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- Physical exercise for Parkinson’s disease: clinical and experimental evidencePublication . Carvalho, Alessandro Oliveira de; Filho, Alberto Souza Sá; Murillo-Rodriguez, Eric; Rocha, Nuno; Carta, Mauro Giovanni; Machado, SérgioNational projections about the increase in the elderly population over 60 years bring with it an increase in the number of people affected by Parkinson's Disease (PD), making it an important public health problem. Therefore, the establishment of effective strategies for intervention in people with PD needs to be more clearly investigated. The study aimed to report the effectiveness of exercise on functional capacity and neurobiological mechanisms in people with PD. This study is a critical review of the literature. The progressive death of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra is described as one of the main physiological mechanisms manifested before PD, directly interfering with motor behavior. However, PD is not only related to motor symptoms, but also to cognitive, autonomic, and mood impairments. Such effects may be attenuated by pharmacological influence, but also evidence suggests that the implementation of regular physical exercise programs may exhibit potential benefits over PD. The synthesis and expression of monoaminergic neurotransmitters can act positively on motor disorders, as well as directly or indirectly influence the neuronal plasticity of the brain, restoring neuronal pathways previously affected. Physical exercise contributes effectively to the treatment of PD, and can play a preventive and maintenance role of physical fitness and mental health.
- The effects of social feedback through the “Like” feature on brain activity: A systematic reviewPublication . Dores, Artemisa Rocha; Peixoto, Miguel; Fernandes, Carina; Marques, António; Barbosa, FernandoProblematic social media (SM) use is a growing concern, particularly among adolescents who are drawn to these platforms for social interactions important to their age group. SM dependence is characterized by excessive, uncontrolled usage that impairs personal, social, and professional aspects. Despite the ongoing debate over recognizing SM addiction as a distinct diagnostic category, the impact of social feedback, particularly through the “like” button, on brain activity remains under scrutiny. Objective: This systematic review aims to study the neural correlates of online social feedback, focusing on the effects of the “like” feedback on brain activity using fMRI and EEG. Methods: The review followed the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA). Results: The review included 11 studies with 504 participants, identifying key brain structures such as the amygdala, ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), and ventral striatum involved in reward processing. Positive feedback (“likes”) activates areas like the nucleus accumbens (NACC), vmPFC, and amygdala, with NACC correlating with increased SM use intensity. Negative feedback activates the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) and left medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Behavioral data indicates that positive feedback influences subsequent social interactions. Conclusions: The review highlights disparities in the literature regarding the neural response to social feedback, emphasizing the need for further research to clarify the roles of sex, personality traits, and the person giving feedback. Overall, understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of SM engagement is essential for developing effective interventions to prevent or address the negative effects of excessive SM use.
- Impacto da utilização de ortóteses de neoprene, em contexto laboral, em indivíduos com disfunções no punho e/ou mãoPublication . Martins, Rafael; Fernandes, Ângela; Branco, Catarina Aguiar; Sousa, HelenaO nosso objetivo foi avaliar o impacto da utilização de ortóteses de neoprene em disfunções do punho e/ou mão, em contexto laboral. Amostra não probabilística por conveniência, constituída por 15 indivíduos adultos. Do total da amostra, 7 indivíduos pertencem ao grupo controlo e 8 indivíduos ao grupo de intervenção. As variáveis consideradas neste estudo foram a força muscular manual e de pinças, sensibilidade protetora das mãos, dor e funcionalidade do membro superior. Para a medição destas variáveis foram aplicados o Questionário Nórdico Musculosquelético, Quickdash, Teste de Monofilamento de Semmes- Weinstein, dinamómetro manual (Jamar) e pinçometro (Jamar). Para os participantes do grupo de intervenção, foram confecionadas duas ortóteses em neoprene, uma para cada mão, abrangendo as articulações do polegar e punho, com 5,5 mm de espessura; este grupo também teve educação terapêutica. Em relação à avaliação da sensibilidade no primeiro momento de avaliação, não foram observadas diferenças significativas entre os grupos, com exceção da área S1 da mão esquerda. De forma global, o grupo de intervenção apresentou maiores ganhos do que o grupo controlo, com diferenças estatisticamente significativas na pinça digital das mãos direita e esquerda, zonas de sensibilidade S2 da mão direita e S5 da mão esquerda e na funcionalidade do membro superior. Com a realização deste estudo, constatou-se que o grupo de intervenção apresentou melhorias generalizadas em todas as variáveis, o que pode sugerir eficácia da utilização das ortóteses de neoprene em contexto laboral.
- Allostatic interoception in frontotemporal dementia: A scoping review protocolPublication . Carneiro, Fábio; Hazelton, Jessica L.; Campos, Carlos; Ibáñez, Agustín; Ferreira-Santos, FernandoFrontotemporal dementia (FTD) encompasses a spectrum of disorders characterized by distinct behavioral, cognitive, and motor symptoms. Deficits in interoception and allostasis have garnered attention, considering the involvement of the allostatic-interoceptive network in FTD, their contribution to canonical social cognitive and affective deficits, and the identification of whole-body biomarkers related to autonomic and allostatic processes. Traditionally, interoception has been defined as the perception of visceral signals, yet contemporary understandings broaden this to encompass both the representation and regulation of the physiological state across bodily tissues. Consequently, interoceptive deficits in FTD extend beyond classical viscerosensory paradigms to include pain, temperature, autonomic, metabolic, immune, and neuroendocrine phenomena. Allostasis involves the prospective regulation of energy balance, as well as the anticipation and adaptive response to homeostatic challenges. These repeated challenges result in physiological consequences measurable by markers of allostatic load, spanning various bodily systems. Despite emerging evidence highlighting dysfunction in interoception and allostasis in FTD, the literature remains fragmented, lacking cohesive reviews addressing the diverse mechanisms comprehensively. Thus, this scoping review examines the reciprocal interaction between brain and bodily physiology (interoception) and the physiological responses to environmental demands (allostatic load) in FTD. Following the principles outlined in the PRISMA statement, we will systematically search and screen quantitative primary research studies on patients with FTD, utilizing interoceptive or allostatic metrics. By synthesizing the existing literature, we aim to identify active research areas, delineate primary deficits across physiological systems, uncover syndrome-specific patterns of dysfunction, and identify the most promising and understudied domains in this field.
- A cross-national investigation of psychosis-like experiences in five European countries included in the E-CLECTIC study: Psychometric challenges in studying their measurementPublication . Siddi, Sara; Ochoa, Susana; Larøi, Frank; Lincoln, Tania M.; Schlier, Bjorn; Zaytseva, Yuliya; Laloyaux, Julien; Kozáková, Eva; Cella, Matteo; Ntouros, Evangelos; Bozikas, Vasileios; Rocha, Nuno; Gawęda, Łukasz; Rocha, Susana Aguiar; Preti, AntonioPsychotic-like experiences (PLEs) are subtle, subclinical perturbations of perceptions and thoughts and are common in the general population. Their characterisation and unidimensionality are still debated. This study was conducted by the Electronic–halluCinations-Like Experiences Cross-culTural International Consortium (E-CLECTIC) and aimed at measuring the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE) factorial structure across five European countries (Belgium; Czech Republic, Germany; Greece, and Spain) and testing the adequacy of the unidimensional polytomous Rasch model of the tool via Partial Credit Model (PCM) of the CAPE to detect people with a high risk for developing psychosis. The sample included 1461 participants from the general population. The factorial analysis confirmed the best fit for the bifactor implementation of the three-factor model, including the positive, negative and depressive dimensions and a general factor. Moreover, the unidimensional polytomous Rasch analysis confirmed that CAPE responses reflected one underlying psychosis proneness. The study proved that the CAPE measures a single latent dimension of psychosis-proneness. The CAPE might help locate and estimate psychosis risk and can be used as a screening tool in primary care settings/education settings.
- A custom-built single-channel in-ear electroencephalography sensor for sleep phase detection: an interdependent solution for at-home sleep studiesPublication . Borges, Daniel Filipe; Soares, Joana Isabel; Silva, Heloísa; Felgueiras, João; Batista, Carla; Ferreira, Simão; Rocha, Nuno; Leal, AlbertoSleep is vital for health. It has regenerative and protective functions. Its disruption reduces the quality of life and increases susceptibility to disease. During sleep, there is a cyclicity of distinct phases that are studied for clinical purposes using polysomnography (PSG), a costly and technically demanding method that compromises the quality of natural sleep. The search for simpler devices for recording biological signals at home addresses some of these issues. We have reworked a single-channel in-ear electroencephalography (EEG) sensor grounded to a commercially available memory foam earplug with conductive tape. A total of 14 healthy volunteers underwent a full night of simultaneous PSG, in-ear EEG and actigraphy recordings. We analysed the performance of the methods in terms of sleep metrics and staging. In another group of 14 patients evaluated for sleep-related pathologies, PSG and in-ear EEG were recorded simultaneously, the latter in two different configurations (with and without a contralateral reference on the scalp). In both groups, the in-ear EEG sensor showed a strong correlation, agreement and reliability with the ‘gold standard’ of PSG and thus supported accurate sleep classification, which is not feasible with actigraphy. Single-channel in-ear EEG offers compelling prospects for simplifying sleep parameterisation in both healthy individuals and clinical patients and paves the way for reliable assessments in a broader range of clinical situations, namely by integrating Level 3 polysomnography devices. In addition, addressing the recognised overestimation of the apnea-hypopnea index, due to the lack of an EEG signal, and the sparse information on sleep metrics could prove fundamental for optimised clinical decision making.
- Advancing the understanding of pupil size variation in occupational safety and health: A systematic review and evaluation of open-source methodologiesPublication . Ferreira, Filipa; Ferreira, Simão; Mateus, Catarina; Rocha, Nuno; Coelho, Luís; Rodrigues, MatildePupil size can be used as an important biomarker for occupational risks. In recent years, there has been an increase in the development of open-source tools dedicated to obtaining and measuring pupil diameter. However, it remains undetermined determined whether these tools are suitable for use in occupational settings. This study explores the significance of pupil size variation as a biomarker for occupational risks and evaluates existing open-source methods for potential use in both research and occupational settings, with the goal of to prevent occupational accidents and improve the health and performance of workers. To this end, a two-phase systematic literature review was conducted in the Web of Science™, ScienceDirect®, and Scopus® databases. For the relevance of monitoring pupil size variation in occupational settings, 15 articles were included. The articles were divided into three groups: mental workload, occupational stress, and mental fatigue. In most cases, pupil dilation increased with workload enhancement and with higher levels of stress. Regarding fatigue, it was noted that an increase in this condition corresponded with a decrease in pupil size. With respect to the open-source methodologies, 16 articles were identified, which were categorized into two groups: algorithms and software. Convolutional neural networks (CNN)1 have exhibited superior performance among the various algorithmic approaches studied. Building on this insight, and considering the evaluations of software options, MEYE emerges as the premier open-source system for deployment in occupational settings due to its compatibility with a standard computer webcam. This feature positions MEYE as a particularly practical tool for workers in stable environments, like those of developers and administrators.
- A qualitative study on pharmacists’ perceptions about service innovationPublication . Dores, Artemisa Rocha; Peixoto, Miguel; Carvalho, Irene P.; Castro, Maria; Marques, António da SilvaExpanded services provided at pharmacies show numerous improvements in health outcomes. However, attempts at implementing new services in pharmacies are met with several barriers, among which is the failure to update the pharmacist's role. This study aimed to explore pharmacists’ perceptions about the role of pharmacies and the effects of, and barriers to, service expansion. Four focus groups were conducted with pharmacists from across Portugal, and an inductive content analysis was applied to the transcribed sessions. The content analysis results were organized into three main categories: the Role of Pharmacy, Potentialities of Service Innovation, and Service Innovation. The results emphasize the importance of enhancing pharmacists’ training, establishing supportive legal frameworks, prioritizing funding for technological advancements, promoting interprofessional collaboration, and embracing innovative practices to advance healthcare innovation and improve patient outcomes. The identification of several tasks indicates that, in pharmacists’ perspectives, the Role of Pharmacy ranges from dispensing medication to aiding/monitoring patients at various stages of their health conditions. Expanded services were associated with several emergent Potentialities of Service Innovation, namely, enhancement of health outcomes and help to main healthcare facilities dealing with an increased number of patients. For Service Innovation, several factors emerged that need consideration, such as the conditions and the difficulties found associated with new service implementation. These pertain to pharmacists, legislation, and resources.
- Does digital media use contribute to decreased expressive language skills of pre-school-aged children? An exploratory study in Portuguese childrenPublication . Monteiro, Rita; Ferreira, Simão; Fernandes, Sandra; Rocha, NunoThe purpose of this study was to analyse the relationship between digital media use and expressive language skills in the semantic and morphosyntactic domains, of pre-school-aged children (3 years-and-0 months to 5 years-and-11 months). Verbal oral expression (VOE) tasks of the Pre-school Assessment of Language Test (Teste de Linguagem-Avaliação da Linguagem Pré-Escolar) were administered to 237 pre-school children with no previous identified neurological or developmental conditions associated with language disorders to assess expressive language skills in the semantic and morphosyntactic domains. Parents completed a questionnaire about their children’s medical conditions, development (using the milestones of the Survey of Well-being of Young Children and the Pre-school Paediatric Symptom Checklist), and exposure to screens (using ScreenQ). Correlations between VOE and continuous variables such as ScreenQ were computed and a regression model incorporating all variables significantly associated with total language verbal expression was created. ScreenQ revealed a negative and significant correlation with children’s verbal oral expression as well as significance in the regression model. Parents’ education was the most significant predictor in this regression model. This study emphasizes the importance of parents establishing limits for digital media use and promote good practices such as co-viewing.
- Effectiveness of Interventions for cognitive processing in body dysmorphic disorder and body dissatisfaction: Systematic reviewPublication . López‑Martín, Olga ; Dores, Artemisa Rocha; Peixoto, Miguel; Marques, AntónioBody Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) is characterised by an appearance-related cognitive defcit based on distorted ideas and beliefs about one’s own body. These lead to high body dissatisfaction (BD), which afects attention, cognitive processing and behaviour. The aim of this review was to systematically examine the evidence for the efectiveness of psychological interventions to improve cognitive impairments in BDD and high BD. The systematic review report followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and MetaAnalyses (PRISMA) statement. The databases Pubmed, WOS, Scopus and EBSCO were searched, yielding a total of 2,153 records. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 10 articles, published until September 2023, were selected. Eligible studies were assessed for potential risk of bias using the Cochrane risk of bias assessment Review Manager (RevMan) tool for the Randomized Controlled Trials and ROBINS-I tool for non-randomized studies. The results suggest that psychological interventions can reduce cognitive defcits in BDD. However, the results are supported by a limited number of very diverse studies, conducted with non-clinical, small samples, few sessions and an overall moderate risk of bias. Further research is needed to confrm the efcacy of psychological interventions on cognitive defcits in BDD.