Search

Serotonin is involved in several central nervous system functions including pain threshold, mood regulation and drug reward. Overuse of acute medications is commonly identified as a causative factor for medication overuse headache (MOH). Apparently, MOH shares with other kinds of drug addiction some common neurobiological pathways. The objective of this study is to assess the role of serotonin metabolism genes in the genetic liability to MOH. We performed a genetic association study using polymorphisms of five serotonin metabolism-related genes: serotonin transporter (5HTT), serotonin receptor 1A (5-HT1A), serotonin receptor 1B (5-HT1B), serotonin receptor 2A (5-HT2A) and serotonin receptor 6 (5HT6) genes. We compared 138 patients with MOH with a control sample of 117 individuals without headache and without drug overuse, and with 101 patients with migraine without aura but without drug overuse (MO). The genotypic and allelic distributions of all polymorphisms investigated did not differ among the three groups. In conclusion, our study does not provide evidence that the 5HTT, 5-HT1A, 5HT1B, 5HT2A and 5HT6 gene polymorphisms play a role in the genetic predisposition to MOH.

A linkage and association analysis was made on 14 Italian families with recurrent migraine. We analyzed five chromosomal regions surrounding the candidate genes 5HT1D (1p36.3-34.3), 5HT1B (6q13), 5HT2A (13q14-21), 5HT transporter (17q11.2-12), CACNLB1 (17q11.2-22) and FHM (19p13), using 29 DNA polymorphic markers. All two-point lod scores were negative, and the chi 2 sib-pair analyses were not significant, thus indicating the probable exclusion of these regions as sites of migraine genes in our population.

The spatial and temporal distribution of infant death rates attributed to the single cause of congenital malformation (DCM) in Italy was studied for the period 1958-1981. Variation of DCM rates in this period was investigated for the whole country, for the three main geographical areas of the North, Center, and South, and for each of the 18 Italian regions (there are 20 administrative regions, but in this study Abruzzo were pooled with Molise and the Aosta Valley with neighbouring Piedmont). It was found that DCM decreases significantly with time. The decrease is considerable in the North and the Center of the country, whereas in the South temporal variation is minimal. There is a marked decrease of the variance of the DCM rates between regions with later years, possibly indicating a tendency to equalization of environmental effects in a large part of the peninsula.

Background In the general belief, schizophrenia is associated with the concepts of seriousness, incurability, dangerousness: this is incorrect. In recent decades, the interest in course studies increased and different trends emerged, not necessarily chronic, with the possibility of remission. The plan of this research was to draw a picture of the schizophrenia syndrome in a specific geographic area, in the past and at present time: this allows to detect needs, weaknesses and strengths, for a better planning of future interventions. Methods The course of all cases diagnosed as schizophrenia (N = 1,759) in the period 1978–2008, was retrospectively studied in the entire population of an Italian province by observing, for a mean period of 12 years per person, age at first psychiatric consultation, number and length of admissions for both acute symptoms and residential-rehabilitation programs, number of interventions in outpatients. The cases under treatment (N = 842), were evaluated in terms of symptoms, using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, and in terms of functioning, using the Personal and Social Functioning Scale. Results The disease course differs significantly between genders: males have an earlier age at first consultation (about 7 years earlier), higher admission rates, greater number of outpatient interventions and personal and social functioning significantly worse. Hospitalization resulted often unnecessary: 23.1% of cases were never hospitalized and 67.2% spent less than one week per year in hospital. A quarter of the cases meets the international criteria for remission and more than 75% are asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic; only 5.3% of cases shows severe symptoms. However, Personal and Social Functioning highlights, in about 1/3 of cases, relevant or serious problems mainly in Work and Relationships areas, whilst Aggressiveness is a serious problem only in 9%. Conclusions In this population, schizophrenia in real life shows great individual variability in course, symptoms and functioning: in most cases nowadays it appears a less severe and chronic disease than in the past, but further improvements are needed on disability prevention and social inclusion.