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Objective. To evaluate the refusal of the prosthesis in order to highlight elements in determining the acceptance/rejection of the prosthetic devices, and its role on rehabilitation program. Methods. A literature review through a search of the database Medline for studies published between October 2007 and May 2020 using the key words "prosthesis", "limb", and "accept"*. Results. Nine studies were included. Women appear to be more concerned about discomfort in using body-powered devices and about prosthesis cosmetic appearance. Level of limb amputation was considered relevant for prosthesis rejection only for the upper limb. Children fitted with prosthesis before two years old were less likely to abandon the prosthesis, preschool children have a lower drop-out prevalence compared to adults and school-age children. Conclusions. Understating the factors for rejections is crucial for more favorable health outcomes; multiple psychological factors should be considered during the rehabilitation process of individuals with limb amputation. Rehabilitation should consider psychosocial assistance for acceptance and perception of body representation and its discrepancy with the real body.

The differential diagnosis between cognitive impairment and functional cognitive impairment (depression) is complex and difficult, especially in the early stages of the disease. The aim of our study was to test linguistic analysis as a diagnostic tool to support clinical, and test-based diagnoses for this differential diagnosis. We enrolled 13 patients, requesting a diagnostic consultation in a Alzheimer Evaluation Unit. A provisional diagnosis through a neuropsychological evaluation (interview and neuropsychological tests) was made at baseline, while a definitive diagnosis was provided after six months, or, if not possible, after 12 months. The linguistic analysis was performed at T0 in blind by a linguist. Patients' language was studied at linguistic (morphological, syntactical, lexical literal and textual) and conversational (verbiage and humor) level. The correspondence rate between the linguistic analysis at T0 and the definitive diagnosis was 76.9%, compared to 58.4% between the neuropsychological équipe analyses at T0 and definitive diagnosis. There is no single patognomonic phenomenon for cognitive impairment or depression, but rather a linguistic cluster can lead to a diagnosis with a fairly good reliability

Aim: In neurology, the differential diagnosis between cognitive and functional cognitive impairment is one of the most complex and diffi cult especially in early stages of the disease. Conversation analysis (CA) study social interaction embracing both verbal and non-verbal conduct in situations of everyday life. Our study aims to evaluate the possibility of using linguistic analysis to support clinical, and test-based diagnoses for the differential diagnosis between cognitive impairment and psychiatric diagnosis resembling dementia. Methods:13 subjects requesting an initial consultation in a Alzheimer Evaluation Unit. A provisional diagnosis through a neuropsychological evaluation, was made at the baseline, after six months (gold standard), and, if necessary, after 12 months. The linguistic analysis was performed in a blind study by a linguist at T0. Patients language was studied at linguistic and conversational level. Results: Linguistic analysis at T0 has shown a correspondence rate with the gold standard diagnosis in 76.9% of cases (sensibility-80%, specifi city-75%, PPV-67% NPV-86%). The correspondence rate between the neuropsychological équipe analyses at T0 with the gold standard was 58.4%.Discussion: The linguistic diagnosis was able to establish the presence of cognitive impairment earlier than the diagnosis made by the neuropsychological équipe. A linguistic cluster of patognomonic phenomenon can lead to a diagnosis with a good degree of reliability, thus a trained linguist is needed. Conclusion: New studies using this methodology, and on larger patient populations are needed in order to confi rm the use of this technique and, if necessary, to refi ne it with the addition of words linked to emotions.

The restoring of equilibrium after a traumatic event makes it possible to give a new significance to patients' existence, and healthcare professionals simultaneously find themselves very close to questions of pain and disability. For these reasons, we introduced weekly group meetings of healthcare professionals and patients suffering from vascular, traumatic or neurological accidents, and meetings of professionals only at the Neurocognitive Rehabilitation Day Hospital of the University of Milan Bicocca. The aim of this paper is to identify possible indicators of changes in patients' existence through a conversational analysis, describing the experience at the light of methodological approach and reporting the results of a pilot observational study. The patient meetings began in October 2011 and led to a process of greater closeness and trust that was expressed by means of words, gestures, emotional participation, and non-verbal communication. The pilot considers the evolution of indicators in a sample of 14 patients for a period of 9 months and a timeframe of 3 months. Supportive interventions decreased while elements of sharing progressively increased, leading to progressive increased consciousness of both self and the disease. The group of professionals found that being together allowed them to distinguish performance as the use of their technical skills from understanding the other and his/her experience as part of their own, and not only linked to the disease. The professionals' reflections on their experiences led to the emergence of two possible ways of looking at a patient: as somebody other than me or somebody other like me

Massimiliano Beghi,1,2 Paola Beffa Negrini,1 Cecilia Perin,1,3 Federica Peroni,1,3 Adriana Magaudda,4 Cesare Cerri,1,3 Cesare Maria Cornaggia1,3 1Department of Surgery and Translational Medicine, University of Milano-Bicocca, 2Department of Mental Health, “Guido Salvini” Hospital, Garbagnate Milanese, Milan, Italy; 3Rehabilitation Medicine, Istituti Clinici Zucchi, Carate Brianza, Monza and Brianza, Italy; 4Epilepsy Center, Department of Neuroscience, University of Messina, Messina, Italy Abstract: In Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition, psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) do not have a unique classification as they can be found within different categories: conversion, dissociative, and somatization disorders. The ICD-10, instead, considers PNES within dissociative disorders, merging the dissociative disorders and conversion disorders, although the underlying defense mechanisms are different. The literature data show that PNES are associated with cluster B (mainly borderline) personality disorders and/or to people with depressive or anxiety disorders. Defense mechanisms in patients with PNES with a prevalence of anxious/depressive symptoms are of “neurotic” type; their goal is to lead to a “split”, either vertical (dissociation) or horizontal (repression). The majority of patients with this type of PNES have alexithymia traits, meaning that they had difficulties in feeling or perceiving emotions. In subjects where PNES are associated with a borderline personality, in which the symbolic function is lost, the defense mechanisms are of a more archaic nature (denial). PNES with different underlying defense mechanisms have different prognoses (despite similar severity of PNES) and need usually a different treatment (pharmacological or psychological). Thus, it appears superfluous to talk about psychiatric comorbidity, since PNES are a different symptomatic expression of spec