4th Euro-Global Congress on Psychiatrists and Forensic Psychology November 10-11, 2016 Alicante, Spain

Biography:

Barbara Sartini has completed his studies as Psychiatric Rehabilitator from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Rome. She is the coordinator of Raymond Gledhill Community for patients with personality disorders. She teaches art therapy and the clinic evaluation at University in Rome and is a trainer of STEPPS since 2010.

Abstract:

Personality disorders are diagnosed in 40-60% of psychiatric patients. Those with personality disorder manifested great difficulties in interpersonal relationships and in dealing with everyday life. Although the causes of the disorder are multi-factorial, mainly, the common factors concern hypersensitivity to life events, hyper emotional reactivity and slow return to a baseline psychic equilibrium. The peculiarity is the change of these types of personalities, so emotionally vulnerable, to resilient personalities. Resilience is the ability to cope effectively to everyday adversities, despite the past life's adverse and traumatic events. It is not a feature, that is present or absent in the individual, but, instead, refers to behaviors, thoughts and actions that can be learned by anyone. In my job, I have been able to observe and verify how the sociotherapy approach in the therapeutic community (Maxwell Jones's model) integrated with the STEPPS's training (Nancy Bloom) can develop resilient personalities. This therapeutic and riabilitative integration allows increasing in the patients those skills necessary to resume positively the control of their lives, doing the individual experiences as relationships with caring and supportive people, taking positions of responsibility (sociotherapy), awareness of their strengths and weaknesses and learning emotional management skills and problem solving (STEPPS).

Biography:

Jai Sung NOH has completed his Medical Education from Yonsei University and Psychiatry residency training in Severance hospital in South Korea. He is the Head of department of Psychiatry at Ajou University in South Korea. He has published many scientific papers on biological psychiatry. Recently, he is focusing on the big data analysis using EMR data from clinical work.

Abstract:

Hospitals generate tons of data about patients, and theses massive medical data have been accumulated and computerized. However, their vast size and complexity leave them as big data, being unable to deal with preexisting software or hardware. This medical data could contribute to better treatment once its association or pattern has been found. Through analyzed medical data, traditional knowledge at an individual level could be further verified at a population level. Based on the electronic medical record (EMR) data accumulated for 15 years, this study was sought into the differences in the length of stay in hospital depending on the location of beds. For 15 years of time period, among the patients who had hospitalized in 6 bedded wards, there were 39,932 patients with beds near the window and 47,419 patients with beds near the door. The mean of the LOS of the patients near the window (5.9±6.6 days) was shorter than that of those near the door (6.6±6.8 days, p<0.01). This study further speculates that medical data could be used for an evidence-based design.

Biography:

Doris D'Hooghe is Graduated in Psychiatric Nursing.She have 22 years of experience as a Psychotherapist and child therapist. From 1980 until 1990,she worked in the Psychiatric Ward at the Onze-Lieve-Vrouw Hospital in Knokke.In recent years, she has worked as a therapist in the ergotherapy department and was in part responsible for the implementation of a treatment and work model for patients.

Abstract:

It is important to broaden our vision on attachment trauma, by pointing out the importance of the quality of parenting as an indicator to develop a secure attachment relationship. This quality mainly depends on the caregivers’ ability to mentalize, regulate, contain, play, and so on. The absence of these features causes traumatic stress in the child and impacts his psychological and neurological development and the possibility to attach. Thus, it is important that we are aware of the relationship between early attachment trauma (EAT) and affect dysregulation and dissociation. The seriousness depends on the early age of the child, an immature coping mechanism, the child’s different experience of danger, the stress level of adverse experiences and the caregiver as the source of trauma. We can consider dissociation and affect dysregulation as complex adaptation to trauma. In addition, when the child is not able to manage distress, it lacks the capability to integrate the experiences. Dissociation and inadequate self-regulation interfere with one another and impact the development of the sense of self. By raising awareness amongst caregivers and clinicians about EAT and the severe consequences, new therapeutic opportunities could be developed.

Biography:

Marleen Spaans completed her Master’s degrees in Developmental and Educational Psychology in 2003 and in Forensic Criminology in 2006, both from Leiden University, Netherlands. She is a Scientific Researcher in Department of Research and Education, Netherlands Institute for Forensic Psychiatry and Psychology (NIFP), part of Dutch Ministry of Security and Justice. She is pursuing her PhD on “The prevalence, assessment and prognostic value for treatment of personality pathology in a forensic setting” at Graduate School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University.

Abstract:

The assessment of personality pathology highly prevalent in prison populations is an essential part of the legal and forensic process for both judges’ decisions regarding punishment and treatment of disordered offenders. Forensic assessments should not only be efficient and cost-effective, but also give possible consequences of their outcomes- accurate, objective, and transparent. The MMPI-2 self-report instrument is the most widely used and researched test of adult psychopathology. However, it does not have forensic norms. The DAPP-SF self-report instrument can distinguish treatment-seeking patients with personality disorders from the general population, but this has not yet been investigated in forensic populations. Data from two studies will be presented. Study one aimed at deriving an empirical classification system using cluster analysis of 247 MMPI-2 profiles of criminal defendants undergoing pre-trial psychological assessments in a forensic psychiatric observation clinic. In similar studies, the number of clusters varied between 10 and two. Results indicated only a non-disturbed and a disturbed profile, differing on general elevation of MMPI-2 profiles but displaying no qualitatively distinct profiles. Study two focused on the screening potential for personality disorder of the DAPP-SF in 89 defendants in the same clinic. Results showed only moderate associations between DAPP-SF and the outcome of the structured interview for DSM-IV personality (SIDP-IV). A floor effect was found in DAPP-SF scores: the forensic population reported less personality pathology than the general population, indicating faking good. Results indicating restricted usefulness of self-report instruments such as the MMPI-2 and DAPP in forensic populations will be discussed.

Biography:

Marroquin T Y is a Dental Specialist (Endodontist) from The National University of Colombia who currently completing her Doctorate at The University of Western Australia. Although she enjoys the clinical dental practice, she is also member of different research groups in Colombia and Australia, and is highly interested in contribute to the scientific development of dentistry and forensic dentistry. Her research project is focused on dental age estimation in adults aimed to find out a method that can be reliable to be systematically applied across the globe. Her research counts with international collaboration.

Abstract:

Dental age estimation is a challenge once root formation has finished in all teeth. In living adults, the most commonly used methods are based on the formation of secondary dentine. Some of the possible side effects of orthodontic treatment are the formation of secondary dentine and root shortening. The aim of this study was to establish if the secondary dentine formation from orthodontic treatment could generate a statistically significant difference in dental age estimations when Kvaal et al method was applied on living adults. This method is based on linear measurements of pulp/tooth length and pulp/tooth width. The study sample included 34 pairs of pre- and post-orthodontic treatment panoramic radiographs, from different individuals with exactly the same age and sex distribution. Females (n=22, 65%) age range 15-50 years old, median 17.5, and males (n=12, 35%) age range 16-37 years old, median 22.5 were included. Dental age was estimated per tooth using formulae previously published. The risk of over-estimating of age was calculated. (RR=1.007). The changes caused by orthodontic treatment do not have any significant effect on age estimation when Kvaal et al method is applied on panoramic radiographs.

Biography:

Zora Arfina Sukabdi is pursuing her PhD at Swinburne University of Technology. Her approach in rehabilitating former perpetrators in Indonesia and their families is seen to be holistic which include psychosocial, vocational, spiritual-ideology and cultural aspects. Her research work includes “Identifying parameters of successful rehabilitation and after care programs for bombing victims as well as terrorism convicts”. Her dedication underlines her outstanding achievements and promote her to receive Allison Sudrajat Prize and be nominated as a representative of Swinburne University of Technology in the International Women’s Day.

Abstract:

Psychological rehabilitation to religious terrorism offenders consists of efforts to reestablish human capacity and function in society, restore for a good condition, achieve self-efficacy and be able to re-integrate into society. It focuses on character building and well-being of violent offenders, in order to have more peaceful state of mind and favorable attitudes to society. Practically, there are two types of rehabilitation to terrorism offenders, exclusiveness and inclusiveness, which can be combined in performing psychological rehabilitation. This paper explains steps in rehabilitating religious terrorism offenders, psychological treatment process, and behavioral transformation seen in religious terrorism offenders. There are 10 steps in rehabilitating religious terrorism offenders and five phases of psychological treatment process. In terms of behavioral transformation, religious terrorism offenders experience two kinds of process namely natural and designed behavioral transformation.

Biography:

W K Tang was appointed as Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2011. His main research areas are addictions and neuropsychiatry in stroke. He has published over 100 papers in renowned journals and has also contributed to the peer review of 40 journals. He has secured over 20 major competitive research grants. He has served the Editorial boards of five scientific journals. He was also a recipient of the Young Researcher Award in 2007, awarded by the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Abstract:

Background & Objectives: The objectives of this study were to ascertain the pattern of grey and white matter volume reduction and regional metabolic and activation abnormalities in chronic ketamine users, and to evaluate the correlations between these brain abnormalities and cognitive impairments in chronic ketamine users in Hong Kong.

Design:  Cross-sectional observational study.

Setting: Counseling Centre for Psychotropic Substance Abusers in Hong Kong.

Participants: One hundred and thirty-six participants were recruited from October 2011 to April 2014. The participants were divided into two groups: ketamine users (79) and healthy controls (57).

Main outcome measures: Psychiatric assessments included screening with self-rating questionnaires and face-to-face interviews. All of the participants completed a detailed cognitive battery that covered general intelligence, verbal and visual memory, executive functions, motor speed and language. All of the participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. 

Results: Many of the participants in the ketamine group also frequently used cocaine and cannabis. Among the ketamine users, 12.6% were diagnosed with a mood disorder and 8.9% with an anxiety disorder. The participants in the ketamine group had worse performance than the healthy controls on tests of general intelligence, verbal, visual and working memory and executive functioning. In terms of grey matter volumes, the right orbitofrontal cortex, right medial prefrontal cortex, left and right hippocampus and possibly the left orbitofrontal cortex were smaller in the ketamine group. In contrast, the volumes of the left basal ganglia, left putamen and possibly the left caudate were higher in the ketamine group. In terms of white matter volumes, the ketamine group had a lower periventricular white matter volume in the right hemisphere. The grey matter volumes of the left and right orbitofrontal cortex, right medial prefrontal cortex, left basal ganglia and left putamen, and right periventricular white matter volume were negatively correlated with the severity of ketamine dependence. The hippocampal volumes were correlated with performance on the arithmetic, information and digit span tests. The periventricular white matter volume also correlated with the information score. A functional connectivity examination of the default mode network revealed significantly decreased connectivity in the medial part of the bilateral superior frontal gyrus, left middle frontal gyrus, bilateral gyrus rectus, left superior temporal pole, left inferior temporal gyrus, bilateral angular gyrus and bilateral cerebellum crus II in the ketamine group. This group also displayed increased connectivity in the bilateral precuneus and right inferior occipital gyrus.

Conclusions: The results provide imaging evidence of brain damage in chronic ketamine users. Chronic ketamine use was associated with reduced grey and white matter volumes in certain regions of the brain. Chronic ketamine use was also associated with altered functional connectivity with the default mode network. Abnormal brain structures and altered functional organization of the brain network may underlie the hypersensitivity towards drug related cues but weakened cognitive control in those with ketamine addiction. Longitudinal or prospective studies would help to strengthen the evidence on the reversibility of the structural and functional brain damage caused by ketamine.