[Psychological and psychopathological correlates in Dupuytren's disease]. / Correlati psicologici e psicopatologici nel morbo di Dupuytren.

The etiology of Dupuytren's disease, a chronic and depressive lesion of the palmar aponeurosis, is still unclear. Numerous factors have been implicated, including psychopathological elements and a stressor psychosomatic response, possibly in the presence of a personality structure which may represent a diathesis. On the other hand, from a psychosomatic point of view, any psychic correlates could be secondary to somatic damage. In order to look for common psychological and psychopathological elements in the syndrome 39 patients were examined by a team of orthopedics specialised in hand surgery during the period 1990-91. All cases were studied by clinical interview, the evaluation of anamnestic data of possible psychiatric importance and the use of Rorschach and MMPI tests. The data obtained do not confirm that specific personality elements or psychopathological factors can be correlated to the clinical symptoms of Dupuytren's disease given that the results are comparable to what may be considered the characteristics of a non-selected but age- and culturally-matched population. There are only sporadic findings indicating neurotic and depressive factors, or senile involution. Likewise, no reliable and uniform stressing events were observed, or particular signs of maladaptation related to environmental reactivity or the disease itself.

[Major depression and "deterioration" of intellectual function]. / Depressione maggiore e "deterioramento" delle funzioni intellettive.

Forty five subjects with major depression or bipolar disorder were studied during the symptom-free period using the Wechsler and Rorschach tests. The tests revealed a reduced capacity to utilise data obtained by analysis and to integrate them by the organisation of complex thought processes as well as frequent loss of contact with reality. This finding seems to demonstrate that the apparently symptom-free periods of depression often display alterations in the capacity for thought.

[Social adaptation of patients with recurrent depressive episodes]. / Adattamento sociale in pazienti con episodi depressivi ricorrenti.

A catamnestic study has been carried out in 45 patients with "major affective disturbance" precedents so as to ascertain the possible presence of a "residual syndrome" or a personality "at risk" for depressive disease emerging during so-called interval periods. Special attention is paid to examination of social adaptation in these periods. The instruments employed for the investigation, apart from the clinical conversation and documentation relating to prior admissions were: APDI (record of personal data in the case of adults), the Hamilton Scale, the B.P.R.S. (Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale), the S.A.S. (Scale of Social Adaptation) and Rorschach's Psychodiagnosis. The results obtained evidence a series of more or less marked, but always present psychic disturbances characterising the interval period, with problems of adaptation both to working activity and to social relations, especially in the extra-familial environment. These disturbances are attributable in part to a personality at risk and in part to an authentic residual syndrome.

[Intellectual efficiency and drug addiction]. / Efficienza intellettiva e tossicodipendenza.

The intellectual efficiency of a group of drug addicts and a group of neurotic and senile subjects was tested against the Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scale. Alongside an anxiety-related reduction in the efficiency of certain functions and a reduction in the ability to concentrate, the addicts evidenced a reduction in efficiency in the organisation of tasks and prediction of results related to depression of disharmony in the interaction of the various functions.

[The elderly and their existence model. A study with projective technics]. / L'anziano ed il suo modello di esistenza. Studio con tecniche proiettive.

Elderly subjects free from psychiatric diseases and hospitalised at centres run in accordance with different models have been examined. The T.A.T. was carried out. Certain common elements emerge that would appear to be related to the senile age. Others appear to be psychological superstructures related to the different conditions of existence.

Oxiracetam in the treatment of primary degenerative and multi-infarct dementia: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

A multicentre, double-blind, between-patient study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of oxiracetam (800-mg tablets), in comparison with placebo, each given twice daily for 12 weeks to patients suffering from primary degenerative, multi-infarct or mixed forms of dementia. Efficacy was assessed by the Inventory of Psychic and Somatic Complaints in the Elderly (IPSC-E), administered at entry and after 4, 8 and 12 weeks of treatment, and by the Blessed Dementia Scale and the Newcastle Memory, Information and Concentration Scale (NMICS), administered at the beginning and at the end of the study. Three hundred and seven patients were enrolled, 18 of whom were excluded from the analysis because of violation of the protocol. Two hundred and eighty-nine patients were analyzed (145 m, 144 f, mean age 73 years) and 272 completed the study; 3 patients in each treatment group were withdrawn because of poor tolerability, 10 because of poor compliance and 1 patient because of the occurrence of a cerebral stroke. A significantly (p less than 0.01) different effect, in favor of oxiracetam, was observed in the three main efficacy criteria (i.e. IPSC-E, Blessed Dementia Scale and NMIC total scores), and confirmed by descriptive analyses carried out on some subitems of the scales used. Thirty-one patients on oxiracetam and 27 on placebo complained of a total of 35 and 32 minor unwanted effects, respectively. No clinically or statistically significant changes were observed on routine laboratory examinations.

[Personality structure in depression]. / Studio sulla struttura di personalità nella depressione.

A catamnestic study has been carried out on 45 patients, who had presented "major affective disturbances" according to the DSM III classification, for the purpose of evaluating various features of depressive disease. It is deduced that the depressed personality is not without changes even in the interval period: these are partly attributable to a residual syndrome, in part they are practically constant constituents of the personality of the endogenous depressed.

[Psychopathology and psychodynamics of feeding behavior disorders in a group of male patients]. / Note di psicopatologia e psicodinamica nei disturbi del comportamento alimentare di un gruppo di pazienti maschi.

After a brief review of connections between structuring disturbances of self image with dysorexias, clinical cases of males presenting altered alimentary behaviours are described with reference to emerging structural data as per Rorschach. A prevalently phobic-obsessive structure is identified along with problems related to the relationship with parental figures, difficulties of identification and role playing. Stress is laid on the possible interference of cultural factors and the need for careful pedagogic intervention within the framework of primary disturbance prevention.

[Personality structure and mental anorexia. A study using projective technics]. / Struttura di personalità e anoressia mentale. Studio con tecniche proiettive.

A sample of 73 females suffering from mental anorexia is examined. All were subjected to the Rorschach test. It emerges that the anorexic patients in the sample are basically characterised by hysterical or obsessive type personality structures. They have no structural traits definable as paradigmatic of the syndrome. The only feature connotating all subjects of the group consists of conflictual situations with regard to the maternal figure.