Eating disorders

Care activities

The Centre is located in the Regional Centre for Nutrition and Feeding Disorders in the Age of Development (0-18 years) at the Paediatric Neuropsychiatry Unit of the IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche in Bologna. The Centre has 6 ordinary inpatient beds for metabolic emergencies and psycho-nutritional rehabilitation (located at Policlinico S. Orsola - Pad 13, 1 floor), a day hospital (located at Policlinico S. Orsola - Pad 16, 1 floor) that accommodates 10 patients and an outpatient clinic (located at Policlinico S. Orsola - Pad 16, 1 floor) operating every day of the week from Monday to Friday with the possibility of booking visits to CUP. All assistance activities are carried out by a multidisciplinary team (doctor, psychologist, dietician). Patients who come to the Centre are admitted at their own request, or are referred by colleagues from Child Neuropsychiatry in the Bologna area, by freely chosen paediatricians or general practitioners, or come from emergency room admissions for serious general conditions regarding hydration, nutrition, compensatory behaviour and self-harm. Admission to day hospital reduces the time spent in ordinary hospital and at the same time reinforces the psycho-nutritional rehabilitation necessary for the patient to be followed up later in outpatient care, or is indicated for patients who do not present a severe clinical situation but need containment and intensive psycho-nutritional treatment. The Regional Centre collaborates constantly with the local NPIA services and the PLS/MMG. In addition to patients from Bologna and its province, the Regional Centre also receives many patients from the Emilia Romagna Region (especially from the Area Vasta Emilia Centro) and from outside the Region.

Research activities

• The research activity is characterised by research projects aimed at analysing various aspects such as the clinical phenotype, diagnostic tools, and therapeutic interventions in Nutrition and Feeding Disorders (DNA) in childhood (0-18 years). Specifically, the main research topics concern:
• psychopharmacological therapies used in the treatment of developmental DNA;
• cross-cultural aspects;
• the association between Anorexia Nervosa and Autism Spectrum Disorder;
• the association between DNA and Specific Learning Disorders;
• complementary integrative medicine in the treatment of developmental DNA;
• Internet, social media and DNA;
• electrocardiographic features in patients with an eating disorder;
• potential language markers in patients with Anorexia Nervosa;
• Anorexia Nervosa Integrated MultiOmic Approaches (ANIMA) (PRIN project presentation);
• sleep and metabolism in DNAs;
• male and female Anorexia Nervosa;
• sleep disturbance, intestinal inflammation and alpha-lactalbumin in DNA.

Publications

See the list of the most representative publications of this Programme.

Staff

Prof. Antonia Parmeggiani, MD, Child Neuropsychiatry

Dr Filomena Moscano, MD, Paediatrician

Dr Elisabetta Malaspina, MD, Paediatrician

Dr Paola Gualandi, PsyD, Psychologist

Dr Francesca Rossi, PsyD, Psychologist

Dr. Leonardo Sacrato, PsyD, Psychologist

Dr Monica Santini, PsyD, Family Psychologist (operator in framework agreement with AOU)

Dr Marastella Marino, Dietitian

Dr. Valeriani Beatrice, Dietitian (operator in framework agreement with AOU)

Doctors Eros Lancianese, Lorenza Guerra, Alice Pognani (Psychologists), Stefania Ferri (Shiatsuka), operators in framework agreement with AOU

Contact

Prof. Antonia Parmeggiani Head of Programma
telephone: 051-214.40.13
email: antonia.parmeggiani@unibo.it

Nursing ward
Telephone 051-214.46.57
Day hospital nursing ward
Telephone 051-214.36.59

Outpatient clinic (with answering machine)
Phone 051-214.41.09