TY - JOUR T1 - Carbamazepine-induced thrombocytopenic purpura in a child: Insights from a genomic analysis. JF - Blood Cells Mol Dis Y1 - 2016 A1 - Abate, Maria Valentina A1 - Stocco, Gabriele A1 - Devescovi, Raffaella A1 - Carrozzi, Marco A1 - Pierobon, Chiara A1 - Valencic, Erica A1 - Lucafò, Marianna A1 - Di Silvestre, Alessia A1 - d'Adamo, Pio A1 - Tommasini, Alberto A1 - Decorti, Giuliana A1 - Ventura, Alessandro VL - 59 U1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27282575?dopt=Abstract ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Early diagnosis and Early Start Denver Model intervention in autism spectrum disorders delivered in an Italian Public Health System service. JF - Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat Y1 - 2016 A1 - Devescovi, Raffaella A1 - Monasta, Lorenzo A1 - Mancini, Alice A1 - Bin, Maura A1 - Vellante, Valerio A1 - Carrozzi, Marco A1 - Colombi, Costanza AB -

BACKGROUND: Early diagnosis combined with an early intervention program, such as the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), can positively influence the early natural history of autism spectrum disorders. This study evaluated the effectiveness of an early ESDM-inspired intervention, in a small group of toddlers, delivered at low intensity by the Italian Public Health System.

METHODS: Twenty-one toddlers at risk for autism spectrum disorders, aged 20-36 months, received 3 hours/wk of one-to-one ESDM-inspired intervention by trained therapists, combined with parents' and teachers' active engagement in ecological implementation of treatment. The mean duration of treatment was 15 months. Cognitive and communication skills, as well as severity of autism symptoms, were assessed by using standardized measures at pre-intervention (Time 0 [T0]; mean age =27 months) and post-intervention (Time 1 [T1]; mean age =42 months).

RESULTS: Children made statistically significant improvements in the language and cognitive domains, as demonstrated by a series of nonparametric Wilcoxon tests for paired data. Regarding severity of autism symptoms, younger age at diagnosis was positively associated with greater improvement at post-assessment.

CONCLUSION: Our results are consistent with the literature that underlines the importance of early diagnosis and early intervention, since prompt diagnosis can reduce the severity of autism symptoms and improve cognitive and language skills in younger children. Particularly in toddlers, it seems that an intervention model based on the ESDM principles, involving the active engagement of parents and nursery school teachers, may be effective even when the individual treatment is delivered at low intensity. Furthermore, our study supports the adaptation and the positive impact of the ESDM entirely sustained by the Italian Public Health System.

VL - 12 U1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27366069?dopt=Abstract ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Acute pseudotumoral hemicerebellitis in a child: a rare and distinct entity? JF - J Child Neurol Y1 - 2015 A1 - Alberini, Elena A1 - Vellante, Valerio A1 - Zennaro, Floriana A1 - Calligaris, Lorenzo A1 - Barbi, Egidio A1 - Carrozzi, Marco A1 - Devescovi, Raffaella KW - Brain KW - Cerebellar Diseases KW - Child KW - Diagnosis, Differential KW - Encephalitis KW - Humans KW - Magnetic Resonance Imaging KW - Male AB -

A pseudotumoral presentation of acute hemicerebellitis is rare in pediatric age. The authors report a new single case study of a 7-year-old child with pseudotumoral unilateral cerebellitis mimicking an intracranial tumor, which clinically presented itself with signs of intracranial hypertension and mild contralateral hemiparesis, completely recovered after anti-inflammatory therapy. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was essential for the differential diagnosis between inflammatory and neoplastic processes. The literature highlighting specific clues about pseudotumoral hemicerebellitis as a distinct clinical and radiological entity is reviewed.

VL - 30 IS - 4 U1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25143480?dopt=Abstract ER - TY - JOUR T1 - A new case of duplication of the MDS region identified by high-density SNP arrays and a review of the literature. JF - J Appl Genet Y1 - 2011 A1 - Faletra, Flavio A1 - Devescovi, Raffaella A1 - Pecile, Vanna A1 - Fabretto, Antonella A1 - Carrozzi, Marco A1 - Gasparini, Paolo KW - 1-Alkyl-2-acetylglycerophosphocholine Esterase KW - Child KW - Female KW - Gene Duplication KW - Humans KW - Microtubule-Associated Proteins KW - Myelodysplastic Syndromes KW - Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis KW - Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide KW - Prognosis VL - 52 IS - 1 U1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21107783?dopt=Abstract ER -