Elisabetta Genovese - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Elisabetta Genovese
Medical Physics
The exposure of operators moving in the static field of magnetic resonance (MR) facilities was as... more The exposure of operators moving in the static field of magnetic resonance (MR) facilities was assessed through measurements of the magnetic flux density, which is experienced as variable in time because of the movement. Collected data were processed to allow the comparison with most recent and authoritative safety standards. Measurements of the experienced magnetic flux density B were performed using a probe worn by volunteers moving in MR environments. A total of 55 datasets were acquired nearby a 1.5 T, 3 T, and 7 T whole body scanners. Three different metrics were applied: the maximum intensity of B, to be compared with 2013/35/EU Directive exposure limit values for static fields; the maximum variation of the vector B on every 3s-interval, for comparison with the ICNIRP-2014 basic restriction aimed at preventing vertigo effects; two weighted-peak indices (for "sensory" and "health" effects: SENS-WP, HLTH-WP), assessing compliance with ICNIRP-2014 and EU Directive recommendations intended to prevent stimulation effects. Peak values of |B| were greater than 2 T in nine of the 55 datasets. All the datasets at 1.5 T and 3 T were compliant with the limit for vertigo effects, whereas six datasets at 7 T turned out to be noncompliant. At 7 T, all 36 datasets were noncompliant for the SENS-WP index and 26 datasets even for the HLTH-WP one. Results demonstrate that compliance with EU Directive limits for static fields does not guarantee compliance with ICNIRP-2014 reference levels and clearly show that movements in the static field could be the key component of the occupational exposure to EMF in MR facilities.
Physica Medica
This work presents a method for estimating CT dosimetric indices with a prototype designed for su... more This work presents a method for estimating CT dosimetric indices with a prototype designed for suspending the phantom/ion chamber system fixed at the CT isocenter. The purpose of this study was to validate the proposed methodology, which can be used to provide a direct assessment of dosimetric indices in helical scans. The method is based on a reference setup in which the measuring system for CT dosimetry is in a stationary configuration, i.e. not bound to the CT table, and on a mathematical formalism developed for the proposed reference system. The reliability of the method was demonstrated through a set of experimental measurements. Firstly, dosimetric indices were measured with the new method and compared with the indices obtained with the procedure currently used for CT dosimetry (measuring system bound to the CT table). Secondly, dosimetric indices measured with the new method were compared with those displayed on the CT console. There is good agreement between the dosimetric indices obtained with the standard setup and those obtained with the suspended phantom setup, within the expected range of errors. The difference between dosimetric indices estimated with the proposed method and those displayed on the CT console is below 2%. The method enables CT dosimetry to be performed with the dose detector in a stationary longitudinal position thanks to the newly introduced suspended phantom setup. Using this approach, CT dose can be assessed for high pitch helical scans, acquisitions without complete tube rotation and for cases where dynamic collimation is used.
La radiologia medica, 2016
Since 2000, a series of scientific articles on CT have been raising increasing concern about the ... more Since 2000, a series of scientific articles on CT have been raising increasing concern about the risk of radiation induced cancer in children. The alarming conclusions of some of these articles had international echo through global media, provoking widespread public concern. Actually, many of these alarming scientific publications appeared to be flawed by poor study design, but their conclusions were not openly contradicted. In US and Europe pediatric radiologists had to face a huge challenge, which brought to the Image Gently campaign and the Eurosafe initiative with the aim to rebut misinformation and to support medical radiation protection. The Linear No Threshold model-which is the base of contemporary radioprotection-is increasingly questioned by new recent studies suggesting that low dose radiation would decrease cancer risk thanks to the enhancement of immune system response. Actually, pediatric radiologists have to cope with many important issues and contradictory messages. Good medical practice includes good communication about the benefits and risks of health procedures, thus the communication of radiation risk is a key component for radiologists. When considering benefits and risks, an important risk is too often ignored: the risk that skipping a diagnostic exam may cause a misdiagnosis, and therefore, a poor outcome. We should emphasize that a risk from a radiological investigation is very small, if a risk at all, and we are not sure that there is a risk at very low doses, like those doses in the majority of X-ray procedures including CT.
Annali dell'Istituto superiore di sanita
The accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company's (TEPCO's) Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power ... more The accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company's (TEPCO's) Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (NPP) has been one of the dominant topic in nuclear safety and it has brought new attention on the matter of accidents in NPPs due to external events related to natural causes. Climate change has risen new risks and the growing probability of extreme external events has increased exposure and vulnerability of workers in the nuclear sector. However extreme natural events are a threat not only to NPPs but to all facilities dealing with radioactive material and in an emergency scenario they can affect the effectiveness and implementation of safety devices and procedures and also prevent communications, causing delays in the readiness of response. It is clear that adaptation strategies are necessary to cope with emerging changes in climate and a new nuclear safety culture is growing, that addresses accidents initiated not only by internal but also by external events.
Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and Medicine, 2014
The gradient fields generated during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedures have the potenti... more The gradient fields generated during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedures have the potential to induce electrical current on implanted endocardial leads. Whether this current can result in undesired cardiac stimulation is unknown. This paper provides a detailed description of how to construct an optically coupled sensor for the measurement of gradient-field-induced currents into endocardial leads. The system is based on a microcontroller that works as analog-to-digital converter and sends the current signal acquired from the lead to an optical high-speed, light-emitting diode transmitter. A plastic fiber guides the light outside the MRI chamber to a photodiode receiver and then to an acquisition board connected to a PC laptop. The performance of the system has been characterized in terms of power consumption (8 mA on average), sampling frequency (20.5 kHz), measurement range (-12.8 to 10.3 mA) and resolution (22.6 µA). Results inside a 3 T MRI scanner are also presented. The detailed description of the current sensor could permit more standardized study of MRI gradient current induction in pacemaker systems. Results show the potential of gradient currents to affect the pacemaker capability of triggering a heartbeat, by modifying the overall energy delivered by the stimulator.
Neurosurgical focus, 2017
OBJECTIVE During the last 3 decades, robotic technology has rapidly spread across several surgica... more OBJECTIVE During the last 3 decades, robotic technology has rapidly spread across several surgical fields due to the continuous evolution of its versatility, stability, dexterity, and haptic properties. Neurosurgery pioneered the development of robotics, with the aim of improving the quality of several procedures requiring a high degree of accuracy and safety. Moreover, robot-guided approaches are of special interest in pediatric patients, who often have altered anatomy and challenging relationships between the diseased and eloquent structures. Nevertheless, the use of robots has been rarely reported in children. In this work, the authors describe their experience using the ROSA device (Robotized Stereotactic Assistant) in the neurosurgical management of a pediatric population. METHODS Between 2011 and 2016, 116 children underwent ROSA-assisted procedures for a variety of diseases (epilepsy, brain tumors, intra- or extraventricular and tumor cysts, obstructive hydrocephalus, and mov...
IFMBE Proceedings, 2008
... Hospital / Department of Medical Physics, Rome, Italy 3 Bambino Gesù Children's Hospit... more ... Hospital / Department of Medical Physics, Rome, Italy 3 Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital / Department of Paediatric Radiology, Rome, Italy 4 Department of Bioengineering, Polytechnic of Milan, Milan, Italy Abstract Voxel-Based Morphometry (VBM) is a tech-nique for ...
Objectives: Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is a sporadic disorder in the vast majori... more Objectives: Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is a sporadic disorder in the vast majority of cases, although a familial, benign, recurrent form, in which the disease segregates in an autosomal dominant fashion has been described. After the evidence for a role of a novel murine gene, Otop1, in knock-out tlt (tilted) and mlh (Mergulhador) mice, lacking the perception of gravity and linear motion and showing a vestibular disorder due to non-syndromic agenesis of both utricular and saccular otoconia, we aimed at verifying the role of the human analogue of the Otop1 gene in BPPV pathogenesis in familial cases of BPPV, collected in our tertiary university referral centre. Methods: Starting in 2007, families with at least two living members thought to have BPPV were considered for inclusion in the present study. The cases were both retrospectively and prospectively identified over the following two years. Results: Seven familial aggregations of BPPV were identified and Otop1 muta...
PURPOSE Enucleation had long been the mainstay of therapy in retinoblastoma patinets. The effect ... more PURPOSE Enucleation had long been the mainstay of therapy in retinoblastoma patinets. The effect of enucleation on the architecture and integrity of the pre-chiasmatic and post-chiasmatic visual pathway is not known. The aim of the study is to reveal fiber reorganization in the visual pathway following unilateral enucleation. METHOD AND MATERIALS Patients (n=15) with retinoblastoma in a age range of 0-18 years were included in the study. Patients who undergone unilateral enucleation were recalled and received MRI examination including advanced brain imaging for quantitative measurements. A 1.5 Tesla (Achieva Nova Dual, PHILIPS) magnet was used. The advanced imaging protocol included the analysis of the visual pathway by means of measures of fiber integrity using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Mean values of fractional anisotropy (FA) were determined at the level of the optic nerves and optic radiations in unilateral enucleated patients. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS...
Acta otorhinolaryngologica Italica: organo ufficiale della Società italiana di otorinolaringologia e chirurgia cervico-facciale
Speech perception tests are an important part of procedures for diagnosing pre-verbal hearing los... more Speech perception tests are an important part of procedures for diagnosing pre-verbal hearing loss. Merely establishing a child's hearing threshold with and without a hearing aid is not sufficient to ensure an adequate evaluation with a view to selecting cases suitable for cochlear implants because it fails to indicate the real benefit obtained from using a conventional hearing aid reliably. Speech perception tests have proved useful not only for patient selection, but also for subsequent evaluation of the efficacy of new hearing aids, such as tactile devices and cochlear implants. In clinical practice, the tests most commonly adopted with small children are: The Auditory Comprehension Test (ACT), Discrimination after Training (DAT), Monosyllable, Trochee, Spondee tests (MTS), Glendonald Auditory Screening Priocedure (GASP), Early Speech Perception Test (ESP), Rather than considering specific results achieved in individual cases, reference is generally made to the four speech pe...
i disturbi specifici dell'apprendimento sono da tempo oggetto di studio in ambito sia clinico... more i disturbi specifici dell'apprendimento sono da tempo oggetto di studio in ambito sia clinico che di ricerca; tuttavia, nonostante ab-biano trovato una precisa collocazione negli schemi di classificazione ICF, permane una forte disomogeneità, nei vari contesti nazionali, circa lapproccio specifico allanalisi, alla diagnosi e al trattamento. Il volume intende a questo scopo promuovere un dialogo interdi-sciplinare, che accanto ai contributi della neuropsichiatria, della neuropsicologia, della psicologia e della logopedia tenga conto anche dellapporto, fondamentale, delle scienze del linguaggio. Dalla definizione del quadro normativo ai rapporti tra lingua orale e lingua scritta, dalle difficoltà di diagnosi nei contesti bilingui a variegate proposte operative e didattiche da attuare in classe per po-tenziare lapprendimento delle lingue e le abilità di lettura, Dislessia e apprendimento delle lingue offre a insegnanti, alunni e genitori spunti e strumenti per comprendere meglio la...
Italian Journal of Pediatrics, 2015
Acta otorhinolaryngologica Italica : organo ufficiale della Società italiana di otorinolaringologia e chirurgia cervico-facciale, 2007
Despite increasing demand for questionnaires for assessing hearing handicap and the effectiveness... more Despite increasing demand for questionnaires for assessing hearing handicap and the effectiveness of some tools across different languages, empirical studies to evaluate the reliability and the validity of translations of original English questionnaires into an Italian version have not been reported in the literature, thus making comparisons of Italian experimental and clinical data across cultures and countries impossible. This study tested the global assumption that the Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults (HHIA), that is one of the most widely used instruments in English-speaking countries, can be adapted to the Italian language maintaining the reliability and clinical validity of the original version. The English version of this 25-item, self-assessment questionnaire was developed by Newman et al. in 1990 and special emphasis was placed on emotional reaction and social limitations perceived by hearing-impaired subjects and scored separately. This tool was translated into the It...
Revue de laryngologie - otologie - rhinologie, 1992
Reconstructive laryngectomy has been performed at the E.N.T. Clinic in Ferrara for some time. Aft... more Reconstructive laryngectomy has been performed at the E.N.T. Clinic in Ferrara for some time. After surgery the patients undergo speech therapy and phoniatric treatment for a period of time varying from 2 to 6 months. In order to better evaluate the vocal quality obtained after such reeducation the vocal emissions of 25 patients were examined and recorded. The recorded material, made up of prolonged vowels and 6 phonetically balanced sentences, was then evaluated by a panel of 7 "trained" listeners. The evaluation score-card proposed by Woiers in 1977 was used in taking the data. This not only provides a scale for evaluating the main voice quality features, but also includes a final judgement on parameters including intelligibility, acceptability and pleasantness. Statistical processing of the data inherent to voice quality indicated a decrease in intensity and pitch when compared to normal values. Nonetheless, the listening test showed a high degree of intelligibility, ac...
Journal of endocrinological investigation, 2013
No data are available about the risk of thyroid disturbance after exposure to low-dose radiation ... more No data are available about the risk of thyroid disturbance after exposure to low-dose radiation due to the use of cardiac catheterization in the first years of life. To determine the risk of functional and morphological thyroid abnormalities in a homogeneous cohort of patients who underwent diagnostic low-dose radiation for heart catheterization during the first 18 months of life. Fifty-five patients, submitted to cardiac catheterization during the first 18 months of life, underwent evaluation of the thyroid function and structure after a median period of 13 yr since the first radiation exposure. Sixty-eight unexposed controls matched for age and sex, underwent the same protocol. Twenty-two patients were then re-evaluated after a median period of 22 yr. Thyroid function resulted normal in both patients and controls. The prevalence of small thyroid nodules and inhomogeneous structures in ultrasound study was not augmented in irradiated patients compared to controls. No thyroid tumor...
Acta otorhinolaryngologica Italica : organo ufficiale della Società italiana di otorinolaringologia e chirurgia cervico-facciale, 2010
The primary aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of vestibular rehabilitation in a c... more The primary aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of vestibular rehabilitation in a cohort of elderly labyrinthine-defective patients also affected by a moderate cognitive impairment of vascular origin. A secondary aim was to establish whether additional treatment with a cholinergic precursor (choline alphascerate) might enhance the results of the physical therapy in these patients. A retrospective clinical design was employed and data were collected from the vestibular rehabilitation treatment charts of 42 selected elderly patients who attended the tertiary referral centre of the Audiology and Vestibology of the University Hospital of Modena, Italy, in the period 1998-2008. Two groups of patients, well-matched for sex, age, and as close as possible for the vestibular examination upon admittance, were selected; Group A included 20 patients who had undergone vestibular rehabilitation training for one month and Group B included 22 patients who had attended the same physica...
Acta otorhinolaryngologica Italica : organo ufficiale della Società italiana di otorinolaringologia e chirurgia cervico-facciale, 2008
In this study, an assessment was made of the global assumption that working adults with a mild to... more In this study, an assessment was made of the global assumption that working adults with a mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss experience more negative emotional reactions and socio-situational limitations than subjects with no hearing problems and that a deterioration of health-related quality of life on these specific domains would occur. Comparisons between 73 hearing-impaired subjects and 96 controls, well-matched for socio-demographic variables, were performed using the HHIA, MOS 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and SFQ questionnaires scores and revealed that the former experience a higher level of perceived hearing handicap and a deterioration of health-related quality of life while investigating emotional and socio-situational domains than the latter (p < 0.005). While investigating the psychological distress dimension of the hearing-impaired subjects by means of the Symptom Check List (SCL-90-R), it emerged that they are more prone to depression, anxiety, i...
Medical Physics
The exposure of operators moving in the static field of magnetic resonance (MR) facilities was as... more The exposure of operators moving in the static field of magnetic resonance (MR) facilities was assessed through measurements of the magnetic flux density, which is experienced as variable in time because of the movement. Collected data were processed to allow the comparison with most recent and authoritative safety standards. Measurements of the experienced magnetic flux density B were performed using a probe worn by volunteers moving in MR environments. A total of 55 datasets were acquired nearby a 1.5 T, 3 T, and 7 T whole body scanners. Three different metrics were applied: the maximum intensity of B, to be compared with 2013/35/EU Directive exposure limit values for static fields; the maximum variation of the vector B on every 3s-interval, for comparison with the ICNIRP-2014 basic restriction aimed at preventing vertigo effects; two weighted-peak indices (for "sensory" and "health" effects: SENS-WP, HLTH-WP), assessing compliance with ICNIRP-2014 and EU Directive recommendations intended to prevent stimulation effects. Peak values of |B| were greater than 2 T in nine of the 55 datasets. All the datasets at 1.5 T and 3 T were compliant with the limit for vertigo effects, whereas six datasets at 7 T turned out to be noncompliant. At 7 T, all 36 datasets were noncompliant for the SENS-WP index and 26 datasets even for the HLTH-WP one. Results demonstrate that compliance with EU Directive limits for static fields does not guarantee compliance with ICNIRP-2014 reference levels and clearly show that movements in the static field could be the key component of the occupational exposure to EMF in MR facilities.
Physica Medica
This work presents a method for estimating CT dosimetric indices with a prototype designed for su... more This work presents a method for estimating CT dosimetric indices with a prototype designed for suspending the phantom/ion chamber system fixed at the CT isocenter. The purpose of this study was to validate the proposed methodology, which can be used to provide a direct assessment of dosimetric indices in helical scans. The method is based on a reference setup in which the measuring system for CT dosimetry is in a stationary configuration, i.e. not bound to the CT table, and on a mathematical formalism developed for the proposed reference system. The reliability of the method was demonstrated through a set of experimental measurements. Firstly, dosimetric indices were measured with the new method and compared with the indices obtained with the procedure currently used for CT dosimetry (measuring system bound to the CT table). Secondly, dosimetric indices measured with the new method were compared with those displayed on the CT console. There is good agreement between the dosimetric indices obtained with the standard setup and those obtained with the suspended phantom setup, within the expected range of errors. The difference between dosimetric indices estimated with the proposed method and those displayed on the CT console is below 2%. The method enables CT dosimetry to be performed with the dose detector in a stationary longitudinal position thanks to the newly introduced suspended phantom setup. Using this approach, CT dose can be assessed for high pitch helical scans, acquisitions without complete tube rotation and for cases where dynamic collimation is used.
La radiologia medica, 2016
Since 2000, a series of scientific articles on CT have been raising increasing concern about the ... more Since 2000, a series of scientific articles on CT have been raising increasing concern about the risk of radiation induced cancer in children. The alarming conclusions of some of these articles had international echo through global media, provoking widespread public concern. Actually, many of these alarming scientific publications appeared to be flawed by poor study design, but their conclusions were not openly contradicted. In US and Europe pediatric radiologists had to face a huge challenge, which brought to the Image Gently campaign and the Eurosafe initiative with the aim to rebut misinformation and to support medical radiation protection. The Linear No Threshold model-which is the base of contemporary radioprotection-is increasingly questioned by new recent studies suggesting that low dose radiation would decrease cancer risk thanks to the enhancement of immune system response. Actually, pediatric radiologists have to cope with many important issues and contradictory messages. Good medical practice includes good communication about the benefits and risks of health procedures, thus the communication of radiation risk is a key component for radiologists. When considering benefits and risks, an important risk is too often ignored: the risk that skipping a diagnostic exam may cause a misdiagnosis, and therefore, a poor outcome. We should emphasize that a risk from a radiological investigation is very small, if a risk at all, and we are not sure that there is a risk at very low doses, like those doses in the majority of X-ray procedures including CT.
Annali dell'Istituto superiore di sanita
The accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company's (TEPCO's) Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power ... more The accident at Tokyo Electric Power Company's (TEPCO's) Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (NPP) has been one of the dominant topic in nuclear safety and it has brought new attention on the matter of accidents in NPPs due to external events related to natural causes. Climate change has risen new risks and the growing probability of extreme external events has increased exposure and vulnerability of workers in the nuclear sector. However extreme natural events are a threat not only to NPPs but to all facilities dealing with radioactive material and in an emergency scenario they can affect the effectiveness and implementation of safety devices and procedures and also prevent communications, causing delays in the readiness of response. It is clear that adaptation strategies are necessary to cope with emerging changes in climate and a new nuclear safety culture is growing, that addresses accidents initiated not only by internal but also by external events.
Magnetic Resonance Materials in Physics, Biology and Medicine, 2014
The gradient fields generated during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedures have the potenti... more The gradient fields generated during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedures have the potential to induce electrical current on implanted endocardial leads. Whether this current can result in undesired cardiac stimulation is unknown. This paper provides a detailed description of how to construct an optically coupled sensor for the measurement of gradient-field-induced currents into endocardial leads. The system is based on a microcontroller that works as analog-to-digital converter and sends the current signal acquired from the lead to an optical high-speed, light-emitting diode transmitter. A plastic fiber guides the light outside the MRI chamber to a photodiode receiver and then to an acquisition board connected to a PC laptop. The performance of the system has been characterized in terms of power consumption (8 mA on average), sampling frequency (20.5 kHz), measurement range (-12.8 to 10.3 mA) and resolution (22.6 µA). Results inside a 3 T MRI scanner are also presented. The detailed description of the current sensor could permit more standardized study of MRI gradient current induction in pacemaker systems. Results show the potential of gradient currents to affect the pacemaker capability of triggering a heartbeat, by modifying the overall energy delivered by the stimulator.
Neurosurgical focus, 2017
OBJECTIVE During the last 3 decades, robotic technology has rapidly spread across several surgica... more OBJECTIVE During the last 3 decades, robotic technology has rapidly spread across several surgical fields due to the continuous evolution of its versatility, stability, dexterity, and haptic properties. Neurosurgery pioneered the development of robotics, with the aim of improving the quality of several procedures requiring a high degree of accuracy and safety. Moreover, robot-guided approaches are of special interest in pediatric patients, who often have altered anatomy and challenging relationships between the diseased and eloquent structures. Nevertheless, the use of robots has been rarely reported in children. In this work, the authors describe their experience using the ROSA device (Robotized Stereotactic Assistant) in the neurosurgical management of a pediatric population. METHODS Between 2011 and 2016, 116 children underwent ROSA-assisted procedures for a variety of diseases (epilepsy, brain tumors, intra- or extraventricular and tumor cysts, obstructive hydrocephalus, and mov...
IFMBE Proceedings, 2008
... Hospital / Department of Medical Physics, Rome, Italy 3 Bambino Gesù Children's Hospit... more ... Hospital / Department of Medical Physics, Rome, Italy 3 Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital / Department of Paediatric Radiology, Rome, Italy 4 Department of Bioengineering, Polytechnic of Milan, Milan, Italy Abstract Voxel-Based Morphometry (VBM) is a tech-nique for ...
Objectives: Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is a sporadic disorder in the vast majori... more Objectives: Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is a sporadic disorder in the vast majority of cases, although a familial, benign, recurrent form, in which the disease segregates in an autosomal dominant fashion has been described. After the evidence for a role of a novel murine gene, Otop1, in knock-out tlt (tilted) and mlh (Mergulhador) mice, lacking the perception of gravity and linear motion and showing a vestibular disorder due to non-syndromic agenesis of both utricular and saccular otoconia, we aimed at verifying the role of the human analogue of the Otop1 gene in BPPV pathogenesis in familial cases of BPPV, collected in our tertiary university referral centre. Methods: Starting in 2007, families with at least two living members thought to have BPPV were considered for inclusion in the present study. The cases were both retrospectively and prospectively identified over the following two years. Results: Seven familial aggregations of BPPV were identified and Otop1 muta...
PURPOSE Enucleation had long been the mainstay of therapy in retinoblastoma patinets. The effect ... more PURPOSE Enucleation had long been the mainstay of therapy in retinoblastoma patinets. The effect of enucleation on the architecture and integrity of the pre-chiasmatic and post-chiasmatic visual pathway is not known. The aim of the study is to reveal fiber reorganization in the visual pathway following unilateral enucleation. METHOD AND MATERIALS Patients (n=15) with retinoblastoma in a age range of 0-18 years were included in the study. Patients who undergone unilateral enucleation were recalled and received MRI examination including advanced brain imaging for quantitative measurements. A 1.5 Tesla (Achieva Nova Dual, PHILIPS) magnet was used. The advanced imaging protocol included the analysis of the visual pathway by means of measures of fiber integrity using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Mean values of fractional anisotropy (FA) were determined at the level of the optic nerves and optic radiations in unilateral enucleated patients. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS...
Acta otorhinolaryngologica Italica: organo ufficiale della Società italiana di otorinolaringologia e chirurgia cervico-facciale
Speech perception tests are an important part of procedures for diagnosing pre-verbal hearing los... more Speech perception tests are an important part of procedures for diagnosing pre-verbal hearing loss. Merely establishing a child's hearing threshold with and without a hearing aid is not sufficient to ensure an adequate evaluation with a view to selecting cases suitable for cochlear implants because it fails to indicate the real benefit obtained from using a conventional hearing aid reliably. Speech perception tests have proved useful not only for patient selection, but also for subsequent evaluation of the efficacy of new hearing aids, such as tactile devices and cochlear implants. In clinical practice, the tests most commonly adopted with small children are: The Auditory Comprehension Test (ACT), Discrimination after Training (DAT), Monosyllable, Trochee, Spondee tests (MTS), Glendonald Auditory Screening Priocedure (GASP), Early Speech Perception Test (ESP), Rather than considering specific results achieved in individual cases, reference is generally made to the four speech pe...
i disturbi specifici dell'apprendimento sono da tempo oggetto di studio in ambito sia clinico... more i disturbi specifici dell'apprendimento sono da tempo oggetto di studio in ambito sia clinico che di ricerca; tuttavia, nonostante ab-biano trovato una precisa collocazione negli schemi di classificazione ICF, permane una forte disomogeneità, nei vari contesti nazionali, circa lapproccio specifico allanalisi, alla diagnosi e al trattamento. Il volume intende a questo scopo promuovere un dialogo interdi-sciplinare, che accanto ai contributi della neuropsichiatria, della neuropsicologia, della psicologia e della logopedia tenga conto anche dellapporto, fondamentale, delle scienze del linguaggio. Dalla definizione del quadro normativo ai rapporti tra lingua orale e lingua scritta, dalle difficoltà di diagnosi nei contesti bilingui a variegate proposte operative e didattiche da attuare in classe per po-tenziare lapprendimento delle lingue e le abilità di lettura, Dislessia e apprendimento delle lingue offre a insegnanti, alunni e genitori spunti e strumenti per comprendere meglio la...
Italian Journal of Pediatrics, 2015
Acta otorhinolaryngologica Italica : organo ufficiale della Società italiana di otorinolaringologia e chirurgia cervico-facciale, 2007
Despite increasing demand for questionnaires for assessing hearing handicap and the effectiveness... more Despite increasing demand for questionnaires for assessing hearing handicap and the effectiveness of some tools across different languages, empirical studies to evaluate the reliability and the validity of translations of original English questionnaires into an Italian version have not been reported in the literature, thus making comparisons of Italian experimental and clinical data across cultures and countries impossible. This study tested the global assumption that the Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults (HHIA), that is one of the most widely used instruments in English-speaking countries, can be adapted to the Italian language maintaining the reliability and clinical validity of the original version. The English version of this 25-item, self-assessment questionnaire was developed by Newman et al. in 1990 and special emphasis was placed on emotional reaction and social limitations perceived by hearing-impaired subjects and scored separately. This tool was translated into the It...
Revue de laryngologie - otologie - rhinologie, 1992
Reconstructive laryngectomy has been performed at the E.N.T. Clinic in Ferrara for some time. Aft... more Reconstructive laryngectomy has been performed at the E.N.T. Clinic in Ferrara for some time. After surgery the patients undergo speech therapy and phoniatric treatment for a period of time varying from 2 to 6 months. In order to better evaluate the vocal quality obtained after such reeducation the vocal emissions of 25 patients were examined and recorded. The recorded material, made up of prolonged vowels and 6 phonetically balanced sentences, was then evaluated by a panel of 7 "trained" listeners. The evaluation score-card proposed by Woiers in 1977 was used in taking the data. This not only provides a scale for evaluating the main voice quality features, but also includes a final judgement on parameters including intelligibility, acceptability and pleasantness. Statistical processing of the data inherent to voice quality indicated a decrease in intensity and pitch when compared to normal values. Nonetheless, the listening test showed a high degree of intelligibility, ac...
Journal of endocrinological investigation, 2013
No data are available about the risk of thyroid disturbance after exposure to low-dose radiation ... more No data are available about the risk of thyroid disturbance after exposure to low-dose radiation due to the use of cardiac catheterization in the first years of life. To determine the risk of functional and morphological thyroid abnormalities in a homogeneous cohort of patients who underwent diagnostic low-dose radiation for heart catheterization during the first 18 months of life. Fifty-five patients, submitted to cardiac catheterization during the first 18 months of life, underwent evaluation of the thyroid function and structure after a median period of 13 yr since the first radiation exposure. Sixty-eight unexposed controls matched for age and sex, underwent the same protocol. Twenty-two patients were then re-evaluated after a median period of 22 yr. Thyroid function resulted normal in both patients and controls. The prevalence of small thyroid nodules and inhomogeneous structures in ultrasound study was not augmented in irradiated patients compared to controls. No thyroid tumor...
Acta otorhinolaryngologica Italica : organo ufficiale della Società italiana di otorinolaringologia e chirurgia cervico-facciale, 2010
The primary aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of vestibular rehabilitation in a c... more The primary aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of vestibular rehabilitation in a cohort of elderly labyrinthine-defective patients also affected by a moderate cognitive impairment of vascular origin. A secondary aim was to establish whether additional treatment with a cholinergic precursor (choline alphascerate) might enhance the results of the physical therapy in these patients. A retrospective clinical design was employed and data were collected from the vestibular rehabilitation treatment charts of 42 selected elderly patients who attended the tertiary referral centre of the Audiology and Vestibology of the University Hospital of Modena, Italy, in the period 1998-2008. Two groups of patients, well-matched for sex, age, and as close as possible for the vestibular examination upon admittance, were selected; Group A included 20 patients who had undergone vestibular rehabilitation training for one month and Group B included 22 patients who had attended the same physica...
Acta otorhinolaryngologica Italica : organo ufficiale della Società italiana di otorinolaringologia e chirurgia cervico-facciale, 2008
In this study, an assessment was made of the global assumption that working adults with a mild to... more In this study, an assessment was made of the global assumption that working adults with a mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss experience more negative emotional reactions and socio-situational limitations than subjects with no hearing problems and that a deterioration of health-related quality of life on these specific domains would occur. Comparisons between 73 hearing-impaired subjects and 96 controls, well-matched for socio-demographic variables, were performed using the HHIA, MOS 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and SFQ questionnaires scores and revealed that the former experience a higher level of perceived hearing handicap and a deterioration of health-related quality of life while investigating emotional and socio-situational domains than the latter (p < 0.005). While investigating the psychological distress dimension of the hearing-impaired subjects by means of the Symptom Check List (SCL-90-R), it emerged that they are more prone to depression, anxiety, i...