Giorgia Gamberini

NEUROSCIENZE
Phd: 36th cycle
Department of Public Health and Pediatrics
Matriculation number: 847176
ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-3545-0218

Contacts

giorgia.gamberini@unito.it
S.C. Neuropsichiatria Infantile, Ospedale Infantile Regina Margherita, Piazza Polonia 94, Torino
https://www.neurosciences.unito.it/do/studenti.pl/Show?847176
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Supervisor

Phd thesis

Evaluation and monitoring over time of the neuropsychological outcomes in pediatric patients with Acquired Brain Injuries.

My PhD research focuses on clinical applied research projects aimed at improving the research evidence and the clinical practice in the field of neuropsychological outcomes in pediatric patients with Acquired Brain Injury (ABI). ABI can be defined as a brain injury acquired in the post-neonatal period and it represents one of the leading causes of mortality and lifelong disability in children and adolescents. It can result from a variety of etiologies, including traumatic brain injury, brain tumor, stroke, infection and cerebral anoxia. As survival among children with ABI continues to improve, the long-term neurocognitive sequelae that may impact their quality of life have become more evident. Indeed, childhood ABI often results in impairments in the motor and neurologic domain, as well as in cognitive, affective/behavioral, and social functioning deficits. These cognitive disorders may have an important and long-standing impact on the child’s intellectual, academic, socio-relational, and psychological outcome, thereby affecting the quality of life of these children and their families.

Neuropsychological impairments may be evident since the early post-acute phase of the clinical course. During this period, deficits in basic cognitive functions, such as attention, executive functions and memory, may be predominant, and have the potential to impact the cognitive development and the functioning of other higher-order cognitive processes. It is fundamental to promptly address these core deficits in the post-acute phase through appropriate neuropsychological assessments that can guide early cognitive rehabilitation. To date, most of the literature in this field focuses on the long-term neuropsychological outcomes that occur in the chronic phase after ABI. Indeed, there are still few studies that evaluate the neuropsychological sequelae in the early post-acute phase in this clinical population. Moreover, most of the studies adopt a cross-sectional design and do not monitor the changes over time that may occur in neuropsychological functioning through longitudinal study designs.

During my PhD research activity, I’m conducting prospective observational studies with longitudinal designs aimed to evaluate and monitor over time the neuropsychological outcomes in pediatric patients with different types of ABI from the early post-acute phase of their clinical course.

Research activities

2) Research area: Describe the neuropsychological outcomes in children and adolescents with posterior fossa tumors and subsequent Cerebellar Mutism Syndrome / Cerebellar Cognitive Affective Syndrome and develop appropriate neuropsychological assessment protocols to be used in the clinical practice.

Ongoing systematic review: "Neuropsychological outcomes in children with posterior fossa tumors: a systematic review". The systematic review has been pre-registered in the PROSPERO database. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42021256146. https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021256146

Future steps: On the basis of the results of the systematic review, a prospective observational study with a longitudinal design will be planned and implemented in order to better characterize the neuropsychological outcomes in children with posterior fossa tumors.

3) Research area: Development and validation of assessment tools in childhood psychopathology. A project in collaboration with Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital (Rome) is about to start that aims to standardize and validate a new screening and diagnostic tool for psychopathological disorders in childhood and adolescence.

2023

Neuromuscular disorders in the era of advanced therapies: new perspectives for clinical and translational research, T. Mongini - Advanced course, September 2023.

2022

Motor neuron diseases: understanding the pathogenetic mechanism to develop therapies, M. Boido - Advanced course, November 2022

Clinical psychopathology and psychiatry, P. Pietrini - IMT School for advanced studies Lucca, February - March 2021.

Basic Linear Algebra and Statistics, G. Gnecco, F. Serti - IMT School for advanced studies Lucca, January 2022.

2021

Basic Programming for Neuroscience - M. Betta. IMT School for advanced studies Lucca, December 2021.

Neuropsychology of cognitive impairment in minor and major neurocognitive disorders, M. Amanzio - Advanced Course, September-October 2021.

In vitro and ex vivo approaches to study neural cells: from primary cultures to human organoids, E. Boda, A. Buffo, S. Gribaudo, G. Pallavicini - Toolbox Course, 11th - 14th -21st - 28th June 2021.

Critical Thinking, G. Cevolani - IMT School for advanced studies Lucca, May 2021-July 2021.

Ethics of research and Responsible Research, D. Ovadia - Toolbox Course, May 3rd - 10th - 17th -24th 2021.

Basic principles and applications of Electrophysiology and Stimulation Techniques, G. Bernardi, S. Rossi - IMT School for advanced studies Lucca, March 2021-June 2021.

Bibliography and bibliometrics like pros: stay up to date and develop literature synthesis in the biomedical domains, N. Colombi, P. Gardois - February 21st- 20th March 2021.

Data Report (XXXV cycle), February 15th 2021.

Basic of Project Writing, C. Abbrescia - February 1st 2021.

From neural cell excitability to brain circuit recording, visualization and manipulation, F. Ferrini,B. Sacchetti,S. Bovetti, E. Hoxha - Toolbox Course, February 1st - 4th - 8th - 11th 2021.

Basic Concepts of Statistics, A. Ricotti - Toolbox Course, January 25th-26th 2021.

Journal Club 2021.

2020

Basic Principles and Applications of Brain Imaging Methodologies to Neuroscience, E. Ricciardi, L. Cecchetti - IMT School for advanced studies Lucca, November 9th 2020 - February 17th 2021.

Introduction to Research Methodology, D. Romano - Toolbox Course, December 4th-11th-18th 2020.

Broad Neuroscience Training: Clinical, methodological and theoretical aspects of translational and cognitive neuroscience, A. Berti, L. Chiò, M. Giustetto - Toolbox Course, November 27th 2020.

Inaugurazione anno dottorale 2020-2021 - November 5th 2020.

Journal Club 2020.

Welcome meeting for PhD students XXXVI Cycle, M. Sassoè - webinar, 21th October 2020.

Courses:

Seminars:

Gamberini, G., Ricci, F. S., Vitiello, B. (in preparation). Neuropsychological outcomes in children with posterior fossa tumors: a systematic review. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42021256146.

Zucchetti, G., Gamberini, G., Ciappina, S., Cagnazzo, C., Ricci, F., Vallero, S., ... & Fagioli, F. (2023). Neurocognitive and Psychological Outcomes among Children and Adolescents with Brain Tumors: Development of an Observational and Longitudinal Prospective Study Protocol. Behavioral Sciences, 13(7), 536. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13070536

Ricci, F. S., D’Alessandro, R., Somà, A., Salvalaggio, A., Rossi, F., Rampone, S., Gamberini, G., ... & Vitiello, B. (2021). Development and application of a diagnostic and severity scale to grade post-operative pediatric cerebellar mutism syndrome. European Journal of Pediatrics, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-021-04290-x

Gamberini, G., Secci, I., Vitiello, B. (2022). La psicosi e i disturbi psicotici nei bambini e negli adolescenti. Medico & Bambino 2022;41(2):103-113 DOI: https://doi.org/10.53126/MEB41103

Gamberini, G., Zettin, M., (2021). Disturbi neurocomportamentali e neuropsichiatrici conseguenti a danno prefrontale. In Barba, S., Geminiani, G. (cur). Manuale sull’utilizzo clinico dei test neuropsicologici. Libreria universitaria. ISBN: 8833594297