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Papers by Roberta Bracceschi

Research paper thumbnail of Care to relieve pain-stress in preterm newborns

Acta bio-medica: Atenei Parmensis

A variety of non-pharmacological pain-prevention and relief techniques have been studied to evalu... more A variety of non-pharmacological pain-prevention and relief techniques have been studied to evaluate the pain reduction in neonates. The aim of our study was to compare the analgesic effect of sucking a pacifier with the use of eutectic mixture of local anaesthetics (EMLA) during venipuncture in preterm newborns, using physiological and behavioural parameters as indicators of pain. We analysed the reaction to invasive procedures in 17 preterm newborns. Our patients underwent repeated vein draws without pain relief, sucking a pacifier, after the application of EMLA; we also evaluated a group of patients approached for care without pricking. For each infant we recorded the average values of the physiological parameters at rest and after pain stimuli, behavioural conditions (crying or grimaces), number and time required for blood draw. The maximum heart rate values, respiratory rate, and the maximum respiratory rate values presented a statistically difference only between subjects that...

Research paper thumbnail of Comprehension of Pantomimes

Research paper thumbnail of Motor Representation of Actions in Children with Autism

PLoS ONE, 2012

Background: Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are frequently hampered by motor impa... more Background: Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are frequently hampered by motor impairment, with difficulties ranging from imitation of actions to recognition of motor intentions. Such a widespread inefficiency of the motor system is likely to interfere on the ontogeny of both motor planning and understanding of the goals of actions, thus delivering its ultimate effects on the emergence of social cognition.

Research paper thumbnail of Unusual Diagnosis in a Child Suffering From Juvenile Alexander Disease: Clinical and Imaging Report

Journal of Child Neurology, 2006

Alexander disease is a rare, sporadic leukoencephalopathy characterized by white-matter abnormali... more Alexander disease is a rare, sporadic leukoencephalopathy characterized by white-matter abnormalities with frontal predominance and, as a rule, clinically associated with megalencephaly, seizures, spasticity, and psychomotor deterioration. We describe a boy who was diagnosed as affected by anorexia nervosa because of his refusal to eat, progressive weight loss, and psychologic disturbances. The observation of a hyperintense lesion on T(2)-weighed magnetic resonance images (MRIs) was initially explained as a pontine and extrapontine myelinolysis related to malnutrition. Following MRI and DNA analysis, we diagnosed a juvenile type of Alexander disease. Therefore, we can affirm the importance of the history and clinical examination to look for brainstem dysfunction in patients presenting with atypical anorexia nervosa.

Research paper thumbnail of Verbal Versus Non-Verbal Performances in Mild Alzheimer’s Disease

Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 2004

The purpose of this study was to investigate the pattern of cognitive impairment in mild Alzheime... more The purpose of this study was to investigate the pattern of cognitive impairment in mild Alzheimer's disease (AD). We tested thirty patients ( 10 men and 20 women) with mini mental state examination (MMSE) scores between 20 and 24. The mental deterioration battery (MDB) was administered to all subjects. For each patient, the mean general score for the 4 verbal and the 4 non-verbal items were calculated, in order to verify the existence of a significant difference between them. In our sample the results showed that the difference between verbal and non-verbal items was not significant, i.e., the disease seems to affect both domains uniformly.

Research paper thumbnail of Care to relieve pain-stress in preterm newborns

Acta bio-medica : Atenei Parmensis, 2011

A variety of non-pharmacological pain-prevention and relief techniques have been studied to evalu... more A variety of non-pharmacological pain-prevention and relief techniques have been studied to evaluate the pain reduction in neonates. The aim of our study was to compare the analgesic effect of sucking a pacifier with the use of eutectic mixture of local anaesthetics (EMLA) during venipuncture in preterm newborns, using physiological and behavioural parameters as indicators of pain. We analysed the reaction to invasive procedures in 17 preterm newborns. Our patients underwent repeated vein draws without pain relief, sucking a pacifier, after the application of EMLA; we also evaluated a group of patients approached for care without pricking. For each infant we recorded the average values of the physiological parameters at rest and after pain stimuli, behavioural conditions (crying or grimaces), number and time required for blood draw. The maximum heart rate values, respiratory rate, and the maximum respiratory rate values presented a statistically difference only between subjects that...

Research paper thumbnail of Care to relieve pain-stress in preterm newborns

Acta bio-medica: Atenei Parmensis

A variety of non-pharmacological pain-prevention and relief techniques have been studied to evalu... more A variety of non-pharmacological pain-prevention and relief techniques have been studied to evaluate the pain reduction in neonates. The aim of our study was to compare the analgesic effect of sucking a pacifier with the use of eutectic mixture of local anaesthetics (EMLA) during venipuncture in preterm newborns, using physiological and behavioural parameters as indicators of pain. We analysed the reaction to invasive procedures in 17 preterm newborns. Our patients underwent repeated vein draws without pain relief, sucking a pacifier, after the application of EMLA; we also evaluated a group of patients approached for care without pricking. For each infant we recorded the average values of the physiological parameters at rest and after pain stimuli, behavioural conditions (crying or grimaces), number and time required for blood draw. The maximum heart rate values, respiratory rate, and the maximum respiratory rate values presented a statistically difference only between subjects that...

Research paper thumbnail of Comprehension of Pantomimes

Research paper thumbnail of Motor Representation of Actions in Children with Autism

PLoS ONE, 2012

Background: Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are frequently hampered by motor impa... more Background: Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are frequently hampered by motor impairment, with difficulties ranging from imitation of actions to recognition of motor intentions. Such a widespread inefficiency of the motor system is likely to interfere on the ontogeny of both motor planning and understanding of the goals of actions, thus delivering its ultimate effects on the emergence of social cognition.

Research paper thumbnail of Unusual Diagnosis in a Child Suffering From Juvenile Alexander Disease: Clinical and Imaging Report

Journal of Child Neurology, 2006

Alexander disease is a rare, sporadic leukoencephalopathy characterized by white-matter abnormali... more Alexander disease is a rare, sporadic leukoencephalopathy characterized by white-matter abnormalities with frontal predominance and, as a rule, clinically associated with megalencephaly, seizures, spasticity, and psychomotor deterioration. We describe a boy who was diagnosed as affected by anorexia nervosa because of his refusal to eat, progressive weight loss, and psychologic disturbances. The observation of a hyperintense lesion on T(2)-weighed magnetic resonance images (MRIs) was initially explained as a pontine and extrapontine myelinolysis related to malnutrition. Following MRI and DNA analysis, we diagnosed a juvenile type of Alexander disease. Therefore, we can affirm the importance of the history and clinical examination to look for brainstem dysfunction in patients presenting with atypical anorexia nervosa.

Research paper thumbnail of Verbal Versus Non-Verbal Performances in Mild Alzheimer’s Disease

Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 2004

The purpose of this study was to investigate the pattern of cognitive impairment in mild Alzheime... more The purpose of this study was to investigate the pattern of cognitive impairment in mild Alzheimer's disease (AD). We tested thirty patients ( 10 men and 20 women) with mini mental state examination (MMSE) scores between 20 and 24. The mental deterioration battery (MDB) was administered to all subjects. For each patient, the mean general score for the 4 verbal and the 4 non-verbal items were calculated, in order to verify the existence of a significant difference between them. In our sample the results showed that the difference between verbal and non-verbal items was not significant, i.e., the disease seems to affect both domains uniformly.

Research paper thumbnail of Care to relieve pain-stress in preterm newborns

Acta bio-medica : Atenei Parmensis, 2011

A variety of non-pharmacological pain-prevention and relief techniques have been studied to evalu... more A variety of non-pharmacological pain-prevention and relief techniques have been studied to evaluate the pain reduction in neonates. The aim of our study was to compare the analgesic effect of sucking a pacifier with the use of eutectic mixture of local anaesthetics (EMLA) during venipuncture in preterm newborns, using physiological and behavioural parameters as indicators of pain. We analysed the reaction to invasive procedures in 17 preterm newborns. Our patients underwent repeated vein draws without pain relief, sucking a pacifier, after the application of EMLA; we also evaluated a group of patients approached for care without pricking. For each infant we recorded the average values of the physiological parameters at rest and after pain stimuli, behavioural conditions (crying or grimaces), number and time required for blood draw. The maximum heart rate values, respiratory rate, and the maximum respiratory rate values presented a statistically difference only between subjects that...