Pitfalls and Risks of "New Eating Disorders": Let the Expert Speak!

Since the post-pandemic period, there has been an increase in the incidence of eating disorders (EADs) and a lowering of the age of onset. In addition to the 'classic' forms, there has also been an increase in new forms of EADs. This article proposes a brief review of the literature concerning mainly two of these new disorders: atypical anorexia and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder. In addition, a brief overview is proposed of the most frequently raised questions that clinicians may face when dealing with EADs. The answers are provided by doctors from the Federico II University of Naples, who additionally offer the most common red flags on the topic derived from long clinical experience. This article is proposed to be a brief operational guide for all clinicians working in the pediatric area in order to provide diagnostic clues and useful elements to refer patients to specialists for a correct and multidisciplinary treatment.

IAmHero: Preliminary Findings of an Experimental Study to Evaluate the Statistical Significance of an Intervention for ADHD Conducted through the Use of Serious Games in Virtual Reality.

The use of new technologies, such as virtual reality (VR), represents a promising strategy in the rehabilitation of subjects with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We present the results obtained by administering the IAmHero tool through VR to a cohort of subjects with ADHD between 5 and 12 years of age. The trial time was approximately 6 months. In order to assess the beneficial effects of the treatment, standardised tests assessing both ADHD symptoms and executive functions (e.g., Conners-3 scales) were administered both before and at the end of the sessions. Improvements were observed at the end of treatment in both ADHD symptoms (especially in the hyperactivity/impulsivity domain) and executive functions. One of the strengths of the VR approach is related above all to the acceptability of this tool and its flexibility. Unfortunately, to date, there are still few studies on this topic; therefore, future studies are essential to expand our knowledge on the utility and benefits of these technologies in the rehabilitation field.