Angela Federico

• PsyD
• Medical Professional at University of Verona

Objectives This systematic review (PROSPERO CRD42021275421) synthesized evidence on the efficacy of cognitive rehabilitation on cognitive and functional outcomes in adult cancer survivors. Methods Articles were identified though PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science from inception through June 30, 2023. Studies included participants...

Rationale Environmental enrichment (EE) is a non-pharmacological approach that has been shown to be effective in reducing food-taking in rats. Studies in human volunteers are still in their infancy, given the difficulty to translate the complexity of EE in clinical practice. Virtual reality (VR) is a promising methodological approach, but no study...

Olfactory deficit is a widely documented non-motor symptom in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Abnormal turning points trajectories through olfactory threshold testing have been recently reported in patients with olfactory dysfunction, who seem to adapt faster to olfactory stimuli, but data on PD patients are lacking. The aim of this study is to perform o...

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are characterized by a recurrent and maladaptive use of drugs and/or alcohol. Cognitive behavioral therapies (CBTs) comprise different types of interventions: traditional CBT and the more recent “third wave” behavior therapies, such as acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), mindfu...

SARS-CoV-2 survivors may report persistent symptoms that resemble myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). We explored (a) ME/CFS-like symptom prevalence and (b) whether axonal, inflammatory, and/or lung changes may contribute to ME/CFS-like symptoms in SARS-CoV-2 survivors through clinical, neuropsychiatric, neuropsychological,...

High-dose use of benzodiazepines (BZDs) and Z-drugs was found to be associated with adult attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and multidomain cognitive deficits, but the interplay between these factors and its effect on quality of life (QoL) is unclear. We explored (a) whether cognitive dysfunction differs in high-dose BZD/Z-drug users...

The considerable prominence of internet addiction (IA) in adolescence is at least partly explained by the limited knowledge thus far available on this complex phenomenon. In discussing IA, it is necessary to be aware that this is a construct for which there is still no clear definition in the literature. Nonetheless, its important clinical implicat...

Introduction: The use of novel designer drugs has increased worldwide over the years. Etizolam is a designer benzodiazepine (BZD) that has raised concern because of its growing non-medical use, liability to tolerance and dependence, and related harms. Studies exploring the abuse liability and cognitive effects of etizolam outside the therapeutic do...

The current COVID-19 pandemic presents unprecedented new challenges to public health and medical care delivery. To control viral transmission, social distancing measures have been implemented all over the world, interrupting the access to routine medical care for many individuals with neurological diseases. Cognitive disorders are common in many ne...

Background: Gambling disorder (GD) is the most common behavioral addiction and shares pathophysiological and clinical features with substance use disorders (SUDs). Effective therapeutic interventions for GD are lacking. Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) may represent a promising treatment option for GD. Objective: This systematic review aimed t...

Purpose High-dose benzodiazepines (BZDs) abuse has been documented to cause multidomain cognitive dysfunction. We explored whether cognitive abnormalities to high-dose BZD abuse might be reversed by detoxification with slow subcutaneous infusion of flumazenil. Methods We recruited 96 patients consecutively admitted to the Department of Internal Me...

The QTc interval is the electrocardiographic manifestation of ventricular depolarization and repolarization. This marker is often prolonged in acute and chronic neurological conditions. The cause of the cerebrogenic QT prolongation remains unclear. The aim of the study was to analyze the relation between QTc interval and the degree of cognitive imp...

Cognitive and physical activity treatments (CT and PT) are two non-pharmacological approaches frequently used in patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's Disease (AD). The aim of this study was to compare CT and PT in these diseases. Eighty-seven patients were randomly assigned to CT (n=30), PT (n=27) or control group (CTRL; n=...

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and chemosensory dysfunction are non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD), but their association is unclear. We explored if MCI and the involvement of single cognitive domains influence olfaction and taste in PD. The role of demographic, clinical and neuropsychiatric variables was tested. We recruited 50 PD pat...

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) and dementia are chronic diseases with progressive deterioration of cognition, function, and behavior leading to severe disability and death. The prevalence of AD and dementia is constantly increasing because of the progressive aging of the population. These conditions represent a considerable challenge to patie...

Neuropsychological testing is a key diagnostic tool for assessing people with dementia and mild cognitive impairment, but can also help in other neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, stroke, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury and epilepsy. While cognitive screening tests offer gross information, detailed neuropsychological ev...

Background Erectile dysfunction (ED) is common among men on opioid replacement therapy (ORT), but most previous studies exploring its prevalence and determinants yielded contrasting findings. Moreover, the impact of ED on patients’ quality of life (QoL) has been seldom explored. Objective To explore the prevalence and determinants of ED in men on...

Dataset of the study. The dataset of the study with demographic and clinical data of the patients. (XLS)

High-dose benzodiazepine (BZD) dependence represents an emerging and under-reported addiction phenomenon and is associated with reduced quality of life. To date there are no guidelines for the treatment of high-dose BZD withdrawal. Low-dose slow flumazenil infusion was reported to be effective for high-dose BZD detoxification, but there is concern...

Background and objectives: Adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is frequent in patients with substance use disorders (SUD), but information on its prevalence in high-dose benzodiazepine (BZD) dependence is lacking. We estimated the prevalence of adult ADHD in a group of treatment-seeking high-dose BZD dependent patients according...

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is common in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and should be recognized early because it represents a predictor of PD-related dementia and worse disease course. Diagnostic criteria for PD-related MCI (PD-MCI) have recently been defined by a Movement Disorders Society (MDS) task force. The present study explored...

Benzodiazepines (BZDs) are among the most widely prescribed drugs in developed countries, but they have a high potential for tolerance, dependence and misuse. High-dose BZD misuse represents an emerging addiction phenomenon, but data on quality of life (QoL) in high-dose BZD misusers are scant. This study aimed to explore QoL in high-dose BZD misus...

Benzodiazepines (BZDs) are the most widely prescribed drug class in developed countries, but they have high potential for tolerance, dependence and abuse. Cognitive deficits in long-term BZD users have long been known, but previous results might have been biased by patients’ old age, coexisting neurological or psychiatric conditions or concurrent a...

The interplay between pain and neurorehabilitation is very complex, in that pain may be a target for treatment, but can also have negative effects on neurorehabilitation procedures. Moreover, side effects of drugs, which are currently used to treat pain, may negatively influence rehabilitation outcomes. Because of the lack of guidelines or consensu...

Cardinal motor features of Parkinson’s disease (PD) include bradykinesia, rest tremor, and rigidity, which appear in the early stages of the disease and largely depend on dopaminergic nigrostriatal denervation. Intermediate and advanced PD stages are characterized by motor fluctuations and dyskinesia, which depend on complex mechanisms secondary to...

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is frequent in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Recently proposed criteria for MCI in PD (PD-MCI) indicate level I diagnosis based on abbreviated assessment and level II based on comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation. The study explored the sensitivity and specificity of the Italian versions of three neuropsychologica...