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The COVID-19 pandemic greatly impacted global health. Frontline healthcare workers involved in the response to COVID-19 faced physical and psychological challenges that threatened their wellbeing and job satisfaction. The pandemic crisis,... more
The COVID-19 pandemic greatly impacted global health. Frontline healthcare workers involved in the response to COVID-19 faced physical and psychological challenges that threatened their wellbeing and job satisfaction. The pandemic crisis, alongside pre-existing critical issues, exposed healthcare workers to constant emotional fatigue, creating an increased workload and vulnerability to stress. Maintaining such stress levels increased their levels of anxiety, irritability and loneliness. Evidence shows that the Psychological Capital (PsyCap) was a strong protective factor against these stressors. The aim of this study was to analyze the level of job satisfaction among health workers facing the COVID-19 pandemic. The possible antecedent factors to satisfaction and the role that PsyCap plays in preserving and fostering higher levels of job satisfaction were investigated. A total of 527 healthcare workers from different areas of Italy were recruited for the study. The results revealed t...
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The aim of this qualitative research is to deepen the knowledge in the field of psycho-oncology and the consequences of chronic and persistent pain by listening to patients’ experiences, their emotions and difficulties in facing this hard... more
The aim of this qualitative research is to deepen the knowledge in the field of psycho-oncology and the consequences of chronic and persistent pain by listening to patients’ experiences, their emotions and difficulties in facing this hard condition, and assessing their perception of the role of the psychologist in pain management. In this qualitative study, a semistructured interview was used, designed from three research questions: chronic pain and quality of life; chronic pain and psychological well-being; and the role and perception of the psychologist in pain management. The sample consists of 29 women who suffered or have recovered from breast carcinoma, and who currently report having chronic pain due either to the presence of the cancer or as a result of surgery or treatment. Three themes emerged from the thematic analysis: quality of life and psychological well-being, relational well-being, and perception and role of the psychologist. Two subthemes have been identified for e...
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, increased stress factors affected people’s motivations to engage in potentially addictive behaviors. Sexuality, understood as one of the psychological aspects to be investigated to explore the level of... more
During the COVID-19 pandemic, increased stress factors affected people’s motivations to engage in potentially addictive behaviors. Sexuality, understood as one of the psychological aspects to be investigated to explore the level of psychological well-being of a person, has suffered considerable repercussions due to the pandemic. A growing body of evidence suggests an unprecedented increase in Internet use and online pornography consumption during the pandemic. Since March 2020, during the lockdown period, Pornhub has seen a worldwide increase in pornography use of 11.6% compared to the previous average days. This research was conducted with the aim of exploring the possible increasing use of pornographic material during the lockdown period, in order to assess whether dysfunctional behaviors, such as compulsive behaviors, and thoughts of sex-related obsessives can lead to hypersexual behavior or a more severe Sexual Addiction. The individuals who participated in our research were 18 ...
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The COVID-19 epidemic posed great challenges to the healthcare community. To contain the epidemiological emergency, confinement measures were instituted, affecting the entire population. The lack of social contact, as well as the... more
The COVID-19 epidemic posed great challenges to the healthcare community. To contain the epidemiological emergency, confinement measures were instituted, affecting the entire population. The lack of social contact, as well as the disruption of daily life, caused the exacerbation of anxiety and depressive symptoms. The present review of the literature aims to investigate what the effects of the pandemic have been on patients with schizophrenia, hypothesizing, an exacerbation of psychotic symptomatology (positive, negative, disorganized symptoms). Between November 2020 and January 2021, 5353 articles were collected and analyzed from the databases of the ResearchGate, Pubmed, and Psycnet websites, subjected to PRISMA methodology. Of these, 11 were evaluated for eligibility, but only three were included in the study because they met all inclusion criteria. The research did not confirm the expected results, showing that any kind of worsening of schizophrenic symptomatology involved the s...
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Cigarette consumption in the general population has shown a sustained decline over the past 20 years, but despite this, it is essential to monitor consumption among smokers at their workplace. There is an association between cigarette... more
Cigarette consumption in the general population has shown a sustained decline over the past 20 years, but despite this, it is essential to monitor consumption among smokers at their workplace. There is an association between cigarette addiction and work-related stressors, with high prevalence rates for smokers, at least double those of other adults. This two-group randomized clinical trial compared the 12-week combined effect of psychological support and varenicline associated with the use or not of a nicotine-free inhaler with a soft mouthpiece (QuitGo™) on the 4 to 24-week cessation rate in enrolled smokers to a smoking cessation program promoted by our research group. The results of the logistic model analysis showed that the likelihood of quitting successfully at week 24 was significantly higher in the QuitGO™ group than in the control group for participants with high behavioral dependence as assessed by Glover-Nilsson Smoking Behavioral Questionnaire-GN-SBQ (OR = 8.55; CI at 95...
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According to the WHO definition, “telemedicine is the provision of health services, where distance is a critical factor, by all health professionals who use information and communication technologies for the exchange of valid information... more
According to the WHO definition, “telemedicine is the provision of health services, where distance is a critical factor, by all health professionals who use information and communication technologies for the exchange of valid information for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases, research and evaluation, and for the continuous training of health professionals, all in the interest of advancing the health of individuals and their communities”. The purpose of our review work is specifically to investigate the effects of telemedicine in the treatment and prevention of eating disorders in adolescents. From June 2021 to (September 2021) in the databases of the Web of Science, EMBASE, PsycINFO and CINHAL, using search terms such as telehealth, eating disorder, adolescents, Internet/online treatments CBT and FB-T, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. The articles resulting from the search phases in the databases listed above produced a total of 176 item...
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La coppia criminale e un fenomeno poco comune nell'ambito dei delitti in quanto la maggior parte dei criminali commette il crimine da solo o coinvolge altri individui solo per caso. Cio nonostante, la letteratura rivela una serie di... more
La coppia criminale e un fenomeno poco comune nell'ambito dei delitti in quanto la maggior parte dei criminali commette il crimine da solo o coinvolge altri individui solo per caso. Cio nonostante, la letteratura rivela una serie di coppie criminali che hanno commesso diversi crimini, fino ad arrivare all’omicidio. Alcuni hanno ucciso per denaro, altri per odio, altri ancora per amore, per vendetta, per perversione. Bonnie e Clyde, Olindo e Rosa, Erika e Omar sono espressione di un viaggio nel fenomeno del “crimine di coppia” in cui manifestazioni di follia a due, al di la dell’infatuazione reciproca e della dipendenza psicologica, si svuotano di qualsiasi accezione romantica per concretizzarsi in qualcosa di spaventoso e incontenibile, capace di sfuggire ad ogni tipo di catalogazione e comprensione. Nel presente lavoro, in particolare, si andra ad analizzare la coppia criminale degli autori della strage di Erba, che verra esaminata nell’ottica della coscienza intersoggettiva di...
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Over the past 40 years, Japan has spread a definite condition: hikikomori. The term derives from hiku, “pull back”, and komoru, “island”, and describes a form of voluntary social withdrawal that involves adolescents. These subjects avoid... more
Over the past 40 years, Japan has spread a definite condition: hikikomori. The term derives from hiku, “pull back”, and komoru, “island”, and describes a form of voluntary social withdrawal that involves adolescents. These subjects avoid social commitment, school education and friendships with an associated digital dependence. The causes identified depend on a cultural/educational and family system in which individual identity is subordinated to social identity, causing isolation. Early identification of hikikomori and above all its differentiation from other syndromes appears necessary to avoid inadequate diagnosis and interventions. This study stems from the intention to outline the phenomenon starting with the presentation of the characteristics of the phenomenon, focusing on possible causes and risk factors, then explain the psychological therapy based on the systemic-relational approach. A clinical case will be presented according to principles of the systemic-relational interv...
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Abstract Background Smartphone misuse, also known as Nomophobia is the fear of not being able to consult your own mobile phone, of not being connected or traceable. During the Italian lockdown caused by COVID-19, while the use of... more
Abstract Background Smartphone misuse, also known as Nomophobia is the fear of not being able to consult your own mobile phone, of not being connected or traceable. During the Italian lockdown caused by COVID-19, while the use of technology was the fundamental basis of adaptation for smart working, school and professional training, leading to a change in the population’s lifestyle, smartphone dependency caused impaired social relationships. To date, the impact of smartphone dependency in men and women is unclear. We conducted this study with the hypothesis that a period of lockdown fosters the growth of a pathological use of the cell phone different in women and men. Objective The purpose of this work is to investigate gender differences in the level of smartphone dependency in teens and adults during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Material and methods The NoMobilePhobia-Questionnaire (NMP-Q) was presented online to 1264 participants between the ages of 15 and 67. Results The results show no significant main effects for the two factors taken into account (Gender and Age of participants). However, the significant interaction shows that female participants reported on average higher scores on NMP-Q than males, [F(4,1253) =7.06 and p<.001, observed power close to 1 (0.99) and effect size = 0.03 (ETA partial squared)] for the younger age group (15–44), while for those over the age of 44, the average highest scores were for male participants. Conclusions One of the "positive" aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic is the use of the Internet and smartphones, and our analysis aimed to document the frequency of use in the Italian context with the NMP-Q. However, we can also conclude that this research is relevant because it can give us a glimpse of the relationship between dependency and mental issues. The results reveal the risk in some of the Italian population of developing forms of smartphone dependency, especially in circumstances that prohibit direct social interactions.
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Background: Nomophobia (no-mobile-phobia or Disconnection Syndrome) is the fear of not being able to consult your mobile phone, not being connected or traceable. This is an addiction to excessive smartphone usage related to the constant... more
Background: Nomophobia (no-mobile-phobia or Disconnection Syndrome) is the fear of not being able to consult your mobile phone, not being connected or traceable. This is an addiction to excessive smartphone usage related to the constant need to consult it to view notifications and updates. Like other forms of addiction, nomophobia is associated with excessive behaviors that lead to an increasing use of the phone to the point where it cannot do without it and the need to take it with it to any place or circumstance. The fear of not being connected consequently evokes reactions of excessive anxiety with specific physiological related (e.g., breathlessness, sweating, tremor, heart acceleration, sweating etc.). Nomophobia, however, is not included in anxiety disorders but is part of the pathological addictions to which it responds adequately. In fact, there are many behavioral and emotional analogies with other forms of addiction (including gambling) so the hypothesis that the abuse of ...
Given that many patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) smoke despite their symptoms, it is important to understand the long-term health impact of cigarette substitution with heated tobacco products (HTPs). We monitored... more
Given that many patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) smoke despite their symptoms, it is important to understand the long-term health impact of cigarette substitution with heated tobacco products (HTPs). We monitored health parameters for 3 years in COPD patients who substantially attenuated or ceased cigarette consumption after switching to HTPs. Changes in daily cigarette smoking, annualized disease exacerbations, lung function indices, patient-reported outcomes (CAT scores) and 6-minute walk distance (6MWD) from baseline were measured in COPD patients using HTPs at 12, 24 and 36 months. These were compared to a group of age- and sex-matched COPD patients who continued smoking. Complete data sets were available for 38 patients (19 in each group). Subjects using HTPs had a substantial decrease in annualized COPD exacerbations within the group mean (± SD) from 2.1 (± 0.9) at baseline to 1.4 (± 0.8), 1.2 (± 0.8) and 1.3 (± 0.8) at 12-, 24- and 36-month follow-up...
The JSS is based on the theoretical position that job satisfaction represented an affective or attitudinal reaction to a job, and today is one of the most popular instruments used in I-O psychology. This paper discusses the contribution... more
The JSS is based on the theoretical position that job satisfaction represented an affective or attitudinal reaction to a job, and today is one of the most popular instruments used in I-O psychology. This paper discusses the contribution to the validation of an Italian adaptation of the Job Satisfaction Survey. Five hundred and twenty-seven participants (258 men, 269 women) were enrolled to participate in this study, aged between 19 and 65 (Mage = 36.0, SD = 11.7). The sample mostly worked in public administration, in health care, and in the educational sector. A self-report questionnaire is used to investigate the psychometric properties of this scale, also measuring other variables. A back-translation procedure is used. The results pinpointed the goodness of the scale and the normality distribution. Confirmative factor analyses and multigroup confirmative factor analyses were performed to verify the factorial structure of the scale. The results confirmed the same factorial structur...
Introduction An estimated 60%–90% of people with schizophrenia smoke, compared with 15%–24% of the general population, exacerbating the already high morbidity and mortality rates observed in this population. Aims and Methods This study... more
Introduction An estimated 60%–90% of people with schizophrenia smoke, compared with 15%–24% of the general population, exacerbating the already high morbidity and mortality rates observed in this population. Aims and Methods This study aimed to assess the feasibility of using a new-generation high strength nicotine e-cigarette to modify smoking behavior in individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders who smoke cigarettes. A single-arm pilot study was conducted with 40 adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorders who smoked and did not intend to reduce or quit smoking. Participants were given a 12-week supply of a JUUL e-cigarette loaded with a 5% nicotine pod. The primary outcome was smoking cessation at week 12. Additional outcomes included: smoking reduction, continuous abstinence at week 24, adoption rate, adherence to the e-cigarette, feasibility, acceptability, and subjective effects. Results Sixteen (40%) participants quit by the end of 12 weeks. For the whole sample, we ...
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Background and Aims: The long-term health effects of the use of electronic cigarettes (ECs) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are largely unexplored. We present findings from a 5-year prospective assessment of... more
Background and Aims: The long-term health effects of the use of electronic cigarettes (ECs) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are largely unexplored. We present findings from a 5-year prospective assessment of respiratory parameters in a cohort of COPD patients who substantially reduced conventional smoking or achieved abstinence by switching to ECs. Methods: Patients were evaluated prospectively for their measurements of respiratory exacerbations, spirometric indices, quality of life using the COPD assessment tool (CAT), 6-min walk distance (6MWD), as well as conventional cigarette consumption. Baseline measurements prior to switching to EC use were compared with follow-up visits at 12-, 24-, 48- and 60-months. Age- and sex-matched COPD patients reporting to be regular smokers (not using ECs) were the reference group for the analysis. Results: Complete data were available from 39 patients. Those in the EC user group achieved a marked decline in cigarette...
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Background and AimsWe characterized the extent and quality of respiratory sensations and sensory related smoking cues associated with e-cigarette use among those who failed to quit combustible tobacco cigarette (CTC) use with traditional... more
Background and AimsWe characterized the extent and quality of respiratory sensations and sensory related smoking cues associated with e-cigarette use among those who failed to quit combustible tobacco cigarette (CTC) use with traditional FDA approved medications but succeeded in doing so with e-cigarettes. Further, we sought to understand former smokers’ perceptions about the influence of sensory experience with e-cigarette use on CTC cessation outcomes.MethodsA nonrandom purposive sample of 156 participants recruited in the U.S. through the Consumer Advocates for Smoke Free Alternatives Association Facebook page completed an online cross-sectional survey to assess sensory experiences and smoking cues associated with e-cigarette use. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and the ANOVA/Kruskal-Wallis test with post-hoc testing and the two-sample t-test/Wilcoxon rank-sum test, as appropriate based on distribution, were used to assess the association between sample characteristics an...
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, about 60 million of Italians stayed at home. These circumstances may generate exceptional challenges and stress for people who regularly use cigarettes, ecigarettes, heated tobacco products, dual users,... more
During the COVID-19 pandemic, about 60 million of Italians stayed at home. These circumstances may generate exceptional challenges and stress for people who regularly use cigarettes, ecigarettes, heated tobacco products, dual users, former smokers and never smokers. Here, we present results from a study that was aimed at surveying smoking behaviour and psychological dynamics during the Italian COVID-19 social distancing and stay-at-home policies. Participants living in Italy were invited to complete an online brief questionnaire. A questionnaire was prepared and uploaded in an online survey tool. They were asked to participate regardless of their current smoking status and were divided in seven subgroups. In total, 1825 participants were included in the analysis. Exclusive cigarette smokers; Dual users of cigarette and ecigarettes; Dual users of cigarette and heated tobacco products; Former smokers; Exclusive users of e-cigarette; Exclusive users of heated tobacco products; never sm...
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ABSTRACTBackgroundSmoking prevalence among people with mental disorders is about two to four times higher than in the general population. As a result of high smoking rates, people with a mental health condition also have high rates of... more
ABSTRACTBackgroundSmoking prevalence among people with mental disorders is about two to four times higher than in the general population. As a result of high smoking rates, people with a mental health condition also have high rates of morbidity and mortality from smoking-related diseases compared with the general population. Progress in reducing smoking prevalence in people with mental health diagnoses has been very slow compared to the general population. Consequently, there is a pressing need for alternative and more efficient interventions to reduce or prevent morbidity and mortality in smokers with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.MethodsA volunteer population of 258 adult smokers with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder will be recruited for the GENESIS study, a randomized, double blind, smoking cessation trial comparing effectiveness, safety and subjective effects between 5% and 1.5% nicotine e-cigarette. The study duration will be 12-month. The primary endpoint of this study will...
Background: Our planet’s recent ecologic perturbation solicited the researchers to deepen their analysis of environmental impacts. The concept of Life Satisfaction (LS) described as the degree to which a person positively evaluates the... more
Background: Our planet’s recent ecologic perturbation solicited the researchers to deepen their analysis of environmental impacts. The concept of Life Satisfaction (LS) described as the degree to which a person positively evaluates the overall quality of his/her life as-a-whole. Objective: This study examined the relationship between ecological intelligence and perceived life satisfaction. Materials and Methods: 1025 adult males and females were selected for the study through an online announcement. The research was carried out in a single phase and participants completed Life Satisfaction and Ecological Intelligence questionnaires. Results: A statistically meaningful and satisfying outcome emerged from the relationship between Life Satisfaction and Ecological Intelligence. Additional important final results marked a positive relationship between Ecological Intelligence and the education level. Conclusion: The conclusions of statistical interpretation of the data highlight the urge ...
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The research aims to investigate the emotional experiences of the individuals who use drugs in terms of their parenting role as father, within a rehabilitative context. The study aims to analyze how dependence affects the exercise of the... more
The research aims to investigate the emotional experiences of the individuals who use drugs in terms of their parenting role as father, within a rehabilitative context. The study aims to analyze how dependence affects the exercise of the parental role, specifically paternity, with the aim of offering an overview of the father-son relationship while considering the possible limitations that characterize those who are forced to live parenting in an atypical way. It is necessary to help individuals who use drugs to be able to help them in life with the goal of establish a better parenting awareness and a good relationship with their father and their children. The research work made use of qualitative tools, specifically semi-structured interview, which was administered to a sample of 18 fathers that were treated in a rehabilitation clinic for individuals who use drugs. The used semi-structured interview made it possible to analyze the perception of participants about their paternity, t...
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An Emergency Department provides emergency diagnosis and interventions, first clinical instrumental and laboratory examinations, actions needed to stabilize the patient. The purpose of this review was to evaluate the state-of-the-science... more
An Emergency Department provides emergency diagnosis and interventions, first clinical instrumental and laboratory examinations, actions needed to stabilize the patient. The purpose of this review was to evaluate the state-of-the-science focused on intimate partner violence. The review search period was from 2000 to 2019. The search was not restricted by language or geographical region, and was carried out by combining an exhaustive list of terms denoting intimate partner violence, domestic violence, emergency department care of women, women victims of violence, identifying abuse among women. Databases searched included MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library.
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Purpose This study aims to investigate the effects of combining 12-week group psychotherapy with yoga exercises on stress perception and quality of life in mental health professionals. Design/methodology/approach This study was a... more
Purpose This study aims to investigate the effects of combining 12-week group psychotherapy with yoga exercises on stress perception and quality of life in mental health professionals. Design/methodology/approach This study was a parallel-arm randomized controlled trial, in which the participants was unaware of which group was the experimental one. Participants involved in our research were assigned to two groups of separate treatment that followed for three months group psychotherapy combined with yoga program for stress management or usual stress coping strategies. Findings The findings did not reveal a significant difference in stress perception assessed in the two groups either before or after intervention but reveal a significant difference in the quality of life in the two groups before and after the psycho behavioral interventions. Originality/value The findings did not reveal a significant difference in stress perception assessed in the two groups either before or after inte...
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Background: Tobacco use is a global pandemic, affecting an estimated 1.2 billion people and resulting in substantial health burdens and associated costs. Objectives: The aim of this study was to estimate the efficacy of several treatments... more
Background: Tobacco use is a global pandemic, affecting an estimated 1.2 billion people and resulting in substantial health burdens and associated costs. Objectives: The aim of this study was to estimate the efficacy of several treatments for smoking cessation in a real-life setting and to evaluate predictors of smoking abstinence. Methods: This research was designed with a sample of 593 cases recorded over the period between 2015 and 2016. Six treatment groups were included: (1) bupropion and motivational interviewing (MI); (2) bupropion, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), and MI; (3) NRT and MI; (4) varenicline and MI; (5) personal vaporizer electronic cigarette and MI; and (6) electronic cigarette, cigarette like “cigalike,” and MI. Results: Results support the efficacy of all treatment groups when used in a real-life setting. The predictors of smoking abstinence were sex, partner smoking status, previous quit attempts, daily consumption, self-efficacy, and level of nicotine dep...
Cognitive dysfunctions are a common clinical feature of schizophrenia and represent important indicators of outcome among patients who are affected. Therefore, a randomized, controlled, monocentric, singleblind trial was carried out to... more
Cognitive dysfunctions are a common clinical feature of schizophrenia and represent important indicators of outcome among patients who are affected. Therefore, a randomized, controlled, monocentric, singleblind trial was carried out to compare two different rehabilitation strategies adopted for the restoration and recovery of cognitive functioning of residential patients with schizophrenia. A sample of 110 residential patients were selected and, during the experimental period, a group of 55 patients was treated with sets of domain-specific exercises (SRT+CRT), whereas an equal control group was treated with sets of non domain-specific exercises (SRT+PBO) belonging to the Cogpack® software. The effects on the scores (between T0 and T1) of the variables treatment and time and of the interaction time X treatment were analyzed: for the total BACS, the main effect of the between-factors variable treatment is statistically significant (F=201.562 P=0.000), as well as the effect of the with...
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Schizophrenia is a serious psychiatric disorder characterized by positive symptoms, negative symptoms and neurocognitive deficits. The aim of this study was to estimate relationships between wellness, yoga and quality of life in patients... more
Schizophrenia is a serious psychiatric disorder characterized by positive symptoms, negative symptoms and neurocognitive deficits. The aim of this study was to estimate relationships between wellness, yoga and quality of life in patients affected by schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Participants were 30 patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia in care at the Rehabilitative Psychiatry and Research Villa Chiara Clinic in Mascalucia (Catania, Italy), after that randomly assigned to two groups. The first group followed the experimental treatment with sets of yoga exercises conducted by a yoga trainer and a psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist expert in yoga, while a second control group was treated with usual care. The results revealed a significant difference, before and after treatment, between the experimental group and the control group in quality of life.
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Although electronic cigarettes (ECs) are a much less harmful alternative to tobacco cigarettes, there is concern as to whether long-term ECs use may cause risks to human health. We report health outcomes (blood pressure, heart rate, body... more
Although electronic cigarettes (ECs) are a much less harmful alternative to tobacco cigarettes, there is concern as to whether long-term ECs use may cause risks to human health. We report health outcomes (blood pressure, heart rate, body weight, lung function, respiratory symptoms, exhaled breath nitric oxide [eNO], exhaled carbon monoxide [eCO], and high-resolution computed tomography [HRCT] of the lungs) from a prospective 3.5-year observational study of a cohort of nine daily EC users (mean age 29.7 (±6.1) years) who have never smoked and a reference group of twelve never smokers. No significant changes could be detected over the observation period from baseline in the EC users or between EC users and control subjects in any of the health outcomes investigated. Moreover, no pathological findings could be identified on HRCT of the lungs and no respiratory symptoms were consistently reported in the EC user group. Although it cannot be excluded that some harm may occur at later stag...
Introduction: Most electronic-cigarettes (e-cigarette) are designed to look like traditional cigarettes and simulate the visual, sensory, and behavioral aspects of smoking traditional cigarettes. This research aimed to explore whether... more
Introduction: Most electronic-cigarettes (e-cigarette) are designed to look like traditional cigarettes and simulate the visual, sensory, and behavioral aspects of smoking traditional cigarettes. This research aimed to explore whether different e-cigarette models and smokers' usual classic cigarettes can impact on cognitive performances, craving and gesture. Methods: The study is randomized cross-over trial designed to compare cognitive performances, craving, and gesture in subjects who used first generation electronic cigarettes, second generation electronic cigarettes with their usual cigarettes. (Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT01735487). Results: Cognitive performance was not affected by "group condition." Within-group repeated measures analyses showed a significant time effect, indicating an increase of participants' current craving measure in group "usual classic cigarettes (group C)," "disposable cigalike electronic cigarette ...
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Stop smoking it is often associated to weight gain that is one of the most important causes for relapse. This is the first study to describe long-term changes in body weight in smokers invited to quit or reduce smoking by switching to... more
Stop smoking it is often associated to weight gain that is one of the most important causes for relapse. This is the first study to describe long-term changes in body weight in smokers invited to quit or reduce smoking by switching to ECs. Conventional cigarettes consumption and body weight were measured prospectively in a randomized controlled trial of smokers invited to switch to ECs. Post cessation weight changes from baseline at week-12, -24 and -52 were compared among 1) high, medium and zero nicotine strength products and 2) pooled continuous smoking failure, smoking reduction and abstinence phenotypes. Saliva cotinine levels and appetite levels were also measured. No significant changes in body weight were observed among high, medium and zero nicotine strength products. Differences among continuous smoking phenotypes were significant only at week-12 (p = 0.010) and week-24 (p = 0.012) with quitters gaining 2.4{plus minus}4.3 Kg and 2.9{plus minus}4.4 Kg respectively. However,...
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Electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) are experiencing a great popularity and their market has surprisingly grown in a few years. However, the rapidly evolving phenomenon is raising concerns about the safety and efficacy of these products.... more
Electronic cigarettes (e-cigs) are experiencing a great popularity and their market has surprisingly grown in a few years. However, the rapidly evolving phenomenon is raising concerns about the safety and efficacy of these products. Opinions and information from the popular press, but also from the scientific community, are often divergent, confused, warning and sometimes purposely false, raising inconsistent doubts and disproportionate concerns for the public health. This can be easily overcome by the application of rational, plausible, evidence-based regulations for e-cigs. In this short article, we will consider the doubts, evaluate the evidence and formulate some proposals for a more equitable and balanced regulation of these products.