Browsing by Author "Machado, Sérgio"
Now showing 1 - 10 of 31
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- 2D:4D digit ratio is associated with cognitive decline but not frailty in community-dwelling older adultsPublication . Gonçalves, Celina; Coelho, Tiago; Machado, Sérgio; Rocha, NunoObjectives To understand the relation between 2D:4D ratio, frailty, and cognitive decline in community-dwelling elderly people. Methods A total of 175 community-dwelling elderly people were included. To determine frailty, participants completed the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) and the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE-FI). Cognitive functioning was determined using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). 2D and 4D finger lengths of each hand were measured using a scanner. Barthel Index, Lawton, and Brody scale were also completed for each participant to determine the level of daily living functioning. Results We did not find any correlations between 2D:4D ratio and frailty measures. We found a significant correlation between 2D:4D ratio and MMSE scores in the women sampled. Conclusions We cannot ascertain any contribution of prenatal exposure to androgens to the frailty status of community-dwelling elderly people. We found that reduced prenatal exposure to testosterone in women may contribute to the prevention of cognitive decline in elderly women
- Assessing the management of excessive daytime sleepiness by napping benefitsPublication . Murillo-Rodríguez, Eric; Yamamoto, Tetsuya; Monteiro, Diogo; Budde, Henning; Rocha, Nuno; Cid, Luis; Teixeira, Diogo S.; Telles-Correia, Diogo; Veras, André Barciela; Machado, Sérgio; Imperatori, Claudio; Torterolo, PabloPurpose Demanding lifestyle characterized by extended working hours, shift work schedules as well as excessive use of mobile gadgets leads to the disruption of the circadian and homeostatic factors affecting the sleep quality of individuals. As consequence, subjects complain of suffering several sleep disorders some of them characterized by inducing excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). Currently, the therapeutic approaches for managing EDS include medication, promotion of sleep hygiene, cognitive and behavioral therapy or using of continuous positive airway pressure machine. In this review, we propose the posology of the personalized sleep medicine by the prescription of naps for treating EDS. Methods This review included the online search in PubMed and manual review of articles (basic and clinical trials) of a range of personalized medicine potentially associated to factors of dosage in areas such as nutrition, sports and sleep. Articles in English were identified and subsequently analyzed for consideration for this review. Results Current evidence has demonstrated that naps exert positive outcomes for individuals complaining with EDS. The dosage of naps might follow similar procedures as reported for personalized interventions in diets or exercise programs (by taking the right dose, at the proper time, with a recommended frequency) which have demonstrated successfully results. Conclusions The management of EDS may include the personalized sleep medicine considering the prescription of dosage of naps.
- Association between depression severity and executive functioning in late-life depression: a systematic reviewPublication . Monteiro, Suzana; Monteiro, Bárbara; Candida, Maristela; Adler, Nathalia; Campos, Carlos; Rocha, Nuno; Paes, Flávia; Nardi, Antônio Egidio; Machado, SérgioOBJECTIVE: Late-life depression is an under-diagnosed and under-treated disease that reduces the well-being of older adults. Executive dysfunction is another critical impairment in elderly depressed individuals which further disrupts their everyday functioning. This systematic review aims to analyze the association between executive function and depression severity in elderly individuals diagnosed with major depressive disorder. METHOD: The studies were retrieved from MEDLINE/PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge and PsychInfo, after a search strategy combining the terms "depression", "executive function", "neuropsychological assessment", "elderly" and "late life". Study selection, data collection and quality ratings was performed by two independent raters. RESULTS: A total of 1,130 articles were found but only 8 studies met the defined eligibility criteria and evaluated the association between depression severity and executive functioning. Six out of 8 studies found an association between depression severity and executive function, with correlations ranging from small to large (r= -0.15 to -0.53). The included reports had several methodological limitations such as selective data reporting, non-comprehensive executive function assessment and not controlling potential biases. CONCLUSION: Depression severity may be more strongly correlated with a specific set of executive abilities although it also seems to be a broad-based association with executive functioning as a whole. Future high-quality prospective studies are recommended in order to understand the causal relationship between depression severity and executive functioning taking into account possible mediators such as age-related or neurodegenerative cognitive impairment, educational level and other clinic characteristics (e.g. age of onset, medication).
- Attachment Dimensions and Spatial Navigation in Female College Students: The Role of Comfort With Closeness and Confidence in OthersPublication . Rocha, Nuno; Lemos, Andreia; Campos, Carlos; Rocha, Susana; Yamamoto, Tetsuya; Machado, Sérgio; Murillo-Rodriguez, EricThere is preliminary evidence suggesting that hippocampal functioning is associated with attachment style. However, it is unknown if attachment is also associated with hippocampal-related cognitive function such as spatial learning and recall. This study aims to verify if attachment dimensions are associated with spatial learning and recall. Sixty-five female participants were recruited and were evaluated using the Adult Attachment Scale-R and tested on a virtual maze navigation task (VMT) at one moment (exploratory trial + 3 trials) and 24 h later (3 trials). There was a significant Moment × Trial × Close-Depend interaction for the outcome time, F(2,126) = 3.807, p = 0.025, with post hoc analysis indicating that the High Close-Depend group displayed significant improvements between Trial 1 and Trial 3 in the post-test assessment. Conversely, the Low Close-Depend group displayed significant improvements between Trial 1and Trial 3 but on the pre-test assessment. Furthermore, the Low Close-Depend group presented significant better performance in pre-test Trial 3 in comparison to the High Close-Depend group. Thereby, it seems that low comfort with proximity and trust in others is associated with reduced spatial recall, although spatial learning performance was actually superior in these participants. It is possible that reduced exposure to social interaction and meaningful relationships may be reduced in the Low Close-Depend group, leading to modifications in hippocampal function and, ultimately, reduced spatial recall. Oppositely, participants in the High Close-Depend group may not display typical spatial learning in the proposed task as they are more willing to freely explore the presented environment.
- Blueberry intake included in hypocaloric diet decreases weight, glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides and adenosine levels in obese subjectsPublication . Higuera-Hernández, Maria Fernanda; Reyes-Cuapio, Elena; Gutiérrez-Mendoza, Marissa; Budde, Henning; Blanco-Centurión, Carlos; Veras, André Barciela; Rocha, Nuno; Yamamoto, Tetsuya; Monteiro, Diogo; Zaldivar-Era, Jaime; Aldana-Aranda, Dalila; Machado, Sérgio; Murillo-Rodriguez, EricObesity is a disease characterized by an excessive accumulation of fat in the body and it has been linked the enhancement of inflammation-related endogenous molecules, such as adenosine (AD). Since blueberries may induce anti-obesity effects, we tested the hypothesis that blueberries consumption contained in hypocaloric diet would decrease weight, BMI as well as glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides and AD levels in obese subjects.
- Can transcranial direct current stimulation improve the resistance strength and decrease the rating perceived scale in recreational weight-training experience?Publication . Lattari, Eduardo; Andrade, Maria L; Filho, Alberto S; Moura, Antônio M; Neto, Geraldo M; Silva, Júlio G; Rocha, Nuno; Yuan, Ti-Fei; Arias-Carrión, Oscar; Machado, SérgioLattari, E, Andrade, ML, Filho, AS, Moura, AM, Neto, GM, Silva, JG, Rocha, NB, Yuan, T-F, Arias-Carrión, O, and Machado, S. Can transcranial direct current stimulation improve the resistance strength and decrease the rating perceived scale in recreational weight-training experience? J Strength Cond Res 30(12): 3381-3387, 2016-The goal of this study was to evaluate the acute efficacy of anodic transcranial direct current stimulation on the total volume of repetitions and perceived exertion in recreationally trained individuals in strength. The sample consisted of 10 participants trained in exercise against resistance for at least 3 months. Participants underwent elbow flexion exercise at barbell with a specific load of 10 repetition maximum (10RM), responded immediately after the OMNI-RES scale, and were stimulated for 20 minutes with a tDSC protocol (2 mA), depending on randomization. After applying the tDSC, subjects were again subjected to perform elbow flexion with 10RM load and, soon after, again responded to OMNI-RES scale. All subjects underwent the 3 experimental conditions of the study, c-tDSC, a-tDSC, and sham-tDSC, which were randomized. A range of 48-72 hours was allowed between each assessment visit. An interaction to condition and time (F = 52.395; p ≤ 0.001) has shown that repetitions completed after anodic condition were higher compared with the other conditions in the postsession. In relation to perceived exertion, verified by OMNI-RES scale, 2-way analysis of variance for repeated measures showed an interaction between condition and time (F = 28.445; p ≤ 0.001), where the perceived exertion was decreased after the a-tDSC condition and increased after the c-tDSC condition. In strict terms of performance, it seems to be beneficial to attend a session of 20 minutes a-tDSC, when strength training practitioners can no longer support high-volume training and have increased responses in the perceived exertion.
- Can transcranial direct current stimulation on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex improves balance and functional mobility in Parkinson’s disease?Publication . Lattari, Eduardo; Costa, Samara Sezana; Campos, Carlos; de Oliveira, Aldair José; Machado, Sérgio; Maranhao Neto, Geraldo AlbuquerqueTranscranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique increasingly explored for Parkinson's disease (PD). Although evidence is still inconsistent, there are preliminary findings suggesting its efficacy to improve motor function in individuals with PD, as the role of secondary motor areas remains unclear. The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) tDCS on balance and functional mobility of individuals with PD. Seventeen individuals with PD, on-medication, aged between 40 and 90 years were recruited to enroll in a double-blind, randomized, cross-over trial. Each participant completed two conditions at least 48h apart, namely anodal-tDCS and sham-tDCS (placebo). The a-tDCS condition targeted the left DLPC (F3) and was applied during 20min using a 2mA current intensity. In the sham-tDCS condition, electrode position remained the same but the stimulator was turned off after 30s. Functional mobility and balance were assessed using the Berg Balance Scale, Dynamic Gait Index and Timed Up and Go. There were significant differences between conditions on all outcome measures, as the a-tDCS condition was associated with better performance in comparison to the sham condition (p<0.05). Our findings suggest that a-tDCS on the left DLPFC improves balance and functional mobility in comparison to sham-tDCS. Compensatory mechanisms that support motor function in individuals with PD may have been enhanced by a-tDCS on the DLPFC, leading to improved functional mobility and balance. Future trials should explore left DLPFC stimulation with larger samples and compare t-DCS protocols targeting several brain regions.
- Chronic effects of aerobic exercise on panic disorder: a systematic review of randomized and non-randomized trialsPublication . Lattari, Eduardo; Paes, Flávia; Machado, Ana; Rocha, Nuno Barbosa Ferreira; Nardi, Antônio Egidio; Machado, SérgioIn general, most studies have supported an association between the acute effects of exercise and a reduced state anxiety, but failed to completely explain the relationship between the chronic effect of exercise and anxiety traits. The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature regarding the chronic effect of exercise on symptoms associated with panic disorder. The studies were retrieved from a MEDLINE/PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge and SciELO. We adopted PICOS’s strategy recommended to determine the eligibility criteria. The survey was conducted using an advanced search in the ISI Web of Science and MEDLINE / PubMed with MeSH terms and Entry Terms for the keywords “Panic Disorder” basis and “Exercise”. Boolean operators “AND” and “OR” were used separately or in combination. Two independent researchers performed the selection of studies; in case of disagreement they sought a consensus on the selection. A total of 265 articles were identified: 199 articles from PubMed/Medline, 63 articles from ISI Web of Science and 3 articles by manual searches. Thus, 31 articles were analyzed by the eligibility criteria and the exclusion criteria, a total of five studies included in the systematic review. The regular practice of aerobic exercise seems to be an appropriate intervention to promote improvements in the severity of anxiety symptoms in PD patients.
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy for schizophrenia: an overview on efficacy, recent trends and neurobiological findingsPublication . Candida, Maristela; Campos, Carlos; Monteiro, Bárbara; Rocha, Nuno; Paes, Flávia; Nardi, António Egídio; Machado, SérgioCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has been recommended by several international guidelines as the gold-standard treatment to address the needs of patients with schizophrenia. This review provides an overview on recent advances regarding CBT for schizophrenia. An electronic search was performed on PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science and Cochrane Database, using the key-words: "schizophrenia"; "psychosis"; "cognitive-behavioral therapy", "CBT"and "psychotherapy". Numerous systematic reviews support the immediate and long-term efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to reduce positive and negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. In the last decade, CBT for schizophrenia has been applied to clinical high-risk subjects and delivered using innovative approaches (low intensity, web-based and self-guided). Brain regions and networks which support high-level cognitive functions have been associated with CBT responsiveness. There is preliminary evidence indicating that CBT induces a prefrontal dependent increase in the top-down modulation of social threat activation. In the last decade, CBT for schizophrenia has explored new treatment outcomes, targeted acute and pre-clinical populations and provided alternative methods to reach more patients and reduce intervention costs. The patients' neurocognitive profile seems to play a critical role in treatment response and combining CBT with cognitive remediation may allow to enhance therapeutic effects. Although CBT for schizophrenia is widely established as a gold-standard practice, future studies using innovative CBT protocols, exploring brain-related predictors and treatment outcomes may allow this intervention to be more effective, personalized and to reach a wider number of patients.
- CRISPR/Cas9, the Powerful New Genome-Editing Tool for Putative Therapeutics in ObesityPublication . Franco-Tormo, María José; Salas-Crisostomo, Mireille; Rocha, Nuno; Budde, Henning; Machado, Sérgio; Murillo-Rodríguez, EricThe molecular technology known as clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein (Cas) is revolutionizing the field of medical research and deepening our understanding of numerous biological processes. The attraction of CRISPR/Cas9 lies in its ability to efficiently edit DNA or modulate gene expression in living eukaryotic cells and organisms, a technology that was once considered either too expensive or scientifically risky. CRISPR/Cas9 has been successfully applied in agriculture to develop the next generation of disease-resistant plants. Now, the capability of gene editing has been translated to the biomedical area, focusing on the future of medicine faced with drug-resistant microbes by selectively targeting genes involved in antibiotic resistance, for example, or finding the ultimate strategy for cancer or HIV. In this regard, it was recently demonstrated that an injection of cancer-fighting CRISPR-modified white blood cells in a patient suffering from metastatic lung cancer could lead to promising results. Researchers and bioethicists are debating questions about the regulation of CRISPR/Cas9 that must be addressed. While legal challenges surround the use of this technique for genetically modifying cell lines in humans, we review the basic understanding of CRISPR/Cas9 and discuss how this technology could represent a candidate for treatment of non-communicable diseases in nutrition, such as obesity.