Changes in dream features across the first and second waves of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Research during the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted its significant impact on dreaming. Here we address changes in dream features both during the first wave, when the Italian government imposed a total lockdown, and the second wave (autumn 2020), when a partial lockdown was effected. In April 2020 (total lockdown), 1,622 participants (Mage  = 34.1 ± 13.6 years; 1171F) completed an online survey including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and a set of questions on dream features and their possible changes relative to the month preceding the lockdown (pre-total lockdown). In November 2020 (partial lockdown), 214 participants (Mage  = 36.78 ± 14.2 years; 159F) from the previous sample completed the same survey. Approximately half of the subjects reported increased or decreased dream frequency (30.5% and 21.8%), length (27.1% and 15.8%) and vividness (31.5% and 17.1%) during total lockdown as well as during partial lockdown (frequency: 30.3% and 13.5%; length: 23.3% and 12.6%; vividness: 31.6% and 24.1%). Dream affect became significantly more negative in total lockdown relative to pre-total lockdown and in partial lockdown relative to pre-partial lockdown (both p < .001). Both in total lockdown and partial lockdown, increased negative dream emotionality significantly predicted changes in dream frequency, length and vividness, and was significantly predicted, in turn, by worsened sleep quality. Our data confirm that dream features are significantly affected by major life changes such as those imposed by a pandemic. The fact that between lockdowns negative dream affect returned almost to baseline level suggests that dream emotionality is closely related to lifestyle and wake-time emotional changes. Also, our findings point to a modulating role of sleep quality on dream emotionality.

Retinal thinning in progressive supranuclear palsy: differences with healthy controls and correlation with clinical variables.

BACKGROUND: Available evidence reports conflicting data on retinal thickness in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). In studies including healthy controls, PSP showed either the thinning of the retinal nerve fiber layer, macular ganglion cell, inner nuclear, or outer retina layer. OBJECTIVES: The goals of the present study were to describe retinal layer thickness in a large cohort of PSP compared to healthy controls and in PSP phenotypes using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). The additional objective was to verify the relationship between retinal layers thickness and clinical variables in PSP. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional design, we examined retinal structure in 27 PSP patients and 27 controls using standard SD-OCT. Motor and cognitive impairment in PSP was rated with the PSP rating scale and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment battery (MoCA), respectively. Eyes with poor image quality or confounding diseases were excluded. SD-OCT measures of PSP and controls were compared with parametric testing, and correlations between retinal layer thicknesses and disease severity were evaluated. RESULTS: PSP showed significant thinning of the inner retinal layer (IRL), ganglion cell layer (GCL), inner plexiform layer (IPL), and the outer plexiform layer (OPL) compared to healthy controls. PSP phenotypes showed similar retinal layer thicknesses. Retinal layer thickness correlated with MoCA visuospatial subscore (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated PSP patients disclosed thinner IRL, GCL, IPL, and OPL compared to healthy controls. Furthermore, we found a significant correlation between visuospatial abilities and retinal layers suggesting the existence of a mutual relationship between posterior cognitive function and retinal structure.

Intraocular Lens Power Calculation Without Corneal Parameters: A New Option.

OBJECTIVES: To compare different methods in calculating the corneal radius (R) to be used in case of intraocular lens power calculations when it is immeasurable. METHODS: The right eyes of 1,960 patients were randomly divided into 2 equal groups. The first group of right eyes (group A) was divided in three groups according to the axial length (AL) (≤21.99 mm, between 22 and 24.99 mm, and ≥25 mm). In these groups, the correlation between the AL and the corneal radius (R) provided three different regression formulas. The second group of right eyes (group B) was used to test the following methods of estimating the R: the regression formulas determined from group A, formula from Logan et al., formula from Stenström, the mean R calculated from group A, and the fellow eye group B. A Student paired T test was used for the statistical evaluation. RESULTS: In case of AL≤21.99, the best results have been obtained with the fellow eye R, followed by either the regression formula or the mean R from group A (mean=0.00±0.09 mm, P=0.94, mean=0.05±0.21 mm, P=0.05, mean=0.05±0.22 mm, P=0.08, respectively). In case of AL between 22 and 24.99 mm, the best results have been obtained with the fellow eye R, followed by either the regression formula or the mean R from group A (mean=-0.01±0.09 mm, P=0.38, mean=0.01±0.21 mm, P=0.12, mean=0.01±0.24 mm, P=0.18, respectively). In case of AL≥25 mm, the best results have been obtained with the fellow eye R, followed by either the regression formula or the mean R from group A (mean=-0.003±0.08 mm, P=0.94 mean=-0.004±0.25 mm, P=0.85, mean=-0.004±0.25 mm, P=0.85, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The new calculated regression formulas seem to represent a reliable method to calculate the R when it is undetectable, as in case of corneal dystrophies.

Choroidal evaluation in patients under alpha-lytic therapy.

PURPOSE: To detect any choroidal thickness (CT) change in patients after alpha-lytic drugs withdrawal that could help in the cataract surgery timing decision. METHODS: Twenty-five eyes of 25 patients (mean age: 76 ± 7 years) under alpha-lytic therapy, and 25 eyes of 25 control subjects (CS) (mean age: 75 ± 7 years) without alpha-lytic therapy, both scheduled for cataract surgery in the fellow eye, were included in this observational, prospective, non-randomized study. All patients underwent EDI-OCT during the first preoperative visit and approximately 1 month (range 28-31 days) after alpha-lytic withdrawal. In the CS group, the OCT during preoperative visit and approximately 1 month after (range 28-31 days) the first examination was performed. Data normality with Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was checked and statistical evaluation with the Wilcoxon-signed rank test was performed. RESULTS: The mean subfoveal CT was 224 ± 79.7 µm during therapy and 217 ± 70.4 µm after withdrawal; 1.5 mm nasally from the fovea CT was 198 ± 83.8 µm and 194 ± 82.8 µm, respectively; and 1.5 mm temporally from the fovea CT was 217 ± 55.9 µm and 205 ± 54.4 µm, respectively. A statistically significant reduction (p < 0.05) in all the 3 measured CT points was found. In the CS no significant changes were detected (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: No severe floppy iris syndrome was detected at the time of surgery. In these patients, CT decrease could be an important sign for cataract surgery timing decision.

Ocular Ultrasound in the Diagnosis of Optic Neuropathies: A Review of the Literature.

BACKGROUND: Optic neuropathies represent one of the most frequent causes of vision loss, and they can manifest alone or in conjunction with neurological or systemic symptoms and signs. In recent years, the diagnostic techniques used to detect optic neuropathies have significantly improved, facilitating diagnosis and improving treatment. Among these, ocular ultrasound has assumed a fundamental role, although with conflicting results in the published scientific literature. For this reason, the aim of this review is to analyze the role of ocular ultrasound in the precise and targeted diagnosis of optic neuropathies to better understand the presumed potential of this precious diagnostic tool in the management of these ocular and neurological disorders. METHODS: We carried out a search on PubMed and Scopus utilizing terms related to optic neuropathies and ocular ultrasound, including only relevant English full-length research articles, case reports, or case series. RESULTS: Most of the papers published in the scientific literature use only the B-scan ultrasound technique without considering the more precise and objective standardized A-scan technique that allows for performing more accurate diagnostic tests, such as the "30-degree test" and the "optic nerve exercise test". CONCLUSIONS: Future clinical trials and research on optic neuropathies should also consider the use of the standardized A-scan technique in order to compare clinical findings not only with B-scan ultrasonography but also with other noninvasive procedures that could be helpful in reaching the correct diagnosis.

Optic Nerve Neuroprotection in Glaucoma: A Narrative Review.

In recent years, researchers have been interested in neuroprotective therapies as a cutting-edge therapeutic strategy to treat neurodegenerative disorders by shielding the brain system from harmful events. Millions of individuals worldwide suffer from glaucoma, an ocular neurodegenerative disease characterized by gradual excavation of the optic nerve head, retinal axonal damage, and consequent visual loss. The pathology's molecular cause is still mostly unknown, and the current treatments are not able to alter the disease's natural progression. Thus, the modern approach to treating glaucoma consists of prescribing medications with neuroprotective properties, in line with the treatment strategy suggested for other neurodegenerative diseases. For this reason, several naturally derived compounds, including nicotinamide and citicoline, have been studied throughout time to try to improve glaucoma management by exploiting their neuroprotective properties. The purpose of this review is to examine the naturally derived compounds that are currently utilized in clinical practice for neuroprotection in glaucomatous patients based on scientific data, emphasizing these compounds' pivotal mechanism of action as well as their proven therapeutic and neuroprotective benefits.

Quantitative-Qualitative Assessment of Dream Reports in Schizophrenia and Their Correlations with Illness Severity.

Positive symptoms of schizophrenia have been proposed to be an intrusion of dreaming in wakefulness; conversely, psychotic patients' abnormal cognitive and behavioral features could overflow into sleep, so that their dreams would differ from those of healthy people. Here we assess this hypothesis by comparing dream features of 46 patients affected by schizophrenic spectrum disorders to those of 28 healthy controls. In patients, we also investigated correlations of dream variables with symptom severity and verbal fluency. Overall, patients reported fewer and shorter dreams, with a general impoverishment of content (including characters, settings, interactions) and higher spatiotemporal bizarreness. The number of emotions, mainly negative ones, was lower in patients' reports and correlated inversely with symptom severity. Verbal fluency correlated positively with dream report length and negatively with perceptive bizarreness. In conclusion, our data show a significant impoverishment of dream reports in psychotic patients versus controls. Future research should investigate to what extent this profile of results depends on impaired verbal fluency or on impaired mechanisms of dream generation in this population. Moreover, in line with theories on the role of dreaming in emotion regulation, our data suggest that this function could be impaired in psychoses and related to symptom severity.

Switching to an Intravitreal Dexamethasone Implant after Intravitreal Anti-VEGF Therapy for Diabetic Macular Edema: A Review.

Among working-age people, diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema are currently considered the main causes of blindness. Nowadays, intravitreal injections are widely acknowledged as a significant milestone in ophthalmology, especially for the treatment of several retinal diseases, including diabetic macular edema. In particular, anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents are typically the first line of treatment; however, monthly injections are required, at least, during the loading dosage. Notably, an intravitreal 0.7 mg dexamethasone (DEX) implant (Ozurdex®, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, IL, USA) is considered a legitimate substitute treatment for diabetic eyes that have not responded to anti-VEGF treatment. In fact, clinical trials and real-life studies have demonstrated the effectiveness and safety of an intravitreal DEX implant in treating such conditions over a period of three to six months. For this reason, wisely selecting diabetic patients might be crucial to decreasing the load of injections in clinics and hospitals. The purpose of this review is to analyze the available scientific literature to highlight the benefits, efficacy, and clinical criteria for choosing whether to switch from intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy to an intravitreal DEX implant in diabetic macular edema.

The Role of Oral Supplementation for the Management of Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Narrative Review.

The majority of neurodegenerative eye disorders occur with aging and significantly impair quality of life. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the third most common cause of visual impairment and blindness worldwide. One of the most important elements in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative eye disease is certainly oxidative stress, with neuroinflammation and ocular ischemia which may also be significant factors. Antioxidants, either by food or oral supplementation, may be able to mitigate the deleterious effects of reactive oxygen species that build as a result of oxidative stress, ischemia, and inflammation. Over the past few decades, a number of research works examining the potential adjuvant impact of antioxidants in AMD have been published. In fact, there is not only more and more interest in already known molecules but also in new molecules that can help clinicians in the management of this complex multifactorial disease, such as astaxanthin and melatonin. However, while some studies showed encouraging outcomes, others were conflicting. In addition, more and more attention is also being paid to nutrition, considered a pivotal key point, especially to prevent AMD. For this reason, the purpose of this review is to analyze the main antioxidant molecules currently used as oral supplements for AMD treatment, as well as the role of diet and food intake in this ocular disease, to better understand how all these factors can improve the clinical management of AMD patients.

Intravitreal Dexamethasone Implant Switch after Anti-VEGF Treatment in Patients Affected by Retinal Vein Occlusion: A Review of the Literature.

Nowadays, retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is the second most prevalent cause of vision loss associated with retinal vascular disease. Intravitreal injections are currently known as a major advancement in ophthalmology, particularly in the treatment of RVO and other retinal disorders. Particularly, the first line of therapy is usually anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) drugs. Notably, for RVO eyes that have not responded to anti-VEGF therapy, an intravitreal dexamethasone (DEX) implant 0.7 mg (Ozurdex®, AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, IL, USA) is considered a suitable therapeutical substitute. Actually, investigations carried out in the real world and clinical trials have shown the safety and the efficacy of intravitreal DEX implants for treating this retinal disease. For this reason, choosing patients carefully may thus be essential to reduce the number of injections that clinics and hospitals have to do to manage RVO and its complications. The primary aim of this review is to summarize the pathophysiology of this retinal vascular disease, as well as the clinical and ocular imaging features that may support a switch from prior anti-VEGF treatment to intravitreal DEX implant, to provide the RVO patients with the best possible treatment to ensure maximum visual recovery.

Simultaneous Branch Retinal Artery and Central Retinal Vein Occlusion Improved with No Ocular Therapy: A Case Report.

A rarely described condition known as branch retinal artery occlusion (BRAO) with concurrent obstruction of the central retinal vein (CRVO) is characterized by diffuse retinal hemorrhages, dilated and tortuous retinal veins, macular and disc edema, cotton wool spots, and a generalized delay in arteriovenous transit on fluorescein angiography, together with a retinal whitening in the area of the affected retinal arterial branch. Although BRAO and CRVO may share underlying systemic risk factors, the pathogenesis of combined BRAO + CRVO is still unknown. We present a BRAO + CRVO case report concerning a 63-year-old white male who came to our observation complaining of sudden vision loss in his right eye. An increased risk for thrombotic event was revealed in this case, and the patient improved only with systemic anticoagulant therapy and in the absence of ocular therapy. We also explain all the clinical findings that are detectable using different diagnostic devices and analyze the scientific literature for other, similar clinical cases.

Optic Nerve Ultrasound Evaluation in Children: A Review.

Managing patients with neurocritical illness requires monitoring and treating elevated intracranial pressure (ICP), especially in cases in children. In terms of precise and real-time measurements, invasive ICP measurements are presently the gold standard for the initial diagnosis and follow-up ICP assessments. As a rapid and non-invasive way to detect elevated ICP, point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) of optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) has been proposed. The utility of bedside POCUS of ONSD to detect elevated ICP with excellent diagnostic test accuracy in adults has already been demonstrated. Nonetheless, data on the relationship between POCUS of ONSD and ICP in children are scarce. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to point out the most recent findings from the pediatric published literature and briefly discuss what was assessed with ONSD ultrasound examination, and also to describe and discuss the diagnostic procedures available for optic nerve ultrasound appraisal. A search of the medical databases PubMed and Scopus was carried out. The terms such as "ocular ultrasonography", "ICP assessment", "children", "point-of-care ultrasound", and "POCUS" were searched. In conclusion, the use of the standardized A-scan technique coupled with the B-scan technique should be suggested to provide data that are as accurate, precise, repeatable, and objective as possible.

Recent Evidence of Tea Tree Oil Effectiveness in Blepharitis Treatment.

The purpose of our study is to see how beneficial is tea tree oil (TTO) for treating chronic blepharitis topically, with a focus on the Demodex mite. To discover all possibly relevant published papers, an accurate Pubmed database search analysis of the current literature was undertaken from 2012 to December 2021. Fourteen papers dealing with the use of TTO to treat chronic blepharitis have been found. The effectiveness of TTO treatment was tested in vitro by 4 authors and in vivo by 10 authors. All studied confirmed efficacy of TTO treatment, even cyclic, on Demodex mite blepharitis. TTO can be used for lid scrubs, facial cleanser, eyelid patch, eyelid gel, eyelash shampoo or, more commonly, as TTO impregnated eyelid wipes. The scientific evidence of TTO for chronic blepharitis treatment gives a lot of confidence for the progress that this treatment may have in the future clinical practice.

A formula to improve the reliability of optical axial length measurement in IOL power calculation.

To verify the influence of axial length (AL) variations after cataract surgery in IOL power calculation. Patients underwent ophthalmic evaluation before surgery, including optical biometry with IOLMaster 500. Same exams were repeated 2 months after surgery: AL of operated eye was evaluated using two modes (pseudophakic/aphakic options). Mean Keratometry and AL changes were analyzed. Furthermore, refractive prediction error (PE) was back-calculated with Barrett Universal-II, Hoffer-Q, Holladay-1 and SRK/T formulas. To eliminate any systematic error, the mean error (ME) was zeroed-out for each formula. MEs and median absolute errors (MedAEs) of PEs were analyzed. Two-hundred-one operated eyes of 201 patients and 201 opposite eyes were evaluated. In operated eyes, mean AL difference was - 0.11 ± 0.07 mm (p < 0.001) with pseudophakic option and 0.00 ± 0.07 mm (p = 0.922) with aphakic option. There were not-statistically significant differences between MedAE of PEs calculated after zeroing-out the ME with different ALs (p > 0.05). Instead, only MEs of PEs obtained with postoperative ALs-pseudophakic option were not-statistically different from zero (p > 0.05). AL measurement change after cataract surgery is probably due to a systematic error in optical biometer in case of phakic eyes. A correction factor applied to preoperative AL could eliminate any systematic error in IOL power calculation without modifying the lens constant.

Learning Monologues at Bedtime Improves Sleep Quality in Actors and Non-Actors.

Several studies show that pre-sleep learning determines changes in subsequent sleep, including improvements of sleep quality. Our aims were to confirm this finding using a more ecological task (learning a theatrical monologue) and to investigate whether the effect is modulated by expertise. Using a mixed design, we compared polysomnographic recordings of baseline sleep (BL, 9-h TIB) to those of post-training sleep (TR, with the same TIB but preceded by the training session), in one group of actors (N = 11) and one of non-actors (N = 11). In both groups, TR appears reorganized and re-compacted by the learning session, as shown, among others, by a significant decrease of WASO%, awakenings, arousals, and state transitions and by a trend towards an increased number of complete cycles and total cycle time. Concerning memory performance, the number of synonyms produced was significantly higher in the morning relative to immediate recall. No between-groups differences emerged either for sleep or memory variables. Our data confirm pre-sleep learning's beneficial effect on sleep quality in an ecological context. While expertise appears not to influence memory-related sleep mechanisms, results on morning recall support the recent view that sleep's role in memory processes consists in trace "transformation" for adaptive purposes, rather than rote consolidation.

Time of isolation, education and gender influence the psychological outcome during COVID-19 lockdown in caregivers of patients with dementia.

PURPOSE: The study evaluated the effects of the COVID-19 emergency lockdown on the psychological outcome in caregivers (children or spouses) of patients with dementia and the loss of the welfare services in these patients. METHODS: Zung's depression and anxiety assessment scales and the Perceived Stress Scale were administered by a telephone interview or a self-compilation directly on the online platform. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 239 participants (men = 124; women = 115) with a mean age of 54.4 years (SD = 12.1). Education was associated with significantly lower overall anxiety and depression scores while days of isolation and female gender were associated with the higher scores. A marked reduction of health services was observed in all patients. CONCLUSION: The lockdown registered a particular impact on people with dementia and their caregivers. Many people with dementia were deprived of care services and time of isolation had a significant negative effect on anxiety and depression in caregivers.

Relationships between Dream and Previous Wake Emotions Assessed through the Italian Modified Differential Emotions Scale.

Despite the increasing interest in sleep and dream-related processes of emotion regulation, their reflection into wake and dream emotional experience remains unclear. Here, we aimed to assess dream emotions and their relationships with wake emotions through the modified Differential Emotions Scale (Fredrickson, 2003), which includes a broad array of both positive and negative emotions. The scale has been first validated on 212 healthy Italian participants, in two versions: a WAKE-2wks form, assessing the frequency of 22 emotions over the past 2 weeks, and a WAKE-24hr form, assessing their intensity over the past 24 h. Fifty volunteers from the wider sample completed the WAKE-24hr mDES for several days until a dream was recalled, and dream emotions were self-reported using the same scale. A bifactorial structure was confirmed for both mDES forms, which also showed good validity and reliability. Though Positive and Negative Affect (average intensity of positive and negative items, PA, and NA, respectively) were balanced in dreams, specific negative emotions prevailed; rmANOVA showed a different pattern (prevalence of PA and positive emotions) in wake (both WAKE-2wks and WAKE-24hr), with a decrease of PA and an increase of NA in the dream compared to previous wake. No significant regression model emerged between waking and dream affect, and exploratory analyses revealed a stable proportion of PA and NA (with prevailing PA) over the 3 days preceding the dream. Our findings highlight a discontinuity between wake and dream affect and suggest that positive and negative emotions experienced during wake may undertake distinct sleep-related regulation pathways.