1,720,983 research outputs found
Prime esperienze sociali e correlati epigenetici: l’influenza dei fattori psicologici genitoriali sull’espressione genica dei neonati
Full text linkLa presente ricerca nasce dall’intenzione di esplorare gli effetti dell’ambiente sociale precoce su eventuali modificazioni epigenetiche. Le interazioni dinamiche tra geni e ambiente durante le prime esperienze di vita possono portare a diversi percorsi psicobiologici in età adulta. Le evidenze provenienti da studi su modelli animali hanno mostrato un legame diretto tra l'ambiente sociale precoce e gli effetti a lungo termine sui sistemi neurali. Tali effetti neurobiologici sembrano essere, in parte, mediati da cambiamenti epigenetici che consentono di alterare l'attività di alcuni geni, senza modificare le sequenze nucleotidiche ereditate. Lo scopo generale di questo lavoro di tesi è stato proprio quello di indagare se le variabili psicologiche dei genitori e le interazioni precoci tra costoro e il proprio bambino fossero associate a cambiamenti epigenetici nella metilazione globale del DNA del bambino nel primo mese di vita. In quest’ottica il presente lavoro di tesi ha indagato il possibile impatto delle prime relazioni tra il neonato e i genitori sia da un punto di vista psicologico sia epigenetico. Considerata la complessità del fenomeno oggetto della presente tesi, si è cercato di esplorare l’interconnessione tra ambiente e geni tenendo conto di diversi livelli di indagine, da una prospettiva molecolare a un quadro più ampio di stampo psicologico dinamico. Nel primo capitolo viene presentata una panoramica di diverse teorie psicoanalitiche e psicologiche che hanno fornito le basi teoriche e scientifiche dello studio della relazione tra madre e bambino. Dalla concezione iniziale classica di neonato come insieme di spinte pulsionali si descrivono le prime teorie che considerano la relazione tra madre e bambino come centrali per lo sviluppo dell’individuo. In quest’ottica, viene poi trattata la teoria dell’attaccamento e i successivi sviluppi teorici e concettuali che da essa sono derivati. Nella parte finale del capitolo, dopo aver introdotto i principali risultati dell’Infant Research, si è descritto il costrutto dell’attaccamento prenatale, definito come l’investimento emotivo dei genitori nei confronti del futuro bambino. Il capitolo si conclude con una disamina dell’importanza del ruolo del padre, spesso trascurato, nello studio dell’influenza delle prime relazioni sullo sviluppo del bambino. Il secondo capitolo ripercorre le controversie nello studio del rapporto complesso tra geni e ambiente. Vengono presentati i principali modelli di indagine nello studio dei polimorfismi genici in relazione al comportamento e la svolta teorica che ha visto i polimorfismi, non solo come fattori di rischio per lo sviluppo, ma anche come una possibilità di maggiore sensibilità all’ambiente. Da questa inversione di rotta nello studio dell’interazione tra geni e ambiente, viene introdotta l’epigenetica. Dapprima il capitolo tratta l’epigenetica da un punto di vista squisitamente molecolare, analizzandone i meccanismi di base, per poi via via ampliare la prospettiva includendo gli studi più recenti sull’influenza dell’ambiente sociale precoce sull’organismo. Andando sempre più nello specifico, vengono introdotti gli effetti dell’ambiente sociale sul sistema nervoso in via di sviluppo e vengono descritti gli effetti epigenetici prodotti dalle interazioni precoci con la madre. Infine, specularmente al primo capitolo, vengono discussi gli effetti epigenetici delle interazioni con il padre sul sistema nervoso in via di sviluppo. Nel terzo capitolo, viene presentata la ricerca longitudinale che si è posta l’obiettivo di indagare, dalla nascita al primo mese di vita, il rapporto tra le variabili psicologiche dei genitori, la qualità della relazione tra la madre e il bambino e i meccanismi epigenetici di metilazione globale del DNA del bambino e della madre. Vengono descritti i metodi della ricerca e discussi i risultati principali. Infine, è stata inserita un’appendice in cui sono presenti i diversi strumenti utilizzati nella ricerca longitudinale
Editorial: Use of neuroimaging techniques for the prevention, assessment, and treatment of mood disorders
No full textThe role of attachment style and social anxiety in Internet addiction
No full textPathological Internet use is characterized by excessive or poorly controlled preoccupations or behaviors regarding computer use that results in impairments or distress. Previous studies reported high comorbidity of Internet addiction with psychiatric conditions like affective and anxiety disorders.
Among anxiety disorders, social anxiety is often associated with relational impairments in adolescent. Many studies suggested that social anxiety is promoted by an insecure attachment style.
Attachment style plays an important role in socio-emotional relationships with others and forms the generalized basis of self worth. Insecure attachment, in particular, implicates a higher non specific risk factor for psychopathologies. Previous study reported that attachment style predicts online social interaction in the same way that it does in the offline context. Individuals with high attachment anxiety have more frequent internet use and are constantly concerned about how others perceive them.
Insecure attachment and social anxiety were reported to be more strongly associated with Internet Addiction. Thus, the association between the insecure attachment style and social anxiety seems to have a very relevant role as risk factors for the problematic use of Internet
The First Physical Movements of Life: Fetal Movements, the Mother's Psychological States and Wellbeing of Future Child
No full textThe movement of the fetus inside the womb has been recognized as a foremost indicator of fetal wellbeing. Fetal movements have a wide range of expression and the decrement of this movement is associated with numerous pathologies and poor pregnancy outcomes. An account of the fetal activity based on the mother’s perception of the movements that begins between the third and fourth month of gestation, along with the technological assessment, can provide crucial information about the developing fetus. More studies report the association between maternal anxiety and depression during pregnancy and the perception of the fetal motor activity. Women who consider their lives as more stressful and report more stress about pregnancy, also report more fetal activity across gestation. Coherently, fetuses of women who perceived their pregnancy to be more pleasant and have a more positive emotional attitude toward pregnancy are less active. Moreover, mother-fetus attachment and maternal emotional regulation skills have a positive association with health practices in pregnancy and some studies reported an association between low level of prenatal attachment and high level of alexithymia. People with high alexithymia show high levels of sympathetic activity and a dissociation between subjective and physiological stress responses. In 2013, a pilot study was carried out whose aim was to investigate the relationship between mothers’ emotional regulation ability, prenatal attachment and fetal movements in the first three months of pregnancy. The results of this study showed that that the time elapsed in extensor movements by fetuses at three months of gestation was negatively associated with the emotional regulation ability of the mothers in pregnancy. The human motor activity thus has a primary relevance since the first months of life suggesting the bidirectional relationship between psychological and physical dimensions. Studying fetal body movements and their association with the maternal features could, therefore, provide a key to facilitate early intervention and optimal treatment before, during pregnancy and after birth
Distancing strategies in l’aquila 2009 earthquake survivors: clinical and neurobiological prospectives
No full textThe aim of the present study was to explore the neural correlate in response to pictures featuring their own city before and after an earthquake and those of an unfamiliar city in the L’Aquila 2009 earthquake survivors. Moreover, the association between psychological variables and the brain responses to the pictures of L’Aquila after the earthquake was explored.
Electroencephalographic (EEG) data of thirty-two adults (final sample: survivors group (n = 15) age M = 31.40, SD = 9.42 vs. control group (n = 15) age M = 30.53, SD = 10.01) were recorded, using a 256-electrodes HydroCel-Geodesic-Sensor-Net, during a visual task that included earthquake-related stimuli. Participants were assessed for post-traumatic and dissociation symptoms. Event-related potential (ERP) components and low-resolution electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA) were analyzed.
In survivors, source localization indicated a lower intensity of the amygdala, hippocampal, parahippocampal, and temporopolar areas in response to visual stimuli concerning the earthquake compared to the control group.
Results indicated a reduced limbic activation in response to visual stimuli that evoked the recall of earthquake in survivors. This finding suggests that survivors probably adopted a distancing strategy towards stimuli that may elicit an emotional activation related to collective trauma.
A possible clinical implication could be developing psychological and psychotherapeutic interventions focused on the restructuring of the distancing strategies in natural disasters survivors. Moreover, the neurobiological activation could be considered as an outcome of the improvements of the psychological and psychotherapeutic intervention. Future studies could investigate the efficacy of specific interventions on distancing strategies from both psychological and neurobiological perspectives
Psychological social and emotional impairments are associated with adherence and healthcare spending in type 2 diabetic patients: an observational study
No full textMore than three million of Italians suffer from diabetes. The economic impact could be explained
by poor adherence to the treatment. Previous studies showed that emotional, psychological and
social impairments may have an influence on adherence to the treatment in diabetics.
The aim of the present study was to assess the association among anxiety, depression, stress, social
and emotional abilities with adherence and healthcare spending.
Sixty-four type 2 diabetic patients were enrolled. Interpersonal Processes of Care (IPC), Toronto
Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), Rapid Stress Assessment Scale (RSAS), Morisky Medication
Adherence Scale (MMAS-4), Visual Analogic Scale (VAS) and a questionnaire regarding the
economic healthcare spending in the last 12 months were administered.
The correlation analysis showed that anxiety and social support scores (RSAS) were significantly
related to Morisky Medication Adherence scores (r=-.26 p=.035; r=.27 p=.028). Mathematical
linear regressions models confirmed the predictive effect of anxiety and social support (RSAS) on
Morisky Medication Adherence scores. Moreover, medication adherence was significantly
correlated to anxiolytics use (r=-.26 p=.040) and the mathematical linear regressions models
showed a predictive effect of adherence scores on anxiolytic use. Finally, anxiety, depression and
aggressiveness scores (RSAS) were related to the number of general check-up (r=.31 p=.013; r=.38
p=.002; r=.43 p<.001). TAS-20 total and TAS-20 F3 were positively correlated with the number of
hospitalization days (r=.41 p=.001; r=.31 p=.011), while physician-patient communication (IPC)
showed a negative correlation to the number of hospitalization days (r=-.35 p=.005).
Future studies should test whether brief psychological intervention may increase the adherence and
reduce the healthcare spending in diabetic patients
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