Italian Individuals Research Articles

Normative study of SATURN: a digital, self-administered, open-source cognitive assessment tool for Italians aged 50-80.

This study aimed to establish normative data for the Self-Administered Tasks Uncovering Risk of Neurodegeneration (SATURN), a brief computer-based test for global cognitive assessment through accuracy and response times on tasks related to memory, attention, temporal orientation, visuo-constructional abilities, math (calculation), executive functions, and reading speed. A sample of 323 Italian individuals with Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) equivalent score ≥1 (180 females; average age: 61.33 years; average education: 11.32 years), stratified by age, education, and sex, completed SATURN using PsychoPy, and a paper-and-pencil protocol consisting of Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and MoCA. Data analyses included: (i) correlations between the total accuracy scores of SATURN and those of MMSE and MoCA; (ii) multiple regressions to determine the impact of sex, age, and education, along with the computation of adjusted scores; (iii) the calculation of inner and outer tolerance limits, equivalent scores, and the development of correction grids. The mean total time on tasks was 6.72 ± 3.24 min. Age and education significantly influence the SATURN total accuracy, while sex influences the total time on tasks. Specific sociodemographic characteristics influence subdomain accuracies and times on task differently. For the adjusted SATURN total score, the outer limit corresponds to 16.56 out of 29.00 (cut-off), while the inner limit is 18.57. SATURN significantly correlates with MMSE and MoCA. In conclusion, SATURN is the first open-source digital tool for initial cognitive assessment in Italy, showing potential for self-administration in primary care, and remote administration. Future studies need to assess its sensitivity and specificity in detecting pathological cognitive decline.

Human Salivary Microbiota Diversity According to Ethnicity, Sex, TRPV1 Variants and Sensitivity to Capsaicin.

The salivary microbiota of Italian and sub-Saharan African individuals was investigated using Nanopore sequencing technology (ONT: Oxford Nanopore Technologies). We detected variations in community composition in relation to endogenous (ethnicity, sex, and diplotypic variants of the TRPV1 gene) and exogenous (sensitivity to capsaicin) factors. The results showed that Prevotella, Haemophilus, Neisseria, Streptococcus, Veillonella, and Rothia are the most abundant genera, in accordance with the literature. However, alpha diversity and frequency spectra differed significantly between DNA pools. The microbiota in African, male TRPV1 bb/ab diplotype and capsaicin low-sensitive DNA pools was more diverse than Italian, female TRPV1 aa diplotype and capsaicin high-sensitive DNA pools. Relative abundance differed at the phylum, genus, and species level.

The Interplay of Epistemic Trust, Defensive Mechanisms, Interpersonal Problems, and Symptomatology: An Empirical Investigation

Epistemic trust has emerged as a promising construct in understanding psycho(patho)logical functioning. However, its interplay with other dimensions that may contribute to developing specific symptom patterns remains underexplored. This study sought to investigate how epistemic trust, mistrust, and credulity relate to relational difficulties, defense mechanisms, and psychological symptoms to enrich the comprehension of their impact on mental health. A sample of 385 Italian individuals (60 % females and 40 % males, Mage = 28.2, SDage = 9.6, 18–65 years) completed an online survey including self-report questionnaires: Epistemic Trust, Mistrust, and Credulity Questionnaire, Defense Mechanisms Rating Scale-Self-Report-30, Inventory of Interpersonal Problems-32, and Brief Symptom Inventory. Results showed that epistemic disruptions were associated with severe interpersonal problems, more primitive defense mechanisms, and greater levels of psychopathology. Moreover, epistemic mistrust and lower defensive functioning strongly predicted higher levels of symptomatology, underscoring their detrimental effect on processes underlying mental health. These findings highlight the critical role of epistemic disruptions as risk factors for psychological distress, offering vital insights into the dynamic mechanisms underpinning mental health, as well as implications for intervention protocols and clinical practice.

Age estimation of burnt human remains through DNA methylation analysis.

The identification of human fire victims is a challenging task in forensic medicine. The heat-induced alterations of biological tissues can make the conventional anthropological analyses difficult. Even if the DNA profile of the victim is achieved, it is possible that no match can be found in a forensic DNA database, thus hindering positive identification. In such cases, any information useful to nail down a possible identity should be collected, such as DNA methylation analysis which could provide useful investigative leads. In the present study, five age-related epigenetic markers (ELOVL2, FHL2, KLF14, C1orf132, and TRIM59) were initially analysed in blood samples of 72 living Italian individuals of known age, using a Single Base Extension (SBE) assay. An age prediction model was built by multiple linear regression including all the markers (Mean Absolute Error, MAE: 3.15 years). This model was tested on 29 blood samples collected during autopsies from burnt human remains, already identified through DNA analysis, providing a MAE of 6.92 years. The model allowed a correct prediction in 79.3% of the cases (95% prediction interval), while six cases were associated with inaccurate predictions (min-max prediction error: 9.8-37.3 years). Among the different sample variables considered to explain these results, only the DNA degradation index was a relevant factor affecting the reliability of the predictions. In conclusion, the SBE typing of blood from burnt remains proved to be a reliable tool to estimate chronological age of most of the samples, also in consideration of its cost-effectiveness and the availability of CE sequencers in every forensic genetics laboratory.

Apolipoprotein E and Alzheimer's Disease in Italian Population: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: This meta-analysis with a systematic review was undertaken to assess the association between APOE allelic genotypes and the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the Italian population. Methods: The Web of Science, PubMed, and Scopus databases were searched until 15 November 2023. The odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated using fixed and random effect models, depending on the I2 statistic value. The systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted in agreement with the PRISMA guideline and registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023492580). Results: Our meta-analysis based on 15 studies revealed a higher risk of AD among Italian individuals carrying the APOE ε4 allele (OR = 3.60, 95% CI [2.90-4.47], p < 0.0001). The association of AD genotype APOE ε2ε4 (OR = 1.36, 95% CI [0.76-2.41], p = 0.29) was not statistically significant, while APOE ε3ε4 (OR = 3.43, 95% CI [2.95-3.99], p < 0.0001) has a high risk of AD development; the risk is more notably in the APOE ε4ε4 genotype (OR = 7.08, 95% CI [4.22-11.86], p < 0.0001). The APOE ε2 allele has a protective effect (APOE ε2 (OR = 0.47, 95% CI [0.29-0.74], p = 0.0013)), and similar results were achieved by APOE ε3 (OR = 0.49, 95% CI [0.37-0.65], p < 0.0001). Subgroup analysis of three areas of Italy (southern, northern, and center) revealed that that APOE ε4 allele was a risk factor with a higher OR in northern Italy (OR 4.22; 95% CI [3.46-5.16], p < 0.0001) compared to southern and center Italy (OR 3.02; 95% CI [2.28-4.01], p < 0.0001 and OR 3.97; 95% CI [1.37-11.56], p < 0.0001, respectively). As well, APOE ε4ε4 genotype carriers had a significantly higher OR in northern Italy (OR 9.69; 95% CI [4.94-18.99], p < 0.0001) compared to in southern and center Italy (OR 4.38; 95% CI [1.54-12.47], p < 0.0001 and OR 3.59; 95% CI [0.87-14.86], p < 0.0001, respectively). Conclusions: This systematic review with a meta-analysis of the Italian population on APOE alleles, genotyping, and AD incidence, highlights that individuals harboring APOE ε4 have a higher risk of developing AD compared to those with other alleles. It also supports the protective effect of the APOE ε2 allele against the progress of AD. The qualitative analysis on the complex genetic interactions influencing Alzheimer risk emphasizes the need for further research on genetic and environmental factors for effective prevention strategies.

Clinical and subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with systemic sclerosis: an observational, multicentre study of GIRRCS (Gruppo Italiano di Ricerca in Reumatologia Clinica e Sperimentale).

Conflicting results about clinical and subclinical atherosclerosis in systemic sclerosis (SSc) and the associated risk factors have been reported. Hence, we aimed to determine the prevalence of clinical and subclinical atherosclerosis in a large number of Italian SSc patients and the associated risk factors. This study included 613 SSc patients from 11 Italian tertiary Rheumatologic Units. All patients underwent full history taking, clinical examination, and relevant laboratory and radiological investigations. Doppler ultrasonography (US) of the common carotid and upper and lower limbs was performed to measure carotid and femoral intima-media thickness (cIMT and fIMT), and carotid and peripheral atheroma plaques. Doppler US of the brachial artery was performed to measure flow-mediated dilatation (FMD). Patients were mostly women (91.4%) with a median age of 61 years (range, 20-100); a median disease duration of 14 years (range, 0-77) from the onset of the first non-Raynaud's phenomenon (RP); 9.3% had a history of clinical atherosclerosis (9 stable/unstable angina, 21 myocardial infarctions, 24 heart failure, 3 strokes, 8 transient ischaemic attack, 6 intermittent claudication, 10 atrial thrombo-embolism). In 37.1% of patients, subclinical atherosclerosis was detected, after excluding those with a history of clinical atherosclerosis. The prevalence of clinical and subclinical atherosclerosis was higher than that reported by the European Society of Cardiology and observational studies that enrolled Italian healthy individuals as a control group, respectively. A higher prevalence of clinical and subclinical atherosclerosis was detected in SSc Italian patients and correlated with traditional and SSc-related risk factors.

Three times more than money: generativity, relational goods and life satisfaction

Generativity and the quality of relational goods are two key drivers of subjective well-being traditionally neglected in the economic literature. By using two different data sources – the European Social Survey (ESS) and the European Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) - we investigate their impact on life satisfaction of two large samples of Italian individuals. Our findings show that the effect is positive and significant and, in both estimates from the two different data sources, a change from the lowest to the highest level of relational life has an impact three times larger than the change from the lowest to the highest income decile.

Difference in Body Composition Patterns between Age Groups in Italian Individuals with Overweight and Obesity: When BMI Becomes a Misleading Tool in Nutritional Settings.

Little is known about the changes in body composition (BC) in people with overweight or obesity. The aim of this study was to assess the differences in BC patterns in this population based on gender and age. A total of 2844 Italian adults of mixed gender and a body mass index (BMI) of ≥25 kg/m2 underwent a BC assessment by means of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The sample was categorized into three age groups: 'young' (20-39 years), 'middle' (40-59 years), and 'older' (60-80 years) adults, after being matched by body weight and BMI. Males showed higher total body fat percentage (BF%) and a lower total lean mass (LM), progressively from the young to the middle to the older age groups, while females showed similar values for these total compartments between the three age groups. However, in both genders, participants in the middle and older groups were more likely to have a higher trunk fat percentage by +1.23% to +4.21%, and lower appendicular lean mass (ALM) by -0.81 kg to -2.63 kg with respect to the young group, indicating expression of major central adiposity and sarcopenia. While our findings underscore the limitations of BMI to detect these differences between age groups, the identification of new tools suitable for this aim is greatly needed in this population. Moreover, further investigation that clarifies the impact of these differences in BC patterns between gender and age groups on health outcomes is also required.

P.A.V.I.A. Study: Pervasiveness and Associated Factors of Video Slot Machine Use in a Large Sample of Italian Adolescents.

Video slot machines (VSM) are considered a particularly harmful gambling format; however, scant data is available on their use among underage Italian individuals. Two surveys were conducted in 2018 and 2022 involving 7,959 underage high school students (57.8% female) in Pavia, Northern Italy. We estimated adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) for lifetime experience and current regular (at least monthly) use of VSM, according to family, educational and behavioral factors. Overall, participants reporting lifetime VSM experience were 13.2% (95% CI: 12.5 - 13.9), 15.2% (95% CI: 14.0-16.4%) in 2018, and 12.0% (95% CI: 11.1-13.0%) in 2022. Current regular VSM users were 1.4% (95% CI: 1.1-1.7) in total, 1.2% (95% CI: 0.8-1.6%) in 2018 and 1.5% (95% CI: 1.1-1.8%) in 2022. VSM lifetime experience and current regular use were significantly more frequent in males (aORs: 1.55 and 4.81, respectively), students who failed a year (aORs: 2.07 and 3.44), or with daily gambling parents/siblings (aORs: 2.83 and 4.86). Lifetime use of alcohol, tobacco, or illicit substances was significantly directly associated with lifetime VSM use (aORs between 2.64 and 4.75); monthly alcohol, tobacco, or illicit substances use was significantly directly associated with current regular VSM use (aORs between 4.47 and 18.21). Sexting and voluntary self-injury were significantly more frequent among VSM lifetime/current regular users. VSM use, which is directly associated with other risky behaviors, may be pervasive among Italian minors. Such public health concern calls for legislative enforcements and integrated multidisciplinary health promotion and prevention strategies.

Fragile X Syndrome and FMR1 premutation: results from a survey on associated conditions and treatment priorities in Italy

Background and objectivesFragile X Syndrome (FXS) is the most common cause of inherited intellectual disability, caused by CGG-repeat expansions (> 200) in the FMR1 gene leading to lack of expression. Espansion between 55 and 200 triplets fall within the premutation range (PM) and can lead to different clinical conditions, including fragile X- primary ovarian insufficiency (FXPOI), fragile X-associated neuropsychiatric disorders (FXAND) and fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS). Although there is not a current cure for FXS and for the Fragile X-PM associated conditions (FXPAC), timely diagnosis as well as the implementation of treatment strategies, psychoeducation and behavioral intervention may improve the quality of life (QoL) of people with FXS or FXPAC. With the aim to investigate the main areas of concerns and the priorities of treatment in these populations, the Italian National Fragile X Association in collaboration with Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, conducted a survey among Italian participants.MethodHere, we present a survey based on the previous study that Weber and colleagues conducted in 2019 and that aimed to investigate the main symptoms and challenges in American individuals with FXS. The survey has been translated into Italian language to explore FXS needs of treatment also among Italian individuals affected by FXS, family members, caretakers, and professionals. Furthermore, we added a section designated only to people with PM, to investigate the main symptoms, daily living challenges and treatment priorities.ResultsAnxiety, challenging behaviors, language difficulties and learning disabilities were considered the major areas of concern in FXS, while PM was reported as strongly associated to cognitive problems, social anxiety, and overthinking. Anxiety was reported as a treatment priority in both FXS and PM.ConclusionFXS and PM can be associated with a range of cognitive, affective, and physical health complications. Taking a patient-first perspective may help clinicians to better characterize the cognitive-behavioral phenotype associated to these conditions, and eventually to implement tailored therapeutic approaches.

Cabozantinib use in second or subsequent line of treatment in renal cell carcinoma: an analysis of Italian administrative databases.

Cabozantinib use in everyday clinical practice for advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is relatively recent, and real-world data on treatment persistence, adherence and sequencing are still limited. We conducted an analysis based on an integrated administrative database, covering around 6.9 million health-assisted Italian individuals, to explore the use of cabozantinib for RCC. Patients with at least one prescription for cabozantinib during 2017-2020 were searched. These were characterized during all available period (i.e. from 2010 onwards) before the index date and were observed after inclusion. A total of 113 patients treated with cabozantinib in second or subsequent line were included, and their demographic, clinical and treatment characteristics were described. About half of these RCC patients were aged >65 years (47.8%). Sixty patients (53.1%) were highly adherent to cabozantinib therapy, and the median cabozantinib treatment duration of use was 8.7 months (95% confidence interval: 5.8-11.1). During the first year of follow-up, the average total cost per patient was €32,508. We described second or subsequent line cabozantinib treatment for RCC in a real-world setting and the economic burden of disease in Italy, taking advantage of large, integrated administrative databases.

Normative data of the Italian Famous Face Test

The faces we see in daily life exist on a continuum of familiarity, ranging from personally familiar to famous to unfamiliar faces. Thus, when assessing face recognition abilities, adequate evaluation measures should be employed to discriminate between each of these processes and their relative impairments. We here developed the Italian Famous Face Test (IT-FFT), a novel assessment tool for famous face recognition in typical and clinical populations. Normative data on a large sample (N = 436) of Italian individuals were collected, assessing both familiarity (d′) and recognition accuracy. Furthermore, this study explored whether individuals possess insights into their overall face recognition skills by correlating the Prosopagnosia Index-20 (PI-20) with the IT-FFT; a negative correlation between these measures suggests that people have a moderate insight into their face recognition skills. Overall, our study provides the first online-based Italian test for famous faces (IT-FFT), a test that could be used alongside other standard tests of face recognition because it complements them by evaluating real-world face familiarity, providing a more comprehensive assessment of face recognition abilities. Testing different aspects of face recognition is crucial for understanding both typical and atypical face recognition.

Mutational Landscape of Alzheimer's Disease and Frontotemporal Dementia: Regional Variances in Northern, Central, and Southern Italy.

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) are the two major neurodegenerative diseases with distinct clinical and neuropathological profiles. The aim of this report is to conduct a population-based investigation in well-characterized APP, PSEN1, PSEN2, MAPT, GRN, and C9orf72 mutation carriers/pedigrees from the north, the center, and the south of Italy. We retrospectively analyzed the data of 467 Italian individuals. We identified 21 different GRN mutations, 20 PSEN1, 11 MAPT, 9 PSEN2, and 4 APP. Moreover, we observed geographical variability in mutation frequencies by looking at each cohort of participants, and we observed a significant difference in age at onset among the genetic groups. Our study provides evidence that age at onset is influenced by the genetic group. Further work in identifying both genetic and environmental factors that modify the phenotypes in all groups is needed. Our study reveals Italian regional differences among the most relevant AD/FTD causative genes and emphasizes how the collaborative studies in rare diseases can provide new insights to expand knowledge on genetic/epigenetic modulators of age at onset.

The False Recognition Test, a new tool for the assessment of false memories, with normative data from an Italian sample

IntroductionFalse memory can be defined as remembering something that did not happen. To a certain extent it is a normal phenomenon, but its occurrence seems to increase in healthy and pathological aging, possibly providing relevant clues on some clinical conditions in the spectrum of dementia. We adapted a well-established Deed-Roediger-McDermott paradigm, frequently used in experimental contexts, to devise a new neuropsychological assessment tool, the False Recognition Test (FRT), that can investigate classical facets of episodic memory performance (i.e. free recall and recognition), and assess proneness to produce semantically related and non-semantic false memories. Here we describe the FRT and provide normative data and correction grids to consider the possible effects of age, gender, and education on the FRT scores.MethodTwo-hundred and thirty-two Italian healthy individuals (99 male) aged 18–91 years, with different educational levels (from primary to university) underwent the FRT, together with validated tests for cognitive screening and episodic memory assessment and one scale for depression.ResultsMultiple linear regression analysis revealed that age and education significantly influenced performance on FRT. From the derived linear equations, we provide correction grids for the raw scores of the FRT, and equivalent scores estimated using a nonparametric method. Correlational analysis showed significant associations between FRT subscores and cognitive, executive and memory functions, and depression.ConclusionThe FRT may constitute a useful instrument for both clinical and research purposes.

#795 Genetics of serum electrolytes: a genome-wide association approach in two European cohorts

Abstract Background and Aims Chloride, potassium and sodium are electrolytes that play a key role in several physiological processes. To date, the genetic factors underlying their differences in the general population are not fully understood and need to be further investigated. In this study, we aimed at dissecting the genetics of the levels of these serum electrolytes in the European population by genomic approaches. Method We genotyped and analysed data from 3057 North-Eastern Italian individuals participating in the INCIPE (Initiative on Nephropathy, of relevance to public health, which is Chronic, possibly in its Initial stages, and carries a Potential risk of major clinical End-points) cohort. Genomic data were processed for quality controls (using plink and bcftools), following these exclusion criteria: sample missingness &amp;gt;0.15, genotype missingness &amp;gt;0.02, relatedness up to 2nd degree, non-European ethnicity. Next, the dataset underwent genotype imputation on the Michigan Imputation Server, using the Human Reference Consortium panel and filtering for imputation confidence (R2 &amp;gt;0.3). Typed and imputed data were then analysed on genome-wide association studies (GWAS, using rvtest) for each of the three serum electrolytes. The same analytical procedure was applied to 14926 individuals from the Rotterdam Study (RS) cohort (a prospective cohort study ongoing since 1990 in Rotterdam). Thus, summary statistics from all the phenotypes and cohorts were jointly analysed in a genome-wide meta-analysis setting (using METAL). Meta-analyses results underwent functional annotation on the FUMAGWAS platform, to obtain biological and functional insights and to allow variants and genes prioritisation. Results Quality controls and genotype imputation resulted in a total of 857 (INCIPE1) and 1343 (INCIPE2) samples and 8 million variants for the INCIPE cohort; 2056 (RS1), 2042 (RS2) and 2958 (RS3) samples and 7.7 million variants for the Rotterdam Study cohort. GWAS showed genome-wide signals (p &amp;lt; 5e-8) for chloride and sodium and suggestive signals (p &amp;lt; 5e-5) for potassium. Meta-analyses partially replicated results obtained on the INCIPE cohort, showing signals for all the three electrolytes over the suggestive threshold only. Finally, functional annotation gave insights on associated genes and markers. Chloride showed association with genes reported in nephrotic syndrome (NUP205, p = 9e-7), voltage-gated channels (CACNA1E, p = 1e-6) and chloride channels (CLDN4, p = 4e-6; GABRA2, p = 1e-5), comprising a total of 47 candidate risk loci. Potassium showed mostly association with a gene involved in ion transport and polycystic kidney disease (PKD2L2, p = 1e-7), and a total of 28 candidate risk loci. Sodium showed association with genes implicated in several diseases with kidney involvement such as nephropathy (IMMP2L, P = 1e-7), Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBSP, p = 1-e6) and ARCS1 (SH3BP2, p = 2e-6), and acting in cell polarity (PARD6G, p = 1e-6) and ion transport (ANO3, p = 3e-6), for a total of 76 candidate risk loci. In addition to these genes, other genes were already reported to be associated with cardiomyopathies, such as ABTB2 in chloride and sodium and MYOT and PRKAG2 in potassium. Conclusion This study showed novel candidate genes that may explain interindividual differences in serum electrolytes. Genes already reported to be associated with kidney abnormalities offer hints of their actual involvement in electrolyte imbalances and related disease. Moreover, associations pointing at cardiac diseases strengthen the involvement of these genes in renal electrolyte abnormalities, being one of the secondary causes of cardiomyopathies. Finally, the identification of risk loci across the three phenotypes opens the opportunity for the development of polygenic risk scores, which may benefit of an increasing number of tested samples to reach genome-wide significant signals and additional cohorts to validate the computed risk model.

The psychological implications of COVID-19 over the eighteen-month time span following the virus breakout in Italy.

In a short time, the COVID-19 pandemic has exerted a huge impact on many aspects of people's lives with a number of consequences, an increase in the risks of psychological diseases being one of them. The aim of this experimental study, based on an eighteen-month follow-up survey, is to assess the psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular, changes in stress, anxiety and depression levels, and the risks of developing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). A follow-up survey was performed on a sample of 184 Italian individuals to collect relevant information about the psychological impact of COVID-19. Predictors of the components of the psychological impact were calculated based on the ANCOVA model. The analysis of the online questionnaires led to the conclusion that a high percentage of the participants suffer from levels of stress, anxiety and depression higher than normal as well as an increased risk of PTSD. The severity of such disorders significantly depends on gender, the loss of family members or acquaintances due to the pandemic, the amount of time spent searching for COVID-19 related information, the type of information sources and, in part, on the level of education and income. The time factor had a more severe effect on the low-income population. COVID-19 has entailed a very strong psychological impact on the Italian population also depending on the coping strategies adopted, the level of mindful awareness, socio-demographic variables, people's habits and the way individuals use the available means of communication and information.

Italian resident individuals with interests in Liechtenstein entities: notes on Italian income taxes—Part 1

Abstract It is not uncommon for Italian resident taxpayers to resort to Liechtenstein entities to take advantage of the benefits that they can offer, like asset protection, confidentiality and favorable taxation. This article tries to address some of the Italian income tax implications that Italian resident individuals with interests in Liechtenstein entities should consider. Part 1, after providing an overview on the recent agreement for the elimination of double taxation stipulated between Italy and Liechtenstein, focuses on Liechtenstein foundations and establishments, also covering the potential advantages that may derive from the combination of the Italian lump sum tax regime with the use of these legal entities. Part 2 (to be published soon in 2024), will deal with Liechtenstein limited companies and “the Italian Controlled Foreign Companies regime”.

Italian resident individuals with interests in Liechtenstein entities: notes on Italian income taxes—Part 2

Abstract It is not uncommon for Italian resident taxpayers to resort to Liechtenstein entities for taking advantage of the benefits that they can offer, like asset protection, confidentiality and favorable taxation. After having dealt, inter alia, with Liechtenstein foundations and establishments in Part 1, Part 2 focuses on the holding of participations in Liechtenstein limited companies by Italian resident individuals. In this regard, the tax treatment of dividends, capital gains and “the Italian Controlled Foreign Companies regime” are addressed. Finally, a few remarks are made on some income tax planning opportunities and criticalities in light of the Italian tax legislative framework described in Part 1 and Part 2.

Screening for antenatal maternal depression: comparative performance of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and Patient Health Questionnaire-9.

Maternal antenatal depression affects 21-28% of expectants globally and negatively impacts both maternal and child health in the short and long term. To compare the psychometric properties and clinical utility of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) in pregnant individuals. In this cross-sectional study, 953 third-trimester pregnant Italian individuals completed both the EPDS and the PHQ-9. Both scales demonstrated good internal consistency (EPDS ω=0.83, PHQ-9 ω=0.80) and a moderate correlation between their scores (r=0.59). Concordance at recommended cut-off points (≥14 for both) was moderate (k=0.55). Factor analyses indicated a bifactor solution for the EPDS (dimensions: "depression" and "anxiety") and for the PHQ-9 (dimensions: "depression", "pregnancy symptoms", "somatic"). Benchmarks for clinical change were also established. The EPDS and PHQ-9 capture distinct aspects of perinatal depressive symptomatology. Clinically, these findings recommend using both scales in obstetric and gynaecologic settings to minimize false positives and negatives.

The Starkstein Apathy Scale-Italian Version: An Update.

Apathy can manifest in various neuropsychiatric conditions, as well as in individuals who experience significant stressful life events or suffer from underlying internal medical conditions. The Starkstein Apathy Scale (SAS) is recognized as a reliable screening tool, besides being endorsed by the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society to assess apathy in patients with Parkinson's disease. Recently, the Italian version of this scale (SAS-I) has been introduced. Furthermore, normative data have been provided on a large sample of Italian healthy individuals. Here we present the official Italian translation of the SAS, along with clarifications regarding its administration. Also, we supply details concerning the scale's factorial structure, inter-item conditional associations and item performance by using EFA, Network analysis, and IRT modelling for polytomous items.