Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

C Faravelli

Publications and source records attributed to C Faravelli.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Recent life events and attempted suicide.

The contextual method was used to identify the incidence of recent life events and difficulties among 50 suicide attempters compared with a control group selected at random from the general population. Suicide attempters experienced a significantly greater incidence of major life events, although for all life events irrespective of stressfulness, and for independent events the differences were not significant. The overall incidence of difficulties was also higher among suicide attempters. Finally, the results suggest a vulnerability effect as far as three factors are concerned: early loss of/separation from one or both parents, absence of paid employment and living in a nuclear family.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Epidemiology of mood disorders: a community survey in Florence.

A structured interview designed to detect affective disorders and to produce both DSM-III and DSM-III-R diagnoses was administered to a community sample of 1000 people living in Florence. The interviews were carried out by physician-psychiatrists (qualified psychiatrists or 3rd-4th-year trainees) trained in the use of operational diagnoses. The 1-year prevalence and point prevalence were, respectively: 1.7% and 0.6% for bipolar disorder; 0.4% and 0.4% for cyclothymia; 6.2% and 2.8% for major depression; 2.6% and 0.8% for dysthymia; 5.2% and 1.8% for depressive disorder not otherwise specified. Most of the cases affected by mood disorder sought medical help, primarily through their GP. The large majority of them were specifically treated for it and, in almost 60% of the cases with a major form, were referred to a psychiatrist.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Epidemiology of anxiety disorders in Florence.

A structured interview designed to diagnose anxiety disorders according to DSM-III (plus infrequent panic attacks and generalized anxiety disorder using DSM-III-R criteria) was given to 1110 people registered with 6 general practitioners (GPs), whether they consulted the doctor or not. As each citizen in Italy has to be registered with a GP, the sample was representative of the population. The interviews were carried out by the GPs, who were also third- or fourth-year trainees in psychiatry. The lifetime prevalence and point prevalence were: 0.36% and 0.27% for agoraphobia; 0.90% and 0.72% for agoraphobia with panic; 1.35% and 0.27% for panic disorder; 0.63% and 0.45% for simple phobia; 0.49% and 45% for social phobia, 5.41% and 2.79% for generalized anxiety disorder; and 0.72% and 0.63% for obsessive-compulsive disorder. These figures are lower than those reported in other surveys; possible explanations may be the use of a hierarchical diagnostic model and the fact that diagnosticians were psychiatrists instead of lay interviewers as in most studies in the United States. On the whole, 62% of anxiety cases consult a GP, 50% consult a psychiatrist and 7% are hospitalized.

Adjustment Disorders↗
PubMed1989

Recent life events and panic disorder.

The authors assessed life events during the 12 months before the onset of panic disorder in 64 patients. Compared with a control group of 78 healthy subjects, patients with panic disorder had higher scores however life events were assessed, i.e., number of events, weighted normative scores, contextual scores, and number of subjects with major events. Independent life events (those beyond the subject's control) were also more numerous and more severe among the patients. The larger number of events experienced by the patients was due to the more frequent occurrence of life stress in the month before the onset of panic disorder. Loss events had the strongest relationship to panic disorder.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Viqualine in resistant depression: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Viqualine dihydrochloride is a new molecule, which possesses strong serotonin reuptake inhibition properties and, at the same time, diazepam-like actions, such as [3H]-diazepam-binding inhibition and antipunishment effect. The drug was administered double-blindly to 10 patients suffering from major depression resistant to previous treatments with tricyclics. The comparison group (10 patients) received placebo. Lorazepam (10 mg/day) was also given to both groups. Viqualine proved to be significantly superior to placebo in the 4th week of treatment on all the three rating scales which were used. Tolerability of viqualine was good both objectively and on subjective grounds.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Panic attacks with and without agoraphobia: a comparison.

22 patients with panic disorder (PD) were compared with 42 cases suffering from agoraphobia with panic attacks for a number of variables. The two groups did not differ for age, sex ratio, age of onset, social class, severity of nonsituational anxiety and personality profiles. On the other hand agoraphobics showed lower education and worse social adaptation. A higher prevalence of traumatic life events was also observed for agoraphobics compared with subjects suffering from PD.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Treatment of Raynaud's phenomenon with captopril.

The efficacy of captopril in the treatment of Raynaud's phenomenon was observed in an open study in 53 patients with primitive Raynaud's disease and in 18 patients with Raynaud's associated with scleroderma. Each patient was given captopril 25 mg three times a day for three months. The drug significantly decreased the frequency and the severity of ischaemic attacks in patients with Raynaud's disease, but did not affect the attacks in patients with scleroderma. These subjective ratings were supported by the results of digital strain gauge plethysmography during cold challenge. The therapy was discontinued in six patients (one because of an allergic skin reaction and five owing to orthostatic hypotension), but no serious side-effects were noticed.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Depressive relapses and incomplete recovery from index episode.

Of 101 patients suffering from primary unipolar depression who were followed up for at least 1 year after recovery from the index episode, 51 relapsed into a new depressive episode within the year of recovery. Only those variables related to the period immediately after discharge distinguished nonrelapsers from relapsers; relapsers showed higher levels of residual symptoms, inferior social adaptation, a more pathological mean personality profile, and lower tricyclic plasma levels, despite similar dosage. The data are consistent with the hypothesis of an incomplete recovery from the index episode as a risk factor for relapse within 1 year.

Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic↗
PubMed1986

Early life events and affective disorder revisited.

The incidence of traumatic events during the first ten years of life was investigated in two groups of patients suffering from major affective disorder, as well as in mixed psychiatric patients and in healthy subjects. While there were no significant differences between the two groups of affective patients or between the two control groups, the incidence of subjects who underwent such trauma was significantly higher in depressives, compared with controls. These differences are small and are further reduced if events secondary to psychiatric disturbances of family members are excluded.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Life events preceding the onset of panic disorder.

The life events experienced in the 12 months prior to the first panic attack were studied in 23 patients with a DSM-III diagnosis of panic disorder as well as in 23 healthy subjects matched for age, sex, social and educational level. Patients showed significant excess of life events compared to controls, however life events were assessed. Panic patients in fact scored higher on the number of events, the weighted scores (according to Paykel's scale) and the number of subjects who underwent a major life event (death or severe illness, either personal or of a cohabiting relative) in the two months preceding the onset of symptoms.

Adjustment Disorders↗
PubMed1985

Epidemiology of affective disorders in Florence. Preliminary results.

A structured interview designed to detect affective disorders according to operational diagnostic criteria was administered to a representative sample of 639 people living in Florence. The 1 year prevalence percent was 1.7 for bipolar disorder, 0.31 for atypical bipolar disorder, 5.2 for major depression, 1.4 for cyclothymic disorder, 2.3 for dysthymic disorder (all diagnosed according to DSM III criteria) and 4.5 for minor depression (RDC criteria). The corresponding figures relative to the point prevalence were: 0.6, 0.16, 3.8, 0.47, 1.2, 0.31. The use of care services on the part of affective cases (none, GP, public psychiatric facilities, private psychiatrist, hospital) was also recorded.

Bipolar Disorder↗
PubMed1984

Plasma levels and clinical response during treatment with clomipramine.

The plasma levels of clomipramine (CI) and its major metabolite desmethylclomipramine (DMCI) may be related to clinical response during treatment of depression. Not all workers have been able to demonstrate such a relationship. The many factors which may affect clinical response include sample selection, assessment and its quantification and kinetic factors. A further investigation into the relationship between plasma levels and response was, therefore, carried out taking these into account and attempting to control them. Sixty-two patients with depressive illness were included. The plasma levels of CI + DMCI as measured on the 28th day of treatment were correlated against clinical response at the time. Patients with the highest combined plasma levels showed the best response. Patients with intermediate plasma levels showed more modest response, whilst lowest plasma levels tended to be shown by patients who exhibited an inadequate response or who relapsed during subsequent outpatient follow-up. The threshold value for satisfactory antidepressant effect appeared to be a combined CI + DMCI plasma level of 160-200 mg/ml.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

The ethological approach to the assessment of depressive disorders.

The ward behavior of 29 inpatients with a diagnosis of major depressive disorder and that of six mixed psychiatric patients was studied by means of an observational method derived from ethological techniques. By these means the occurrence of a wide variety of behaviors was monitored. Depressives before treatment differed from the same group after 4 week of treatment on several items: eye contact, exploration of the environment, verbal communication, and all social behaviors increased, whereas crying, nonsocial behaviors, and pathological behaviors decreased. The same behavioral categories distinguished depressed patients in baseline conditions from controls. When depressives were divided into responders and nonresponders on the basis of their Hamilton scores, behavior differences were notable only in the responders. Some behavioral patterns, such as the rate of social behaviors, were related to personality traits, which were assessed by means of the Maudsley Personality Inventory. Finally, some behavioral categories bore some weak, though significant, relationships to the Hamilton Rating Scale. The above results seem to indicate that a behavior pattern specific to depressive psychopathology does exist and closely resembles the one identified by the classical clinical description of depression. Ethological assessment may therefore be a useful tool in psychiatry, as it can evaluate the clinical picture in a different frame of reference from psychiatric interviews.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Cardiac effects of clomipramine treatment. ECG and left ventricular systolic time intervals.

ECGs and left ventricular systolic time intervals were studied in 26 patients suffering from major depressive disorder treated with clomipramine. ECGs did not show, with one exception, drug-induced changes. The ratio of pre-ejection period to left ventricular ejection time, both corrected for heart rate (PEPc/LVETc), presented no significant changes, as compared with initial findings, in the group of patients considered as a whole. 27% of patients, however, showed individual percent changes greater than 8%, both increases and decreases having been observed. Cardiac findings were in no way related to clomipramine plasma levels.

Aged↗