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Introduction Patients with “personality disorder”, has history of traumatic life events and are predisposed to develop alexithymia and dissociation, considered as risk factor for severity. Objectives The aim of the research is to analyze alexithymia relating to dissociative symptoms, and investigate their associations, in 34 patients with personality disorder. Methods Outpatients with personality disorder relating to Mental Health Centre have been identified and tested with the Dissociative Experiences Scale, the Parma Scale for Personality Functioning and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Results There was no significant association between age of patients and presence of alexithymia (r=-0.16) and dissociation (r=-0.19); most patients with alexithymia and dissociation were female (67%; 0.67%). 71% of alexithymic subjects had attended lower secondary school, 50% upper secondary school and 43% had a university degree. Substance use is higher in alexithymic patients (73%). 69% of subjects who do not undergo any individual or group psychotherapy are alexithymic; for dissociative symptoms it is significant to undergo both psychotherapies. Alexithymia and dissociation are more frequent in histrionic personality disorder (80%; 60%) and borderline personality disorder (55%; 54%). There is a potential correlation between alexithymia and the presence of dissociative symptoms (r=0.64). Conclusions This study found that alexithymia and dissociative symptoms are frequent within personality disorders, particularly in histrionic and borderline personality disorder. We found that the two phenomena were associated. Furthermore we found alexithymia is more influenced by external factors than dissociative symptoms. Disclosure No significant relationships.

. Factors associated to patients' outcomes in medical units: lessons learnt from an Italian multicentric longitudinal study design (ESAMED study)., Introduction: Research on nursing outcomes attempted to identify the associated factors, however, with mainly retrospective or descriptive studies. In 2011, an Italian network was established and a multicentric longitudinal study aimed at exploring factors associated with nursing outcomes among in-hospital medical patients was started., Aims: To summarise (a) how the research project was originated, (b) which patients have been involved, variables and instruments used, (c) the main findings, and (d) the lessons learnt., Method: 12 acute medical units from 11 Italian hospitals were involved. A consecutive sample was adopted: on a daily basis, data has been collected at the (a) patient; (b) nursing care, and (c) hospital levels., Results: The effect of the variability in the amount of nursing care and skill mix in medical units was explored on the following outcomes: (a) hospital-acquired functional dependence, (b) prevalence and incidence of (i) episodes of hyperactive delirium, (ii) avoidable pressure ulcers; (iii) peripheral venous catheter phlebitis; (c) dissatisfaction with the nursing care; and (d) in-hospital mortality; 1464 out of 2082 eligible patients were involved. The frequency and reasons of Missed Nursing Care (MNC), as well as the presence of family caregivers at the bedside were also measured., Conclusions: The study confirmed that (a) the amount of nursing care provided by graduate nurses improves patient outcomes; (b) a skill mix in favour of nursing aides, negatively impacts on patients' outcomes; and (c) a higher frequency of MNC threatens patient outcomes.

Background: Patient satisfaction with nursing care (NC) is an important predictor of overall satisfaction with the hospital experience. However, the concept of patient satisfaction has been criticised both at the theoretical and at the methodological levels, and more attention on patient dissatisfaction has been called for with the aim of identifying strategies to improve the quality of care., Aims: To describe dissatisfaction with NC as perceived by acute medical patients and identify predictors., Design and Methods: A secondary analysis of longitudinal data involving 12 Italian medical units was performed. A consecutive sample of 1016 patients ≥65 years (2012-2013) was included, and their satisfaction with NC was assessed, administering the Italian version of the Patient Satisfaction Scale (PSS) at the day of discharge. The scale was based on 11 items evaluated on a four-point Likert scale (score ranging from 11 - very dissatisfied to 44 - very satisfied). Patients were defined as 'satisfied with NC' when the score was ≥33, whereas they were considered as 'dissatisfied with NC' when the score was <33. A logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the predictors of patient dissatisfaction with NC., Results: There were 788 (77.6%) patients satisfied (≥33 at the PSS) and 228 (22.4%) dissatisfied with NC (<33). The risk of dissatisfaction was likely to be higher in female patients (RR 1.883, 95% CI 1.359-2.609), in those who developed pressure sores during the in-hospital stay (RR 1.555, 95% CI 1.021-2.368), who received NC with high skill mix (RR 1.072, 95% CI 1.034-1.111) and those who were admitted to a large hospital (RR 1.001, 95% CI 1.001-1.002). In contrast, increased age (RR 0.987, 95% CI 0.975-0.998), increased amount of care offered by Registered Nurses (RR 0.984, 95% CI 0.974-0.994), a higher proportion of baccalaureate nurses on staff (RR 0.975, 95% CI 0.958-0.993) and being admitted to a teaching hospital (RR 0.497, 95% CI 0.130-0.910) all decreased the likelihood of being dissatisfied with NC., Conclusions: Dissatisfaction with NC was affected by individual, NC and hospital variables, such as the amount of staff resources, nurses education and skill mix. The findings emerged may inform clinicians, managers and policymakers regarding strategies that should be designed and implemented to prevent patient dissatisfaction., (© 2017 Nordic College of Caring Science.)

Background: Given the progressive demographic ageing of the population and the National Health System reforms affecting care at the bedside, a periodic re-evaluation of in-hospital mortality rates and associated factors is recommended., Aims: To describe the occurrence of in-hospital mortality among patients admitted to acute medical units and associated factors. Two hypotheses (H) were set as the basis of the study: patients have an increased likelihood to die H 1 : at the weekend when less nursing care is offered; H 2 : when they receive nursing care with a skill-mix in favour of Nursing Aides instead of Registered Nurses., Methods: Secondary analysis of a prospective study of patients >65 years consecutively admitted in 12 Italian medical units. Data on individual and nursing care variables were collected and its association with in-hospital mortality was analysed by stepwise logistic regression analysis., Results: In-hospital mortality occurrence was 6.8 %, and 37 % of the patients died during the weekend. The logistic regression model explained 34.3 % (R 2 ) of the variance of in-hospital mortality: patients were six times (95 % CI = 3.632-10.794) more likely at risk of dying at weekends; those with one or more AEDs admissions in the last 3 months were also at increased risk of dying (RR 1.360, 95 % CI = 1.024-1.806) as well as those receiving more care from family carers (RR = 1.017, 95 % CI = 1.009-1.025). At the nursing care level, those patient receiving less care by RNs at weekends were at increased risk of dying (RR = 2.236, 95 % CI = 1.270-3.937) while those receiving a higher skill-mix, thus indicating that more nursing care was offered by RNs instead of NAs were at less risk of dying (RR = 0.940, 95 % CI = 0.912-0.969)., Conclusions: Within the limitations of this secondary analysis, in addition to the role of some clinical factors, findings suggest redesigning acute care at weekends ensuring consistent care both at the hospital and at the nursing care levels.

To describe the prevalence and incidence density of hospital-acquired unavoidable pressure sores among patients aged ≥65 years admitted to acute medical units. A secondary analysis of longitudinal study data collected in 2012 and 2013 from 12 acute medical units located in 12 Italian hospitals was performed. Unavoidable pressure ulcers were defined as those that occurred in haemodynamically unstable patients, suffering from cachexia and/or terminally ill and were acquired after hospital admission. Data at patient and at pressure ulcer levels were collected on a daily basis at the bedside by trained researchers. A total of 1464 patients out of 2080 eligible (70.4%) were included. Among these, 96 patients (6.5%) hospital-acquired a pressure ulcer and, among 19 (19.7%) were judged as unavoidable. The incidence of unavoidable pressure ulcer was 8.5/ 100 in hospital-patient days. No statistically significant differences at patient and pressure ulcers levels have emerged between those patients that acquired unavoidable and avoidable pressure sores. Although limited, evidence on unavoidable pressure ulcer is increasing. More research in the field is recommended to support clinicians, managers and policymakers in the several implications of unavoidable pressure ulcers both at the patient and at the system levels., (Copyright © 2017 Tissue Viability Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Informal caregiving offered by family members has been widely studied in the community setting, but little attention to date has been dedicated to that offered at the hospital level., Aims: To describe the proportion of patients admitted to acute medical units receiving care from informal caregivers as decided by the family and to identify the factors affecting the numbers of care shifts performed by informal caregivers., Design and Methods: A longitudinal study was performed involving 12 acute medical units located in 12 northern Italian hospitals., Results: All patients (N = 1464) admitted to medical units were included, and 77.1% of them received at least one shift of informal care during their in-hospital stay, especially during the mornings and afternoons. At the patient level, those at higher risk of prolonged hospitalisation and difficult discharge at admission, and those reporting higher occurrence of adverse events, such as pressure sores, confusion events and use of physical restraints during hospitalisation, were more likely receiving informal care. At the nursing care level, a higher amount of missed nursing care was associated with an increased number of care shifts offered by informal caregivers during patient hospitalisation, whereas the amount of care offered by staff was a protective factor., Conclusions: Families play a care role in the care of older patients admitted to acute medical units. They contribute substantially to the care of patients, especially during morning and afternoon shifts., (© 2016 Nordic College of Caring Science.)

Rationale: There is growing interest in validating tools aimed at supporting the clinical decision-making process and research. However, an increased bureaucratization of clinical practice and redundancies in the measures collected have been reported by clinicians. Redundancies in clinical assessments affect negatively both patients and nurses., Methods: To validate a meta-tool measuring the risks/problems currently estimated by multiple tools used in daily practice. A secondary analysis of a database was performed, using a cross-validation and a longitudinal study designs. In total, 1464 patients admitted to 12 medical units in 2012 were assessed at admission with the Brass, Barthel, Conley and Braden tools. Pertinent outcomes such as the occurrence of post-discharge need for resources and functional decline at discharge, as well as falls and pressure sores, were measured. Explorative factor analysis of each tool, inter-tool correlations and a conceptual evaluation of the redundant/similar items across tools were performed. Therefore, the validation of the meta-tool was performed through explorative factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and the structural equation model to establish the ability of the meta-tool to predict the outcomes estimated by the original tools., Results: High correlations between the tools have emerged (from r 0.428 to 0.867) with a common variance from 18.3% to 75.1%. Through a conceptual evaluation and explorative factor analysis, the items were reduced from 42 to 20, and the three factors that emerged were confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis. According to the structural equation model results, two out of three emerged factors predicted the outcomes., Conclusions: From the initial 42 items, the meta-tool is composed of 20 items capable of predicting the outcomes as with the original tools., (© 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Describing the trajectories of hospital-associated functional decline in older patients admitted to acute medical units and identifying predictors at the individual, nursing, and hospital levels, were the aims of the study. A longitudinal survey among 12 acute medical units in which 1464 patients were consecutively enrolled and evaluated using the Barthel Index (BI), was performed. Functional decline was defined as a decrease in the BI of at least 5 points from admission to discharge. In all, 17.1% participants (n = 251) demonstrated functional decline. In accordance with multiple logistic regression analysis, 28.8% (R(2)) of the variance in the functional decline was explained by: confusion/disorientation (RR = 4.684; 95% CI = 3.144-6.978), admission from nursing homes (RR = 2.464; 95% CI = 1.642-3.697), daily care expressed in minutes offered by nursing aides (RR = 1.535; 95% CI = 1.275-1.849), higher workforce skill-mix (RR = 2.221; 95% CI = 1.763-2.797), bladder catheter insertion (RR = 1.599; 95% CI = 1.128-2.268), and higher BI score at admission (RR = 1.019; 95% CI = 1.014-1.024). Increasing the amount of care delivered by competent nurses-having a bachelors degree-providing and supervising direct-care activities, may reduce the occurrence of functional decline in older patients admitted to medical units., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: To date, few studies have investigated the occurrence of phlebitis related to insertion of a peripheral venous cannula (PVC) in an emergency department (ED)., Aim: To describe the natural history of ED-inserted PVC site use; the occurrence and severity of PVC-related phlebitis; and associations with patient, PVC and nursing care factors., Methods: A prospective study was undertaken of 1262 patients treated as urgent cases in EDs who remained in a medical unit for at least 24h. The first PVC inserted was observed daily until its removal; phlebitis was measured using the Visual Infusion Phlebitis Scale. Data on patient, PVC, nursing care and organizational variables were collected, and a time-to-event analysis was performed., Findings: The prevalence of PVC-related phlebitis was 31%. The cumulative incidence (78/391) was almost 20% three days after insertion, and reached >50% (231/391) five days after insertion. Being in a specialized hospital [hazard ratio (HR) 0.583, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.366-0.928] and receiving more nursing care (HR 0.988, 95% CI 0.983-0.993) were protective against PVC-related phlebitis at all time points. Missed nursing care increased the incidence of PVC-related phlebitis by approximately 4% (HR 1.038, 95% CI 1.001-1.077)., Conclusions: Missed nursing care and expertise of the nurses caring for the patient after PVC insertion affected the incidence of phlebitis; receiving more nursing care and being in a specialized hospital were associated with lower risk of PVC-related phlebitis. These are modifiable risk factors of phlebitis, suggesting areas for intervention at both hospital and unit level., (Copyright © 2015 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The Conley Scale is one of the most widespread fall-risk screening tools in medical unit settings, despite the lack of data regarding its validity in patients currently admitted to these units., Aims: Establishing the validity of the Conley Scale in identifying patients at risk of falling in an acute medical setting., Methods: A 6-months longitudinal study in 12 acute medical units from September 2012 to March 2013, a total of 1464 patients with ≥65 years of age were consecutively enrolled and evaluated with the Conley Scale within 24 h of admission. A construct validity, internal consistency, and a priori and a posteriori predictive validity study was performed., Results: The explorative factor analysis showed a two-factor structure explaining a total variance of 48.3 %: previous history (30.41 %), and physical and cognitive impairment (17.9 %). The scale reported a poor internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.465) and the capability to correctly identify 18/649 patients as being at risk of falling, whereas the negative predictive value was 98.5 %. The sensitivity and specificity values were 60.0 and 55.9 %, respectively. No difference emerged between patients scored as at risk and those scored as not at risk in the time elapsed from admission to the first fall (HR = 0.600, 95 % CI 0.289-2.247 p = .166)., Discussion: The Conley Scale is not able to predict falls in elderly acute medical patients, and has reported poor internal consistency and accuracy., Conclusions: More studies are needed to develop appropriate tools to predict the risk of falling in elderly individuals admitted to an acute medical setting.

Missed nursing care (MNC), such as nursing care omitted or delayed, has not been measured in the Italian context where several cost containment interventions affect the care offered in medical units. The aim of the study is to identify the amount, type, and reasons for MNC in the Italian medical care setting and to explore the factors that affect the occurrence of MNC. A 3-month longitudinal survey was carried out followed by a cross-sectional study design in 12 north eastern acute medical units. A total of 314 nursing staff members were involved. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify the predictors of MNC. Patient ambulation (91.4 %), turning the patient every 2 h (74.2 %), and right timing in administering medications (64.6 %) were the most perceived MNC. Among the most frequent reasons were the unexpected rise in patient volume or critical conditions (95.2 %), inadequate numbers of staff (94.9 %), and large numbers of admissions/discharges (93.3 %). The R (2) 33.2 % of the variance in MNC were explained by a full-time position (OR 4.743, 95 % CI 1.146-19.629), communication tensions between Registered Nurses and Nurses' Aides (OR 1.601, 95 % CI 1.020-2.515), the amount of experience in medical unit (OR 1.564, 95 % CI 1.021-2.397), and the amount of daily care offered by Nurses' Aides (1.039, 95 % CI 1.011-1.067). A substantial amount of basic and clinically relevant nursing interventions was perceived to be missed, and this may lead to an increase in negative outcomes for patients admitted to a medical unit. Appropriate standards of nursing care should be adopted urgently in medical units aiming to protect frail patients.

Aim: The aim of the present study was to conceptualize the basic social process by which nursing intervention affects patient outcomes in Italian daily practice., Background: Different frameworks explain the relationship between nursing care and patient outcomes. However, several authors have suggested the need to develop further theory in order to understand this relationship., Method: A qualitative study based on a grounded theory approach was undertaken to generate a conceptual description of nursing care in Italy and its relationship to patient outcomes. Data collection and analysis processes were conducted simultaneously in an Italian Teaching Hospital from 2007 to 2009., Findings: Nursing effectiveness (the core variable) expresses the positive effects of the nursing system on patient outcomes, on patient safety and on the multi-disciplinary outcomes. The two interdependent social processes that assure nursing effectiveness are: creating a supportive environment for potentially effective nursing (causative factors); and performing organizational, clinical and collaborative intervention (nursing strategies and consequences)., Conclusions: The factors determining a potentially supportive environment for nursing effectiveness are similar to those documented in the literature but the need for clinical nurses to compensate systematically when this support is not available seems to be unique., Implications for Nursing Management: Understanding the basic processes involved in the determination of nursing effectiveness in one country has implications for nursing leaders' decision-making, on National Health Service policy recommendations and on professional development both at national and international levels., (© 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.)

Aim: To assess if and how many patients admitted to hospital could receive the drug therapy via natural route by specialized nurses aids (OSSc)., Methods: Focus group to identify the items of an assessment instrument to select patients eligible to receive drug therapy from OSSc, validation (face validity, test retest, interrater reliability and factorial analysis) and implementation on 227 patients admitted to medical and surgical wards., Results: During admission 106/227 patients (46.5%) could receive the therapy from OSSc for at least one day: 21 (9.2%) at admission, 73 (32.1%) after 4 days and 12 (11.3%) in the following days, but 29/106 (27.3%) formerly eligible patients change their condition and therapy should be administered by nurses. On average in medical wards 7.7 patients/day would be eligible while only 2.6 in surgery., Conclusions: The delegation of drug therapy in acute hospitals to OSSc seems unlikely for patients complexity and the need of daily assessments and adjustments. Nurses should each time select eligible patients guaranteeing the necessary supervision. This extra workload is not affordable.

Purpose: To identify the neurobiological traits of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and to elucidate functional differences between ALS of spinal and bulbar onset. We hypothesized that glucose metabolism distribution might vary between groups., Methods: The study groups comprised 32 patients with ALS of either bulbar (n = 13) or spinal (n = 19) onset and 22 subjects as controls. They were investigated by [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (FDG PET), comparing the patient groups with each other and with the controls by statistical parametric mapping., Results: Highly significant relative increases in glucose metabolism distribution were found in the group comprising all 32 ALS patients as compared with the controls in the bilateral amygdalae, midbrain, pons and cerebellum. Relative hypermetabolism was also found in patients with spinal onset as compared with the controls in the right midbrain. In patients with bulbar onset compared with the controls and with patients with spinal onset, large relatively hypometabolic areas were found in the bilateral frontal cortex, right insula, anterior cingulate, precuneus and inferior parietal lobe. Patients with spinal onset had significantly higher scores in a neuropsychological test assessing verbal fluency compared with patients with bulbar onset., Conclusion: This large FDG PET investigation provided unprecedented evidence of relatively increased metabolism in the amygdalae, midbrain and pons in ALS patients as compared with control subjects, possibly due to local activation of astrocytes and microglia. Highly significant relative decreases in metabolism were found in large frontal and parietal regions in the bulbar onset patients as compared with the spinal onset patients and the controls, suggesting a differential metabolic and neuropsychological state between the two conditions.

Specific biological markers for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have not yet been established. Functional studies have shown abnormalities in the anatomo-functional connectivity of the limbic-striatal "social" brain. This study aimed to investigate regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) at rest. Thirteen patients with ASD of normal intelligence and ten IQ-, sex- and age-matched healthy controls (HC) underwent PET/CT using [1-(11)C]butanol, a perfusion tracer. As compared to HC, ASD showed significant CBF increases in the right parahippocampal, posterior cingulate, primary visual and temporal cortex, putamen, caudatus, substantia nigra and cerebellum. No statistically significant correlation between CBF and IQ was found. The limbic, posterior associative and cerebellar cortices showed increased blood flow in ASD, confirming previous findings about the neurobiology of ASD.

Nurse staffing levels have always been an issue and the optimal level and mix of nurses required to deliver quality care as cost-effectively as possible continues to be discussed at both national and international levels. In Italy, a network of experts rom ten local health and hospital authorities was set up in June 2010. The, main objectives of the network were to define, validate and approve a panel of relevant indicators, identify minimum standards of safety and develop recommendations to guide decision-making regarding hospital nurse staffing levels. The indicators and recommendations developed by the network are presented in this paper.

Aim: Acute hypobaric hypoxia is well known to alter brain circulation and to cause neuropsychological impairment. However, very few studies have examined the regional changes occurring in the brain during acute exposure to extreme hypoxic conditions., Methods: Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) response to hypoxia was investigated in six healthy subjects exposed to either normobaric normoxia or hypobaric hypoxia with ambient pressure/inspired oxygen pressure of 101/21 kPa and 50/11 kPa respectively. After 40 min at the desired pressure they were injected (99m)Tc-HMPAO and subsequently underwent single photon emission computed tomography. Regional cerebral blood flow distribution changes in the whole brain were assessed by Statistical Parametric Mapping, a well established voxel-based analysis method., Results: Hypobaric hypoxia increased rCBF distribution in sensorymotor and prefrontal cortices and in central structures. PCO(2) correlated positively and SatO(2) negatively with rCBF in several temporal, parahippocampal, parietal and central structures., Conclusions: These findings underscore the specific sensitivity of the frontal lobe to acute hypobaric hypoxia and of limbic and central structures to blood gas changes emphasizing the involvement of these brain areas in acute hypoxia., (© 2011 The Authors. Acta Physiologica © 2011 Scandinavian Physiological Society.)

Background: The aging of the nursing workforce is a phenomenon that several industrialized countries has been facing for at least a decade. In Italy, for the period between 2011 and 2021, the issue associated with the nursing workforce will not be one of shortage but rather one of aging., Aims: The main objective of this study was to estimate the employed nurse population aging trends for the period 2009-2035 in two Teaching Hospitals (TH1 and TH2) located in the North of Italy., Methods: A deterministic mathematical model has been developed in order to obtain aging projections for the nursing workforce from 2009 until 2035., Results: Within the next six years, the aging trend of nurse populations, with respect to 2008, at the TH 1 and 2 will show a steady increase of nurses aged over 45; specifically, a 29.4% vs. 34.1% increase and a 21.6% vs. 41.4% respectively. It is hypothesized that the TH 1 will have the highest proportion of nurses aged over 45 in 2014, whereas it is estimated that for the TH 2 this trend will continue until 2021 when the proportion of nurses aged over 45 will make up 48.8% out of the nurse population., Discussion: The trend may lead to an increase in the number of experienced nurses; however, such a trend should be looked at with concern, with respect to the physical unsuitability. Nurses aged over 45 represent 20% of the workforce at both TH. Conclusions/implications for management and research. If the trend predicted by the model were to occur in the coming years, the problem of nursing workforce ageing will have to be addressed because it involves different expectations but also the perception of different work skills. The nursing direction is called to test new strategies for managing the staff and the career of nurses will also need to be redesigned, because contract law looks primarily at the initial stage of working life (specializations, university education, career opportunities) neglecting the final one (from the 50th year of age to retirement).

Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) not converted to dementia at one to three years follow-up represent a heterogeneous group across studies, by including 'late converters' but also patients without any neurodegenerative disease. We tested the hypothesis that the combination of memory and brain metabolic assessment could identify subgroups of memory decliners (MCI/Decl) and non-decliners (MCI/noDecl) before a long follow-up time is available. From twenty-nine patients with amnestic MCI (aMCI) at baseline, three groups were identified at follow-up: 10 patients who converted to AD (MCI/AD); 10 patients either showing episodic memory worsening or reaching the floor effect on memory and declining in other key tests (MCI/Decl) and 9 patients showing no memory worsening or even improvement (MCI/noDecl). They were compared with a group of fourteen elderly controls (CTR) by means of basal FDG-PET voxel-based analysis (SPM2). Two hypometabolic clusters were found in MCI/AD versus CTR, including the bilateral posterior cingulate cortex, the left parietal precuneus and the left fusiform gyrus. MCI/AD showed also a large hypometabolic region, mainly including the left medium and superior temporal gyri and inferior parietal lobule, when compared to MCI/noDecl. The MCI/Decl showed a hypometabolic region in the left medial temporal lobe versus both CTR (hippocampus) and MCI/noDecl (parahippocampal gyrus and hippocampus). No significant difference was found in the comparison between CTR and MCI/noDecl, neither in the comparison between MCI/Decl and MCI/AD. Thus, non converter MCI patients comprised a sub-group of 'decliners' with AD-like metabolic and cognitive patterns, likely including 'late converters', and a sub-group lacking this pattern, with stable or improving memory function and a brain metabolic picture similar to that in healthy controls. Combining neuropsychological and FDG-PET information could be used for prognostic purposes in aMCI patients at medium-term follow-up.

Background: Comorbidity between Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and mood disorders is common. Alterations of the cerebellum and frontal regions have been reported in neuro-imaging studies of ADHD and major depression., Methods: Thirty chronically depressed adult females of whom 16 had scores below, and 14 scores above, cut-offs on the 25-items Wender Utah Retrospective Scale (WURS-25) and the Wender-Reimherr Adult Attention Deficit Disorder Scale (WRAADDS) were divided into subgroups designated "Depression" and "Depression + ADHD", respectively. Twenty-one of the patients had some audiological symptom, tinnitus and/or hearing impairment. The patients were investigated with other rating scales and 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT. Controls for 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT were 16 healthy females. SPECT was analyzed by both statistical parametric mapping (SPM2) and the computerized brain atlas (CBA). Discriminant analysis was performed on the volumes of interest generated by the CBA, and on the scores from rating scales with the highest group differences., Results: The mean score of a depression rating scale (MADRS-S) was significantly lower in the "Depression" subgroup compared to in the "Depression + ADHD" subgroup. There was significantly decreased tracer uptake within the bilateral cerebellum at both SPM and CBA in the "Depression + ADHD" subgroup compared to in the controls. No decrease of cerebellar tracer uptake was observed in "Depression". Significantly increased tracer uptake was found at SPM within some bilateral frontal regions (Brodmann areas 8, 9, 10, 32) in the "Depression + ADHD" subgroup compared to in "Depression". An accuracy of 100% was obtained for the discrimination between the patient groups when thalamic uptake was used in the analysis along with scores from Socialization and Impulsivity scales., Conclusion: The findings confirm the previous observation of a cerebellar involvement in ADHD. Higher bilateral frontal 99mTc-HMPAO uptake in "Depression + ADHD" compared to in "Depression" indicate a difference between these subgroups. 99mTc-HMPAO uptake mechanisms are discussed.

Principal component analysis (PCA) provides a method to explore functional brain connectivity. The aim of this study was to identify regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) distribution differences between Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and controls (CTR) by means of volume of interest (VOI) analysis and PCA. Thirty-seven CTR, 30 mild AD (mildAD) and 27 moderate AD (modAD) subjects were investigated using single photon emission computed tomography with (99m)Tc-hexamethylpropylene amine oxime. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), PCA, and discriminant analysis (DA) were performed on 54 VOIs. VOI analysis identified in both mildAD and modAD subjects a decreased rCBF in six regions. PCA in mildAD subjects identified four principal components (PCs) in which the correlated VOIs showed a decreased level of rCBF, including regions that are typically affected early in the disease. In five PCs, including parietal-temporal-limbic cortex, and hippocampus, a significantly lower rCBF in correlated VOIs was found in modAD subjects. DA significantly discriminated the groups. The percentage of subjects correctly classified was 95, 70, and 81 for CTR, mildAD and modAD groups, respectively. PCA highlighted, in mildAD and modAD, relationships not evident when brain regions are considered as independent of each other, and it was effective in discriminating groups. These findings may allow neurophysiological inferences to be drawn regarding brain functional connectivity in AD that might not be possible with univariate analysis.

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to evaluate the combined accuracy of episodic memory performance and (18)F-FDG PET in identifying patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) converting to Alzheimer's disease (AD), aMCI non-converters, and controls., Methods: Thirty-three patients with aMCI and 15 controls (CTR) were followed up for a mean of 21 months. Eleven patients developed AD (MCI/AD) and 22 remained with aMCI (MCI/MCI). (18)F-FDG PET volumetric regions of interest underwent principal component analysis (PCA) that identified 12 principal components (PC), expressed by coarse component scores (CCS). Discriminant analysis was performed using the significant PCs and episodic memory scores., Results: PCA highlighted relative hypometabolism in PC5, including bilateral posterior cingulate and left temporal pole, and in PC7, including the bilateral orbitofrontal cortex, both in MCI/MCI and MCI/AD vs CTR. PC5 itself plus PC12, including the left lateral frontal cortex (LFC: BAs 44, 45, 46, 47), were significantly different between MCI/AD and MCI/MCI. By a three-group discriminant analysis, CTR were more accurately identified by PET-CCS + delayed recall score (100%), MCI/MCI by PET-CCS + either immediate or delayed recall scores (91%), while MCI/AD was identified by PET-CCS alone (82%). PET increased by 25% the correct allocations achieved by memory scores, while memory scores increased by 15% the correct allocations achieved by PET., Conclusion: Combining memory performance and (18)F-FDG PET yielded a higher accuracy than each single tool in identifying CTR and MCI/MCI. The PC containing bilateral posterior cingulate and left temporal pole was the hallmark of MCI/MCI patients, while the PC including the left LFC was the hallmark of conversion to AD.

Introduction: 99mTc-d,l-hexamethylpropylene amine oxime (99mTc-HMPAO) retention in brain is proportional to cerebral blood flow and related to both the local hemodynamic state and to the cellular content of reduced glutathione. Alterations of the regional distribution of 99mTc-HMPAO retention, with discrepant results, have been reported at functional brain imaging of unipolar depression. Since mitochondrial involvement has been reported in depressed patients, the aim of the study was to explore whether the 99mTc-HMPAO retention at single-photon emission computed tomography in depressed patients may relate to different levels of mitochondrial function., Methods: All patients had audiological and muscular symptoms, somatic symptoms that are common in depression. Citrate synthase (CS) activity assessed in muscle mitochondria correlated strongly with the activities of three mitochondrial respiratory chain enzymes and was used as a marker of mitochondrial function. K-means clustering performed on CS grouped eight patients with low and 11 patients with normal CS. Voxel-based analysis was performed on the two groups by statistical parametric mapping., Results: Voxel-based analysis showed significantly higher 99mTc-HMPAO retention in the patients with low CS compared with the patients with normal CS in the posterior and inferior frontal cortex, the superior and posterior temporal cortex, the somato-sensory cortex, and the associative parietal cortex., Conclusion: Low muscle CS in depressed patients is related to higher regional 99mTc-HMPAO retention that may reflect cerebrovascular adaptation to impaired intracellular metabolism and/or intracellular enzymatic changes, as previously reported in mitochondrial disorder. Mitochondrial dysfunction in varying proportions of the subjects may explain some of the discrepant results for 99mTc-HMPAO retention in depression.

Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a derangement of mood control with involuntary, emotionally fraught recollections that may follow deep psychological trauma in susceptible individuals. This condition is treated with pharmacological and/or cognitive therapies as well as psychotherapy with eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). However, only a very limited number of studies have been published dealing with work-related PTSD, and investigations on the effect of treatment on cerebral blood flow represent an even smaller number., Aim: To investigate the short-term outcome of occupation-related PTSD after EMDR therapy by 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT., Method: Fifteen patients, either train drivers suffering from PTSD after having been unintentionally responsible for a person-under-train accident or employees assaulted in the course of duty, were recruited for the study. 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT was performed on these patients both before and after EMDR therapy while they listened to a script portraying the traumatic event. Tracer distribution analysis was then carried out at volume of interest (VOI) level using a three-dimensional standardized brain atlas, and at voxel level by SPM. The CBF data of the 15 patients were compared before and after treatment as well as with those of a group of 27 controls who had been exposed to the same psychological traumas without developing PTSD., Results: At VOI analysis significant CBF distribution differences were found between controls and patients before and after treatment (P=0.023 and P=0.0039, respectively). Eleven of the 15 patients responded to treatment, i.e., following EMDR they no longer fulfilled the DSM-IV criteria for PTSD. When comparing only the eleven responders with the controls, the significant group difference found before EMDR (P=0.019) disappeared after treatment. Responders and non-responders showed after therapy significant regional differences in frontal, parieto-occipital and visual cortex and in hippocampus. SPM analysis showed significant uptake differences between patients and controls in the orbitofrontal cortex (Brodmann 11) and the temporal pole (Brodmann 38) both before and after treatment. A significant tracer distribution difference present before treatment in the uncus (Brodmann 36) disappeared after treatment, while a significant difference appeared in the lateral temporal lobe (Brodmann 21)., Conclusion: Significant 99mTc-HMPAO uptake regional differences were found, mainly in the peri-limbic cortex, between PTSD patients and controls exposed to trauma but not developing PTSD. Tracer uptake differences between responders and patients not responding to EMDR were found after treatment suggesting a trend towards normalization of tracer distribution after successful therapy. These findings in occupational related PTSD are consistent with previously described effects of psychotherapy on anxiety disorders.

Objective: To investigate the effects of an intensive, inpatient rehabilitation programme on individuals affected by Huntington's disease., Design: A pilot study. Within-subjects design., Setting: Inpatient rehabilitation home of the Italian welfare system., Subjects: Forty patients, early and middle stage of the disease, were recruited to an intensive, inpatient rehabilitation protocol., Interventions: The treatment programme included respiratory exercises and speech therapy, physical and occupational therapy and cognitive rehabilitation exercises. The programme involved three-week admission periods of intensive treatment that could be repeated three times a year., Main Measures: A standard clinical assessment was performed at the beginning of each admission using the Zung Depression Scale, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Barthel Index, Tinetti Scale and Physical Performance Test (PPT). Tinetti and PPT were also used at the end of each admission to assess the outcomes in terms of motor and functional performance., Results: Each three-week period of treatment resulted in highly significant (P < 0.001) improvements of motor performance and daily life activities. The average increase was 4.7 for Tinetti and 5.21 for PPT scores. No carry-over effect from one admission to the next was apparent but at the same time, no motor decline was detected over two years, indicating that patients maintained a constant level of functional, cognitive as well as motor performance., Conclusions: Intensive rehabilitation treatments may positively influence the maintenance of functional and motor performance in patients with Huntington's disease.

Purpose: Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is an akinetic-rigid syndrome that can be difficult to differentiate from Parkinson's disease (PD), particularly at an early stage. [99mTc]ethyl cysteinate dimer (ECD) SPECT could represent a widely available tool to assist in the differential diagnosis. In this study we used voxel-based analysis and Computerised Brain Atlas (CBA)-based principal component analysis (PCA) of [99mTc]ECD SPECT data to test whether: (1) specific patterns of rCBF abnormalities can differentiate PSP from controls and PD; (2) networks of dysfunctional brain regions can be found in PSP vs controls and PD., Methods: Nine PD patients, 16 PSP patients and ten controls were studied with [99mTc]ECD SPECT using a brain-dedicated device (Ceraspect). Voxel-based analysis was performed with statistical parametric mapping. PCA was applied to volume of interest data after spatial normalisation to CBA., Results: The voxel-based analysis showed hypoperfusion of the anterior cingulate and medial frontal cortex in PSP compared with controls and PD. In PSP patients the rCBF impairment extended to the pre-supplementary motor area and prefrontal cortex, areas involved in executive function and motor networks. Compared with PSP patients, PD patients showed a mild rCBF decrease in associative visual areas which could be related to the known impairment of visuospatial function. The PCA identified three principal components differentiating PSP patients from controls and/or PD patients that included groups of cortical and subcortical brain regions with relatively decreased (cingulate cortex, prefrontal cortex and caudate) or increased (parietal cortex) rCBF, representing distinct functional networks in PSP., Conclusion: Anterior cingulate hypoperfusion seems to be an early, distinct brain abnormality in PSP as compared with PD.

Purpose: Neurobiological abnormalities underlying atypical depression have previously been suggested. The purpose of this study was to explore differences at functional brain imaging between depressed patients with and without atypical features and healthy controls., Methods: Twenty-three out-patients with chronic depressive disorder recruited from a service for patients with audiological symptoms were investigated. Eleven fulfilled the DSM-IV criteria for atypical depression (mood reactivity and at least two of the following: weight gain, hypersomnia, leaden paralysis and interpersonal rejection sensitivity). Twenty-three healthy subjects served as controls. Voxel-based analysis was applied to explore differences in (99m)Tc-HMPAO uptake between groups., Results: Patients in the atypical group had a higher prevalence of bilateral hearing impairment and higher depression and somatic distress ratings at the time of SPECT. Significantly higher tracer uptake was found bilaterally in the atypical group as compared with the non-atypicals in the sensorimotor (Brodmann areas, BA1-3) and premotor cortex in the superior frontal gyri (BA6), in the middle frontal cortex (BA8), in the parietal associative cortex (BA5, BA7) and in the inferior parietal lobule (BA40). Significantly lower tracer distribution was found in the right hemisphere in the non-atypicals compared with the controls in BA6, BA8, BA44, BA45 and BA46 in the frontal cortex, in the orbito-frontal cortex (BA11, BA47), in the postcentral parietal cortex (BA2) and in the multimodal association parietal cortex (BA40)., Conclusion: The differences found between atypical and non-atypical depressed patients suggest different neurobiological substrates in these patient groups. The putative links with the clinical features of atypical depression are discussed. These findings encourage the use of functional neuroimaging in psychiatric disorders.

Aim: Specific instruments to measure patients satisfaction for home care are missing in Italy. A questionnaire was devised, based on two well known and validated instruments (La Monica-Oberst Patient Satisfaction Scale (LOPSS) and the The Patient Satisfaction With Health Care Provider Scale (PSHCPS) and validated., Methods: The questionnaire was discussed with nurses and psychologists. The questionnarie was initially administered to a sample of 25 patients home care patients, not cognitively impaired, and to their caregivers. The concordance was measured with the K di Cohen, Sperman tau of Cograduation and tau of Kendall coefficiencies, with very satisfactory results (K = 0.68, p = 0.72, tau = 0.61). After 30 days the questionnaire was administered to the same patients and relatives, to test stability/reliability and internal coherence. Finally, it was administered to a stratified sample of 139 patients (or to their relatives) to assess validity with factorial analysis, and again internal coherence., Results: The final questionnaire has 20 closed ended and three open questions. Concordance between patients and relatives on closed questions was good, therefore the questionnaires can be administered to patients or relatives. The test retest showed also a good stability (K 0.83). The factorial analysis identified two sub scales: one that measures patients satisfaction for the organization and for the interpersonal relationship between patients and nurses., Conclusions: The questionnaire has good psychometric properties and can be reliably administered also to caregivers. Some questions with higher number of missing answers could be improved.

Objective: Psychological trauma leads to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in susceptible subjects. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) between two groups of subjects exposed to different types of traumatic stressor either developing or not developing PTSD., Methods: Twenty subjects developing (S) and 27 not developing (NS) PTSD after being exposed to either earlier person-under-the-train accident (NA) or being assaulted in the underground environment (A) were included in the study. 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT was performed and the uptake in 29 regions of the brain (VOIs), bilaterally, was assessed. rCBF distribution was compared, using analysis of variance (ANOVA), between groups (S/NS) and type (A/NA) during a situation involving an auditory evoked re-experiencing of the traumatic event. Discriminant analysis was applied to test the concordance between clinical diagnosis and SPECT findings., Results: In the general analyses significant differences were found between groups and types and there was a significant hemisphere x type interaction. S showed higher CBF than NS and so did A as compared to NA, particularly in the right hemisphere. Discriminant analysis correctly classified 66% of cases (p < 0001) in testing S/NS and 72% (p < 0001) in testing NA/A., Conclusions: Under recall of their traumatic experience we found higher relative CBF distribution values in S as compared to NS. CBF was higher in the right hemisphere and particularly in assaulted subjects. These findings underscore the role upon trauma recall of both the right hemisphere and the nature of the stressing event.

One of the objectives of the Health 21 document, approved by the World Health Association, European Region, is to create by the year 2010 an integrate sanitary system, where the population of the region count on a better access to the health services aimed at the family and the community. In accordance with the tendencies of the European nation, which are more and more open to confrontation, the research has, as main objective, the parallel analysis of the welfare continuity and integration of the Italian Nursing Home Care Service compared to the Swedish Health Care Service. The research has been structured from a sanitary accreditation project that the Veneto Region has started with the collaboration of the Ottawa Council On Health Services Accreditation (Cchsa). The analysis puts in evidenced the completion of the offer of the territory home services present in Padua. The comparison with the Swedish situation however puts in evidence some gaps and some possible developments of the Italian service involving above all the complete transcription of the patient information and the continuity of its communication, in particular in the nursing field. Another possible development of the Italian service concerns the method continuity, between the working units themselves and with the territory, which could be achieved using common nursing guide lines and protocols to manage standard caring situations. From the analysis of the european services it results that it is the nurse who has the most relevant role for the care quality improvement.

In the last years there has been a wide consensus on the importance of brain imaging in assessing neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. Different techniques for functional and anatomical examination are currently clinically implemented in neurology and psychiatry to improve sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the diagnosis of various diseases. In addition, the increasing life expectancy in the Western world raises the social importance and the economical impact of age-related neurodegenerative disorders since the incidence of Alzheimer disease and Parkinson disease is higher in the elderly. An early diagnosis of neuro-psychiatric diseases and the assessment of "natural" changes of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) distribution during normal aging are hence of utmost importance. In the recent past brain disorders have extensively been investigated by means of optimised nuclear medicine techniques, instruments and algorithms. Diagnosis can be better achieved by identifying those structures in which CBF or metabolism deviate from normality resulting in significant changes as compared to a reference database. In the present paper we present some studies investigating, by means of recently implemented diagnostic tools, patients bearer of various neuro-psychiatric disorders. The improved nuclear medicine techniques and instrumentation, the state-of-the-art software for brain imaging standardisation and the use of sophisticated multivariate data analysis are extensively reviewed.

In spite of the progresses of knowledge and care, pressure sores continue to be a clinically relevant problem. A double blind randomised controlled trial was organised to assess the efficacy of triticum vulgaris (Fitostimoline) vs placebo in the re-epithelisation of superficial pressure sores. Patients with stage NPUAP II or superficial pressure sores, with an expected survival of more than 3 months and eligible for a follow-up up to 8 weeks were included, over a period of 2 years in 46 clinical sites. The protocol was approved by local ethical committees and informed consent was obtained before randomisation. Medications were performed by nurses if the patient was hospitalised and by nurses or properly instructed caregivers at home. Weekly follow-up controls were assumed by nurses. Out of the 294 randomised patients 270 were included in the analyses. The two groups are comparable for the main characteristics except for Norton Scale mean values, less severe in the group assigned to active treatment (10.1+/-3.7 vs 8.9+/-3.2). The mean follow-up was of 3.8 and 4.2 weeks with a mean duration of 26+/-18 and 29+/-18 days for the experimental group and controls respectively. Seventy-six patients in the treatment group and controls (58.0 and 54.7) had their lesions re-epithelized. Adjusting results for age, initial Norton and Push scores there are no differences between treated and controls (OR 0.99 95% IC 0.60-1.67). This multicentre study, sponsored by a research group of nurses, failed to support the hypothesis that triticum vulgaris, the active component of the product Fitostimoline, given on top of recommended treatment, provides a specific therapeutic advantage in terms of frequency and timing of re-epithelization in superficial pressure sores.

Previous regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) studies on patients with unipolar major depressive disorder (MDD) have analysed clusters of voxels or single regions and yielded conflicting results, showing either higher or lower rCBF in MDD as compared to normal controls (CTR). The aim of this study was to assess rCBF distribution changes in 68 MDD patients, investigating the data set with both volume of interest (VOI) analysis and principal component analysis (PCA). The rCBF distribution in 68 MDD and 66 CTR, at rest, was compared. Technetium-99m d, l-hexamethylpropylene amine oxime single-photon emission tomography was performed and the uptake in 27 VOIs, bilaterally, was assessed using a standardising brain atlas. Data were then grouped into factors by means of PCA performed on rCBF of all 134 subjects and based on all 54 VOIs. VOI analysis showed a significant group x VOI x hemisphere interaction ( P<0.001). rCBF in eight VOIs (in the prefrontal, temporal, occipital and central structures) differed significantly between groups at the P<0.05 level. PCA identified 11 anatomo-functional regions that interacted with groups ( P<0.001). As compared to CTR, MDD rCBF was relatively higher in right associative temporo-parietal-occipital cortex ( P<0.01) and bilaterally in prefrontal ( P<0.005) and frontal cortex ( P<0.025), anterior temporal cortex and central structures ( P<0.05 and P<0.001 respectively). Higher rCBF in a selected group of MDD as compared to CTR at rest was found using PCA in five clusters of regions sharing close anatomical and functional relationships. At the single VOI level, all eight regions showing group differences were included in such clusters. PCA is a data-driven method for recasting VOIs to be used for group evaluation and comparison. The appearance of significant differences absent at the VOI level emphasises the value of analysing the relationships among brain regions for the investigation of psychiatric disease.

A descriptive survey was performed in the home care service of Azienda ULSS 16 of Padova at a sample of nurses. The aim of this study was to identify working experience aspects which represent satisfaction or dissatisfaction factors. A questionnaire was administered to the 63 nurses of the service, in the same day. 53 nurses (84%) declare themselves satisfied or very satisfied for the way their job stimulates the development of new capabilities, the same for freedom of choice the way of working, while 43 (68%) are satisfied or very satisfied for profession in general. 55 (87%) state to be unsatisfied or not much satisfied for the relation between wages and responsibility, and 42 (67%) for career opportunity. Working satisfaction is mainly caused by the quality of the relation with patient and his family for 45 nurses (71%); this aspect also prevails satisfaction linked to the opportunity of working in autonomy (29, 46%).

In the last decade, Italian Nursing history had an important normative development that completely redesigned profile, responsibility, autonomy and education, giving a push to the professionalism process. The article discuss how introduce new support figures, what tasks to delegate and what procedure are necessary to better care.