Browsing by Author "Nogueira, Joana"
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- Análise do consumo de antidepressivos e seus encargos em Portugal ContinentalPublication . Nogueira, Joana; Santos, MarleneA OMS define a depressão como uma perturbação mental comum, caraterizada por tristeza, perda de interesse ou prazer, sentimento de culpa ou baixa autoestima, perturbações de sono ou de apetite, sensação de cansaço e falta de concentração. É uma doença multifatorial, condicionada por fatores biológicos, genéticos e psicossociais. De acordo com a Organização Mundial de Saúde (OMS), estima-se que a sua prevalência aumente, atingindo o 2º lugar nas causas das doenças degenerativas e suicídio.
- Association between aluminium levels and cognitive decline in environmentally exposed eldersPublication . Gerardo, Bianca; Pinto, Marina Cabral; Nogueira, Joana; Almeida, Agostinho; Pinto, Edgar; Simões, Mário Rodrigues; Freitas, SandraNormal brain functioning depends on metals homeostasis, as imbalances may increase oxidative stress and cause other detrimental intracellular events that lead to cell loss. Furthermore, environmental exposure to toxic metals is hypothesized to induce neuroinflammation and neuropathology, paving the way to neurodegeneration. The aim of this study was to examine whether such Potentially Toxic Elements (PTE) are associated with cognitive performance over time in a sample of elderly individuals of environmentally contaminated regions. A total of 146 elders permanently residing in environmental risk areas were recruited. Participants completed the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) for cognitive assessment and were biomonitored for several PTE through hair and urine analysis. After 5 years, the cognitive assessment was repeated. Cognitive performance significantly declined from baseline to follow-up (p < 0.001), with participants scoring on average 4.41 less points on MMSE (Baseline: M = 25.79, SD = 3.520, Md = 27.00; Follow-up: M = 21.38, SD = 5.343, Md = 21.00). Regression analysis on the relationship between PTE and cognitive performance revealed that Aluminium (β = -0.322, p = 0.32) and Zinc (β = -0.372, p = 0.15) in hair and Aluminium in urine (β = -0.368, p = 0.010) significantly predicted MMSE scores past 5 years of biomonitoring (p = 0.002). Higher contents of these PTE were associated with worse cognitive performance at follow-up, after controlling the effects of age, education and supplement intake. Higher levels of Aluminium significantly predict worse general cognitive performance 5 years after biomonitoring across different biological samples. Environmental exposure to this metal may constitute a risk factor for cognitive decline.
- Associations between trace elements and cognitive decline: an exploratory 5-Year follow-up study of an elderly cohortPublication . Gerardo, Bianca; Pinto, Marina Cabral; Nogueira, Joana; Pinto, Paula; Almeida, Agostinho; Pinto, Edgar; Marinho-Reis, Paula; Diniz, Luísa; Moreira, Paula I.; Simões, Mário R.; Freitas, SandraTrace elements (TE) homeostasis is crucial in normal brain functioning. Although imbalances have the potential to exacerbate events leading neurodegenerative diseases, few studies have directly addressed the eventual relationships between TE levels in the human body and future cognitive status. The present study aimed to assess how different TE body-levels relate to cognitive decline..