Patients with “personality disorder”, has history of traumatic life events and are predisposed to develop alexithymia and dissociation, considered as risk factor for severity.

The aim of the research is to analyze alexithymia relating to dissociative symptoms, and investigate their associations, in 34 patients with personality disorder.

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.

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).

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.

No significant relationships.

Functional studies in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have shown localised focal hypoperfusion and abnormalities in the anatomo-functional connectivity of limbic-striatal “social” brain. However, no common regional abnormalities have been found across studies.

The aim of this study was to investigate the cerebral blood flow (CBF) at rest in subjects with ASD as compared to a group of healthy controls.

In this preliminary investigation six normal intelligence patients with ASD and 5 age and sex matched healthy controls (HC) were examined using PET/CT camera and, as CBF tracer, 11C-butanol, a radiopharmaceutical produced on-site. The combination of these two methodologies reduced the whole examination time to less than 10 minutes. Statistical Parametric Mapping was implemented to analyse the data.

As compared to HC, ASD showed a highly significant CBF increase (height threshold p=0.001, p< 0.0001 at voxel-level), bilaterally, in large portions of the cerebellum, of the visual associative cortex and of the posterior parietal lobe.

This preliminary study was performed by the state-of-the-art neuroimaging methodologies that reduced considerably the examination time and resulted in less stress and more reliable investigations. The occipital and parietal associative cortex as well as the cerebellum showed an increased CBF in ASD, underscoring their involvement in the disease and raising methodological and diagnostic issues to be considered when exploring the neuroanatomy of ASD.

Alcohol abuse and dependence are frequently associated with psychiatric disorders and Personality Disorders, with differences among genders. However, only few studies investigated gender differences in personality disorders among alcoholics.

The aim of our study is to investigate personality disorders in a sample of inpatient alcoholics applying Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory - III, and to describe gender differences in prevalence and comorbidity of personality disorders.

The study population consist of 206 alcohol dependent patients entering detoxification treatment in a specialized clinic in Italy. At enrollment, patients filled in the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory - III for the assessment of personality disorders and the AUDIT Test for the evaluation of alcohol consumption.

The sample consisted of 150 men and 56 women. According to Millon assessment, 25% percent of men vs 12% of women had one PDs, 16% vs 23% had two PDs, and 46% vs 48% had more than three PDs. A statistically significant higher proportion of women got high scores on Avoidant (21.4% vs 9.3%, p = 0.020), Self-Defeating (50.0% vs 24.0%, p < 0.001), and Borderline scale (42.9% vs 25.3%, p = 0.015). Associations among PD are sporadic among men whilst are very frequent among women. Depressive, Self-Defeating and Borderline PDs are frequently associated both to other PDs and among each other, suggesting a possible female pattern.

Borderline PD is confirmed to be more frequent among alcoholic women than among men. More studies are needed to clarify prevalence and associations of PDs, prognosis, and gender differences in alcoholics patients.

Several studies have reported limbic structures volume decrease in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). However, in PTSD the effect of therapy on brain structures has seldom been investigated. the aim of the study was to evaluate the grey matter (GM) loss in occupational related PTSD and to assess the volumetric differences between patients responding (R) and non-responding (NR) to psychotherapy.

Pre-EMDR MRI data of 21 train drives who did develop PTSD (S) and 22 who did not develop PTSD (NS) after person-under-the-train accidents were compared. Within S further comparisons were made between 10 R to Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy and 5 NR. Data were analysed by optimised voxel-based morphometry as implemented in Statistical Parametric Mapping.

As compared to NS, S showed a significant GM volume reduction in precuneus, lingual gyrus, posterior cingulate and parahippocampal cortex. the R>NR comparison highlighted a significant GM reduction in NR in bilateral posterior cingulate, left middle frontal cortex and right parahippocampal, insular and temporal cortices.

Comparing two large groups of subjects significant GM volumetric reductions were found in PTSD in posterior limbic structures. NR showed, as compared to R, volume reduction in cortical structures including posterior cingulate and parahippocampal cortex. These latter two structures seem to be the hallmark for both PTSD diagnosis and therapy outcome prediction.

Several studies have reported limbic structures volume decrease in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). However, in PTSD the effect of therapy on brain structures has seldom been investigated. The aim of the study was to evaluate the grey matter (GM) loss in occupational related PTSD and to assess the volumetric differences between patients responding (R) and non-responding (NR) to psychotherapy.

Pre-EMDR MRI data of 21 train drives who did develop PTSD (S) and 22 who did not develop PTSD (NS) after person-under-the-train accidents were compared. Within S further comparisons were made between 10 R to Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy and 5 NR. Data were analysed by optimised voxel-based morphometry as implemented in Statistical Parametric Mapping.

As compared to NS, S showed a significant GM volume reduction in precuneus, lingual gyrus, posterior cingulate and parahippocampal cortex. The R>NR comparison highlighted a significant GM reduction in NR in bilateral posterior cingulate, left middle frontal cortex and right parahippocampal, insular and temporal cortices.

Comparing two large groups of subjects significant GM volumetric reductions were found in PTSD in posterior limbic structures. NR showed, as compared to R, volume reduction in cortical structures including posterior cingulate and parahippocampal cortex. These latter two structures seem to be the hallmark for both PTSD diagnosis and therapy outcome prediction.