Olimpia Pino
Olimpia Pino is currently Associate Professor in the Department of Neurosciences at the University of Parma and prior to that she served as Professor at the Department of Psychology where she was responsible of the Master Program in Emergence Psychology and Psychotraumatology, besides a ten years period as researcher in the Department of Psychology at the University of Palermo. For many years she investigated the ways that people learn and recall in laboratory and everyday tasks with normal and impaired subjects. She also conduct research on the development of verbal behavior also using protocol analysis, or in the area of traumatic memory.
She gradually took an interest in integration of biological and psychobiological models in health psychology context. She is also pioneering the use of a new device with Negative Air Ions to change syntoms in mood disturbances and improve neuropsychological performance.
Currently in order to gain insight into ways that the human brain change as a function of educational experience, treatment or training with meditation technique, her research interests has been moved towards brain-computer-interaction, bio and neuro-feedback, and Brain Computer Interface Technologies also using NAO-H25 humanoid robot. Her laboratory carried out a variety of projects in the areas of traffic psychology, public health, eyewitness, suggestibility and job related stress/burnout with particular implications for publicity and forensic fields.
She has published over 80 manuscripts and most recently sits on the scientific and editorial board of a number of prestigious journals. Dr. Pino is interested in catalyzing interdisciplinay and collaborative research in the university and through extramural research partnering and providing public education on quality of care.
Address: Parma, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
She gradually took an interest in integration of biological and psychobiological models in health psychology context. She is also pioneering the use of a new device with Negative Air Ions to change syntoms in mood disturbances and improve neuropsychological performance.
Currently in order to gain insight into ways that the human brain change as a function of educational experience, treatment or training with meditation technique, her research interests has been moved towards brain-computer-interaction, bio and neuro-feedback, and Brain Computer Interface Technologies also using NAO-H25 humanoid robot. Her laboratory carried out a variety of projects in the areas of traffic psychology, public health, eyewitness, suggestibility and job related stress/burnout with particular implications for publicity and forensic fields.
She has published over 80 manuscripts and most recently sits on the scientific and editorial board of a number of prestigious journals. Dr. Pino is interested in catalyzing interdisciplinay and collaborative research in the university and through extramural research partnering and providing public education on quality of care.
Address: Parma, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
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have influenced non-pharmacological interventions, which represent a growing area with strong theories and explanatory frameworks. Rehabilitation models may follow three directives not alternatives to each other: restore lost functions, develop compensatory strategies or adopt external memory aids. Because of treatment approaches have a differential effect on distinct aspects of memory functions, and the assessment of the treatment outcomes is relevant not only at impairment level but also at the disability level, the effectiveness of restitution oriented therapies and compensatory approaches was evaluated. We discussed these different treatment approaches also reporting a survey of training results and systematic reviews findings. A large body of evidence seems to support, with different efficacy levels according to etiology and type of brain injury, several training programs in stable individuals but not in persons with degenerative diseases. The present paper can serve as a guide for clinicians and researchers.
In many English-speaking countries neuropsychological assessment of non-English speakers is often performed in English or through an interpreter. Relying on interpreters often involves unstandardized and ad hoc translations of tests which may limit valid assessment.
METHODS:
In a sample of 75 Italian-born elderly Australians from the general community (48 women and 27 men, aged 56-90 years) we administered standardized and normed psychological tests in both English (WMS-III, WAIS-III, BNT, Schonell Graded Word Reading Test) and Italian (Milan Overall Dementia Assessment, MODA). We examined the hypothesis that long-term retrieval ability assessed in English is primarily influenced by cognitive abilities assessed in Italian and by English language competence.
RESULTS:
Regression analysis showed that the strongest predictor of long-term retrieval in English was long-term retrieval in Italian (R2 = 0.229, F(72) = 29.12, p<0.01). After inclusion of an estimate of general cognitive ability in Italian, English language competence failed to add significantly to variance explained in memory tested in English (p > 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS:
Results of the present study support the view that long-term retrieval memory is not significantly affected by second language proficiency after control of cognitive ability assessed in Italian. As a consequence, if an Italian-born elder Australian with English as a second language scores poorly on a diagnostic memory test, this result may be due to cognitive impairment rather than language issues. If, instead, we attribute poor performance to language competence, an increased risk of false negative diagnosis may arise.
have influenced non-pharmacological interventions, which represent a growing area with strong theories and explanatory frameworks. Rehabilitation models may follow three directives not alternatives to each other: restore lost functions, develop compensatory strategies or adopt external memory aids. Because of treatment approaches have a differential effect on distinct aspects of memory functions, and the assessment of the treatment outcomes is relevant not only at impairment level but also at the disability level, the effectiveness of restitution oriented therapies and compensatory approaches was evaluated. We discussed these different treatment approaches also reporting a survey of training results and systematic reviews findings. A large body of evidence seems to support, with different efficacy levels according to etiology and type of brain injury, several training programs in stable individuals but not in persons with degenerative diseases. The present paper can serve as a guide for clinicians and researchers.
In many English-speaking countries neuropsychological assessment of non-English speakers is often performed in English or through an interpreter. Relying on interpreters often involves unstandardized and ad hoc translations of tests which may limit valid assessment.
METHODS:
In a sample of 75 Italian-born elderly Australians from the general community (48 women and 27 men, aged 56-90 years) we administered standardized and normed psychological tests in both English (WMS-III, WAIS-III, BNT, Schonell Graded Word Reading Test) and Italian (Milan Overall Dementia Assessment, MODA). We examined the hypothesis that long-term retrieval ability assessed in English is primarily influenced by cognitive abilities assessed in Italian and by English language competence.
RESULTS:
Regression analysis showed that the strongest predictor of long-term retrieval in English was long-term retrieval in Italian (R2 = 0.229, F(72) = 29.12, p<0.01). After inclusion of an estimate of general cognitive ability in Italian, English language competence failed to add significantly to variance explained in memory tested in English (p > 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS:
Results of the present study support the view that long-term retrieval memory is not significantly affected by second language proficiency after control of cognitive ability assessed in Italian. As a consequence, if an Italian-born elder Australian with English as a second language scores poorly on a diagnostic memory test, this result may be due to cognitive impairment rather than language issues. If, instead, we attribute poor performance to language competence, an increased risk of false negative diagnosis may arise.