossa km 7.5, 07122 Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - Claudio Garino
- Department of Chemistry and NIS Centre, University of Turin, Via Pietro Giuria 7, 10125 Torino, Italy
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Aiello EN, Gramegna C, Esposito A, Gazzaniga V, Zago S, Difonzo T, Maddaluno O, Appollonio I, Bolognini N. Correction to: The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA): updated norms and psychometric insights into adaptive testing from healthy individuals in Northern Italy. Aging Clin Exp Res 2023; 35:2857-2859. [PMID: 37552422 PMCID: PMC10627893 DOI: 10.1007/s40520-023-02509-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Nicolò Aiello
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
- PhD Program in Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
| | - Chiara Gramegna
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | - Stefano Zago
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Milan Center for Neuroscience (NeuroMI), Milan, Italy
| | - Teresa Difonzo
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Ildebrando Appollonio
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
- Milan Center for Neuroscience (NeuroMI), Milan, Italy
- Neurology Section, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Nadia Bolognini
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- Milan Center for Neuroscience (NeuroMI), Milan, Italy
- Neuropsychological Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
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Preti AN, Diana L, Castaldo R, Pischedda F, Difonzo T, Fumagalli G, Arighi A, Sartori G, Zago S, Bolognini N. Does cognitive decline influence signing? Aging Clin Exp Res 2023; 35:2685-2691. [PMID: 37661205 PMCID: PMC10627958 DOI: 10.1007/s40520-023-02523-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The study explored the change in handwritten signature in neurodegenerative diseases by using of a rater-based approach. METHODS Four independent observers were required to compare a pair of signatures (on average, 5 years elapsed between the two signatures) made by 103 patients (mean age 72 years) with Alzheimer's disease (AD) or frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and by 31 healthy participants (HC; mean age 73 years), judging their change according to a 0-1 rating scale (0 = similar or 1 = different). If a signature change was detected, the rater had also to report which signature features (spatial layout, omitted/added/switched letters or names, shape of letter, pen-flow) changed on the same 0-1 scale. For the AD and FTD groups, one signature was collected prior to the diagnosis of dementia, the other subsequent. RESULTS A signature change was reported by raters in 36% of AD patients, 44% of FTD, and 17% of HC, with significant differences between both clinical groups and HC (vs. AD, p = .01; vs. FTD, p = .001). There was not a distinctive marker of the signature change (i.e., feature change) in patients with dementia. Moreover, the signature changes in neurological patients were unrelated to their clinical and demographic characteristics (age, sex, education, time elapsed between the two signatures, Mini-mental State Examination score). CONCLUSION The findings suggest a resistance of handwritten signature in neurodegenerative diseases and in physiological aging, also suggesting that the signature may be an unreliable indicator of the cognitive status in AD and FTD, at least if subjectively evaluated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Naomi Preti
- School of Medicine and Surgery, PhD Program in Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
| | - Lorenzo Diana
- Neuropsychology Laboratory, Department of Neurorehabilitation Sciences, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Rita Castaldo
- Neurology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Hospital Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Pischedda
- Neuropsychology Laboratory, Department of Neurorehabilitation Sciences, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Teresa Difonzo
- Neurology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Hospital Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Giorgio Fumagalli
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences-CIMeC, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Andrea Arighi
- Neurology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Hospital Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Sartori
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Stefano Zago
- Neurology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Hospital Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
| | - Nadia Bolognini
- Neuropsychology Laboratory, Department of Neurorehabilitation Sciences, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
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Cocuzza A, Difonzo T, Aiello EN, Sbrissa LPE, Zago S, Gendarini C, Sirtori MA, Poletti B, Ticozzi N, Franco G, Di Fonzo A, Comi GP, Saetti MC. Verbal Learning Impairment in Parkinson's Disease: Role of the Frontostriatal System in Working and Strategic Memory. NEURODEGENER DIS 2023; 23:20-24. [PMID: 37757782 DOI: 10.1159/000534307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Learning is a long-term memory process, influenced by working memory control processes, including recognition of semantic properties of items by which subjects generate a semantic structure of engrams. The aim of the study was to investigate the verbal learning strategies of individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). METHODS Thirty individuals with idiopathic PD and healthy control (HC) subjects were tested with a multi-trial word list learning, under two conditions: without cue and then with an explicit cue suggesting the categories in the list, respectively. RESULTS In comparison to HC subjects, individuals with PD recalled fewer words and achieved a reduced number of categorical clusters; the strategical cue did not improve their performance. CONCLUSION This suggests, besides a difficulty in identifying the correct learning strategy, a deficit in working memory, which undermines the strategy implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Cocuzza
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Neurology Unit, Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Teresa Difonzo
- Neurology Unit, Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Edoardo Nicolò Aiello
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Pietro Ernesto Sbrissa
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Zago
- Neurology Unit, Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Claudia Gendarini
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Neurology Unit, Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Barbara Poletti
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Ticozzi
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Giulia Franco
- Neurology Unit, Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessio Di Fonzo
- Neurology Unit, Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Giacomo Pietro Comi
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Neurology Unit, Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Cristina Saetti
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy,
- Neurology Unit, Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy,
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Zago S, Aiello EN, Poletti B, Lorusso L, Silani V. Has the association between ALS and FTD been actually acknowledged since the nineteenth century? Neurol Sci 2023; 44:1081-1082. [PMID: 36326948 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-022-06468-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Zago
- U.O.C. Neurologia, Fondazione IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
| | - Edoardo N Aiello
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- PhD Program in Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Barbara Poletti
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Lorusso
- U.O.C. Neurologia & Stroke Unit, A.S.S.T. Lecco, Merate, LC, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Silani
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, "Dino Ferrari" Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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9
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Zago S, Preti AN, Difonzo T, D'Errico A, Sartori G, Zangrossi A, Bolognini N. Two Cases of Malingered Crime-Related Amnesia. Top Cogn Sci 2023. [PMID: 36855315 DOI: 10.1111/tops.12643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
Amnesia is a frequent claim in major crimes, and it is estimated that the complete or partial absence of memory following a crime ranges from 25% to 50% of total cases. Although some cases may constitute a genuine form of amnesia, due to organic-neurological defects or psychological causes, and possibly combined with a dissociative or repressive coping style after an extreme experience, malingering is still fairly common in offenders. Therefore, one of the main goals in medico-legal proceedings is to find methods to determine the credibility of crime-related amnesia. At present, a number of lie and memory detection techniques can assist the forensic assessment of the reliability of declarative proof, and have been devised and improved over the past century: for example, modern polygraphs, event-related potentials, thermal imaging, functional magnetic resonance imaging, kinematic, and facial analysis. Other ad hoc psychological tests, such as the so-called Symptom Validity Test (SVT) and Performance Validity Test (PVT), as well as the autobiographical Implicit Association Test (aIAT), can also be used. To date, however, there is little evidence or case reports that document their real usefulness in forensic practice. Here, we report two cases of crime-related amnesia, whereby both defendants, who were found guilty of homicide, appeared to exhibit dissociative amnesia but where the application of SVTs, PVTs, and aIAT detected a malingered amnesia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Zago
- Neurology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Hospital Maggiore Policlinico
| | - Alice N Preti
- Neuropsychology Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano
- School of Medicine, University of Milano-Bicocca
| | - Teresa Difonzo
- Neurology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Hospital Maggiore Policlinico
| | - Annalisa D'Errico
- Neurology Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Hospital Maggiore Policlinico
| | | | - Andrea Zangrossi
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova
- Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova
| | - Nadia Bolognini
- Neuropsychology Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano
- Department of Psychology and NeuroMI, University of Milano-Bicocca
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10
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Bolognini N, Gramegna C, Esposito A, Aiello EN, Difonzo T, Zago S. Correction to: The Testamentary Capacity Assessment Tool (TCAT): validation and normative data. Neurol Sci 2023; 44:423. [PMID: 35871182 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-022-06292-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Bolognini
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy. .,Neuropsychological Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy.
| | - Chiara Gramegna
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.,Ph.D. Program in Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | | | - Edoardo Nicolò Aiello
- Ph.D. Program in Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Teresa Difonzo
- U.O.C. Di Neurologia, IRCCS Fondazione Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Zago
- U.O.C. Di Neurologia, IRCCS Fondazione Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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11
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Verde F, Aiello EN, Adobbati L, Poletti B, Solca F, Tiloca C, Sangalli D, Maranzano A, Muscio C, Ratti A, Zago S, Ticozzi N, Frisoni GB, Silani V. Coexistence of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Alzheimer's Disease: Case Report and Review of the Literature. J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 95:1383-1399. [PMID: 37694369 DOI: 10.3233/jad-230562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
We describe a case of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and review the literature about the coexistence of the two entities, highlighting the following: mean age at onset is 63.8 years, with slight female predominance; ALS tends to manifest after cognitive impairment and often begins in the bulbar region; average disease duration is 3 years; cognitive phenotype is mostly amnestic; the pattern of brain involvement is, in most cases, consistent with AD. Our case and the reviewed ones suggest that patients with ALS and dementia lacking unequivocal features of FTD should undergo additional examinations in order to recognize AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Verde
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, "Dino Ferrari" Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Edoardo Nicolò Aiello
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Adobbati
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Barbara Poletti
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Solca
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Cinzia Tiloca
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Davide Sangalli
- Department of Neurology and Stroke Unit, Azienda Socio Sanitaria Territoriale Lecco, Lecco, Italy
| | - Alessio Maranzano
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Cristina Muscio
- Neurology-5 (Neuropathology) Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonia Ratti
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Zago
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Ticozzi
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, "Dino Ferrari" Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Giovanni Battista Frisoni
- Memory Clinic and LANVIE - Laboratory of Neuroimaging of Aging, University Hospitals and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Vincenzo Silani
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, "Dino Ferrari" Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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12
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Aiello EN, Esposito A, Gramegna C, Gazzaniga V, Zago S, Difonzo T, Appollonio IM, Bolognini N. Correction to: The Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) and its sub‑scales: validation and updated normative data in an Italian population sample. Neurol Sci 2023; 44:425. [PMID: 35871183 PMCID: PMC9816245 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-022-06295-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Nicolò Aiello
- grid.7563.70000 0001 2174 1754School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy ,grid.7563.70000 0001 2174 1754Clinical Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Antonella Esposito
- grid.7563.70000 0001 2174 1754Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Gramegna
- grid.7563.70000 0001 2174 1754Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Gazzaniga
- grid.7563.70000 0001 2174 1754Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Zago
- grid.4708.b0000 0004 1757 2822Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy ,grid.7563.70000 0001 2174 1754Milan Center for Neuroscience (NeuroMI), Milan, Italy
| | - Teresa Difonzo
- grid.4708.b0000 0004 1757 2822Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Ildebrando Marco Appollonio
- grid.7563.70000 0001 2174 1754School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy ,grid.7563.70000 0001 2174 1754Milan Center for Neuroscience (NeuroMI), Milan, Italy ,grid.7563.70000 0001 2174 1754Neurology Section, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Nadia Bolognini
- grid.7563.70000 0001 2174 1754Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy ,grid.418224.90000 0004 1757 9530Neuropsychological Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
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13
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Demichelis G, Duran D, Ciullo G, Lorusso L, Zago S, Palermo S, Nigri A, Leonardi M, Bruzzone MG, Fedeli D. A multimodal imaging approach to foreign accent syndrome. A case report. Neurocase 2022; 28:467-476. [PMID: 36682057 DOI: 10.1080/13554794.2023.2168558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
This article describes a case of Foreign accent syndrome (FAS) in an Italian woman who developed a Canadian-like foreign accent without brain damage (functional FAS). The patient underwent an in-depth neuroimaging and (neuro)psychological evaluation. Language networks in the frontotemporal-parietal areas were typically activated bilaterally through fMRI and MEG assessments based on task-based data. Resting-state fMRI showed preserved connectivity between language areas. An obsessive-compulsive personality profile and mild anxiety were found, suggesting psychological and psychiatric factors may be relevant. Accordingly with our findings, multimodal imaging is beneficial to understand FAS neurological and functional etiologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greta Demichelis
- Department of Neuroradiology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Dunja Duran
- Clinical Epileptology and Experimental Neurophysiology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Ciullo
- Department of Neuroradiology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Lorusso
- Neuroscience Department, Neurology and Stroke Unit, A.S.S.T Lecco, Merate, Italy
| | - Stefano Zago
- U.O.C. Di Neurologia, IRCCS Fondazione Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Palermo
- Department of Neuroradiology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy.,Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università degli Studi di Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Anna Nigri
- Department of Neuroradiology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Matilde Leonardi
- Department of Neurology, Public Health, Disability Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Bruzzone
- Department of Neuroradiology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
| | - Davide Fedeli
- Department of Neuroradiology, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy
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14
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Aiello EN, Preti AN, Pucci V, Diana L, Corvaglia A, Barattieri di San Pietro C, Difonzo T, Zago S, Appollonio I, Mondini S, Bolognini N. The Italian telephone-based Verbal Fluency Battery (t-VFB): standardization and preliminary clinical usability evidence. Front Psychol 2022; 13:963164. [PMID: 35992426 PMCID: PMC9384842 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.963164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background This study aimed at standardizing and providing preliminary evidence on the clinical usability of the Italian telephone-based Verbal Fluency Battery (t-VFB), which includes phonemic (t-PVF), semantic (t-SVF) and alternate (t-AVF) verbal fluency tasks. Methods Three-hundred and thirty-five Italian healthy participants (HPs; 140 males; age range = 18-96 years; education range = 4-23 years) and 27 individuals with neurodegenerative or cerebrovascular diseases were administered the t-VFB. Switch number and cluster size were computed via latent semantic analyses. HPs underwent the telephone-based Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Backward Digit Span (BDS). Construct validity, factorial structure, internal consistency, test-retest and inter-rater reliability and equivalence with the in-person Verbal Fluency tasks were assessed. Norms were derived via Equivalent Scores. Diagnostic accuracy against clinical populations was assessed. Results The majority of t-VFB scores correlated among each other and with the BDS, but not with the MMSE. Switch number correlated with t-PVF, t-SVF, t-AVF scores, whilst cluster size with the t-SVF and t-AVF scores only. The t-VFB was underpinned by a mono-component structure and was internally consistent (Cronbach's α = 0.91). Test-retest (ICC = 0.69-0.95) and inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.98-1) were optimal. Each t-VFB test was statistically equivalent to its in-person version (equivalence bounds yielding a p < 0.05). Education predicted all t-VFB scores, whereas age t-SVF and t-AVF scores and sex only some t-SVF scores. Diagnostic accuracy against clinical samples was optimal (AUC = 0.81-0.86). Discussion The t-VFB is a valid, reliable and normed telephone-based assessment tool for language and executive functioning, equivalent to the in-person version; results show promising evidence of its diagnostic accuracy in neurological populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Nicolò Aiello
- Ph.D. Program in Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Alice Naomi Preti
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Veronica Pucci
- Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Pedagogy and Applied Psychology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
- Human Inspired Technology Research Centre, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Diana
- Neuropsychological Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessia Corvaglia
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences Luigi Sacco, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Barattieri di San Pietro
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Teresa Difonzo
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Zago
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Ildebrando Appollonio
- Neurology Section, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Sara Mondini
- Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Pedagogy and Applied Psychology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
- Human Inspired Technology Research Centre, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Nadia Bolognini
- Neuropsychological Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
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15
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Aiello EN, Pucci V, Diana L, Niang A, Preti AN, Delli Ponti A, Sangalli G, Scarano S, Tesio L, Zago S, Difonzo T, Appollonio I, Mondini S, Bolognini N. Telephone-based Frontal Assessment Battery (t-FAB): standardization for the Italian population and clinical usability in neurological diseases. Aging Clin Exp Res 2022; 34:1635-1644. [PMID: 35699839 PMCID: PMC9194888 DOI: 10.1007/s40520-022-02155-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Background Despite the relevance of telephone-based cognitive screening tests in clinical practice and research, no specific test assessing executive functioning is available. The present study aimed at standardizing and providing evidence of clinical usability for the Italian telephone-based Frontal Assessment Battery (t-FAB). Methods The t-FAB (ranging 0–12), comprising two subtests, has two versions: one requiring motor responses (t-FAB-M) and the other verbal responses (t-FAB-V). Three hundred and forty-six Italian healthy adults (HPs; 143 males; age range = 18–96 years; education range = 4–23 years) and 40 participants with neurological diseases were recruited. To HPs, the t-FAB was administered along with a set of telephone-based tests: MMSE, verbal fluency (VF), backward digit span (BDS). The in-person version of the FAB was administered to both HPs and clinical groups. Factorial structure, construct validity, inter-rater and test–retest reliability, t-FAB-M vs. t-FAB-V equivalence and diagnostic accuracy were assessed. Norms were derived via Equivalent Scores. Results In HPs, t-FAB measures yielded high inter-rater/test–retest reliability (ICC = .78–.94), were internally related (p ≤ .005) and underpinned by a single component, converging with the telephone-based MMSE, VF, BDS (p ≤ .0013). The two t-FAB versions were statistically equivalent in clinical groups (ps of both equivalence bounds < .001). Education predicted all t-FAB scores (p < .001), whereas age only the t-FAB-M score (p ≤ .004). t-FAB scores converge with the in-person FAB in HPs and clinical groups (rs = .43–.78). Both t-FAB versions were accurate in discriminating HPs from the clinical cohort (AUC = .73-.76). Discussion The t-FAB is a normed, valid, reliable and clinically usable telephone-based cognitive screening test to adopt in both clinical and research practice. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40520-022-02155-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Nicolò Aiello
- PhD Program in Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via Cadore 48, 20900, Monza, Italy.
| | - Veronica Pucci
- Dipartimento di Filosofia, Sociologia, Pedagogia e Psicologia Applicata (FISPPA), University of Padova, Padua, Italy.,Human Inspired Technology Research Centre (HIT), University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Diana
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.,Neuropsychological Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Aida Niang
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Alice Naomi Preti
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.,Neurology Unit, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda, Milan, Italy
| | - Adriana Delli Ponti
- Neurology Unit, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda, Milan, Italy
| | - Gaia Sangalli
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.,Neuropsychological Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Scarano
- Department of Neurorehabilitation Sciences, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy.,Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Luigi Tesio
- Department of Neurorehabilitation Sciences, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy.,Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Zago
- Neurology Unit, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda, Milan, Italy
| | - Teresa Difonzo
- Neurology Unit, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda, Milan, Italy
| | - Ildebrando Appollonio
- Neurology Section, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Sara Mondini
- Dipartimento di Filosofia, Sociologia, Pedagogia e Psicologia Applicata (FISPPA), University of Padova, Padua, Italy.,Human Inspired Technology Research Centre (HIT), University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Nadia Bolognini
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.,Neuropsychological Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
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16
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Aiello EN, Esposito A, Gramegna C, Gazzaniga V, Zago S, Difonzo T, Appollonio IM, Bolognini N. Correction to: The Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) and its sub‑scales: validation and updated normative data in an Italian population sample. Neurol Sci 2022; 43:6621. [PMID: 35451665 PMCID: PMC9616748 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-022-06087-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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17
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Zago S, Bartoli M, Muhyuddin M, Vanacore GM, Jagdale P, Tagliaferro A, Santoro C, Specchia S. Engineered biochar derived from pyrolyzed waste tea as a carbon support for Fe-N-C electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction. Electrochim Acta 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2022.140128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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18
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Ferrucci R, Mameli F, Ruggiero F, Reitano M, Miccoli M, Gemignani A, Conversano C, Dini M, Zago S, Piacentini S, Poletti B, Priori A, Orrù G. Alternate fluency in Parkinson’s disease: A machine learning analysis. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0265803. [PMID: 35320291 PMCID: PMC8942276 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective
The aim of the present study was to investigate whether patients with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) had changes in their level of performance in extra-dimensional shifting by implementing a novel analysis method, utilizing the new alternate phonemic/semantic fluency test.
Method
We used machine learning (ML) in order to develop high accuracy classification between PD patients with high and low scores in the alternate fluency test.
Results
The models developed resulted to be accurate in such classification in a range between 80% and 90%. The predictor which demonstrated maximum efficiency in classifying the participants as low or high performers was the semantic fluency test. The optimal cut-off of a decision rule based on this test yielded an accuracy of 86.96%. Following the removal of the semantic fluency test from the system, the parameter which best contributed to the classification was the phonemic fluency test. The best cut-offs were identified and the decision rule yielded an overall accuracy of 80.43%. Lastly, in order to evaluate the classification accuracy based on the shifting index, the best cut-offs based on an optimal single rule yielded an overall accuracy of 83.69%.
Conclusion
We found that ML analysis of semantic and phonemic verbal fluency may be used to identify simple rules with high accuracy and good out of sample generalization, allowing the detection of executive deficits in patients with PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Ferrucci
- Department of Health Sciences, Aldo Ravelli Research Center, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- ASST-Santi Paolo e Carlo Hospital, Milan, Italy
- IRCCS Ca’ Granda Foundation, Policlinico of Milan, Milan, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | | | | | | | - Mario Miccoli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Angelo Gemignani
- Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular & Critical Area Pathology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Ciro Conversano
- Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular & Critical Area Pathology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Michelangelo Dini
- Department of Health Sciences, Aldo Ravelli Research Center, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Zago
- IRCCS Ca’ Granda Foundation, Policlinico of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | - Alberto Priori
- Department of Health Sciences, Aldo Ravelli Research Center, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- ASST-Santi Paolo e Carlo Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Graziella Orrù
- Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular & Critical Area Pathology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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19
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Aiello EN, Gramegna C, Esposito A, Gazzaniga V, Zago S, Difonzo T, Maddaluno O, Appollonio I, Bolognini N. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA): updated norms and psychometric insights into adaptive testing from healthy individuals in Northern Italy. Aging Clin Exp Res 2022; 34:375-382. [PMID: 34313961 PMCID: PMC8847194 DOI: 10.1007/s40520-021-01943-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Background The availability of fine-grained, culture-specific psychometric outcomes can favor the interpretation of scores of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), the most frequently used instrument to screen for mild cognitive dysfunctions in both instrumental and non-instrumental domains. This study thus aimed at providing: (i) updated, region-specific norms for the Italian MoCA, by also (ii) comparing them to pre-existing ones with higher geographical coverage; (iii) information on sensitivity and discriminative capability at the item level. Methods Five hundred and seventy nine healthy individuals from Northern Italy (208 males, 371 females; age: 63.4 ± 15, 21–96; education: 11.3 ± 4.6, 1–25) were administered the MoCA. Item Response Theory (IRT) was adopted to assess item difficulty and discrimination. Normative values were derived by means of the Equivalent Scores (ESs) method, applied to the MoCA and its sub-scales. Average ESs were also computed. Agreement with previous ESs classification was assessed via Cohen’s k. Results Age and education significantly predicted all MoCA measures except for Orientation, which was related to age only. No sex differences were detected when tested along with age and education. Substantial disagreements with previous ESs classifications were detected. Several items proved to be scarcely sensitive, especially the place item from Orientation and the letter detection task. Memory items showed high discriminative capability, along with certain items assessing executive functions and orientation. Discussion Item-level information herewith provided for the Italian MoCA can help interpret its scores by Italian practitioners. Italian practitioners should consider an adaptive use of region-specific norms for the MoCA.
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Aiello EN, Esposito A, Gramegna C, Gazzaniga V, Zago S, Difonzo T, Appollonio IM, Bolognini N. The Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) and its sub-scales: validation and updated normative data in an Italian population sample. Neurol Sci 2022; 43:979-984. [PMID: 34184168 PMCID: PMC8789707 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-021-05392-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deficits of executive functioning (EF) are frequently found in neurological disorders. The Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) is one of the most widespread and psychometrically robust EF screeners in clinical settings. However, in Italy, FAB norms date back to 15 years ago; moreover, its validity against "EF-loaded" global cognitive screeners (e.g., the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, MoCA) has yet to be tested. This study thus aimed at (a) providing updated normative data for the Italian FAB and (b) assessing its convergent validity with the MoCA. METHODS Four-hundred and seventy-five healthy Italian native speakers (306 females, 169 males; mean age: 61.08 ± 15.1; mean education: 11.67 ± 4.57) were administered by the MoCA and the FAB. FAB items were divided into three subscales: FAB-1 (linguistically mediated EF), FAB-2 (planning), and FAB-3 (inhibition). Regression-based norms were derived (equivalent scores) for all FAB measures. RESULTS Age and education were predictive of all FAB measures, whereas no gender differences were detected. The FAB and its sub-scales were related to MoCA measures-the strongest associations being found with MoCA total and MoCA-EF scores. FAB sub-scales were both internally related and associated with FAB total scores. DISCUSSION The FAB proved to have convergent validity with both global cognitive and EF measures in healthy individuals. The present study provides updated normative data for the FAB and its sub-scales in an Italian population sample, and thus supports an adaptive usage of this EF screener.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Nicolò Aiello
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
- Clinical Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | | | - Chiara Gramegna
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Stefano Zago
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Milan Center for Neuroscience (NeuroMI), Milan, Italy
| | - Teresa Difonzo
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Ildebrando Marco Appollonio
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
- Milan Center for Neuroscience (NeuroMI), Milan, Italy
- Neurology Section, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Nadia Bolognini
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
- Milan Center for Neuroscience (NeuroMI), Milan, Italy
- Neuropsychological Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
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Zago S, Lorusso L, Aiello EN, Ugolini M, Poletti B, Ticozzi N, Silani V. Cognitive and behavioral involvement in ALS has been known for more than a century. Neurol Sci 2022; 43:6741-6760. [PMID: 36053340 PMCID: PMC9663353 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-022-06340-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Among clinicians and researchers, it is common knowledge that, in ALS, cognitive and behavioral involvement within the spectrum of frontotemporal degenerations (FTDs) begun to be regarded as a fact in the late 1990s of the twentieth century. By contrast, a considerable body of evidence on cognitive/behavioral changes in ALS can be traced in the literature dating from the late nineteenth century. METHODS Worldwide reports on cognitive/behavioral involvement in ALS dating from 1886 to 1981 were retrieved thanks to Biblioteca di Area Medica "Adolfo Ferrate," Sistema Bibliotecario di Ateneo, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy and qualitatively synthetized. RESULTS One-hundred and seventy-four cases of ALS with co-occurring FTD-like cognitive/behavioral changes, described in Europe, America, and Asia, were detected. Neuropsychological phenotypes were consistent with the revised Strong et al.'s consensus criteria. Clinical observations were not infrequently supported by histopathological, post-mortem verifications of extra-motor, cortical/sub-cortical alterations, as well as by in vivo instrumental exams-i.e., assessments of brain morphology/physiology and psychometric testing. In this regard, as earlier as 1907, the notion of motor and cognitive/behavioral features in ALS yielding from the same underlying pathology was acknowledged. Hereditary occurrences of ALS with cognitive/behavioral dysfunctions were reported, as well as familial associations with ALS-unrelated brain disorders. Neuropsychological symptoms often occurred before motor ones. Bulbar involvement was at times acknowledged as a risk factor for cognitive/behavioral changes in ALS. DISCUSSION Historical observations herewith delivered can be regarded as the antecedents of current knowledge on cognitive/behavioral impairment in the ALS-FTD spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Zago
- grid.4708.b0000 0004 1757 2822U.O.C. Neurologia, Fondazione IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Lorusso
- U.O.C., Neurologia & Stroke Unit, A.S.S.T. Lecco, Merate, LC Italy
| | - Edoardo N. Aiello
- grid.7563.70000 0001 2174 1754PhD Program in Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy ,grid.418224.90000 0004 1757 9530IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, Milan, Italy
| | - Martino Ugolini
- grid.9851.50000 0001 2165 4204Center for Integrative Genomics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Barbara Poletti
- grid.418224.90000 0004 1757 9530IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Ticozzi
- grid.418224.90000 0004 1757 9530IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, Milan, Italy ,grid.4708.b0000 0004 1757 2822Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, “Dino Ferrari Center”, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Silani
- grid.418224.90000 0004 1757 9530IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, Milan, Italy ,grid.4708.b0000 0004 1757 2822Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, “Dino Ferrari Center”, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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Faggiano A, Difonzo T, Avallone C, Forgione A, Gazzaniga V, Gramegna C, Locatelli G, Mallardi G, Nicotra A, Zago S, Carugo S. 208 Association between cardiovascular data and the development and progression of mild cognitive impairment: results from the retrospective cohort study. Eur Heart J Suppl 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/suab145.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Aims
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is characterized by objective evidence of cognitive impairment in one or more cognitive domains in the absence of significant interference in daily-life activities. Anyway, people with MCI are considered to be at heightened risk of further cognitive decline and progression to dementia. To date, few evidence regarding the association between cardiovascular data and MCI are present in the literature. To investigate the association between various cardiovascular data (traditional risk factors and outcomes) and the development and progression of MCI.
Methods and results
The study included 127 patients referred to the Neurological Unit of the Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico of Milan for subjective memory complaints and/or clinical suspect of cognitive impairment. Neuropsychological tests evaluating executive functions and cardiovascular data were collected at baseline and 2-year follow-up. Visit reports and medical records were reviewed to extrapolate the data. The study was conducted between 2012 and 2020. The 51 (40.2%) patients on antiplatelet therapy (94% on aspirin) had a worse baseline degree of cognitive impairment on neuropsychological tests of executive functions and had greater worsening of MCI at 2 years (Table 1). Patients on antiplatelet therapy were significantly older (75.85 vs. 71.7; P = 0.009), more ischaemic (21.6% vs. 1.3%; P < 0.001), hypertensive (90.2% vs. 60.5%; P < 0.001), and dyslipidaemic (62.7% vs. 19.7%; P < 0.001) than patients without antiplatelet therapy. No other single cardiovascular data analysed (presence of hypertension, dyslipidaemia, ischaemic heart disease, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, and anticoagulation therapy) showed a statistical significant association with MCI presence or progression.
Conclusions
The present study suggests that the prevalence and progression of MCI is significantly higher among patients on antiplatelet therapy, who carry a greater cardiovascular burden. Although patients on antiplatelet therapy were older, more ischaemic, hypertensive, and dyslipidaemic than patients without antiplatelet therapy, none of these parameters were associated with MCI presence and/or progression and can therefore be considered a confounding factor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Faggiano
- Cardiology Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico di Milano, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Teresa Difonzo
- Neurology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico di Milano, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Carlo Avallone
- Cardiology Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico di Milano, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Arianna Forgione
- Neurology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico di Milano, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Gazzaniga
- Neurology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico di Milano, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Gramegna
- Neurology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico di Milano, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Locatelli
- Cardiology Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico di Milano, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Giulio Mallardi
- Cardiology Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico di Milano, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessia Nicotra
- Neurology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico di Milano, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Zago
- Neurology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico di Milano, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Carugo
- Cardiology Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico di Milano, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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Bolognini N, Gramegna C, Esposito A, Aiello EN, Difonzo T, Zago S. The Testamentary Capacity Assessment Tool (TCAT): validation and normative data. Neurol Sci 2021; 43:2831-2838. [PMID: 34787752 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-021-05736-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is an increasing need for objective and standardized assessment of testamentary capacity (TC) in dementia. A new instrument, the Testamentary Capacity Assessment Tool (TCAT), has been recently developed; however, the lack of validation and normative data regarding this cognitive screening test has limited its adoption in forensic and clinical settings. The present study collects normative data for the TCAT and assesses its convergent validity with standardized cognitive tests and the capacity to define what a 'testament' is. METHODS The study involved 323 neurologically healthy adults (123 males, 200 females) of different ages (31-93 years) and different educational levels (4-25 years). The TCAT was administered along with the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) and the Testament Definition Scale (TDS). RESULTS Multiple regression analyses revealed a significant effect for gender, age and education on TCAT scores. Correlation analyses showed significant associations between the TCAT and the MMSE, MoCA, FAB and BDI-II. A positive correlation between the TCAT and TDS was also found, proving good convergent validity of the TCAT with respect to TC. Finally, cut-off scores and Equivalent Scores (ES) were computed. DISCUSSION The present study provides normative data for using the TCAT as an adjuvant cognitive screening test in the neuropsychological evaluation of TC. Our findings shall be of interest for the adoption of the TCAT also in clinical practice, since it evaluates cognitive functions (e.g., autobiographic memory, Theory of Mind) not measured by traditional screening tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Bolognini
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy. .,Neuropsychological Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy.
| | - Chiara Gramegna
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.,Ph.D. Program in Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | | | - Edoardo Nicolò Aiello
- Ph.D. Program in Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Teresa Difonzo
- U.O.C. Di Neurologia, IRCCS Fondazione Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Zago
- U.O.C. Di Neurologia, IRCCS Fondazione Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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Lorusso L, Zago S, Sandrone S. Carlo Francesco Giuseppe Bellingeri (1785-1843). J Neurol 2021; 269:1068-1069. [PMID: 34427753 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-021-10732-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Lorusso
- UOC Neurologia e Stroke Unit, Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, ASST Lecco, Presidio Merate, Lecco, Italy.
| | - Stefano Zago
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze e Salute Mentale, U.O.C. di Neurologia, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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Zago S, Scarpazza C, Difonzo T, Arighi A, Hajhajate D, Torrente Y, Sartori G. Behavioral Variant of Frontotemporal Dementia and Homicide in a Historical Case. J Am Acad Psychiatry Law 2021; 49:219-227. [PMID: 33731422 DOI: 10.29158/jaapl.200081-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Criminal behavior is a clinical feature of the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), ranging from socially inappropriate behavior and minor offenses (such as shoplifting, driving-related violations, housebreaking, trespassing) to the more extreme acts of sex crimes and violence. To our knowledge, no homicide case involving bvFTD is well illustrated in the scientific literature, and only a few anecdotal annotations are available about bvFTD and homicide. This is surprising considering the inclination of individuals with bvFTD to lack impulse control, to manifest disinhibition, to display diminished emotional awareness and loss of empathy, and to show behavior indicative of disordered moral reasoning. Here, we describe the 19th-century homicide case of Benjamin Reynaud, a man whose clinical characteristics suggest the bvFTD diagnosis. Reynaud's case may represent a rare instance of homicide committed by an individual with bvFTD and provide a basis for some reflections regarding the relationship between homicidal behavior and bvFTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Zago
- Dr. Zago and Dr. Difonzo are Clinical Neuropsychologists, Neurology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy. Dr. Scarpazza is Assistant Professor and Dr. Sartori is Professor, Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy. Dr. Arighi is a neurologist, Neurodegenerative Disease Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy, and Centro Dino Ferrari, University of Milan, Milan, Italy. Dr. Hajhajate is Clinical Research Assistant, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France. Dr. Torrente is Associate Professor, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.
| | - Cristina Scarpazza
- Dr. Zago and Dr. Difonzo are Clinical Neuropsychologists, Neurology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy. Dr. Scarpazza is Assistant Professor and Dr. Sartori is Professor, Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy. Dr. Arighi is a neurologist, Neurodegenerative Disease Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy, and Centro Dino Ferrari, University of Milan, Milan, Italy. Dr. Hajhajate is Clinical Research Assistant, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France. Dr. Torrente is Associate Professor, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Teresa Difonzo
- Dr. Zago and Dr. Difonzo are Clinical Neuropsychologists, Neurology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy. Dr. Scarpazza is Assistant Professor and Dr. Sartori is Professor, Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy. Dr. Arighi is a neurologist, Neurodegenerative Disease Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy, and Centro Dino Ferrari, University of Milan, Milan, Italy. Dr. Hajhajate is Clinical Research Assistant, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France. Dr. Torrente is Associate Professor, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Arighi
- Dr. Zago and Dr. Difonzo are Clinical Neuropsychologists, Neurology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy. Dr. Scarpazza is Assistant Professor and Dr. Sartori is Professor, Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy. Dr. Arighi is a neurologist, Neurodegenerative Disease Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy, and Centro Dino Ferrari, University of Milan, Milan, Italy. Dr. Hajhajate is Clinical Research Assistant, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France. Dr. Torrente is Associate Professor, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Dounia Hajhajate
- Dr. Zago and Dr. Difonzo are Clinical Neuropsychologists, Neurology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy. Dr. Scarpazza is Assistant Professor and Dr. Sartori is Professor, Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy. Dr. Arighi is a neurologist, Neurodegenerative Disease Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy, and Centro Dino Ferrari, University of Milan, Milan, Italy. Dr. Hajhajate is Clinical Research Assistant, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France. Dr. Torrente is Associate Professor, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Yvan Torrente
- Dr. Zago and Dr. Difonzo are Clinical Neuropsychologists, Neurology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy. Dr. Scarpazza is Assistant Professor and Dr. Sartori is Professor, Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy. Dr. Arighi is a neurologist, Neurodegenerative Disease Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy, and Centro Dino Ferrari, University of Milan, Milan, Italy. Dr. Hajhajate is Clinical Research Assistant, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France. Dr. Torrente is Associate Professor, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Sartori
- Dr. Zago and Dr. Difonzo are Clinical Neuropsychologists, Neurology Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy. Dr. Scarpazza is Assistant Professor and Dr. Sartori is Professor, Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy. Dr. Arighi is a neurologist, Neurodegenerative Disease Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Cà Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy, and Centro Dino Ferrari, University of Milan, Milan, Italy. Dr. Hajhajate is Clinical Research Assistant, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France. Dr. Torrente is Associate Professor, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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Zago S, Bolognini N. Neuropsychological autopsy of testamentary capacity: Methodology and issues in the elderly. Appl Neuropsychol Adult 2020; 29:570-583. [PMID: 32687452 DOI: 10.1080/23279095.2020.1791869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The forensic assessment of testamentary capacity is a topical issue given the prevalence of dementia illnesses and the increase in the complexity of modern financial and family structures. Although a contemporaneous assessment would be desirable, the majority of situations require a retrospective assessment of the mental state a deceased individual. Neuropsychologists, independently or as part of a board of consultants, are, therefore, frequently requested to give an expert opinion of the competence of cognitively impaired elderly testators.This paper offers a guide for carrying out a neuropsychological autopsy, namely the process of posthumous evaluation, for determining testamentary capacity. Taking into account the recent literature on the assessment of testamentary capacity, we propose a three-phase procedure for carrying out the neuropsychological autopsy in the forensic context. The neuropsychological autopsy of testamentary capacity is based on the meticulous, chronologically structured evaluation of any medical documents, available psychometric data, along with the critical examination of any source of information about the cognitive level of functioning of the deceased person at the time of the will.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Zago
- U.O.C. di Neurologia, IRCCS Fondazione Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Nadia Bolognini
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università degli Studi Milano-Bicocca di Milano, Milano, Italy.,Neuropsychological Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milano, Italy
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Zago S, Piacquadio E, Monaro M, Orrù G, Sampaolo E, Difonzo T, Toncini A, Heinzl E. The Detection of Malingered Amnesia: An Approach Involving Multiple Strategies in a Mock Crime. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:424. [PMID: 31263432 PMCID: PMC6589901 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The nature of amnesia in the context of crime has been the subject of a prolonged debate. It is not uncommon that after committing a violent crime, the offender either does not have any memory of the event or recalls it with some gaps in its recollection. A number of studies have been conducted in order to differentiate between simulated and genuine amnesia. The recognition of probable malingering requires several inferential methods. For instance, it typically involves the defendant's medical records, self-reports, the observed behavior, and the results of a comprehensive neuropsychological examination. In addition, a variety of procedures that may detect very specific malingered amnesia in crime have been developed. In this paper, we investigated the efficacy of three techniques, facial thermography, kinematic analysis, and symptom validity testing in detecting malingering of amnesia in crime. Participants were randomly assigned to two different experimental conditions: a group was instructed to simulate amnesia after a mock homicide, and a second group was simply asked to behave honestly after committing the mock homicide. The outcomes show that kinematic analysis and symptom validity testing achieve significant accuracy in detecting feigned amnesia, while thermal imaging does not provide converging evidence. Results are encouraging and may provide a first step towards the application of these procedures in a multimethod approach on crime-specific cases of amnesia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Zago
- U.O.C. Neurologia, IRCSS Fondazione Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Emanuela Piacquadio
- U.O.C. Neurologia, IRCSS Fondazione Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Merylin Monaro
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Graziella Orrù
- Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular & Critical Area Pathology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Erika Sampaolo
- U.O.C. Neurologia, IRCSS Fondazione Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico di Milano, Milano, Italy
- IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Lucca, Italy
| | - Teresa Difonzo
- U.O.C. Neurologia, IRCSS Fondazione Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Andrea Toncini
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Eugenio Heinzl
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
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Pelizzari G, Gerratana L, Basile D, Zago S, Vitale M, Bartoletti M, Lisanti C, Fanotto V, Corvaja C, Bortot L, Liguori A, Cinausero M, Russo S, Andreetta C, Bonotto M, Mansutti M, Minisini A, Curcio F, Fasola G, Puglisi F. A risk score integrating lymphocytes ratios (LRs) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels to predict prognosis in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients. Ann Oncol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdy272.292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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Poletti B, Solca F, Carelli L, Faini A, Madotto F, Lafronza A, Monti A, Zago S, Ciammola A, Ratti A, Ticozzi N, Abrahams S, Silani V. Cognitive-behavioral longitudinal assessment in ALS: the Italian Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioral ALS screen (ECAS). Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2018; 19:387-395. [DOI: 10.1080/21678421.2018.1473443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Poletti
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy,
| | - Federica Solca
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, “Dino Ferrari” Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy,
| | - Laura Carelli
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy,
| | - Andrea Faini
- Department of Cardiovascular, Neural and Metabolic Sciences, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy,
| | - Fabiana Madotto
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Research Centre on Public Health, University of Milano-Bicocca, Monza, Italy,
| | - Annalisa Lafronza
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy,
| | - Alessia Monti
- Department of Neurorehabilitation Sciences, Casa Cura Policlinico (CCP), Milan, Italy,
| | - Stefano Zago
- Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy and
| | - Andrea Ciammola
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy,
| | - Antonia Ratti
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy,
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, “Dino Ferrari” Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy,
| | - Nicola Ticozzi
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy,
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, “Dino Ferrari” Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy,
| | - Sharon Abrahams
- PPLS, Department of Psychology, Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, Human Cognitive Neuroscience-Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Vincenzo Silani
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy,
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, “Dino Ferrari” Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy,
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Carelli L, Solca F, Faini A, Madotto F, Lafronza A, Monti A, Zago S, Doretti A, Ciammola A, Ticozzi N, Silani V, Poletti B. The Complex Interplay Between Depression/Anxiety and Executive Functioning: Insights From the ECAS in a Large ALS Population. Front Psychol 2018; 9:450. [PMID: 29674987 PMCID: PMC5895754 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The observed association between depressive symptoms and cognitive performances has not been previously clarified in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (pALS). In fact, the use of cognitive measures often not accommodating for motor disability has led to heterogeneous and not conclusive findings about this issue. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between cognitive and depressive/anxiety symptoms by means of the recently developed Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioral ALS Screen (ECAS), a brief assessment specifically designed for pALS. Methods: Sample included 168 pALS (114 males, 54 females); they were administered two standard cognitive screening tools (FAB; MoCA) and the ECAS, assessing different cognitive domains, including ALS-specific (executive functions, verbal fluency, and language tests) and ALS non-specific subtests (memory and visuospatial tests). Two psychological questionnaires for depression and anxiety (BDI; STAI/Y) were also administered to patients. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to assess the degree of association between cognitive and psychological measures. Results: Depression assessment negatively correlated with the ECAS, more significantly with regard to the executive functions subdomain. In particular, Sentence Completion and Social Cognition subscores were negatively associated with depression levels measured by BDI total score and Somatic-Performance symptoms subscore. Conversely, no significant correlations were observed between depression level and cognitive functions as measured by traditional screening tools for frontal abilities (FAB) and global cognition (MoCA) assessment. Finally, no significant correlations were observed between state/trait anxiety and the ECAS. Discussion and conclusion: This represents the first study focusing on the relationship between cognitive and psychological components in pALS by means of the ECAS, the current gold standard for ALS cognitive-behavioral assessment. If confirmed by further investigations, the observed association between depression and executive functions suggests the need for a careful screening and treatment of depression, to avoid overestimation of cognitive involvement and possibly improve cognitive performances in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Carelli
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, Istituto Auxologico Italiano - Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Solca
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, Istituto Auxologico Italiano - Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Milan, Italy.,Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, "Dino Ferrari" Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Faini
- Department of Cardiovascular, Neural and Metabolic Sciences, Istituto Auxologico Italiano - Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Milan, Italy
| | - Fabiana Madotto
- Research Centre on Public Health, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Annalisa Lafronza
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, Istituto Auxologico Italiano - Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessia Monti
- Department of Neurorehabilitation Sciences, Casa di Cura Privata del Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Zago
- Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, IRCCS Fondazione Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Alberto Doretti
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, Istituto Auxologico Italiano - Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Ciammola
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, Istituto Auxologico Italiano - Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Ticozzi
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, Istituto Auxologico Italiano - Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Milan, Italy.,Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, "Dino Ferrari" Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Silani
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, Istituto Auxologico Italiano - Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Milan, Italy.,Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, "Dino Ferrari" Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Barbara Poletti
- Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, Istituto Auxologico Italiano - Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Milan, Italy
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Bartoletti M, Gerratana L, Zago S, Basile D, Fanotto V, Vitale M, Pelizzari G, Bonotto M, Bozza C, Lisanti C, Cinausero M, Barban S, Lera M, Venuti I, Mansutti M, Minisini A, Fasola G, Curcio F, Puglisi F. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in metastatic breast cancer patients: relationship with tumor characteristics and survival. Ann Oncol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdx424.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Gerratana L, Zago S, Basile D, Vitale M, Pelizzari G, Bonotto M, Bozza C, Bartoletti M, Fanotto V, Lisanti C, Cinausero M, Barban S, Lera M, Venuti I, Mansutti M, Minisini A, Fasola G, Curcio F, Puglisi F. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratios in breast cancer. Ann Oncol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdx424.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Gerratana L, Basile D, Zago S, Vitale M, Pelizzari G, Bonotto M, Bozza C, Bartoletti M, Fanotto V, Lisanti C, Cinausero M, Barban S, Lera M, Venuti I, Mansutti M, Minisini A, Fasola G, Curcio F. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratios in breast cancer. Ann Oncol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdx362.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Bartoletti M, Gerratana L, Zago S, Basile D, Vitale M, Pelizzari G, Bonotto M, Bozza C, Fanotto V, Lisanti C, Cinausero M, Barban S, Lera M, Venuti I, Mansutti M, Minisini A, Fasola G, Curcio F, Puglisi F. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in metastatic breast cancer: Association with clinico-pathological features and outcome. Ann Oncol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdx365.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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35
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Poletti B, Carelli L, Solca F, Lafronza A, Pedroli E, Faini A, Zago S, Ticozzi N, Ciammola A, Morelli C, Meriggi P, Cipresso P, Lulé D, Ludolph AC, Riva G, Silani V. An eye-tracking controlled neuropsychological battery for cognitive assessment in neurological diseases. Neurol Sci 2017; 38:595-603. [PMID: 28078566 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-016-2807-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2016] [Accepted: 12/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Traditional cognitive assessment in neurological conditions involving physical disability is often prevented by the presence of verbal-motor impairment; to date, an extensive motor-verbal-free neuropsychological battery is not available for such purposes. We adapted a set of neuropsychological tests, assessing language, attentional abilities, executive functions and social cognition, for eye-tracking (ET) control, and explored its feasibility in a sample of healthy participants. Thirty healthy subjects performed a neuropsychological assessment, using an ET-based neuropsychological battery, together with standard "paper and pencil" cognitive measures for frontal (Frontal Assessment Battery-FAB) and working memory abilities (Digit Sequencing Task) and for global cognitive efficiency (Montreal Cognitive Assessment-MoCA). Psychological measures of anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Y-STAI-Y) and depression (Beck Depression Inventory-BDI) were also collected, and a usability questionnaire was administered. Significant correlations were observed between the "paper and pencil" screening of working memory abilities and the ET-based neuropsychological measures. The ET-based battery also correlated with the MoCA, while poor correlations were observed with the FAB. Usability aspects were found to be influenced by both working memory abilities and psychological components. The ET-based neuropsychological battery developed could provide an extensive assessment of cognitive functions, allowing participants to perform tasks independently from the integrity of motor or verbal channels. Further studies will be aimed at investigating validity and usability components in neurological populations with motor-verbal impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Poletti
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy.
| | - Laura Carelli
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Solca
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Annalisa Lafronza
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisa Pedroli
- Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Faini
- Department of Cardiovascular, Neural and Metabolic Sciences, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Zago
- Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, IRCCS Fondazione Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicola Ticozzi
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy.,Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, "Dino Ferrari" Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Ciammola
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Claudia Morelli
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Meriggi
- ICT and Biomedical Technology Integration Unit, Centre for Innovation and Technology Transfer (CITT), Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi Onlus, Milan, Italy
| | - Pietro Cipresso
- Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Dorothée Lulé
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Giuseppe Riva
- Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy.,Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Silani
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy.,Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, "Dino Ferrari" Center, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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Abstract
About 40% of patients with advanced cancer develop metastases in the central nervous system (CNS), mainly from primary tumors of lung, breast and melanoma. In most of cases there are multiple CNS metastases, making surgery or localized radiosurgery not feasible. The current standard of care for these patients is radiation therapy, which can improve neurologic symptoms but does not have any impact on the patient's overall survival. Temozolomide, capecitabine and gefitinib are safe and active in the treatment of CNS metastases from melanoma/recurrent gliomas, breast carcinoma and lung cancer, respectively. New, orally administered drugs hold a great potential for patients with CNS metastases.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Kopf
- Department of Oncology-Hematology, Santa Maria delle Croci Hospital, Ravenna, Italy.
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Poletti B, Solca F, Carelli L, Madotto F, Lafronza A, Faini A, Monti A, Zago S, Calini D, Tiloca C, Doretti A, Verde F, Ratti A, Ticozzi N, Abrahams S, Silani V. The validation of the Italian Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioural ALS Screen (ECAS). Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2016; 17:489-498. [PMID: 27219526 DOI: 10.1080/21678421.2016.1183679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
This study presents the Italian validation of the recently developed Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioural ALS Screen (ECAS), a short screen for cognitive/behavioural alterations in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We evaluated the psychometric properties of the ECAS Italian version in terms of reliability and convergent validity for both cognitive and behavioural features. Furthermore, we investigated the relationship with affective and clinical variables, in addition to ECAS usability and patients' insight into cognitive/behaviour changes. Finally, correlations between genetic and cognitive/behavioural data were analysed. We recruited 107 patients with ALS. Normative data were collected on 248 healthy subjects. Participants were administered the ECAS and two standard cognitive screening tools (FAB, MoCA), two psychological questionnaires (BDI, STAI/Y) and an ad hoc usability questionnaire. The FBI was also carried out with caregivers. Results showed that the ECAS Italian version discriminated well between patients and controls. The most prevalent deficit occurred in executive functions and fluency. Correlations were observed between the ECAS and standard cognitive screening tools and between the ECAS carer interview and the FBI, supporting its full convergent validity. In conclusion, the ECAS Italian version provides clinicians with a rapid, feasible and sensitive tool, useful to identify different profiles of cognitive-behavioural impairment in ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Poletti
- a Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience - IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano , Milan , Italy
| | - Federica Solca
- a Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience - IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano , Milan , Italy
| | - Laura Carelli
- a Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience - IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano , Milan , Italy
| | - Fabiana Madotto
- b Research Centre on Public Health, Department of Medicine and Surgery , University of Milano-Bicocca , Milan , Italy
| | - Annalisa Lafronza
- a Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience - IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano , Milan , Italy
| | - Andrea Faini
- c Department of Cardiovascular, Neural and Metabolic Sciences - IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano , Milan , Italy
| | - Alessia Monti
- d Department of Neurorehabilitation Sciences , Casa Cura Policlinico , Milan , Italy
| | - Stefano Zago
- e Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health , Università degli Studi di Milano, IRCCS Fondazione Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico , Milan , Italy
| | - Daniela Calini
- a Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience - IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano , Milan , Italy
| | - Cinzia Tiloca
- a Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience - IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano , Milan , Italy
| | - Alberto Doretti
- a Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience - IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano , Milan , Italy.,f Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation , 'Dino Ferrari' Centre, Università degli Studi di Milano , Milan , Italy , and
| | - Federico Verde
- a Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience - IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano , Milan , Italy.,f Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation , 'Dino Ferrari' Centre, Università degli Studi di Milano , Milan , Italy , and
| | - Antonia Ratti
- a Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience - IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano , Milan , Italy.,f Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation , 'Dino Ferrari' Centre, Università degli Studi di Milano , Milan , Italy , and
| | - Nicola Ticozzi
- a Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience - IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano , Milan , Italy.,f Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation , 'Dino Ferrari' Centre, Università degli Studi di Milano , Milan , Italy , and
| | - Sharon Abrahams
- g Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research, Anne Rowling Regenerate Neurology Clinic, Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, Human Cognitive Neuroscience-PPLS, University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh , UK
| | - Vincenzo Silani
- a Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience - IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano , Milan , Italy.,f Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation , 'Dino Ferrari' Centre, Università degli Studi di Milano , Milan , Italy , and
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Poletti B, Carelli L, Solca F, Lafronza A, Pedroli E, Faini A, Zago S, Ticozzi N, Meriggi P, Cipresso P, Lulé D, Ludolph AC, Riva G, Silani V. Cognitive assessment in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis by means of P300-Brain Computer Interface: a preliminary study. Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener 2016; 17:473-481. [PMID: 27169693 DOI: 10.1080/21678421.2016.1181182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the use of P300-based Brain Computer Interface (BCI) technology for the administration of motor-verbal free cognitive tests in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). METHODS We recruited 15 ALS patients and 15 age- and education-matched healthy subjects. All participants underwent a BCI-based neuropsychological assessment, together with two standard cognitive screening tools (FAB, MoCA), two psychological questionnaires (BDI, STAI-Y) and a usability questionnaire. For patients, clinical and respiratory examinations were also performed, together with a behavioural assessment (FBI). RESULTS Correlations were observed between standard cognitive and BCI-based neuropsychological assessment, mainly concerning execution times in the ALS group. Moreover, patients provided positive rates concerning the BCI perceived usability and subjective experience. Finally, execution times at the BCI-based neuropsychological assessment were useful to discriminate patients from controls, with patients achieving lower processing speed than controls regarding executive functions. CONCLUSIONS The developed motor-verbal free neuropsychological battery represents an innovative approach, that could provide relevant information for clinical practice and ethical issues. Its use for cognitive evaluation throughout the course of ALS, currently not available by means of standard assessment, must be addressed in further longitudinal validation studies. Further work will be aimed at refining the developed system and enlarging the cognitive spectrum investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Poletti
- a Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience - IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano , Milan , Italy
| | - Laura Carelli
- a Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience - IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano , Milan , Italy
| | - Federica Solca
- a Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience - IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano , Milan , Italy
| | - Annalisa Lafronza
- a Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience - IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano , Milan , Italy
| | - Elisa Pedroli
- b Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano , Milan , Italy
| | - Andrea Faini
- c Department of Cardiovascular, Neural and Metabolic Sciences - IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano , Milan , Italy
| | - Stefano Zago
- d Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health , Università degli Studi di Milano, IRCCS Fondazione Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico , Milan , Italy
| | - Nicola Ticozzi
- a Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience - IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano , Milan , Italy.,e Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation , "Dino Ferrari" Center, Università degli Studi di Milano , Milan , Italy
| | - Paolo Meriggi
- f ICT & Biomedical Technology Integration Unit , Centre for Innovation and Technology Transfer (CITT), Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi Onlus , Milan , Italy
| | - Pietro Cipresso
- b Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano , Milan , Italy
| | - Dorothée Lulé
- g Department of Neurology - University of Ulm , Ulm , Germany , and
| | - Albert C Ludolph
- g Department of Neurology - University of Ulm , Ulm , Germany , and
| | - Giuseppe Riva
- b Applied Technology for Neuro-Psychology Lab, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano , Milan , Italy.,h Department of Psychology , Catholic University of Milan , Milan , Italy
| | - Vincenzo Silani
- a Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience - IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano , Milan , Italy.,e Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation , "Dino Ferrari" Center, Università degli Studi di Milano , Milan , Italy
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Altamura AC, Caletti E, Paoli RA, Cigliobianco M, Zugno E, Grillo P, Prunas C, Caldiroli A, Zago S. Correlation between neuropsychological and social cognition measures and symptom dimensions in schizophrenic patients. Psychiatry Res 2015; 230:172-80. [PMID: 26350702 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2015.08.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2015] [Revised: 07/23/2015] [Accepted: 08/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Neurocognitive and social cognition deficits have been largely reported in Schizophrenia (SKZ) but their association with psychopathology remains uncertain. Our purpose was to explore the relationship between symptom dimensions and neuropsychological performances. We enrolled 35 stabilized schizophrenic outpatients of the Department of Psychiatry of Policlinico Hospital, University of Milan, who completed psychiatric Rating Scales, the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS) and the Executive and Social Cognition Battery (ESCB). Disorganized dimension seems to have the most significant impact on cognition, being associated with performance in several BACS subtests (verbal memory, working memory, motor speed, symbol coding, Tower of London) and ESCB tasks (MET and Hotel task number of tasks attempted, number of broken MET rules, sum of deviations in Hotel Task). Positive dimension correlated with performance in verbal fluency, negative dimension with IOWA Test results, cognitive dimension with MET number of inefficiencies and Eyes test score. Impulsive-aggressive and depressive dimensions weakly correlated only with Faux Pas test. Our study supports the existence of a specific disorganized dimension in SKZ, separated from cognitive dimension evaluated through clinical instruments (e.g. PANSS), but capable of influencing cognitive abilities. Furthermore, it strengthens the validity of ecological tasks in evaluating cognition in SKZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Carlo Altamura
- Psychiatric Clinic, Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Milan, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Caletti
- Psychiatric Clinic, Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Milan, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Riccardo Augusto Paoli
- Psychiatric Clinic, Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Milan, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Michela Cigliobianco
- Psychiatric Clinic, Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Milan, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
| | - Elisa Zugno
- Psychiatric Clinic, Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Milan, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Paolo Grillo
- Epidemiology Unit, Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Milan, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Cecilia Prunas
- Psychiatric Clinic, Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Milan, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Alice Caldiroli
- Psychiatric Clinic, Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Milan, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Zago
- Neurologic Clinic, Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Milan, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
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Zago S, Lorusso L, Porro A, Franchini AF, Cubelli R. Between Bouillaud and Broca: An unknown Italian debate on cerebral localization of language. Brain Cogn 2015; 99:87-96. [PMID: 26263383 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2015.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2015] [Revised: 07/24/2015] [Accepted: 07/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
From 1825 onward, Bouillaud began gathering clinical evidence to support the hypothesis that speech is located in the cerebral frontal lobes. His aim was to provide empirical proof to Gall's theory of a specific substratum of speech in the anterior region of the brain. A well-known discussion ensued inside the French school among supporters and detractors that went far beyond Broca's first report in 1861. Unknown is that Bouillaud's investigations on localization of articulated language also gave rise to a discussion in Italy in the same period. In particular, speech localization formed a central topic in the mid-19th century in Northern Italy mainly thanks to four physicians, Michelangelo Asson, Mosè Rizzi, Gaetano Strambio and Filippo Lussana, who reported on language-impaired patients and approached these cases in the light of Bouillaud's claims. Similarly to the French debate, the Italian medical community also included attacks and advocacies of the hypothesis of a precise localization of articulated language in the frontal lobes. However, they were mainly interested in investigating the anatomo-clinical relationships rather than in supporting Gall's organology. This Italian debate appears to be the first to have developed in the mid-19th century outside that of the French community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Zago
- U.O.C. Neurologia, IRCSS Fondazione Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico di Milano, Italy.
| | - Lorenzo Lorusso
- Dipartimento di Neurologia, Ospedale Mellino Mellini, Chiari, Brescia, Italy
| | - Alessandro Porro
- Dipartimento di Specialità Medico-Chirurgiche, Scienze Radiologiche e Sanità Pubblica, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Italy
| | | | - Roberto Cubelli
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università degli Studi di Trento, Italy
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Solca F, Poletti B, Zago S, Crespi C, Sassone F, Lafronza A, Maraschi AM, Sassone J, Silani V, Ciammola A. Counterfactual Thinking Deficit in Huntington's Disease. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0126773. [PMID: 26070155 PMCID: PMC4466481 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0126773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2014] [Accepted: 04/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Counterfactual thinking (CFT) refers to the generation of mental simulations of alternatives to past events, actions and outcomes. CFT is a pervasive cognitive feature in every-day life and is closely related to decision-making, planning and problem-solving - all of which are cognitive processes linked to unimpaired frontal lobe functioning. Huntington's Disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterised by motor, behavioral and cognitive dysfunctions. Because an impairment in frontal and executive functions has been described in HD, we hypothesised that HD patients may have a CFT impairment. METHODS Tests of spontaneous counterfactual thoughts and counterfactual-derived inferences were administered to 24 symptomatic HD patients and 24 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects. RESULTS Our results show a significant impairment in the spontaneous generation of CFT and low performance on the Counterfactual Inference Test (CIT) in HD patients. Low performance on the spontaneous CFT test significantly correlates with impaired attention abilities, verbal fluency and frontal lobe efficiency, as measured by Trail Making Test - Part A, Phonemic Verbal Fluency Test and FAB. CONCLUSIONS Spontaneous CFT and the use of this type of reasoning are impaired in HD patients. This deficit may be related to frontal lobe dysfunction, which is a hallmark of HD. Because CFT has a pervasive role in patients' daily lives regarding their planning, decision making and problem solving skills, cognitive rehabilitation may improve HD patients' ability to analyse current behaviors and future actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Solca
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Barbara Poletti
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Stefano Zago
- Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Milan, IRCCS Fondazione Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Crespi
- Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
- Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Sassone
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Annalisa Lafronza
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Maraschi
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Jenny Sassone
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Silani
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, “Dino Ferrari” Center, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Ciammola
- Department of Neurology and Laboratory of Neuroscience, IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
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Ferrucci R, Brunoni AR, Parazzini M, Vergari M, Rossi E, Fumagalli M, Mameli F, Rosa M, Giannicola G, Zago S, Priori A. Modulating human procedural learning by cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation. Cerebellum 2014; 12:485-92. [PMID: 23328908 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-012-0436-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Neuroimaging studies suggest that the cerebellum contributes to human cognitive processing, particularly procedural learning. This type of learning is often described as implicit learning and involves automatic, associative, and unintentional learning processes. Our aim was to investigate whether cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) influences procedural learning as measured by the serial reaction time task (SRTT), in which subjects make speeded key press responses to visual cues. A preliminary modeling study demonstrated that our electrode montage (active electrode over the cerebellum with an extra-cephalic reference) generated the maximum electric field amplitude in the cerebellum. We enrolled 21 healthy subjects (aged 20-49 years). Participants did the SRTT, a visual analogue scale and a visual attention task, before and 35 min after receiving 20-min anodal and sham cerebellar tDCS in a randomized order. To avoid carry-over effects, experimental sessions were held at least 1 week apart. For our primary outcome measure (difference in RTs for random and repeated blocks) anodal versus sham tDCS, RTs were significantly slower for sham tDCS than for anodal cerebellar tDCS (p = 0.04), demonstrating that anodal tDCS influenced implicit learning processes. When we assessed RTs for procedural learning across the one to eight blocks, we found that RTs changed significantly after anodal stimulation (interaction "time" × "blocks 1/8": anodal, p = 0.006), but after sham tDCS, they remained unchanged (p = 0.094). No significant changes were found in the other variables assessed. Our finding that anodal cerebellar tDCS improves an implicit learning type essential to the development of several motor skills or cognitive activity suggests that the cerebellum has a critical role in procedural learning. tDCS could be a new tool for improving procedural learning in daily life in healthy subjects and for correcting abnormal learning in neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Ferrucci
- Centro Clinico per la Neurostimolazione, le Neurotecnologie ed i Disordini del Movimento, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
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Caletti E, Paoli RA, Fiorentini A, Cigliobianco M, Zugno E, Serati M, Orsenigo G, Grillo P, Zago S, Caldiroli A, Prunas C, Giusti F, Consonni D, Altamura AC. Neuropsychology, social cognition and global functioning among bipolar, schizophrenic patients and healthy controls: preliminary data. Front Hum Neurosci 2013; 7:661. [PMID: 24146642 PMCID: PMC3797996 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2013] [Accepted: 09/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to determine the extent of impairment in social and non-social cognitive domains in an ecological context comparing bipolar (BD), schizophrenic (SKZ) patients and healthy controls (HC). The sample was enrolled at the Department of Psychiatry of Policlinico Hospital, University of Milan; it includes stabilized SKZ patients (n = 30), euthymic bipolar patients (n = 18) and HC (n = 18). Patients and controls completed psychiatric assessment rating scales, the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS) and the Executive and Social Cognition Battery (ESCB) that contains both ecological tests of executive function and social cognition, in order to better detect cognitive deficits in patients with normal results in standard executive batteries. The three groups differed significantly for gender and substance abuse, however, the differences did not influence the results. BD patients showed less impairment on cognitive performance compared to SKZ patients, even in “ecological” tests that mimic real life scenarios. In particular, BD performed better than SKZ in verbal memory (p < 0.0038) and BACS symbol coding (p < 0.0043). Regarding the ESCB tests, in the Hotel task SKZ patients completed significantly less tasks (p < 0.001), showed a greater number of errors in Multiple Errands Test (MET-HV) (p < 0.0248) and a worse performance in Theory of Mind (ToM) tests (p < 0.001 for the Eyes test and Faux pas test). Both patients' groups performed significantly worse than HC. Finally, significant differences were found between the two groups in GAF scores, being greater among BD subjects (p < 0.001). GAF was correlated with BACS and ESCB scores showing the crucial role of cognitive and ecological performances in patients' global functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Caletti
- Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Psychiatric Clinic, University of Milan, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico Milan, Italy
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Zago S, Inglese S, Castiglioni R. Malingered Second-Language Deficit Subsequent to Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. Journal of Forensic Psychology Practice 2013. [DOI: 10.1080/15228932.2013.817885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Lo Faso F, Solaini L, Lembo R, Bagioni P, Zago S, Pascotto R, Soliani P. 38PD CURRENT ROLE OF VATS IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF A MEDIASTINAL LYMPHADENOPATHY OF UNKNOWN ETIOLOGY. Lung Cancer 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/s0169-5002(13)70259-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Caputo GB, Ferrucci R, Bortolomasi M, Giacopuzzi M, Priori A, Zago S. Visual perception during mirror gazing at one's own face in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2012; 140:46-50. [PMID: 22835808 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2012.06.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2011] [Revised: 06/05/2012] [Accepted: 06/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In normal observers gazing at one's own face in the mirror for some minutes, at a low illumination level, triggers the perception of strange faces, a new perceptual illusion that has been named 'strange-face in the mirror'. Subjects see distortions of their own faces, but often they see monsters, archetypical faces, faces of dead relatives, and of animals. METHODS We designed this study to primarily compare strange-face apparitions in response to mirror gazing in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls. The study included 16 patients with schizophrenia and 21 healthy controls. In this paper we administered a 7 minute mirror gazing test (MGT). Before the mirror gazing session, all subjects underwent assessment with the Cardiff Anomalous Perception Scale (CAPS). When the 7minute MGT ended, the experimenter assessed patients and controls with a specifically designed questionnaire and interviewed them, asking them to describe strange-face perceptions. RESULTS Apparitions of strange-faces in the mirror were significantly more intense in schizophrenic patients than in controls. All the following variables were higher in patients than in healthy controls: frequency (p<.005) and cumulative duration of apparitions (p<.009), number and types of strange-faces (p<.002), self-evaluation scores on Likert-type scales of apparition strength (p<.03) and of reality of apparitions (p<.001). In schizophrenic patients, these Likert-type scales showed correlations (p<.05) with CAPS total scores. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that the increase of strange-face apparitions in schizophrenia can be produced by ego dysfunction, by body dysmorphic disorder and by misattribution of self-agency. MGT may help in completing the standard assessment of patients with schizophrenia, independently of hallucinatory psychopathology.
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Bonne NX, Zago S, Hosana G, Vinchon M, Van den Abbeele T, Fayoux P. Endonasal endoscopic approach for removal of intranasal nasal glial heterotopias. Rhinology 2012; 50:211-7. [PMID: 22616084 DOI: 10.4193/rhino11.108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nasal Glial Heterotopias also called Nasal Gliomas (NG) are rare congenital tumours of the midline frontonasal space arising from a normal neurectodermal tissue entrapped during the closure of the anterior neuropore. Historically, such tumours were approached using a frontal craniotomy. The study aims to evaluate a fully endonasal endoscopic approach for intranasal NG removal. METHODS We report a retrospective study of intranasal and mixed NG treated using endonasal endoscopic techniques and computer assisted navigation system from 1997 to 2010 in two tertiary referral centres of Paediatric Otolaryngology. All tumours were investigated using two imaging modalities: craniofacial MRI and CT-scan. RESULTS Fifteen patients were included (0 to 14 years of age). All tumours were totally removed and no recurrence was observed after a mean follow-up of 32 months. A skull base plasty was done in 13 cases to cover a bony defect or to treat a cerebrospinal leak. Nasal packing was usually removed 24 hours after surgery and all children were discharged home after 2 to 4 days. CONCLUSION Removal of intranasal NGs using an endonasal endoscopic approach and a dedicated computer assisted navigation system is a safe and efficient procedure. Early management is recommended to treat neonatal airway obstruction.
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Affiliation(s)
- N-X Bonne
- Department of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Jeanne de Flandre Children Hospital, University Hospital of Lille, Lille, France
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Bonne N, Zago S, Hosana G, Vinchon M, van den Abbeele T, Fayoux P. Endonasal endoscopic approach for removal of intranasal nasal glial heterotopias. Rhinology 2012. [DOI: 10.4193/rhin11.108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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Ferrucci R, Giannicola G, Rosa M, Fumagalli M, Boggio PS, Hallett M, Zago S, Priori A. Cerebellum and processing of negative facial emotions: cerebellar transcranial DC stimulation specifically enhances the emotional recognition of facial anger and sadness. Cogn Emot 2011; 26:786-99. [PMID: 22077643 PMCID: PMC4234053 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2011.619520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
Some evidence suggests that the cerebellum participates in the complex network processing emotional facial expression. To evaluate the role of the cerebellum in recognising facial expressions we delivered transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the cerebellum and prefrontal cortex. A facial emotion recognition task was administered to 21 healthy subjects before and after cerebellar tDCS; we also tested subjects with a visual attention task and a visual analogue scale (VAS) for mood. Anodal and cathodal cerebellar tDCS both significantly enhanced sensory processing in response to negative facial expressions (anodal tDCS, p=.0021; cathodal tDCS, p=.018), but left positive emotion and neutral facial expressions unchanged (p>.05). tDCS over the right prefrontal cortex left facial expressions of both negative and positive emotion unchanged. These findings suggest that the cerebellum is specifically involved in processing facial expressions of negative emotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Ferrucci
- Centro Clinico per la Neurostimolazione, le Neurotecnologie ed i Disordini del Movimento, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda, via F. Sforza 35, 20122-Milan, Italy
- Università degli studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Scienze Neurologiche, via F. Sforza 35, 20122-Milan, Italy
| | - Gaia Giannicola
- Centro Clinico per la Neurostimolazione, le Neurotecnologie ed i Disordini del Movimento, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda, via F. Sforza 35, 20122-Milan, Italy
| | - Manuela Rosa
- Centro Clinico per la Neurostimolazione, le Neurotecnologie ed i Disordini del Movimento, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda, via F. Sforza 35, 20122-Milan, Italy
| | - Manuela Fumagalli
- Centro Clinico per la Neurostimolazione, le Neurotecnologie ed i Disordini del Movimento, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda, via F. Sforza 35, 20122-Milan, Italy
- Università degli studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Scienze Neurologiche, via F. Sforza 35, 20122-Milan, Italy
| | - Paulo Sergio Boggio
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory and Developmental Disorders Program, Center for Health and Biological Sciences, Mackenzie Presbyterian University, Rua Botucatu, 591 - São Paulo, 04023-000, Brazil
| | - Mark Hallett
- Human Motor Control Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NINDS NIH, Building 10, Room 7D37 10 Center Drive, MSC 1428 Bethesda, MD 20892-1428, Maryland
| | - Stefano Zago
- Università degli studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Scienze Neurologiche, via F. Sforza 35, 20122-Milan, Italy
| | - Alberto Priori
- Centro Clinico per la Neurostimolazione, le Neurotecnologie ed i Disordini del Movimento, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda, via F. Sforza 35, 20122-Milan, Italy
- Università degli studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Scienze Neurologiche, via F. Sforza 35, 20122-Milan, Italy
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Zago S, Allegri N, Cristoffanini M, Ferrucci R, Porta M, Priori A. Is the Charcot and Bernard case (1883) of loss of visual imagery really based on neurological impairment? Cogn Neuropsychiatry 2011; 16:481-504. [PMID: 21607884 DOI: 10.1080/13546805.2011.556024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION. The Charcot and Bernard case of visual imagery, Monsieur X, is a classic case in the history of neuropsychology. Published in 1883, it has been considered the first case of visual imagery loss due to brain injury. Also in recent times a neurological valence has been given to it. However, the presence of analogous cases of loss of visual imagery in the psychiatric field have led us to hypothesise functional origins rather than organic. METHODS. In order to assess the validity of such an inference, we have compared the symptomatology of Monsieur X with that found in cases of loss of visual mental images, both psychiatric and neurological, presented in literature. RESULTS. The clinical findings show strong assonances of the Monsieur X case with the symptoms manifested over time by the patients with functionally based loss of visual imagery. CONCLUSION. Although Monsieur X's damage was initially interpreted as neurological, reports of similar symptoms in the psychiatric field lead us to postulate a functional cause for his impairment as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Zago
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze ed Organi di Senso, Università degli Studi di Milano, UOC di Neurologia Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Italy.
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