ESS - CIR - Posters apresentados em eventos científicos
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- ViruScopeDB: a comprehensive multi-omics database for highly infectious virusesPublication . Lima, Ana; Carneiro, João; Sousa, Sérgio; Sá, Vítor; Pratas, Diogo; Sá, Vítor J.Highly infectious viruses such as HIV, Ebola, and SARS-CoV-2 have presented ongoing challenges to global health. Consequently, the optimization of rapid detection tests, including PCR, and the identification of new therapeutic targets remain of paramount importance. The development of genomic and proteomic databases like the HIV Oligonucleotide Database (HIVoligoDB) [1], EbolaID [2], and CoV2ID [3] has facilitated the accumulation and accessibility of knowledge through comprehensive, user-friendly, open-access platforms. This study aims to update, expand, and integrate these databases into a single resource, ViruScopeDB, while conducting thorough analyses of informative genomic regions with the goal of enhancing viral detection methods and treatment strategies. Complete genomic sequence variants for each virus were compiled using NCBI Virus, followed by multiple sequence alignment via MAFFT within the Galaxy platform. The alignments were consequently uploaded to Geneious Prime for complete genome visualization and calculation of parameters such as percentage of pairwise identity. Primer data was extracted from open-access research articles available on PubMed using a newly-built custom pipeline for PDF to plain text conversion followed by data mining of oligonucleotide sequences. A fully automated script for primer validation, parameter scoring and calculation of best primer pairs for PCR is being constructed for subsequent upload into the database. A total of 658 sequences with a mean length of 18,910 base pairs (bp) were collected for Ebolavirus, with percentage of pairwise identity (PPI) of 91.7%. 7,261 sequences with a mean length of 8,883 bp, with a PPI of 80.8% were identified for HIV-1. For HIV-2, 43 sequences with an average of 10,108 bp and PPI of 80.9% were analyzed. For Ebola, a total of 709 primers were scraped from 257 articles, and for HIV articles this number rises to 10,290 primers collected from 2,579 articles. Using a combination of preexistent and novel custom-built bioinformatics tools, it was possible to data mine key information related to each virus and their variants, as well as collect primer information for possible PCR optimizations. Further analysis will be conducted on the data collected, branching out into the realm of phylogenetics and 3D modelling/viral protein docking, in order to construct a database that is transversal to various omics.
- Neurophysiological markers of cardiac interoceptive processing in expectant parents: a study with heartbeat-evoked potentialsPublication . Braga, Patrícia Vilela; Marshall, Amanda; Lamela, Diogo; Jongenelen, Inês; Rocha, Nuno Barbosa; Costa, Raquel; Pasion, Rita; Schütz-Bosbach, Simone; Pinto, Tiago Miguel; Feldman, Ruth; Campos, Carlos; Campos, Carlos; Rocha, NunoPregnancy and parenthood are associated with functional and morphological brain changes. Specifically, the parental caregiving network encompasses key structures implicated in interoception, that is, the ability to perceive and subjectively experience inner bodily states. Interoceptive processing may be critical for successful caregiving, allowing parents to integrate perceived changes in their own bodily states with information stemming from their child. Thus, it is feasible to hypothesize that pregnancy-related neurophysiological changes can modify interoception in expectant parents. Objective: To compare neural markers of cortical interoceptive processing (heartbeat-evoked potentials; HEP) between first-time expectant parents (mothers and fathers) and matched non-parents. First-time expectant heterosexual couples at 26-34 weeks gestational age (n = 70) and matched non-parents (n = 140, 70 female) will complete a multilevel interoception assessment protocol. Neural markers of interoception will be indexed by HEP, that is, neurophysiological responses to cardiac afferent inputs which are obtained through electroencephalography recordings (EEG) time-locked to electrocardiography events (ECG). HEP will be recorded while participants complete the Baby Face Repetition Suppression Paradigm in which sad or neutral infant facial expressions are either repeated or alternated in a 500 ms interstimulus interval. This manipulation induces an emotion-specific repetition modulation on HEP amplitude (differential effects for sad vs. neutral facial expressions). A condition with adult facial expressions will be employed to examine domain-general vs. infant-specific effects. Expectant parents will display increased allocation of neural resources to interoceptive inputs (larger repetition-induced HEP modulation) in contrast to non-parents, particularly when considering infant facial expressions. Effect sizes will be larger when contrasting sad vs. neutral infant facial expressions. Findings from this pioneering study will provide further understanding of the parental brain and the role of interoception during pregnancy, contributing to the comprehension of complex processes involved in caregiving and the development of the parent-infant bond.
- Cardiac interoceptive processing across psychopathy dimensions: evidence from the heartbeat tapping task and the attentional modulation of heartbeat-evoked potentialsPublication . Campos, Carlos; Sá, Catarina; Mazer, Prune; Pasion, Rita; Garcez, Helena; Paiva, Tiago O.; Braga, Patrícia Vilela; Rocha, Nuno Barbosa; Barbosa, Fernando; Rocha, Nuno; Campos, CarlosPsychopathy is a multidimensional personality structure encompassing interpersonal, affective, and behavioral traits. Interoception (ability to perceive and subjectively experience inner bodily states) may be a putative mechanism underlying the etiological pathways of psychopathy. Individual differences in interoceptive processing across psychopathy dimensions may interfere with the ability to perceive somatic sensations that signal the emotional valence of everyday events. To examine the association between psychopathy dimensions (triarchic phenotypes - boldness, meanness, and disinhibition; classical 4-facets - interpersonal, affective, impulsive, antisocial) and cardiac interoceptive processing, namely objectively measured cardiac interoceptive attention and accuracy. Fifty community-dwelling participants (25 women) were recruited and completed: (a) self-report measures indexing psychopathy, trait-based interoceptive attention and accuracy, and alexithymia; (b) modified Heartbeat Tapping Task to index cardiac interoceptive accuracy, where subjects were required to tap after each heartbeat under rest and breath hold conditions (the latter enhanced the magnitude of cardiac signals); (c) modified Heartbeat Attention Task for producing an attentional modulation of heartbeat-evoked potentials (HEP) - neuronal markers of cardiac interoceptive processing - where subjects were required to allocate their attention on their heart vs. an exteroceptive stimulus (objective measure of interoceptive attention). Cardiac interoception was only significantly related to boldness traits. Boldness was positively associated with cardiac interoceptive accuracy after the breath hold manipulation (non-significant after controlling for heart rate), despite no significant effects being observed at rest. Boldness was also negatively correlated with the attentional modulation of HEP due to atypical neuronal responses when allocating attentional resources to the heart. The current findings implicate cardiac interoception in the boldness phenotype, as this psychopathy dimension was associated with enhanced interoceptive-specific perceptual sensitivity and atypical neuronal responses to cardiac afferent inputs when attending to heart-related sensations. Future studies should examine how other interoceptive modalities (e.g., respiratory, gastric) are implicated in psychopathy.
- Comprehensive multi-omics database for highly infectious viruses: a focus on HIV, Ebola and SARS-CoV-2Publication . Lima, A. S.; Carneiro, J.; Sousa, S.; Sá, Vítor Júlio; Pratas, D.Highly infectious viruses, such as HIV, Ebola, and SARS-CoV-2, continue to pose significant threats to global health, underlining the urgent need for new therapeutic approaches. Recent advancements in genomic and proteomic databases, along with 3D homology modelling, have enabled detailed simulations of virus-host interactions, providing insights into infection mechanisms and helping identify potential therapeutic targets. This study aimed to create a unified database of highly infectious viruses and to conduct structural analyses of key viral proteins to explore potential therapeutic strategies. Structural information for proteins involved in the infection process was sourced from the Protein Data Bank and UniProt, while 3D homology models for significant viral variants were generated using AlphaFold. The quality of these models was assessed using AlphaFold-specific metrics, including pLDDT (per-residue confidence scores) and PAE (predicted aligned error), ensuring the structural reliability for further analyses. Identification of the most relevant structural changes was done through alanine scanning in Schrödinger’s Biologic Suite, with posterior studies on how those changes affected the infection process. Simulations of virus-host interactions were conducted using docking algorithms, namely HADDOCK, with visualizations performed using PyMOL. This integrative approach highlights high-confidence therapeutic targets and provides a foundation for developing novel effective treatments for highly infectious diseases.
- The effect of immersive reminiscence therapy on anxiety and depression in people with dementia: a pilot randomized controlled trial using virtual reality headsetsPublication . Soares, Maria; Coelho, Tiago; Portugal, Paula; Coelho, TiagoThis study aims to analyze the effect of reminiscence therapy using immersive virtual reality technology, in comparison with conventional reminiscence therapy, on anxiety and depressive symptoms of people with dementia. This pilot study followed a randomized controlled trial design. A convenience sample of 16 people with dementia was randomly divided in experimental and control groups. Due to health-related factors, 2 participants abandoned the study before completing the intervention. Intervention consisted of 8 biweekly individual reminiscence sessions conducted by trained researchers, in which participants in the experimental group viewed 360o videos of locations with personal relevance considering their life narratives, using virtual reality headsets to promote an immersive experience. Intervention in the control group was similar, except the videos were displayed in a computer monitor. The assessment was carried out before and after the intervention, using the Geriatric Depression Scale (15 items) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (7 items). Intervention and control groups were compared regarding sociodemographic variables and level of dementia progression at baseline. No statistically significant differences were found. Regarding the comparison of anxiety and depressive symptoms pre- and post-intervention, a slight decrease was observed in both groups, although statistical significance was not reached (p>0.05). The results of the present study do not illustrate an added value regarding the use of immersive stimuli with virtual reality technology, in reminiscence therapy programs with people with dementia. Further research is warranted to better ascertain the cost effectiveness of using these technologies in the nonpharmacological treatment of people with dementia.
- Target selection criteria for intervention in speech sound disorders: the practice of portuguese SLTsPublication . Costa, Sofia; Patrício, Brígida; Baptista, Ana Catarina; Rodrigues, Susana; Patrício, BrígidaSpeech Sound Disorder (SSD) is one of the most prevalent diagnoses in early childhood. Children with SSD represent a heterogeneous group, which poses great challenges to the Speech and Language Therapist (SLT) when planning therapeutic intervention. Recently, the importance of combining traditional and new selection criteria to respond more effectively to children with SSD has been addressed. The traditional criteria present little or no scientific evidence and are based on the intuition and experience of the SLT. The newer criteria are guided by scientific evidence, based on linguistic aspects. This study aims to identify the target selection criteria used by Portuguese SLT with children with SSD. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Portugal. The questionnaire used was adapted from the study of Brumbaugh and Smit (2013). The data were analysed using descriptive statistics. There were 128 respondents. The majority (96.1%) were females and over 70% of the respondents held a Bachelor’s degree and almost 40% finished their degree more than 15 years ago. Around 69% of them have specialized training in SSD. The most used target selection criteria are:“Phonological awareness in addition to intervening in speech sounds” (85.5%); “Phonological awareness to improve speech production” (84.4%); “Target sounds that are stimulable” (77.3%); “Intervention targets taking into account the child’s oromotor planning skills” (77%); “Target sounds with the greatest impact on intelligibility” (72.4%) and “Target sounds taking into account the order of acquisition expected in development” (71.1%). Despite the scientific evidence of the newer criteria and specialized training in SSD of the respondents of this study, the traditional criteria continue to be among the most used by Portuguese SLT. To guarantee the intervention's efficiency, SLT should focus more on using the new selection criteria into their practices to promote a better change in the children's phonological system. SSD; Intervention; Target Selection Criteria
- Portuguese speech and language therapists’ practices: services delivery for children with speech sound disordersPublication . Costa, Sofia; Patrício, Brígida; Baptista, Ana Catarina; Rodrigues, Susana; Patrício, BrígidaFactors such as session frequency and format (individual and/or group) can impact the efficacy of therapeutic interventions for children with speech sound disorders (SSD). Although research on this topic is limited, it is important to understand the current practices of Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) and compare them to existing studies on services delivery for SSD.
- Therapy approaches for children with SSD: current practice of SLTs working in PortugalPublication . Costa, Sofia; Patrício, Brígida; Baptista, A. C.; Rodrigues, S.; Patrício, BrígidaSpeech Sound Disorders (SSD) are the most common communication difficulties among preschool children . Recently, SLTs' role in managing SSD has garnered significant attention, leading to the development of various therapeutic approaches, from traditional articulation therapy to contemporary phonological and motor-based interventions. The choice of approach depends on the child's specific needs, disorder severity, and the therapist's expertise and should be guided by evidence-based practice (EBP). It is crucial to understand which intervention approaches are currently most prevalent.
- Dissociating self reported interoceptive accuracy and attention: Evidence from a Portuguese community samplePublication . Campos, Carlos; Rocha, Nuno; Barbosa, FernandoThe 2x2 factorial model has been recently proposed as a promising framework to measure individual differences in interoception. The first factor addresses which domain is being measured (interoceptive accuracy vs. attention), while the second distinguishes how it is being measured (self-report beliefs vs. objective performance). The current study examined the association between self-reported interoceptive accuracy and attention. We hypothesized no linear association between these constructs, although a quadratic U-shaped association was expected. Furthermore, alexithymia should be differentially related to interoceptive accuracy and attention. An online community sample (*n *= 515) completed the Interoceptive Accuracy Scale (IAS), the Body Perception Questionnaire (BPQ) *ndexing self-reported interoceptive attention, and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS). Pearson correlations, Steiger’s Z-test, polynomial regression analysis, and two-lines testing were used for statistical analysis. IAS was positively correlated with BPQ, r = .204, p < .001. In the polynomial regression analysis, the linear model indicated a positive association between IAS and BPQ (4.2%), but the quadratic term explained an additional 12.7% of the variance. Two-lines testing indicated a U-shaped association between self-report interoceptive accuracy and attention. IAS was negatively correlated with TAS, r = -.291, p < .001, while there was no significant association between BPQ and TAS, r = -.030, p = .500, as these correlations were statistically different. These results suggest that interoceptive accuracy and attention can be dissociated using self-report measures and may display a quadratic U-shaped association, providing further evidence for the 2x2 factorial model. Future studies should explore the non-linear relationship between interoceptive accuracy and attention using alternative questionnaires and performance-based measures.
- The psychopathic heart: empathy, interoception, and psychopathy traits in adolescentsPublication . Marinho, Elisabete; Alves, Isabel; Pereira, Mariana R.; Rocha, Nuno; Barbosa, Fernando; Campos, CarlosThe link between empathy and psychopathy phenotypes (grandiose-manipulative, callous-unemotional and impulsive-irresponsible) as well as its underlying mechanisms, are far from being consensual, especially in developmental samples. To explore the differential associations between psychopathy phenotypes, empathy domains (cognitive and affective), and interoception in a community sample of adolescents. 64 adolescents (14.95 years; 42.2% males) completed an online survey that assessed psychopathy phenotypes (Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory), cognitive and affective empathy (Basic Empathy Scale), and interoceptive accuracy (Interoceptive Accuracy Scale) as well as alexithymia for control purposes (Toronto Alexithymia Scale). Zero-order correlations, t-tests, and hierarchical linear regressions were employed for statistical analysis. Callous-unemotional traits were negatively correlated with both empathy domains, while impulsive-irresponsible traits were only negatively correlated to cognitive empathy, despite these associations being marginally significant in multivariate analysis. Grandiose-manipulative traits were not related to either empathy domain. There were no associations between interoceptive accuracy and psychopathy phenotypes after controlling for age, sex, and alexithymia. Empathy domains seem to be differentially related to psychopathy phenotypes in adolescents. The contributing role of interoception in this association should be further explored using larger sample sizes and alternative measures.