LABORATORY OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY

LABORATORY OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY

 

The objectives of the laboratory are to conduct research activities aimed to study psychological, neurobiological, and emotional processes and their interactions in complex models. Our international research group is focused on questions about clinical, dynamic, behavioral, and neural changes in emotion regulation, and social processes. The research team is interested in the empirical verification of the main theories of clinical psychology, through the application of multidisciplinary interventions, modern technologies, and psychodynamic approaches. The latest interests concern the investigation of attachment styles in virtual and pet relationships also through the neurobiological evaluation. Moreover, the effects of the war on the Libyan population and the effects of climate change on the general population are investigated. Lastly, a further area of research investigates surgical and psychological interventions in patients suffering from breast cancer and obesity.

 

Main Activities:

1. psychological research activity in clinical and not clinical contexts;

2. neuroscientific research activity using EEG System and epigenetic approaches;

3. developing projects of clinical interventions in specific populations, such as people victims of earthquakes or with social disadvantages;

4. the organization of events useful for the dissemination of knowledge;

5. publication of articles in international peer-reviewed journals.

 

Topics of Interest:

1. Neural and clinical correlates of consciousness, emotional and social processes;

2. Epigenetic and psychological correlates of social interactions and environmental events;

3. Psychological interventions and support in clinical and medical contexts;

4. Clinical psychology interventions in refugee and immigrant groups;

5. Clinical and neuropsychological assessment in hospital;

6. Neural and clinical correlates of traumatic experiences.

 

Instruments:
Encephalan Main Syncro system: a multi-channel wireless telemetric recorder ABP26, which includes two sets of ES 26 nets suitable for electroencephalography, evoked potentials, polygraphy, polysomnography, monitoring, and neurofeedback.

Skin Conduction Activity system: for the acquisition of electrodermal activity (EDA) through two surface electrodes with a snap connector. Suitable for the evaluation of emotional states.

Thoracic/abdominal breath sensor: allows acquisition of respiratory amplitude and frequency with adjustable band that can be positioned on the chest or abdomen.

Electrocardiogram sensor: with three-core cable for ABP systems. Allows acquisition of ECG signal through two electrodes with snap connector.

 

Research Team:

Carlo Lai (Full professor in Clinical Psychology). His research interests focus on the evaluation of the neural, biological, and hormonal correlates of social and affective processes in newborns and adulthood. His research highlighted the neural correlates involved in several physiological and pathological processes.

Chiara Ciacchella (Ph.D. student). Her research focuses on the evaluation of the neural correlates of social and affective processes. She is interested in the empirical verification of the main theories of clinical psychology, through the application of multidisciplinary interventions and modern technologies.

Giorgio Veneziani (Ph.D. student). His research focuses on neural responses in social interactions. He is interested in the evaluation of the main risk factors that are linked to psychopathology in adulthood.

Matteo Reho (Ph.D. student). His research interests concern the study of the mind from a semiotic and psychodynamic perspective: the study of the psychological processes underlying socio-cultural dynamics - i.e. the ability of cultural models to produce semiotic resources able to mediate individual cognition.

Virginia Campedelli (Ph.D. student). Her research focuses on the clinical evaluation of psychological intervention in Healthcare Services. She is interested in the association between psychological factors and surgical outcomes in the areas of bariatric surgery and breast cancer. In addition, her research also focuses on obesity, eating behaviors, and body image.

Federica Luciani (Ph.D. student). Her research interest is aviation psychology, in particular the study of factors that influence the well-being of aviators and the importance of the “startle effect”: a reflex after an unexpected event that could impair pilots’ performances.

Mohamed Ali (Ph.D. student). His research interests regard: the war trauma mental health outcomes and measuring with advanced statistics models and clinical surveys its relationships with social support, attachment & religiosity.

Jessica Pileri (Ph.D. student). Her research interests lie in the fields of Organizational Psychology and social inclusion. Her research lines concern: gender studies, the work-family interface, well-being at work, women entrepreneurs, gender education, and eco-sustainable behavior in organizations.

Giulia Rocchi (Ph.D. student). Her research interests include the impact of climate change on mental health by analyzing constructs of eco-anxiety and solastalgia through a semiotic and psychodynamic perspective. She analyzes neurological and epigenetic effects on general and clinical populations following EMDR treatment.

 

Publications Since 2018:

Sambucini, D., Ciacchella, C., Pellicano, G.R., Zingaretti, G., Pierro, L., Aceto, P., Lai, C. Psychosocial treatment on psychological symptoms, adherence, and physiological function on transplanted patients: A systematic review and metanalysis (2022) Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 154, art. no. 110717.

Caputo, A., Tomai, M., Lai, C., Desideri, A., Pomoni, E., Méndez, H.C., Castellanos, B.A., La Longa, F., Crescimbene, M., Langher, V., “Agua Futura“ Consortium The Perception of Water Contamination and Risky Consumption in El Salvador from a Community Clinical Psychology Perspective (2022) International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19 (3), art. no. 1109.

Ciacchella, C., Campedelli, V., Veneziani, G., Pellicano, G.R., Sambucini, D., Lai, C. Editorial: Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) on Mood Disorders and Suicide (2022) Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, art. no. 846112.

Lai, C., Ciacchella, C., Pellicano, G.R., Altavilla, D., Sambucini, D., Paolucci, T., Sorgi, M.L., Di Franco, M., Saggini, R., Aceto, P. Different Electrophysiological Responses to Pain-Related Visual Stimuli Between Fibromyalgia and Chronic low Back Pain Women: A Pilot Case-Control Study (2021) Chronic Stress, 5.

Lai, C., Pellicano, G.R., Iuliano, S., Ciacchella, C., Sambucini, D., Gennaro, A., Salvatore, S. Why people join pro-Ana online communities? A psychological textual analysis of eating disorder blog posts (2021) Computers in Human Behavior, 124, art. no. 106922.

Galli, F., Lai, C., Gregorini, T., Ciacchella, C., Carugo, S. Psychological traumas and cardiovascular disease: A case-control study (2021) Healthcare (Switzerland), 9 (7), art. no. 875.

Pellicano, G.R., Carola, V., Bussone, S., Cecchini, M., Tambelli, R., Lai, C. Beyond the dyad: the role of mother and father in newborns’ global DNA methylation during the first month of life—a pilot study (2021) Developmental Psychobiology, 63 (5), pp. 1345-1357.

Lai, C., Aceto, P., Santucci, F.R., Pierro, L., Petrucci, I., Cacioppo, M., Castelnuovo, G., Sollazzi, L., Bellantone, R., Raffaelli, M. Preoperative psychological characteristics affecting mid-term outcome after bariatric surgery: a follow-up study (2021) Eating and Weight Disorders, 26 (2), pp. 585-590.

Pierro, L., Coluzzi, I., Di Biasio, A., Paone, E., Scappaticci, L., Capoccia, D., De Angelis, F., Iossa, A., Boru, C.E., Lai, C., Silecchia, G. Telematics pre-operative psychological and nutritional assessment in candidates for bariatric surgery during COVID-19 phase 2: A pilot prospective observational study (2021) Minerva Surgery, 76 (1), pp. 57-61.

Pierro, L., Coluzzi, I., Biasio, A.D., Paone, E., Scappaticci, L., Capoccia, D., de Angelis, F., Iossa, A., Boru, C.E., Lai, C., Silecchia, G. Telematics pre-operative psychological and nutritional assessment in candidates for bariatric surgery during COViD-19 phase 2: A pilot prospective observational study (2021) Minerva Chirurgica, 76 (1), pp. 57-61.

Altavilla, D., Ciacchella, C., Pellicano, G.R., Cecchini, M., Tambelli, R., Kalsi, N., Aceto, P., Lai, C. Neural correlates of sex-related differences in attachment dimensions (2021) Cognitive, Affective and Behavioral Neuroscience, 21 (1), pp. 191-211.

Bertino, G., Ragusa, R., Corsaro, L.S., Frazzetto, E., Messina, V., Inguscio, L., Lai, C., Maglia, M., Nunnari, A., Caponnetto, P. Improvement of health-related quality of life and psychological well-being after HCV eradication with direct-acting antiviral agents. Real life setting data of an Italian cohort valued by Hepatitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (HQLQv2) (2021) Health Psychology Research, 8 (3), pp. 230-238.

Lai, C., Aceto, P., Pellicano, G.R., Servidei, G., Gambardella, A., Lombardo, L. Will I or my loved one die? Concordant awareness between terminal cancer patients and their caregivers is associated with lower patient anxiety and caregiver burden (2021) European Journal of Cancer Care, .

Caponnetto, P., Inguscio, L., Valeri, S., Maglia, M., Polosa, R., Lai, C., Mazzoni, G. Smartphone addiction across the lifetime during Italian lockdown for COVID-19 (2021) Journal of Addictive Diseases, 39 (4).

Passarello, N., Greco, F., Piras, F., Cordella, B., Lai, C., Spalletta, G., Mandolesi, L., Laricchiuta, D. "No words for feelings": A multidimensional analysis of the alexithymia construct (2021) Psychology Hub, 38 (2), pp. 41-50.

Aceto, P., Perilli, V., Luca, E., Schipa, C., Calabrese, C., Fortunato, G., Marusco, I., Lai, C., Sollazzi, L. Predictive power of modified frailty index score for pulmonary complications after major abdominal surgery in the elderly: a single centre prospective cohort study (2021) European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences, 25 (10), pp. 3798-3802.

Aceto, P., Lai, C., Crea, M.A., Sollazzi, L. Reply to: Cognitive function after carotid endarterectomy (2021) European Journal of Anaesthesiology, 38 (1), pp. 85-86.

Aragona, M., Petta, A.M., Kiaris, F., Begotaraj, E., Lai, C., Spitoni, G.F. Empathy, PTSD, and Migration in African Refugees (2021) Psychiatry (New York), 84 (1), pp. 84-86.

Sambucini, D., Aceto, P., Begotaraj, E., Lai, C. Efficacy of Psychological Interventions on Depression Anxiety and Somatization in Migrants: A Meta-analysis (2020) Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 22 (6).

Aceto, P., Lai, C., de Crescenzo, F., Crea, M.A., Di Franco, V., Pellicano, G.R., Perilli, V., Lai, S., Papanice, D., Sollazzi, L. Cognitive decline after carotid endarterectomy: Systematic review and meta-analysis (2020) European Journal of Anaesthesiology, 37 (11), pp. 1066-1074.

Lai, C., Pellicano, G.R., Ciacchella, C., Guidobaldi, L., Altavilla, D., Cecchini, M., Begotaraj, E., Aceto, P., Luciani, M. Neurophysiological correlates of emotional face perception consciousness (2020) Neuropsychologia, 146, art. no. 107554.

Mazza, M., Marano, G., Lai, C., Janiri, L., Sani, G. Danger in danger: Interpersonal violence during COVID-19 quarantine (2020) Psychiatry Research, 289, art. no. 113046, .

Caponnetto, P., Lai, C., Maglia, M., Cosci, F. What clinical and health psychology tell to internists and emergency physicians about harm reduction, addiction and asthma? (2020) Internal and Emergency Medicine, 15 (4), pp. 571-572.

Perilli, V., Aceto, P., Sacco, T., De Cicco, R., Punzo, G., Tosi, A., Ceaichisciuc, I., Cataldo, A., Lai, C., Sollazzi, L. Effect of different manoeuvres on internal jugular vein cross-sectional area in obese and normal-weight patients (2020) European Journal of Anaesthesiology, 37 (2), pp. 149-152.

Sambucini, D., Pellicano, G.R., Ciacchella, C., Begotaraj, E., Pierro, L., Cinotti, F., D’Orazio, E., Laia, C. Multilevel clinical psychological intervention after the earthquake in Norcia community: a pilot study (2020) Psychology Hub, 37 (3), pp. 43-54.

Pellicano, G.R., Pierro, L., Altavilla, D., Massaro, G., Marcellino, E., Sambucini, D., Pescegoffi, A., Capone, M.A., Lai, C. Lie for me: How empathy, alexithymia and emotional intelligence influence the ability to conform facial expression to a prosocial untrue verbal message (2020) Rassegna di Psicologia, 37 (1), pp. 47-58.

Caponnetto, P., Inguscio, L., Riolo, M., Maglia, M., Lai, C. Reducing life dissatisfaction by ecological intelligence: Psychological and psychopathological implications (2020) Open Psychology Journal, 13 (1), pp. 74-78.

Begotaraj, E., De Paola, C., Sambucini, D., Ciacchella, C., Caroppo, E., Lai, C. Effectiveness of the psychological interventions on depression, anxiety and somatization in the migrants [L'efficacia degli interventi psicologici sulla depressione, ansia e somatizzazione nei migranti] (2020) Ricerche di Psicologia, 43 (1), pp. 259-274.

Kalsi, N., Tambelli, R., Altavilla, D., Trentini, C., Panunzi, S., Stanca, M., Aceto, P., Cardona, F., Lai, C. Neurophysiological correlate of emotional regulation in cognitive and motor deficits in Tourette’s syndrome (2019) World Journal of Biological Psychiatry, 20 (8), pp. 647-661.

Lai, C., Pellicano, G.R., Altavilla, D., Proietti, A., Lucarelli, G., Massaro, G., Luciani, M., Aceto, P.

Violence in video game produces a lower activation of limbic and temporal areas in response to social inclusion images (2019) Cognitive, Affective and Behavioral Neuroscience, 19 (4), pp. 898-909.

Paolucci, T., Bernetti, A., Paoloni, M., Capobianco, S.V., Bai, A.V., Lai, C., Pierro, L., Rotundi, M., Damiani, C., Santilli, V., Agostini, F., Mangone, M. Therapeutic Alliance in a Single Versus Group Rehabilitative Setting After Breast Cancer Surgery: Psychological Profile and Performance Rehabilitation (2019) BioResearch Open Access, 8 (1), pp. 101-110.

Lai, C., Lucarelli, G., Pellicano, G.R., Massaro, G., Altavilla, D., Aceto, P. Neural correlate of the impact of dream recall on emotional processing (2019) Dreaming, 29 (1), pp. 40-56.

Lai, C., Aceto, P., Petrucci, I., Castelnuovo, G., Callari, C., Giustacchini, P., Sollazzi, L., Mingrone, G., Bellantone, R., Raffaelli, M. The influence of preoperative psychological factors on weight loss after bariatric surgery: A preliminary report (2019) Journal of Health Psychology, 24 (4), pp. 518-525.

Paone, E., Pierro, L., Damico, A., Aceto, P., Campanile, F.C., Silecchia, G., Lai, C. Alexithymia and weight loss in obese patients underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (2019) Eating and Weight Disorders, 24 (1), pp. 129-134.

Aceto, P., Perilli, V., Luca, E., Salerno, M.P., Punzo, G., Ceaichisciuc, I., Cataldo, A., Lai, C., Citterio, F., Sollazzi, L. Perioperative-, recipient-, and donor-related factors affecting delayed graft function in kidney transplantation (2019) Experimental and Clinical Transplantation, 17 (5), pp. 575-579.

Lai, C., Pierro, L., Begotaraj, E., Marani, A., Sambucini, D., Pellicano, G.R. Metacognitive style, attachment dimension and risk for alcohol abuse in Italian adolescents [Stile metacognitivo, dimensioni dell’attaccamento e rischio di abuso di alcol in un gruppo di adolescenti Italiani] (2019) Rassegna di Psicologia, 36 (1), pp. 39-53.

Lai, C., Filippetti, G., Schifano, I., Aceto, P., Tomai, M., Lai, S., Pierro, L., Renzi, A., Carnovale, A., Maranghi, M. Psychological, emotional and social impairments are associated with adherence and healthcare spending in type 2 diabetic patients: An observational study (2019) European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences, 23 (2), pp. 749-754.

Massaro, G., Altavilla, D., Aceto, P., Pellicano, G.R., Lucarelli, G., Luciani, M., Lai, C. Neurophysiological Correlates of Collective Trauma Recall in 2009 L'Aquila Earthquake Survivors (2018) Journal of Traumatic Stress, 31 (5), pp. 687-697.

Lai, S., Molfino, A., Mecarelli, O., Pulitano, P., Morabito, S., Pistolesi, V., Romanello, R., Zarabla, A., Galani, A., Frassetti, N., Aceto, P., Lai, C., Study Group on Geriatric Nephrology of the Italian Society of Nephrology Neurological and Psychological Changes in Hemodialysis Patients Before and After the Treatment (2018) Therapeutic Apheresis and Dialysis, 22 (5), pp. 530-538.

Perilli, V., Aceto, P., Sacco, T., Ciocchetti, P., Papanice, D., Lai, C., Sollazzi, L. Usefulness of postreperfusion lactate clearance for predicting early graft recovery in liver transplant patients: A single center study (2018) Minerva Anestesiologica, 84 (10), pp. 1142-1149.

Aceto, P., Modesti, C., Sacco, T., De Cicco, R., Perilli, V., Raffaelli, M., Lai, C., Sollazzi, L. Patient-Related Factors Predicting Workspace Conditions during Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery (2018) Obesity Surgery, 28 (10), pp. 3172-3176.

Lai, C., Luciani, M., Di Giorgio, C., Fiorini, R., Yaya, G., Pellicano, G.R., Mazza, M., Altavilla, D., Aceto, P. Brain functional connectivity of meaning attribution in patients with psychosis: Preliminary electroencephalographic observations (2018) Schizophrenia Research, 199, pp. 449-451.

Lai, C., Cipriani, M., Renzi, A., Luciani, M., Lombardo, L., Aceto, P. The Effects of the Perception of Being Recognized by Patients With Alzheimer Disease on a Caregiver’s Burden and Psychophysical Health (2018) American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 35 (9), pp. 1188-1194.

Lai, S., Amabile, M.I., Bargagli, M.B., Musto, T.G., Martinez, A., Testorio, M., Mastroluca, D., Lai, C., Aceto, P., Molfino, A. Peritoneal dialysis in older adults evaluation of clinical, nutritional, metabolic outcomes, and quality of life (2018) Medicine (United States), 97 (35), art. no. 11953, .

Lai, S., Molfino, A., Seminara, P., Longo, F., Innico, G., Coppola, B., Mastroluca, D., Galani, A., Dimko, M., Aceto, P., Lai, C., Study Group on Geriatric Nephrology of the Italian Society of Nephrology (SIN) Vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitor therapy and cardiovascular and renal damage in renal cell carcinoma (2018) Current Vascular Pharmacology, 16 (2), pp. 190-196.

Tonioni, F., Mazza, M., Autullo, G., Pellicano, G.R., Aceto, P., Catalano, V., Marano, G., Corvino, S., Martinelli, D., Fiumana, V., Janiri, L., Lai, C. Socio-emotional ability, temperament and coping strategies associated with different use of Internet in Internet addiction (2018) European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences, 22 (11), pp. 3461-3466.

Lai, C., Cambise, F., Altavilla, D., Pellicano, G.R., Pierro, L., Aceto, P. Role of state and trait attachment dimensions on involvement in a close relationship [Ruolo dell’attaccamento di stato e di tratto nelle relazioni di coppia] (2018) Rassegna di Psicologia, 35 (2), pp. 15-31.

Lai, C., Pellicano, G.R., Altavilla, D., Pierro, L., Fazzari, E., Begotaraj, E., Lucarelli, G., Aceto, P., Luciani, M. The attachment and its role in medical care (2018) Advances in Health and Disease, 3, pp. 119-147.

Perilli, V., Aceto, P., Ancona, P., De Cicco, R., Papanice, D., Magalini, S., Pepe, G., Cozza, V., Gui, D., Lai, C., Sollazzi, L. Role of surgical setting and patients-related factors in predicting the occurrence of postoperative pulmonary complications after abdominal surgery (2018) European Review for Medical and Pharmacological Sciences, 22 (2), pp. 547-550.

Lai, C., Luciani, M., Di Mario, C., Galli, F., Morelli, E., Ginobbi, P., Aceto, P., Lombardo, L. Psychological impairments burden and spirituality in caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients (2018) European Journal of Cancer Care, 27 (1), art. no. e12674.

 

© Università degli Studi di Roma "La Sapienza" - Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Roma