Luca Nocetti

Publications of Luca Nocetti

• Suggested visual hallucination without hypnosis enhances activity in visual areas of the brain.

  Authors: William J McGeown, Annalena Venneri, Irving Kirsch, Luca Nocetti, Kathrine Roberts, Lisa Foan, Giuliana Mazzoni

  Consciousness and cognition. 11/2011; 21(1):100-16.

  This functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) study investigated high and low suggestible people responding to two visual hallucination suggestions with and without a hypnotic induction.This functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) study investigated high and low suggestible people responding to two visual hallucination suggestions with and without a hypnotic induction. Participants in the study were asked to see color while looking at a grey image, and to see shades of grey while looking at a color image. High suggestible participants reported successful alterations in color perception in both tasks, both in and out of hypnosis, and showed a small benefit if hypnosis was induced. Low suggestible people could not perform the tasks successfully with or without the hypnotic induction. The fMRI results supported the self report data, and changes in brain activity were found in a number of visual areas. The results indicate that a hypnotic induction, although having the potential to enhance the ability of high suggestible people, is not necessary for the effective alteration of color perception by suggestion.

• Combining neuropsychological and structural neuroimaging indicators of conversion to Alzheimer's disease in amnestic mild cognitive impairment.

  Authors: Annalena Venneri, Giovanni Gorgoglione, Cristian Toraci, Luca Nocetti, Patrizia Panzetti, Paolo Nichelli

  Current Alzheimer research. 11/2011; 8(7):789-97.

  Morphometric and neuropsychological retrospective studies of amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) have demonstrated that regional atrophies and cognitive impairments may differentiate stable fromMorphometric and neuropsychological retrospective studies of amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) have demonstrated that regional atrophies and cognitive impairments may differentiate stable from progressing MCI. No measure has proved helpful prospectively. In this study, twenty five amnestic MCI patients and 25 healthy controls underwent structural MRI and comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. The groups' grey matter volumes were compared with voxel based morphometry and were also correlated with scores obtained on paired associates learning and category fluency tasks. MCI patients had significantly reduced grey matter volume in left mediotemporal and other neocortical regions compared with controls. Atrophy in perirhinal and anterior inferior temporal cortex was associated with poor scores on both category fluency and paired associates learning tasks. After 36 months, 44% of the MCI sample converted to dementia. Converter and non-converter MCI subgroups differed in paired associates learning and in category fluency scores, and showed limited differences in grey matter loss in the hippocampal complex. Variable atrophy in the hippocampus was not a relevant element in the converter/non converter distinction, but converters had significant volumetric reductions in the perhirinal cortex and in other anterior temporal and frontal neocortical areas. A high proportion of converters (91%) could be identified from baseline data using a combination of measures of regional atrophy in left temporal association cortex and poor scores on paired associates learning and category fluency tasks. This combined approach may offer a better option than using each measure alone to prospectively identify individuals at more immediate risk of conversion to dementia in the MCI population. The clinical advantage of this combination of structural MRI and neuropsychological measures in predicting conversion to dementia will need additional prospective validation.

• Reduction of scatter radiation during transradial percutaneous coronary angiography: a randomized trial using a lead-free radiation shield.

  Authors: Luigi Politi, Giuseppe Biondi-Zoccai, Luca Nocetti, Tiziana Costi, Daniel Monopoli, Rosario Rossi, Fabio Sgura, Maria Grazia Modena, Giuseppe M Sangiorgi

  Catheterization and cardiovascular interventions : official journal of the Society for Cardiac Angiography & Interventions. 04/2011; 79(1):97-102.

  Occupational radiation exposure is a growing problem due to the increasing number and complexity of interventional procedures performed. Radial artery access has reduced the number of complicationsOccupational radiation exposure is a growing problem due to the increasing number and complexity of interventional procedures performed. Radial artery access has reduced the number of complications at the price of longer procedure duration. Radpad® scatter protection is a sterile, disposable bismuth-barium radiation shield drape that should be able to decrease the dose of operator radiation during diagnostic and interventional procedures. Such radiation shield has never been tested in a randomized study in humans. Sixty consecutive patients undergoing coronary angiography by radial approach were randomized 1:1 to Radpad use versus no radiation shield protection. The sterile shield was placed around the area of right radial artery sheath insertion and extended medially to the patient trunk. All diagnostic procedures were performed by the same operator to reduce variability in radiation absorption. Radiation exposure was measured blindly using thermoluminescence dosimeters positioned at the operator's chest, left eye, left wrist, and thyroid. Despite similar fluoroscopy time (3.52 ± 2.71 min vs. 3.46 ± 2.77 min, P = 0.898) and total examination dose (50.5 ± 30.7 vs. 45.8 ± 18.0 Gycm(2), P = 0.231), the mean total radiation exposure to the operator was significantly lower when Radpad was utilized (282.8 ± 32.55 μSv vs. 367.8 ± 105.4 μSv, P < 0.0001) corresponding to a 23% total reduction. Moreover, mean radiation exposure was lower with Radpad utilization at all body locations ranging from 13 to 34% reduction. This first-in-men randomized trial demonstrates that Radpad significantly reduces occupational radiation exposure during coronary angiography performed through right radial artery access.

• Ex vivo HR-MAS MRS of human meningiomas: a comparison with in vivo 1H MR spectra.

  Authors: Vitaliano Tugnoli, Luisa Schenetti, Adele Mucci, Francesca Parenti, Rita Cagnoli, Valeria Righi, Andrea Trinchero, Luca Nocetti, Cristian Toraci, Luciano Mavilla, Gianpaolo Trentini, Elena Zunarelli, M Raffaella Tosi

  International journal of molecular medicine. 12/2006; 18(5):859-69.

  We report on the magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) characterisation of different human meningiomas. Three histological subtypes of meningiomas (meningothelial, fibrous and oncocytic) wereWe report on the magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) characterisation of different human meningiomas. Three histological subtypes of meningiomas (meningothelial, fibrous and oncocytic) were analysed both through in vivo and ex vivo MRS experiments. The ex vivo high-resolution magic angle spinning (HR-MAS) investigations, permitting an accurate description of the metabolic profile, are very helpful for the assignment of the resonances in vivo of human meningiomas and for the validation of the quantification procedure of in vivo MR spectra. By using one- and two-dimensional experiments, we were able to identify several metabolites in different histological subtypes of meningiomas. Our spectroscopic data confirmed the presence of the typical metabolites of these benign neoplasms and, at the same time, that meningomas with different morphological characteristics have different metabolic profiles, particularly regarding macromolecules and lipids. The ex vivo spectra allowed a better understanding and interpretation of the in vivo MR spectra, showing that the HR-MAS MRS technique could be a complementary method to strongly support the in vivo MR spectroscopy and increase its clinical potentiality.

• Humor comprehension and appreciation: an FMRI study.

  Authors: Angela Bartolo, Francesca Benuzzi, Luca Nocetti, Patrizia Baraldi, Paolo Nichelli

  Journal of cognitive neuroscience. 12/2006; 18(11):1789-98.

  Humor is a unique ability in human beings. Suls [A two-stage model for the appreciation of jokes and cartoons. In P. E. Goldstein & J. H. McGhee (Eds.), The psychology of humour. TheoreticalHumor is a unique ability in human beings. Suls [A two-stage model for the appreciation of jokes and cartoons. In P. E. Goldstein & J. H. McGhee (Eds.), The psychology of humour. Theoretical perspectives and empirical issues. New York: Academic Press, 1972, pp. 81-100] proposed a two-stage model of humor: detection and resolution of incongruity. Incongruity is generated when a prediction is not confirmed in the final part of a story. To comprehend humor, it is necessary to revisit the story, transforming an incongruous situation into a funny, congruous one. Patient and neuroimaging studies carried out until now lead to different outcomes. In particular, patient studies found that right brain-lesion patients have difficulties in humor comprehension, whereas neuroimaging studies suggested a major involvement of the left hemisphere in both humor detection and comprehension. To prevent activation of the left hemisphere due to language processing, we devised a nonverbal task comprising cartoon pairs. Our findings demonstrate activation of both the left and the right hemispheres when comparing funny versus nonfunny cartoons. In particular, we found activation of the right inferior frontal gyrus (BA 47), the left superior temporal gyrus (BA 38), the left middle temporal gyrus (BA 21), and the left cerebellum. These areas were also activated in a nonverbal task exploring attribution of intention [Brunet, E., Sarfati, Y., Hardy-Bayle, M. C., & Decety, J. A PET investigation of the attribution of intentions with a nonverbal task. Neuroimage, 11, 157-166, 2000]. We hypothesize that the resolution of incongruity might occur through a process of intention attribution. We also asked subjects to rate the funniness of each cartoon pair. A parametric analysis showed that the left amygdala was activated in relation to subjective amusement. We hypothesize that the amygdala plays a key role in giving humor an emotional dimension.