Browsing by Author "Pinto, Sara"
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- Childhood obesity and reduction of hours of sleep: results from cross-sectional studyPublication . Marques, Goreti; Matos, Maria; Afonso, Claúdia; Conceição, Ana Paula; Martins, Tânia; Pinto, Sara; Festas, Constança; Pinheiro, Ana RitaChildhood obesity is a prevalent condition in modern societies which can negatively impact people’s health during life. Although there are several factors contributing to obesity, sleep duration has been pointed out as an important risk factor. This study, held in the district of Porto, Portugal, aimed to analyze the association between sleep duration and the nutritional status of school-aged children studying in Portugal. 1396 students from 35 and 3 public and private schools, respectively, were contacted, of which 829 participated in this study (9.2±0.38 years old; 50.3% male; 49.7% female). Age, sex, sleep duration, height, weight and body composition were registered trough a questionnaire. According to the obtained z-score for Body Mass Index (BMI), 22.9% of the children were overweight and 15.2% were obese. The mean of sleep duration was 9.7±1.08 hours and z-score for BMI was 0.78±1.21, demonstrating a statistically significant (p<0.01) weak negative correlation (r=-0.15) between sleep duration and z-score of BMI. Results were also stratified and analyzed by sex, and the same finding was observed. Therefore, the results suggest a negative association between sleep duration and overweight/obesity in these children. Although more studies are necessary, this finding highlights the need of a global approach which includes sleep assessment and counselling when promoting an appropriate nutritional status.
- The effects of 24-hour sleep deprivation on the human brain: a multimodal neurophysiological approachPublication . Gonçalves, Alice; Pinto, Sara; Ferreira, Simão; Borges, Daniel FilipeIntroduction: Sleep is an important aspect of human health and well-being and influences various physiological and cognitive functions such as learning and attention. On the other hand, sleep deprivation activates the sympathetic nervous system, negatively impacting blood pressure, heart rate, glucose metabolism, cortisol, and hormones. It alters mood, behaviour, and reduces awareness leading to a poor performance, hence the importance of studying the neurophysiological and neurocognitive effects of 24h sleep deprivation. Objective: Our main goal is to investigate the effects of acute sleep deprivation on the cerebral cortex in healthy university students using a multimodal approach and neurocognitive scales. Methods: This study will use a magnetic stimulator to assess neurophysiological changes, while actigraphy will verify sleep deprivation in the intervention group. Neuropsychological assessments include the Trail Making Test (TMT), measuring visual processing speed and cognitive flexibility, the Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT), assessing sustained attention through reaction times to unpredictable stimuli and N-Back test measuring working memory by requiring participants to recall objects presented a few steps earlier. EEG data will be recorded using a cap with 32 channels during. This integrated approach provides a comprehensive analysis of the effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive and neurophysiological functions. Expected Results: Hypothetically, there will be a significant decline in cognitive performance, with impairments in key areas such as visual attention, processing speed and cognitive flexibility. These results will likely manifest in longer reaction times, more frequent errors and overall lower task execution.