Using IOTA terminology to evaluate fetal ovarian cysts: analysis of 51 cysts over 10-year period.

OBJECTIVES: To describe ultrasound features of fetal ovarian cysts as reported by the original ultrasound examiner, to apply International Ovarian Tumor Analysis (IOTA) terminology after retrospective analysis of the images and to describe patient management and evolution of fetal cysts during pregnancy and after delivery. METHODS: This retrospective observational study included pregnant women diagnosed on ultrasound examination with a fetal ovarian cyst at the Prenatal Diagnosis Division of the Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, in Rome, between March 2011 and May 2020. Cysts were classified by the original ultrasound examiner as 'simple' (unilocular anechoic cyst) or 'complex' (cyst with other morphology). In addition, three ultrasound examiners, experienced in gynecologic ultrasound, classified retrospectively the fetal ovarian cysts according to IOTA terminology, by reviewing stored ultrasound images. The evolution of these fetal ovarian cysts during pregnancy and after birth was recorded. RESULTS: Included were 51 ovarian cysts in 48 fetuses. Of the 51 cysts, 29 (56.9%) had been classified by the original ultrasound examiner as 'simple', and 22 (43.1%) as 'complex'. Of the simple cysts, the majority (20/29 (69.0%)) resolved spontaneously after delivery, 2/29 (6.9%) resolved following intrauterine aspiration, 2/29 (6.9%) resolved after postnatal aspiration and 5/29 (17.2%) underwent surgery due to persistence after delivery; in all five, normal ovarian parenchyma without signs of necrosis was observed at histology. Of the complex cysts, 7/22 (31.8%) resolved spontaneously. The other 15/22 (68.2%) were removed surgically and, at histology, necrosis was observed in most (12/15 (80.0%)), while a benign epithelial cyst with normal ovarian parenchyma was observed in 3/15 (20%). After reviewing the ultrasound images and applying IOTA terminology, all 51 (100%) fetal cysts were described as unilocular; 29/51 (56.9%) cysts showed anechoic content (described as simple cysts by the original ultrasound examiner), and 10/51 (19.6%) had low-level, 1/51 (2.0%) had ground-glass, 9/51 (17.6%) had hemorrhagic, 1/51 (2.0%) had mixed and 1/51 (2.0%) had undefined content (all described as complex by the original ultrasound examiner). Among the 29 anechoic ovarian cysts, resolution was observed in most (24/29, 82.8%) cases. Similarly, resolution was observed in 7/10 (70.0%) cysts with low-level content. Resolution was not observed in any of the other 12 cysts and all of these cases underwent surgery, with evidence of necrosis being observed in 11 (91.7%). CONCLUSIONS: Applying IOTA terminology provided a more detailed and accurate description of fetal ovarian cysts compared with the original classification into 'simple' and 'complex' categories. Anechoic cysts (described as simple cysts by the original ultrasound examiner) and cysts with low-level content (described as complex by the original ultrasound examiner) frequently resolved spontaneously. Cysts with ground-glass, hemorrhagic, mixed or undefined content were frequently associated with necrosis at histology following surgery. © 2022 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Priming effect in children with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.

Previous studies have evidenced cognitive difficulties across various domains in Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) children, but the implicit memory system has not yet been systematically explored.Taking into account that the interplay between memory and perception may be modulated by the semantic category of the stimuli and their salience, we explored explicit and implicit memory using both object and food stimuli to verify whether for T1DM children there is a feebleness in performing the function of memory as a function of the stimuli used.Eighteen T1DM children and 47 healthy children performed an explicit recognition task in which they were requested to judge whether the presented image had already been shown ("old") or not ("new") and an identification priming task in which they were asked to name new and old pictures presented at nine ascending levels of spatial filtering.Results did not reveal any differences between controls and T1DM children in the explicit memory recognition task, whereas some differences between the two groups were found in the identification priming task. In T1DM children, the priming effect was observed only for food images.The dissociation between implicit and explicit memory observed in children with diabetes seems to be modulated by the category of the stimuli, and these results underscore the relevance of taking into account this variable when exploring cognitive functions.

Ultrasonographic assessment of mediastinal shift angle (MSA) in isolated left congenital diaphragmatic hernia for the prediction of postnatal survival.

Objectives: To quantify mediastinal shift in isolated congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), by the introduction of a new ultrasonographic (US) marker, defined as mediastinal shift angle (MSA) and to evaluate its ability in predicting postnatal survival at discharge.Methods: Twenty-four consecutive fetuses from singleton pregnancies with isolated left-sided CDH were included in the study group and then subdivided into group A (16 survivors) and group B (8 nonsurvivors). The study group was matched with a control group of 95 fetuses from singleton pregnancies free from structural and/or chromosomal anomalies. On the same US stored images commonly used for lung-to-head ratio (LHR) measurement, a landmark line was drawn from a point on the posterior face of the vertebral body, splitting it into two equal parts, to the mid-posterior surface of the sternum. Another landmark line was then traced from the same point of the vertebral body to touch tangentially the lateral wall of the right atrium. The angle between these two lines was used to quantify mediastinal shift and called "mediastinal shift angle" (MSA).Results: Median MSA was significantly different between group A (34.3° range 29.3-45.9°) and group B (42.7° range 34.1-58.9°) (p < .001) and between study group as a whole and the control group (19° range 13.8-25.9°) (p < .001). Statistical analysis confirmed an inverse correlation between MSA values and survival (p = .004). The best cutoff value for MSA was 43.7°, which demonstrated the highest discriminatory power (sensitivity 63%; specificity 93.75%).Conclusions: In fetuses with isolated CDH, the mediastinal shift may be quantified using mediastinal shift angle (MSA) and this US marker, similarly to the widely accepted and used US prenatal prognostic indicators (LHR and O/E LHR), seems to reliably predict survival.

Automatic and controlled attentional orienting in the elderly: A dual-process view of the positivity effect.

The positivity effect in the elderly consists of an attentional preference for positive information as well as avoidance of negative information. Extant theories predict either that the positivity effect depends on controlled attentional processes (socio-emotional selectivity theory), or on an automatic gating selection mechanism (dynamic integration theory). This study examined the role of automatic and controlled attention in the positivity effect. Two dot-probe tasks (with the duration of the stimuli lasting 100 ms and 500 ms, respectively) were employed to compare the attentional bias of 35 elderly people to that of 35 young adults. The stimuli used were expressive faces displaying neutral, disgusted, fearful, and happy expressions. In comparison to young people, the elderly allocated more attention to happy faces at 100 ms and they tended to avoid fearful faces at 500 ms. The findings are not predicted by either theory taken alone, but support the hypothesis that the positivity effect in the elderly is driven by two different processes: an automatic attention bias toward positive stimuli, and a controlled mechanism that diverts attention away from negative stimuli.

Electrophysiological Activity Prior to Self-initiated Movements is Related to Impulsive Personality Traits.

Electrophysiological and neuroimaging studies suggest that our actions are initiated by unconscious mental processes long before awareness of intention to act. The time window between the awareness of the intention to move and the movement onset, which normally permits to exert a conscious "veto" on the impending action, is modulated by individual differences in trait impulsivity. In particular, trait impulsive people show a delayed awareness of the intention to act, probably exceeding the "point of no return", after which the action can no longer be inhibited. In order to investigate if individual differences in the "veto" interval might be explained by differences in the readiness potential (RP) dynamics, nineteen healthy participants underwent an impulsivity trait assessment using the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) and performed a task based on Libet's clock paradigm, during EEG recordings of pre-movement neural activity. We observed a positive relationship between impulsive personality trait and motor system excitability during the preparation of self-initiated movements. In particular, the RP showed an earlier negative rising phase and a greater amplitude, with the increasing of BIS-11 scores. Based on present results, we conclude hypothesizing that trait impulsivity might be characterized by less effective preparatory inhibition mechanisms, which have a fundamental role in the control of behavior.

Obesity in pregnancy as a model to identify women at risk for later metabolic syndrome.

The aim of our study is to identify - in a cohort of obese women - cardiovascular and clinical risk factors in women with previous complicated pregnancies and protective factors in women with previous physiological pregnancies. A total of 135 nonpregnant obese women referring to Policlinico Gemelli in Rome were prospectively collected in 2009-2010. Thirty-two women matched inclusion criteria: 16 reported a previous physiological pregnancy and 16 reported previous obstetric complications. A clinical, instrumental and laboratory evaluation has been performed for each patient. Statistical analysis was performed using StatView Software. Values are expressed as mean ± standard error (SEM). All tests were two-tailed with a confidence level of 95% (p < .05). Statistically significant reduced flow-mediated dilatation (p = .0338), increased serum values of vascular cell adhesion molecule (p = .0154) and higher systolic blood pressure values (p = .0427) have been detected in obese women with previous complicated pregnancies due to gestational diabetes and/or hypertension. In conclusion, obese patients with previous complicated pregnancies develop signs of endothelial dysfunction in the postpartum period. Future research should focus on the early identification of possible molecular mechanisms implicated in the development of glyco-metabolic and cardiovascular diseases in obese patients, since they are at higher risk of metabolic syndrome.

Relationship between impulsivity traits and awareness of motor intention.

Deficient voluntary control of behaviour and impulsivity are key aspects of impulse control disorders. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between behavioural measures of impulsivity and the awareness of voluntary action. Seventy-four healthy volunteers completed the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS), a questionnaire used to measure impulsive personality traits, and a go/no-go task. Moreover, all participants performed a behavioural task based on the Libet's clock paradigm in which they were requested to report the time of a self-initiated movement (M-judgement) or the time they first feel their intention to move (W-judgement). A positive relationship between the time in which subjects reported the intention to move (W-judgement) and impulsivity measures emerged. Namely, the higher was the score in the attentional and motor impulsivity subscales of the BIS and the number of inhibitory failure responses in the go/no-go task, the lower was the difference between the W-judgement and the actual movement (i.e. the awareness of intention to move was closer to the voluntary movement execution). In contrast, no relationship emerged with M-judgement. The present findings suggest that impulsivity is related to a delayed awareness of voluntary action. We hypothesize that in impulse control disorders, the short interval between conscious intention and actual movement may interfere with processes underlying the conscious 'veto' of the impending action.

Audio-visual integration effect in lateral occipital cortex during an object recognition task: An interference pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Recent neuroimaging data support the hypothesis of a multisensory interplay at low-level sensory-specific cortex. OBJECTIVE: We used an on-line interference approach by rTMS to investigate the role of the left lateral occipital cortex (LOC) in audio-visual (AV) object recognition process. METHODS: Fifteen healthy volunteers performed a visual identification task of degraded pictures presented alone or simultaneously to coherent or non-coherent sounds. Focal 10-Hz rTMS at an intensity of 100% resting motor threshold was delivered simultaneously to the picture. Two blocks of 60 pictures were randomly displayed in two different experimental conditions: rTMS of the left LOC and over Cz. RESULTS: rTMS of the left LOC produced a worsening of the accuracy compared to rTMS over Cz specifically in the coherent AV condition. CONCLUSION: These data support the view that audio-visual interaction effect may occur at early stage of recognition processing.

" The times they aren't a-changin' " rTMS does not affect basic mechanisms of temporal discrimination: a pilot study with ERPs.

In time processing, the role of different cortical areas is still under investigation. Event-related potentials (ERPs) represent valuable indices of neural timing mechanisms in the millisecond-to-second domain. We used an interference approach by repetitive TMS (rTMS) on ERPs and behavioral performance to investigate the role of different cortical areas in processing basic temporal information. Ten healthy volunteers were requested to decide whether time intervals between two tones (S1-S2, probe interval) were shorter (800ms), equal to, or longer (1200ms) than a previously listened 1000-ms interval (target interval) and press different buttons accordingly. This task was performed at the baseline and immediately after a 15-min-long train of 1-Hz rTMS delivered over the supplementary motor area, right posterior parietal cortex, right superior temporal gyrus, or an occipital control area. Task accuracy, reaction time, and ERPs during (contingent negative variation, CNV) and after the presentation of probe intervals were analyzed. At the baseline, CNV amplitude was modulated by the duration of the probe interval. RTMS had no significant effect on behavioral or ERP measures. These preliminary data suggest that stimulated cortical areas are less crucially involved than other brain regions (e.g. subcortical structures) in the explicit discrimination of auditory time intervals in the range of hundreds of milliseconds.

Effect of pravastatin on endothelial function and endothelial progenitor cells in healthy postmenopausal women.

PURPOSE: Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in postmenopausal women. Among statins, pravastatin has been shown to significantly reduce fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events in primary and secondary prevention trials. The aim of the present research was to investigate whether treatment with pravastatin can modify some indices of cardiovascular risk in healthy postmenopausal women such as significant reductions in total and LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels. METHODS: 20 patients were randomized in double-blind fashion to treatment for eight weeks with either pravastatin 40 mg/day or placebo, and subsequently, after one-week wash-out, crossed-over to the alternative treatment (placebo or pravastatin) for the following eight weeks. We performed clinical and laboratory investigations, before and at the end of each treatment period, to evaluate patient response to the treatment with pravastatin. RESULTS: After eight weeks pravastatin therapy reduced the median low density lipoprotein (LDL) and total cholesterol (p < 0.01 in both cases). In contrast, insulin level and insulin sensitivity did not show any difference with regard to values observed after placebo treatment. The absolute number of endothelial progenitor cells-colony forming unit (EPC-CFU) was significantly increased by pravastatin treatment (30.6% increase, p < 0.05) and the number of senescent cells was significantly decreased. However pravastatin did not increase tube-like formation by EPC and did not improve endothelial function. CONCLUSIONS: Despite beneficial effect on lipids and EPC, short term pravastatin does not seem to improve other cardiovascular risk factors, at least in healthy postmenopausal women.

Fearful expressions enhance recognition memory: electrophysiological evidence.

Facial expressions play a key role in affective and social behavior. However, the temporal dynamics of the brain responses to emotional faces remain still unclear, in particular an open question is at what stage of face processing expressions might influence encoding and recognition memory. To try and answer this question we recorded the event-related potentials (ERPs) elicited in an old/new recognition task. A novel aspect of the present design was that whereas faces were presented during the study phase with either a happy, fearful or neutral expression, they were always neutral during the memory retrieval task. The ERP results showed three main findings: An enhanced early fronto-central positivity for faces encoded as fearful, both during the study and the retrieval phase. During encoding subsequent memory (Dm effect) was influenced by emotion. At retrieval the early components P100 and N170 were modulated by the emotional expression of the face at the encoding phase. Finally, the later ERP components related to recognition memory were modulated by the previously encoded facial expressions. Overall, these results suggest that face recognition is modulated by top-down influences from brain areas associated with emotional memory, enhancing encoding and retrieval in particular for fearful emotional expressions.

When memory meets beauty: Insights from event-related potentials.

Facial attractiveness plays a key role in human social and affective behavior. To study the time course of the neural processing of attractiveness and its influence on recognition memory we investigated the event-related potentials (ERPs) elicited in an old/new recognition task in response to faces with a neutral expression that, at encoding, were rated for their attractiveness. Highly attractive faces elicited a specific early positive-going component on frontal sites; in addition, with respect to less attractive faces, they elicited larger later components related to structural encoding and recognition memory. All in all, our results show that facial attractiveness, independently from facial expression, modulates face processing throughout all stages from encoding to retrieval.

Recognition of category-related visual stimuli in Parkinson's disease: before and after pharmacological treatment.

Visual-sensory dysfunctions and semantic processing impairments are widely reported in Parkinson's disease (PD) research. The present study investigated the category-specific deficit in object recognition as a function of both the semantic category and spatial frequency content of stimuli. In the first experiment, the role of dopamine in object-recognition processing was assessed by comparing PD drug naïve (PD-DN), PD receiving levodopa treatment (PD-LD), and control subjects. Experiment 2 consisted of a retest session for PD drug naïve subjects after a period of pharmacological treatment. All participants completed an identification task which displayed animals and tools at nine levels of filtering. Each object was revealed in a sequence of frames whereby the object was presented at increasingly less-filtered images up to a complete version of the image. Results indicate an impaired identification pattern for PD-DN subjects solely for animal category stimuli. This differential pharmacological therapy effect was also confirmed at retest (experiment 2). Thus, our data suggest that dopaminergic loss has a specific role in category-specific impairment. Two possible hypotheses are discussed that may account for the defective recognition of semantically different objects in PD.

Hippocampal function and visual object processing in temporal lobe epilepsy.

Limbic event-related potentials related to verbal but not to visual recognition memory have been found to be attenuated within the epileptic hippocampus of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). To identify hippocampal contributions to visual processing and memory we recorded intracranial ERPs directly from within the epileptic and the non-epileptic hippocampus in 12 patients with unilateral TLE during a visual object decision and naming task. While the non-epileptic hippocampus differentiated reliably between real and nonsense objects, this effect was completely eliminated within the epileptic mesial temporal lobe. This finding suggests that the hippocampus proper contributes to the semantic processing of visual objects and may help to explain visual memory deficits in TLE.

Identification of spatially filtered stimuli as function of the semantic category.

The different weight of spatial frequency content in the identification of visual objects was investigated. Subjects were required to identify spatially filtered pictures of animals, vegetables and nonliving objects, displayed at 9 resolution levels of filtering following a coarse-to-fine order. Results showed that spatial frequency content differentially affected the three categories of stimuli. Data suggested a different involvement of low and high spatial frequency channels in visual processing of objects in relation to the semantic category.

Gender differences in spontaneous and MK-801-induced activity after striatal lesions.

At different times post-lesion, the excitotoxically lesioned striatum has been shown to undergo significant neuroanatomical and neurochemical changes, which could be expressed behaviorally. Gender and dose of excitotoxin are other variables that may modify the behavioral effects of the lesion. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to determine the effect of dose, gender, and time post-lesion on spontaneous and drug-induced locomotor behavior after intrastriatal KA lesions. Results showed that dose and time post-lesion had a significant effect on the deficits observed. Hyperactivity induced by the lesion with KA (5 nm) subsided as time post-lesion increased. Both the pattern of spontaneous and MK-801-induced locomotor activity were different for male and female rats. In female animals with KA lesions (5 nm), MK-801 did not stimulate ambulatory activity nor reduce vertical activity. Both female and male rats lesioned with KA (5 nm) showed an exaggerated response to amphetamine, at a time when spontaneous locomotor activity was reduced to control levels. Haloperidol significantly reduced locomotor activity in all groups.

Hand preference in Italian students.

Italian undergraduates (N = 2326) were administered the Italian revised version of Edinburgh Handedness Inventory (Salmaso & Longoni, 1985). Left-handedness was documented in relation to sex, university faculty, geographic origin and handedness pressure. A greater proportion (7.9%) of left-handedness was found compared to previous works on Italian samples. Additional results indicated a difference in left-handedness incidence among Southern, Central and Northern Italian regions. Results are discussed in terms of social and cultural influence.