65 research outputs found
Development and validation of a new Italian short measure of disgust propensity: The Disgust Propensity Questionnaire (DPQ)
No full textAlthough a few measures of disgust propensity are available in Italy, most of them take a long time to administer and/or have not shown replicable and sound psychometric properties. In the current study, the authors developed an Italian nine-item self-report measure of disgust propensity (particularly of pathogen disgust)-the Disgust Propensity Questionnaire (DPQ)-to address the limitations of currently available measures. In Study 1, the DPQ was developed through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses from an initial pool of 33 items that were administered to 784 nonclinical participants. The DPQ showed evidence of an adequate factorial and construct validity as well as internal consistency and temporal stability. In Study 2, additional evidence of the sound psychometric properties of the DPQ was provided by analyzing an independent sample of 315 nonclinical participants and a sample of 208 patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. This study also showed that the DPQ can discriminate between obsessive-compulsive disorder patients with and without contamination-related concerns, patients with anxiety disorders, and nonclinical participants. Key Practitioner Message: An Italian nine-item self-report disgust propensity measure was developed to address the limitations of currently available tools. The Disgust Propensity Questionnaire (DPQ) was evaluated using two independent studies in nonclinical and clinical samples. The DPQ showed adequate factorial and construct validity, internal consistency, and temporal stability. It could discriminate between patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder with contamination-related concerns and all other groups. It is a very short and psychometrically sound measure to assess disgust propensity in Italian samples
The role of disgust propensity and trait guilt in OCD symptoms: A multiple regression model in a clinical sample
No full textThe two dimensions of contamination fear in obsessive-compulsive disorder: Harm avoidance and disgust avoidance
No full textContamination fear has always been considered a homogeneous symptom dimension. Compensatory behaviors (e.g., washing) are considered attempts to remove the contagion and to protect the individual from threats of illness; however, they may also be motivated by feelings of distress that are unrelated to any perceived harmful outcome, such as the feeling of disgust. Our hypothesis was that OCD patients with fear of harm resulting from contamination (harm avoidance [HA]) and OCD patients with fear of disgusting substances/persons (disgust avoidance [DA]) could be distinguished. To test this hypothesis, the Contamination Fear Core Dimensions Scale (CFCDS), an 8-item self-report measure aimed at operazionalizing the two facets of contamination fear, was developed. The scale was administered to 176 Italian OCD patients, together with a series of other self-report measures, and to 86 non-clinical participants. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the hypothesized two-correlated-factor structure in the clinical sample. The CFCDS also showed adequate reliability, construct and criterion-related validity. In particular, DA and HA subscales showed different patterns of association with other measures. In conclusion, this study provides preliminary evidence of the separability of two motivational dimensions of contamination fear and of specific associations between these and other relevant constructs
Oxidative stress, aging, and diseases
No full textIlaria Liguori,1 Gennaro Russo,1 Francesco Curcio,1 Giulia Bulli,1 Luisa Aran,1 David Della-Morte,2,3 Gaetano Gargiulo,4 Gianluca Testa,1,5 Francesco Cacciatore,1,6 Domenico Bonaduce,1 Pasquale Abete1 1Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy; 2Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; 3San Raffaele Roma Open University, Rome, Italy; 4Division of Internal Medicine, AOU San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi di Aragona, Salerno, Italy; 5Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy; 6Azienda Ospedaliera dei Colli, Monaldi Hospital, Heart Transplantation Unit, Naples, Italy Abstract: Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) are produced by several endogenous and exogenous processes, and their negative effects are neutralized by antioxidant defenses. Oxidative stress occurs from the imbalance between RONS production and these antioxidant defenses. Aging is a process characterized by the progressive loss of tissue and organ function. The oxidative stress theory of aging is based on the hypothesis that age-associated functional losses are due to the accumulation of RONS-induced damages. At the same time, oxidative stress is involved in several age-related conditions (ie, cardiovascular diseases [CVDs], chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic kidney disease, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer), including sarcopenia and frailty. Different types of oxidative stress biomarkers have been identified and may provide important information about the efficacy of the treatment, guiding the selection of the most effective drugs/dose regimens for patients and, if particularly relevant from a pathophysiological point of view, acting on a specific therapeutic target. Given the important role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of many clinical conditions and aging, antioxidant therapy could positively affect the natural history of several diseases, but further investigation is needed to evaluate the real efficacy of these therapeutic interventions. The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of literature on this complex topic of ever increasing interest. Keywords: elderly, reactive oxygen species, reactive nitrogen species, antioxidant
Sarcopenia: assessment of disease burden and strategies to improve outcomes
No full textIlaria Liguori,1 Gennaro Russo,1 Luisa Aran,1 Giulia Bulli,1 Francesco Curcio,1 David Della-Morte,2,3 Gaetano Gargiulo,4 Gianluca Testa,1,5 Francesco Cacciatore,1,6 Domenico Bonaduce,1 Pasquale Abete1 1Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy; 2Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy; 3Department of Human Sciences and Quality of Life Promotion, San Raffaele Roma Open University, Rome, Italy; 4Division of Internal Medicine, AOU San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi di Aragona, Salerno, Italy; 5Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy; 6Azienda Ospedaliera dei Colli, Monaldi Hospital, Heart Transplantation Unit, Naples, Italy Abstract: Life expectancy is increasing worldwide, with a resultant increase in the elderly population. Aging is characterized by the progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength – a phenomenon called sarcopenia. Sarcopenia has a complex multifactorial pathogenesis, which involves not only age-related changes in neuromuscular function, muscle protein turnover, and hormone levels and sensitivity, but also a chronic pro-inflammatory state, oxidative stress, and behavioral factors – in particular, nutritional status and degree of physical activity. According to the operational definition by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP), the diagnosis of sarcopenia requires the presence of both low muscle mass and low muscle function, which can be defined by low muscle strength or low physical performance. Moreover, biomarkers of sarcopenia have been identified for its early detection and for a detailed identification of the main pathophysiological mechanisms involved in its development. Because sarcopenia is associated with important adverse health outcomes, such as frailty, hospitalization, and mortality, several therapeutic strategies have been identified that involve exercise training, nutritional supplementation, hormonal therapies, and novel strategies and are still under investigation. At the present time, only physical exercise has showed a positive effect in managing and preventing sarcopenia and its adverse health outcomes. Thus, further well-designed and well-conducted studies on sarcopenia are needed. Keywords: sarcopenia, elderly, assessment, therap
Factor Congruence and Psychometric Properties of the Italian Version of the Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DOCS) Across Non-Clinical and Clinical Samples
No full textThe Dimensional Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (DOCS) is a self-report instrument that assesses the severity of the four most empirically supported OC symptom dimensions (Contamination, Responsibility, Unacceptable Thoughts, and Symmetry). The aim of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Italian version of the DOCS and address associations with socio-demographical variables, psychometric properties in a community (i.e., non-student) sample, and congruence of factor solutions across non-clinical and patient samples. Factor structure, internal consistency, construct, and criterion validity were investigated in three samples of participants (315 from the general population, 106 OCD patients and 31 with other anxiety disorders [OADs]). Results supported the four-factor structure of the DOCS both in clinical and non-clinical sample, and adequate levels of factor congruence across the two samples were found. DOCS scores showed good internal consistency, temporal stability and construct validity, and could adequately discriminate between non-clinical participants, OCD and OADs patients. All the other variables kept constant, associations of DOCS total score with educational level, of Contamination with gender, and of Unacceptable Thoughts with age were also found. These findings suggest that the Italian version of the DOCS retains the adequate psychometric properties of the original, and can be confidently used as an assessment tool of OC symptoms in clinical and research settings
The impact of ACP on patient's relationships
No full textBackground: In the period 2013-2018 an important European
study (ACTION) involving six countries, financed according
to the 7° European framework, has been performed. The
ACTION study dealt with the issue of advance care planning
(ACP) in oncology and searched for evidence of its impact on
patient and family
Uwagi o historii powstania Złotej Bulli z Rimini. Przyczynek do początków władztwa Zakonu Krzyżackiego w Prusach
No full textThe paper is an attempt at solving the question of when and how the so-called Golden Bull of Rimini was written up. It was a privilege dated March 1226, in which Emperor Frederick II Hohenstauf confirmed to the Teutonic Order the planned donation from Duke Konrad I of Masovia and granted to them rights to possess all the lands that the Order would conquer in Prussia, along with broad rights of supreme authority. The author undertakes a discussion with the views on the genesis of the Golden Bull formulated by Sylvain Gouguenheim and Tomasz Jasiński, and presents his own stance regarding the time and contexts of writing up the Golden Bull in the version known today.Artykuł jest próbą odpowiedzi na pytanie, kiedy i w jaki sposób doszło do zredagowania tzw. Złotej Bulli z Rimini, przywileju datowanego na marzec 1226 r., w którym cesarz Fryderyk II Hohenstauf potwierdził Zakonowi Krzyżackiemu przyszłe darowizny ze strony księcia Konrada I mazowieckiego oraz nadał mu prawo posiadania wszystkich ziem, jakie zdobędzie w Prusach wraz z szerokimi uprawnieniami władzy zwierzchniej. Autor podejmuje dyskusję z koncepcjami genezy Złotej Bulli sformułowanymi przez Sylvaina Gouguenheima oraz Tomasza Jasińskiego i przedstawia własny pogląd na czas oraz mechanizm zredagowania Złotej Bulli w znanej nam obecnie wersji
sj-pdf-2-jcb-10.1177_0271678X231159958 - Supplemental material for Harmonization of sensorimotor deficit assessment in a registered multicentre pre-clinical randomized controlled trial using two models of ischemic stroke
No full textSupplemental material, sj-pdf-2-jcb-10.1177_0271678X231159958 for Harmonization of sensorimotor deficit assessment in a registered multicentre pre-clinical randomized controlled trial using two models of ischemic stroke by Alessia Valente, Jacopo Mariani, Serena Seminara, Mauro Tettamanti, Giuseppe Pignataro, Carlo Perego, Luigi Sironi, Felicita Pedata, Diana Amantea, Marco Bacigaluppi, Antonio Vinciguerra, Susanna Diamanti, Martina Viganò, Francesco Santangelo, Chiara Paola Zoia, Virginia Rodriguez-Menendez, Laura Castiglioni, Joanna Rzemieniec, Ilaria Dettori, Irene Bulli, Elisabetta Coppi, Chiara Di Santo, Ornella Cuomo, Giorgia Serena Gullotta, Erica Butti, Giacinto Bagetta, Gianvito Martino, Maria-Grazia De Simoni, Carlo Ferrarese, Stefano Fumagalli, Simone Beretta and for the TRICS study group in Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow & Metabolism</p
Validation of "(fr)AGILE": a quick tool to identify multidimensional frailty in the elderly
No full textBackground: Several tools have been proposed and validated to operationally define frailty. Recently, the Italian Frailty index (IFi), an Italian modified version of Frailty index, has been validated but its use in clinical practice is limited by long time of administration. Therefore, the aim of this study was to create and validate a quick version of the IFi (AGILE).
Methods: Validation study was performed by administering IFi and AGILE, after a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) in 401 subjects aged 65 or over (77 ± 7 years). AGILE was a 10-items tool created starting from the more predictive items of the four domains of frailty investigated by IFi (mental, physical, socioeconomic and nutritional). AGILE scores were stratified in light, moderate and severe frailty. At 24 months of follow-up, death, disability (taking into account an increase in ADL lost ≥1 from the baseline) and hospitalization were considered. Area under curve (AUC) was evaluated for both IFi and AGILE.
Results: Administration time was 9.5 ± 3.8 min for IFi administered after a CGA, and 2.4 ± 1.2 min for AGILE, regardless of CGA (p < 0.001). With increasing degree of frailty, prevalence of mortality increased progressively from 6.5 to 41.8% and from 9.0 to 33.3%, disability from 16.1 to 64.2% and from 22.1 to 59.8% and hospitalization from 17.2 to 58.7% and from 27.0 to 52.2% with AGILE and IFi, respectively (p = NS). Relative Risk for each unit of increase in AGILE was 56, 44 and 24% for mortality, disability and hospitalization, respectively and was lower for IFi (8, 7 and 4% for mortality, disability and hospitalization, respectively). The AUC was higher in AGILE vs. IFi for mortality (0.729 vs. 0.698), disability (0.715 vs. 0.682) and hospitalization (0.645 vs. 0.630).
Conclusions: Our study shows that AGILE is a rapid and effective tool for screening multidimensional frailty, able to predict mortality, disability and hospitalization, especially useful in care settings that require reliable assessment instruments with short administration time
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