Neuromyelitis Optica, which is known as NMO, is a demyelination syndrome and inflammatory conditi... more Neuromyelitis Optica, which is known as NMO, is a demyelination syndrome and inflammatory condition of the central nervous system that affects the optic nerves. Since structural imaging approaches cannot adequately describe the brain disorders in patients with NMO, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) can be used. Resting-state fMRI was performed on 25 healthy subjects and 26 NMO patients. After preprocessing the data, the time series belonging to the regions of the middle frontal gyrus (MFG), inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), precuneus (PRE), thalamus (THA), and middle temporal gyrus (MTG) were extracted as components of the corticothalamic circuit. The obtained time series were statistically analyzed as the input of dynamic causal modeling (DCM) in order to evaluate the effective connectivity within the corticothalamic circuit. The statistical analyses showed that the mean of effective connectivity power was significantly higher in the healthy subjects than in the NMO patients. For the healthy subjects, there was no significant difference in effective connectivity power between the two groups of males and females at the significance level of 0.05. In the NMO patients, there was a significant difference between the effective connectivity levels of the male and female groups only for IFG → MFG, in which it was greater in males than in females. The results of our studies showed that resting-state fMRI could exhibit the difference between healthy and NMO subjects.
Cigarette has about four thousand types of substances and its consumption is a risk factor for a ... more Cigarette has about four thousand types of substances and its consumption is a risk factor for a variety of diseases, including neuro-ophthalmic disorders. This is a literature survey about the influence of smoking on color vision. Review of literature based in the Google Scholar research platforms, Scielo, Science Direct and the Bank of Dissertations and Theses of CAPES. Smoking articles, smoking, smoking and color vision and color vision in articles titles were adopted for inclusion criteria. Thus, 31 of which were sealed. In addition to cognitive changes, chronic use of tobacco can cause damage to retinal cells, impairing color vision, changes in tear protein patterns, adverse effects on the precorneal tear film and ocular surface. Metabolism is indirectly affected by means of the reduction of plasma levels of antioxidants and increasing the production of free radicals that impair eye health and blood flow in the ocular choroid. The chronic consumption of cigarettes causes changes in color vision / discrimination and such analysis alerts the harmful effects caused by the substances that compose it. In addition, psychophysical vision examination can be used as a screening test for intoxication processes that may be occurring in the subject.
Portuguese forest area has a great expression being around 39%. Since the last centuries the Quer... more Portuguese forest area has a great expression being around 39%. Since the last centuries the Quercus suber L.(cork oak) areas have increased, reaching to 715 922 ha (23%) according to the last National forest inventory. Afforestation programmes financed by the European Union and the existing protection laws for the species are one of the main reasons for this increase. These efforts are important to promote for these stands a distribution by age class that ensure cork oak forest sustainability (only 14% of the existing even-aged stands are young stands with less than 10 years). In this study, the programme-Afforestation of Agricultural Landin the region of Beira Interior Sul was analysed, to assess afforestation success during the period of 2001 to 2011.
The objective of the present study is to report the evaluation of the effects of a speech therapy... more The objective of the present study is to report the evaluation of the effects of a speech therapy protocol on swallowing rehabilitation in an 82-year-old male patient diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. This protocol comprises a variety of exercises, such as blowing with SHAKER, use of RESPIRON, exercises with syringes of different volumes, emission of vowels "i" and "u," and semi-occluded vocal tract maneuvers. In the pre-and post-intervention evaluation, data related to swallowing were recorded, including stasis in the oral cavity, oral transit time, number of swallows, and vocal quality. Post-intervention data revealed significant improvements in the patient's swallowing. The therapy contributed to eliminating stasis in the oral cavity, reducing the number of swallows, improving oral transit time, and improving vocal quality, thus indicating the efficiency and effectiveness of this new protocol.
... Maria Cristina F. de Faria Clarice T. Dkada e Jurge L. Caatreghini. ... Estes resultados indi... more ... Maria Cristina F. de Faria Clarice T. Dkada e Jurge L. Caatreghini. ... Estes resultados indicam que rates dastalaucefalados 550 ainda capazes de aprander uma raspnsta de esquiva inibitfiria do tipn “up-hi.!._ i TELENGEHQLD LESADG § I Lin 4;lu;|-qu-Q :ur|'|iru;|.¢n+r c>F -<1 ...
Major depression (MD) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk. Although alterations in a... more Major depression (MD) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk. Although alterations in autonomic regulation have been proposed as one potential pathophysiological mechanism to explain this comorbidity, studies using standard HRV features in depressed subjects have been inconclusive. In this study, 48 patients with MD and 48 healthy controls (HC) were randomly assigned to an audiovisual task with two different versions: one emotionally neutral (N) and the other emotionally arousing (E). ECG signal (lead II) was collected at 250 Hz, and point process nonlinear analysis of heartbeat dynamics was performed to obtain instantaneous features from standard time-domain analysis, as well as spectral (LF, HF, LF/HF) and bispectral (LL, LH, and HH) analysis. Mean values of all features were computed over the 30s segment of the emotional elicitation session. Only bispectral parameters LH and HH were significantly different between patients and HC (p<0.02). Our results suggest that time-varying nonlinear dynamics of parasympathetic activity are significantly reduced in MD compared to HC in response to emotional elicitation. We conclude that instantaneous bispectral analysis could be a promising tool for assessment of autonomic modulation in MD.
С. Conde et oí. é uma ferramenta util para investigações em neurociéncias comportamcntal. Uni ter... more С. Conde et oí. é uma ferramenta util para investigações em neurociéncias comportamcntal. Uni termos: Medidas com portamen tais; programas computacio-nais; psicofisiologia, farmacologia comportamcntal. Summary PROSTCOM is a low-cost and casy-to-manipulate computer ...
Nonlinear digital signal processing methods that address system complexity have provided useful c... more Nonlinear digital signal processing methods that address system complexity have provided useful computational tools for helping in the diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of pathologies. More specifically, nonlinear measures have been successful in characterizing patients with mental disorders such as Major Depression (MD). In this study, we propose the use of instantaneous measures of entropy, namely the inhomogeneous point-process approximate entropy (ipApEn) and the inhomogeneous point-process sample entropy (ipSampEn), to describe a novel characterization of MD patients undergoing affective elicitation. Because these measures are built within a nonlinear point-process model, they allow for the assessment of complexity in cardiovascular dynamics at each moment in time. Heartbeat dynamics were characterized from 48 healthy controls and 48 patients with MD while emotionally elicited through either neutral or arousing audiovisual stimuli. Experimental results coming from the arousing tasks show that ipApEn measures are able to instantaneously track heartbeat complexity as well as discern between healthy subjects and MD patients. Conversely, standard heart rate variability (HRV) analysis performed in both time and frequency domains did not show any statistical significance. We conclude that measures of entropy based on nonlinear point-process models might contribute to devising useful computational tools for care in mental health.
Resumo-A atividade física está relacionada a inúmeros benefícios físicos e mentais colaborando pa... more Resumo-A atividade física está relacionada a inúmeros benefícios físicos e mentais colaborando para a manutenção da saúde do cérebro, envolvendo mudanças na plasticidade sináptica e influenciando mecanismos de aprendizagem e memória. Após prática de atividade física tem sido observado um incremento na expressão do BDNF (fator neurotrófico derivado do cérebro), sendo este de fundamental importância para manter a sobrevivência e crescimento de muitos subtipos neuronais, surgindo como mediador-chave da eficiência sináptica. Apresentamos neste estudo, uma revisão sobre a influência do exercício físico sobre a memória dos idosos, enfatizando seus benefícios em contrapartida às perdas cognitivas decorrentes do envelhecimento. PalavRas-chave-memória, envelhecimento, atividade física
Dados Internacionais de Catalogação na Publicação (CIP) O conteúdo dos artigos e seus dados em su... more Dados Internacionais de Catalogação na Publicação (CIP) O conteúdo dos artigos e seus dados em sua forma, correção e confiabilidade são de responsabilidade exclusiva dos autores.
Neurofeedback is a neuromodulation technique based on a brain-computer interface. An individual r... more Neurofeedback is a neuromodulation technique based on a brain-computer interface. An individual receives feedback from a computer about their brain activity and is conditioned to improve performance according to a training target. Therefore, it may be used to help individuals who suffer from cognitive decline, which is predicted to occur during aging. Cognitive decline affects working memory, which involves the medial temporal lobe-an important area for temporarily storing information-and recruits the prefrontal cortex, an area associated with higher cognitive functions, such as executive function. Since memory and executive function are fundamental components for every healthy and independent human life, cognitive decline fundamentally impairs a person's well-being. As such, since the aging population has been increasing at higher rates, methods to enhance their cognitive performance have become increasingly important. These methods may be used to increase brain reserve and help the elderly maintain a socially active life. The purpose of this chapter is to add neurofeedback to the box of promising tools that maintain cognitive reserve and as such promote a healthy and active life.
Prepulse inhibition (PPI) of acoustic startle reflex is a well-established behavior paradigm to m... more Prepulse inhibition (PPI) of acoustic startle reflex is a well-established behavior paradigm to measure sensorimotor gating deficits. PPI is disrupted in several neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. PPI tests can be used to screen new drugs for treatment of such disorders. In this review, we discuss how PPI paradigm can help in screening the therapeutic effects of cannabidiol (CBD). We look into recent literature about CBD effects on PPI response in animal models, especially in nonhuman primates. CBD has been shown to modify PPI in N-methyl d-aspartate receptor antagonist models for schizophrenia, both in rodents and in nonhuman primates. These results show CBD as a potential drug for the treatment of neurologic disorders that present alterations in sensorimotor system, such as schizophrenia. Moreover, the PPI paradigm seems to be a useful and relative simple paradigm to test the efficacy of CBD as a potential therapeutic drug.
Neuromyelitis Optica, which is known as NMO, is a demyelination syndrome and inflammatory conditi... more Neuromyelitis Optica, which is known as NMO, is a demyelination syndrome and inflammatory condition of the central nervous system that affects the optic nerves. Since structural imaging approaches cannot adequately describe the brain disorders in patients with NMO, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) can be used. Resting-state fMRI was performed on 25 healthy subjects and 26 NMO patients. After preprocessing the data, the time series belonging to the regions of the middle frontal gyrus (MFG), inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), precuneus (PRE), thalamus (THA), and middle temporal gyrus (MTG) were extracted as components of the corticothalamic circuit. The obtained time series were statistically analyzed as the input of dynamic causal modeling (DCM) in order to evaluate the effective connectivity within the corticothalamic circuit. The statistical analyses showed that the mean of effective connectivity power was significantly higher in the healthy subjects than in the NMO patients. For the healthy subjects, there was no significant difference in effective connectivity power between the two groups of males and females at the significance level of 0.05. In the NMO patients, there was a significant difference between the effective connectivity levels of the male and female groups only for IFG → MFG, in which it was greater in males than in females. The results of our studies showed that resting-state fMRI could exhibit the difference between healthy and NMO subjects.
Cigarette has about four thousand types of substances and its consumption is a risk factor for a ... more Cigarette has about four thousand types of substances and its consumption is a risk factor for a variety of diseases, including neuro-ophthalmic disorders. This is a literature survey about the influence of smoking on color vision. Review of literature based in the Google Scholar research platforms, Scielo, Science Direct and the Bank of Dissertations and Theses of CAPES. Smoking articles, smoking, smoking and color vision and color vision in articles titles were adopted for inclusion criteria. Thus, 31 of which were sealed. In addition to cognitive changes, chronic use of tobacco can cause damage to retinal cells, impairing color vision, changes in tear protein patterns, adverse effects on the precorneal tear film and ocular surface. Metabolism is indirectly affected by means of the reduction of plasma levels of antioxidants and increasing the production of free radicals that impair eye health and blood flow in the ocular choroid. The chronic consumption of cigarettes causes changes in color vision / discrimination and such analysis alerts the harmful effects caused by the substances that compose it. In addition, psychophysical vision examination can be used as a screening test for intoxication processes that may be occurring in the subject.
Portuguese forest area has a great expression being around 39%. Since the last centuries the Quer... more Portuguese forest area has a great expression being around 39%. Since the last centuries the Quercus suber L.(cork oak) areas have increased, reaching to 715 922 ha (23%) according to the last National forest inventory. Afforestation programmes financed by the European Union and the existing protection laws for the species are one of the main reasons for this increase. These efforts are important to promote for these stands a distribution by age class that ensure cork oak forest sustainability (only 14% of the existing even-aged stands are young stands with less than 10 years). In this study, the programme-Afforestation of Agricultural Landin the region of Beira Interior Sul was analysed, to assess afforestation success during the period of 2001 to 2011.
The objective of the present study is to report the evaluation of the effects of a speech therapy... more The objective of the present study is to report the evaluation of the effects of a speech therapy protocol on swallowing rehabilitation in an 82-year-old male patient diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. This protocol comprises a variety of exercises, such as blowing with SHAKER, use of RESPIRON, exercises with syringes of different volumes, emission of vowels "i" and "u," and semi-occluded vocal tract maneuvers. In the pre-and post-intervention evaluation, data related to swallowing were recorded, including stasis in the oral cavity, oral transit time, number of swallows, and vocal quality. Post-intervention data revealed significant improvements in the patient's swallowing. The therapy contributed to eliminating stasis in the oral cavity, reducing the number of swallows, improving oral transit time, and improving vocal quality, thus indicating the efficiency and effectiveness of this new protocol.
... Maria Cristina F. de Faria Clarice T. Dkada e Jurge L. Caatreghini. ... Estes resultados indi... more ... Maria Cristina F. de Faria Clarice T. Dkada e Jurge L. Caatreghini. ... Estes resultados indicam que rates dastalaucefalados 550 ainda capazes de aprander uma raspnsta de esquiva inibitfiria do tipn “up-hi.!._ i TELENGEHQLD LESADG § I Lin 4;lu;|-qu-Q :ur|'|iru;|.¢n+r c>F -<1 ...
Major depression (MD) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk. Although alterations in a... more Major depression (MD) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk. Although alterations in autonomic regulation have been proposed as one potential pathophysiological mechanism to explain this comorbidity, studies using standard HRV features in depressed subjects have been inconclusive. In this study, 48 patients with MD and 48 healthy controls (HC) were randomly assigned to an audiovisual task with two different versions: one emotionally neutral (N) and the other emotionally arousing (E). ECG signal (lead II) was collected at 250 Hz, and point process nonlinear analysis of heartbeat dynamics was performed to obtain instantaneous features from standard time-domain analysis, as well as spectral (LF, HF, LF/HF) and bispectral (LL, LH, and HH) analysis. Mean values of all features were computed over the 30s segment of the emotional elicitation session. Only bispectral parameters LH and HH were significantly different between patients and HC (p<0.02). Our results suggest that time-varying nonlinear dynamics of parasympathetic activity are significantly reduced in MD compared to HC in response to emotional elicitation. We conclude that instantaneous bispectral analysis could be a promising tool for assessment of autonomic modulation in MD.
С. Conde et oí. é uma ferramenta util para investigações em neurociéncias comportamcntal. Uni ter... more С. Conde et oí. é uma ferramenta util para investigações em neurociéncias comportamcntal. Uni termos: Medidas com portamen tais; programas computacio-nais; psicofisiologia, farmacologia comportamcntal. Summary PROSTCOM is a low-cost and casy-to-manipulate computer ...
Nonlinear digital signal processing methods that address system complexity have provided useful c... more Nonlinear digital signal processing methods that address system complexity have provided useful computational tools for helping in the diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of pathologies. More specifically, nonlinear measures have been successful in characterizing patients with mental disorders such as Major Depression (MD). In this study, we propose the use of instantaneous measures of entropy, namely the inhomogeneous point-process approximate entropy (ipApEn) and the inhomogeneous point-process sample entropy (ipSampEn), to describe a novel characterization of MD patients undergoing affective elicitation. Because these measures are built within a nonlinear point-process model, they allow for the assessment of complexity in cardiovascular dynamics at each moment in time. Heartbeat dynamics were characterized from 48 healthy controls and 48 patients with MD while emotionally elicited through either neutral or arousing audiovisual stimuli. Experimental results coming from the arousing tasks show that ipApEn measures are able to instantaneously track heartbeat complexity as well as discern between healthy subjects and MD patients. Conversely, standard heart rate variability (HRV) analysis performed in both time and frequency domains did not show any statistical significance. We conclude that measures of entropy based on nonlinear point-process models might contribute to devising useful computational tools for care in mental health.
Resumo-A atividade física está relacionada a inúmeros benefícios físicos e mentais colaborando pa... more Resumo-A atividade física está relacionada a inúmeros benefícios físicos e mentais colaborando para a manutenção da saúde do cérebro, envolvendo mudanças na plasticidade sináptica e influenciando mecanismos de aprendizagem e memória. Após prática de atividade física tem sido observado um incremento na expressão do BDNF (fator neurotrófico derivado do cérebro), sendo este de fundamental importância para manter a sobrevivência e crescimento de muitos subtipos neuronais, surgindo como mediador-chave da eficiência sináptica. Apresentamos neste estudo, uma revisão sobre a influência do exercício físico sobre a memória dos idosos, enfatizando seus benefícios em contrapartida às perdas cognitivas decorrentes do envelhecimento. PalavRas-chave-memória, envelhecimento, atividade física
Dados Internacionais de Catalogação na Publicação (CIP) O conteúdo dos artigos e seus dados em su... more Dados Internacionais de Catalogação na Publicação (CIP) O conteúdo dos artigos e seus dados em sua forma, correção e confiabilidade são de responsabilidade exclusiva dos autores.
Neurofeedback is a neuromodulation technique based on a brain-computer interface. An individual r... more Neurofeedback is a neuromodulation technique based on a brain-computer interface. An individual receives feedback from a computer about their brain activity and is conditioned to improve performance according to a training target. Therefore, it may be used to help individuals who suffer from cognitive decline, which is predicted to occur during aging. Cognitive decline affects working memory, which involves the medial temporal lobe-an important area for temporarily storing information-and recruits the prefrontal cortex, an area associated with higher cognitive functions, such as executive function. Since memory and executive function are fundamental components for every healthy and independent human life, cognitive decline fundamentally impairs a person's well-being. As such, since the aging population has been increasing at higher rates, methods to enhance their cognitive performance have become increasingly important. These methods may be used to increase brain reserve and help the elderly maintain a socially active life. The purpose of this chapter is to add neurofeedback to the box of promising tools that maintain cognitive reserve and as such promote a healthy and active life.
Prepulse inhibition (PPI) of acoustic startle reflex is a well-established behavior paradigm to m... more Prepulse inhibition (PPI) of acoustic startle reflex is a well-established behavior paradigm to measure sensorimotor gating deficits. PPI is disrupted in several neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. PPI tests can be used to screen new drugs for treatment of such disorders. In this review, we discuss how PPI paradigm can help in screening the therapeutic effects of cannabidiol (CBD). We look into recent literature about CBD effects on PPI response in animal models, especially in nonhuman primates. CBD has been shown to modify PPI in N-methyl d-aspartate receptor antagonist models for schizophrenia, both in rodents and in nonhuman primates. These results show CBD as a potential drug for the treatment of neurologic disorders that present alterations in sensorimotor system, such as schizophrenia. Moreover, the PPI paradigm seems to be a useful and relative simple paradigm to test the efficacy of CBD as a potential therapeutic drug.
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