The favourable neurotrophic effects obtained by means of the intramuscular administration of citicoline, one of the intermediate compounds of phospholipids, on the visual field of patients suffering from open-angle glaucoma are referred. The drug was administered at the dose of 1 gm for ten consecutive days. Visual field was examined by means of central computerized perimetry and automated perimetry. All patients had well controlled intraocular pressure through beta-blockers, but presented characteristic glaucomatous perimetric defects. It is suggested that citicoline might be administered as a useful complement to conventional hypotensive therapy, since it acts positively on the glaucomatous optic nerve damage.

Despite the limitations of the study related to the short period considered, we believe this study offers some interesting information on the burden of schizophrenia, a disease for which its cost has received limited attention so far in Italy.

No abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate the mean unit cost of psychiatric services, broken down by type of output. The analysis concerned a psychiatric service (with a Psychiatric Ward in General Hospital (PWGH), a Day-Care Center, a Community Residential Facilitie (CRF) and a NHS Mental Center (NHSMC), located in the North of Italy, selected among the 14 participants of the SCORE (Schizophrenia COsts and REsources) project. The most important result of this study was to estimate a baseline unit cost which can be used for assessing the total cost of a psychiatric disease. The study was conducted according to the full cost method. However, drugs and examinations were not included in this analysis, assuming that these costs are tightly related to the specific psychiatric pathology considered. Personnel was the most relevant component of total cost, accounting for 65% in PWGH, 61% for NHSMC and 65% for CRF. The estimated unit cost was L.536.000 for a day of stay in PWGH, L.590.000 for a day hospital day in PWGH, L.110.000 for an outpatient consultation in PWGH, L.59.000 for a day in a Day-Care Center and L.375.000 for a day in CRF.

No abstract