ROME, Dec 18 - A core index of Italian consumer confidence plumbed fresh seven-year lows in December, research body ISAE said on Thursday, however a seasonally-adjusted index posted a modest rise. ISAE's core index of confidence, which strips out seasonal and other variations, fell to 104.8 in December from an upwardly revised 105.1 in November. The index came in better than analysts' prediction of 104.5 but was still the lowest since the series began in 1996, with worries about personal finances weighing. But ISAE, an independent think tank overseen by the Treasury, emphasised its seasonally adjusted index, which rose to 105.2 in December from 104.0 the previous month, helped by more buoyant sentiment about the jobs market and inflation. "The improvement is due above all to better feeling about the general economic situation in Italy now and in the future, in particular the labour market," ISAE said in its commentary.//