Alessandra Telesca

Fondazione I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta | IRCCS besta · Department of Clinical Neurosciences

Background This study aimed at (1) delivering generalizable estimates of the prevalence of frontotemporal-spectrum disorders (FTSDs) in non-demented ALS patients and (2) exploring their motor-functional correlates. Methods N = 808 ALS patients without FTD were assessed for motor-functional outcomes—i.e., disease duration, severity (ALSFRS-R), prog...

It has been recently acknowledged that deficits in experiencing and processing one’s own emotions, also termed alexithymia, may possibly feature the frontotemporal-spectrum disorders. This study aims to determine whether alexithymia could be included within the frontotemporal syndromes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Alexithymic traits were...

Cyberball, the paradigm developed by Kipling D. Williams and colleagues (2000) to study ostracism, initially counted three experimental conditions: inclusion, exclusion, and overinclusion. The least known of these conditions is overinclusion, a social interaction characterized by excessive social attention (rather than fairness or no attention). Th...

Previous evidence suggested that chronic pain is characterized by cognitive deficits, particularly in the social cognition domain. Recently, a new chronic pain classification has been proposed distinguishing chronic primary pain (CPP), in which pain is the primary cause of patients’ disease, and chronic secondary pain (CSP), in which pain is second...

Objective In elderly people loneliness represents a risk factor for dementia and may negatively impact on mental and physical health. The specific contribute of loneliness to cognitive and behavioral functioning have not yet been determined in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Our hypothesis was that loneliness may be related to motor dysfunctio...

Introduction: Cluster headache (CH) is usually comorbid to mood spectrum disorders, but the psychopathological aspects are poorly explored. We aimed at identifying discrete profiles of personality traits and their association with clinical features. Methods: Based on the personality scales of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III, princip...

Background The study had been initiated because of restrictions put in place to control the spread of coronavirus in Milan in March 2020 that impacted clinical activities at our tertiary headache center in Milan (Foundation IRCSS Carlo Besta Neurological Institute). Treatment efforts were modified to make use of telephonic and internet communicatio...

Objective: Long-term life experiences, such as education, occupational attainment, leisure activities, and bilingualism, have been considered proxies of cognitive reserve (CR). In neurodegenerative disease, CR is considered as a modulator of a more favorable cognitive trajectory and motor functions. Our study investigated the role of CR on cognitiv...

Objective We aimed at investigating the impact of COVID-19-related distress on patients with chronic pain, highlighting the effects of changes in individual habits and public health care reconfiguration on physical and psychological health. Methods During the pandemic, 80 participants (25 patients with small fibre neuropathy (SFN), 42 patients wit...