Browsing by Author "Castro Caldas, Alexandre"
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- An fMRI paradigm based on Williams inhibition test to study the neural substrates of attention and inhibitory controlPublication . Dores, Artemisa Rocha; Barbosa, Fernando; Carvalho, Irene P.; Almeida, Isabel; Guerreiro, Sandra; da Rocha, Benedita Martins; Cunha, Gil; Castelo Branco, Miguel; de Sousa, Liliana; Castro Caldas, AlexandreThe purpose of this study is to present an fMRI paradigm, based on the Williams inhibition test (WIT), to study attentional and inhibitory control and their neuroanatomical substrates. We present an index of the validity of the proposed paradigm and test whether the experimental task discriminates the behavioral performances of healthy participants from those of individuals with acquired brain injury. Stroop and Simon tests present similarities with WIT, but this latter is more demanding. We analyze the BOLD signal in 10 healthy participants performing the WIT. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, the inferior prefrontal cortex, the anterior cingulate cortex, and the posterior cingulate cortex were defined for specified region of interest analysis. We additionally compare behavioral data (hits, errors, reaction times) of the healthy participants with those of eight acquired brain injury patients. Data were analyzed with GLM-based random effects and Mann-Whitney tests. Results show the involvement of the defined regions and indicate that the WIT is sensitive to brain lesions. This WIT-based block design paradigm can be used as a research methodology for behavioral and neuroimaging studies of the attentional and inhibitory components of executive functions.
- Virtual City: Neurocognitive rehabilitation of Acquired Brain InjuryPublication . Dores, Artemisa Rocha; Miranda, Maria João; Carvalho, Irene Palmares; Mendes, Liliana; Barbosa, Fernando; Coelho, António; Sousa, Liliana de; Castro Caldas, AlexandreAcquired Brain Injury (ABI) is one of the leading causes of individuals' reduced participation in various contexts of life, compromising autonomous functioning and performance in complex activities. Neurocognitive rehabilitation, carried out by transdisciplinary teams, is part of the intervention after the acute phase, aiming patients' maximum functionality and quality of life. Serious games and virtual reality begin to provide innovative solutions in this area. In this study, a prototype platform for the rehabilitation of executive functioning and other related cognitive functions is presented: the Virtual City. Part of a larger project, it consists of urban virtual environments that simulate real-life scenarios and activities. Tests will be performed to validate it as a tool for the rehabilitation of ABI.