Publications by authors named "Sara Buzzichelli"

Background/objective: Although demoralization is associated with morbidity and mortality in cardiac settings, its treatment has been overlooked. The present randomized controlled trial aimed at 1) evaluating the effectiveness of sequential combination of Cognitive-Behavioral and Well-Being therapies (CBT/WBT), compared to Clinical Management (CM), on demoralization among Acute Coronary Syndromes (ACS) patients, at post-treatment and after 3 months; 2) examining ACS patients' characteristics predicting demoralization persistence at 3-month follow-up.

Method: 91 demoralized ACS patients were randomized to CBT/WBT ( = 47) or CM ( = 44).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The clinical value of the identification of mood disorders in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is well established. However, assessment based on DSM criteria presents some limitations. This study aimed to provide an innovative strategy for evaluating the spectrum of mood disturbances in ACS.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Randomized controlled trials (RCT) of psychotherapeutic interventions have addressed depression and demoralization associated with acute coronary syndromes (ACS). The present trial introduces psychological well-being, an increasingly recognized factor in cardiovascular health, as a therapeutic target.

Objective: This study was designed to determine whether the sequential combination of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and well-being therapy (WBT) may yield more favorable outcomes than an active control group (clinical management; CM) and to identify subgroups of patients at greater risk for cardiac negative outcomes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Little is known about the relationship between neuropsychology, personality, and eating psychopathology in anorexia nervosa (AN). We aimed to investigate the interaction between set shifting and perfectionism in AN and to ascertain the role of perfectionism as a mediator between set shifting and eating psychopathology. Eighty-five patients with AN and 71 healthy controls completed Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (using 8 as a cut-off for generating groups with high vs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: This review aims to examine the impact of depressive symptoms on the assessment of cognitive flexibility, central coherence, and decision-making in individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN).

Method: An online search was carried out using PubMed and PsycInfo. Articles were selected for review if they were published in English between 1990 and 2014 and used the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, the Trail Making Task parts A and B, the Brixton Test, the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test, and/or the Iowa Gambling Task.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Day hospitals (DHs) represent a treatment option for anorexia nervosa (AN), a mental disorder that is difficult to treat and has no evidence-based treatments available. We aimed to determine the effectiveness of a DH treatment that was specifically focused on the emotions of severe AN patients. Body mass index and eating psychopathology were the primary outcome measures.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

While evidence continues to accumulate on the relevance of cognitive inflexibility in anorexia nervosa (AN), its clinical correlates remain unclear. We aimed at examining the relationship between set-shifting and clinical variables (i.e.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We investigated whether cognitive remediation therapy (CRT) is effective in improving cognitive flexibility in anorexia nervosa (AN). Twenty AN outpatients were consecutively recruited at the Eating Disorders Center of the Turin University. All participants completed 10 sessions of CRT.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: This paper aimed to investigate cognitive rigidity and decision making impairments in patients diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa Restrictive type (AN-R), assessing also verbal components.

Methods: Thirty patients with AN-R were compared with thirty age-matched healthy controls (HC). All participants completed a comprehensive neuropsychological battery comprised of the Trail Making Test, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Hayling Sentence Completion Task, and the Iowa Gambling Task.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF