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Present status of psychiatric research in Italy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 April 2020

D. Kemali
D. Kemali*
Affiliation:
Clinica Psichiatrica, Primo Policlinica Universitario, Piazza Miraglia 2, 1-80138Napoli (Italia)
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Summary

A brief outline is provided of the recent developments of psychiatric research in Italy. In the field of psychiatric epidemiology, the contributions by the Psychiatric Department of Verona University and the Chair of Mental Hygiene of Pavia University, based on the application of the psychiatric register, are summarized. On the clinical side, emphasis is laid on the research on schizoaffective disorders by the Naples group and on the course and outcome of depression by the Pisa group. In the framework of psychobiological research, the studies carried out in the Psychiatric Department of Milan University on the role of HLA antigens as genetic markers of vulnerability to schizophrenia are mentioned, as well as those by the Naples group on cerebrospinal fluid levels of noradrenaline and on platelet MAO activity in schizophrenics.

Finally, in the field of clinical psychopharmacology, the interest of Italian researchers in the topics of prediction of response to psychotropic drugs (especially lithium) and of monitoring of antidepressant plasma levels is emphasized.

Résumé

Résumé

Les tendances récentes de la recherche psychiatrique en Italie sont brièvement abordées dans cet article.

Dans le domaine de l’épidémiologie psychiatrique, sont résumées les contributions du Service Psychiatrique de l'Université de Vérone et de la Chaire d’Hygiène Mentale de l'Université de Pavie, contributions basées sur l'utilisation des registres psychiatriques.

Au plan clinique, l’importance des travaux du groupe de Naples concernant les troubles schizoaffectifs et celle des travaux du groupe de Pise sur l’évolution et le devenir des états dépressifs est soulignée.

Dans le cadre de la recherche psychobiologique, sont mentionnées, d’une part, les études menées dans le Service Psychiatrique de l’Université de Milan sur le rôle des antigènes HLA comme marqueurs génétiques de vulnérabilité à la schizophrénie, d’autre part, les études du groupe de Naples portant sur les concentrations céphalorachidiennes de noradrénaline et l'activité de la MAO plaquettaire chez les schizophrènes.

Enfin, dans le champ de la psychopharmacolologie clinique, il convient d’insister sur l’intérêt des chercheurs italiens pour la prédiction de l'effet thérapeutique des agents psychotropes (en particulier du lithium) et pour le contrôle des taux sanguins des antidépresseurs.

Keywords

ResearchEpidemiologyDepressionSchizoaffective disordersHLA antigensLithiumRechercheEpidémiologieDépressionTroubles schizoaffectifsAntigènes HLALithium
Type
Research Article
Information
Psychiatry and Psychobiology , Volume 2 , Issue 2 , 1987 , pp. 139 - 144
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association

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