Facilitative effects of bi-hemispheric tDCS in cognitive deficits of Parkinson Disease patients

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, primarily characterized by motor symptoms such as tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, stiffness, slowness and impaired equilibrium. Although the motor symptoms have been the focus in PD, slight cognitive deficits are commonly found in non-demented and non-depressed PD patients, even in early stages of the disease, which have been linked to the subsequent development of pathological dementia. Thus, strongly reducing the quality of life (QoL). Both levodopa therapy and deep brain stimulation (DBS) have yield controversial results concerning the cognitive symptoms amelioration in PD patients. That does not seems to be the case with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), although better stimulation parameters are needed. Therefore we hypothesize that simultaneously delivering cathodal tDCS (or ctDCS), over the right prefrontal cortex delivered with anodal tDCS (or atDCS) to left prefrontal cortex could be potentially beneficial for PD patients, either by mechanisms of homeostatic plasticity and by increases in the extracellular dopamine levels over the striatum.

Investigação das dificuldades na memória de trabalho em alunos do 2º ano do Ensino Fundamental em Manaus: um estudo com a Working Memory Rating Scale

Dissertação de mestrado em Educação Especial (área de especialização em Dificuldades de Aprendizagem Específicas)

A avaliação da interação social em crianças com perturbações do espectro do autismo: perceções de pais e de profissionais

Dissertação de mestrado em Educação Especial (área de especialização em Intervenção Precoce)

Nanotechnological approaches using curcumin and Withania somnifera: neuroprotection and antimicrobial activities

Tese de Doutoramento em Biologia de Plantas

Three-dimensional technology facilitates surgical performance of novice laparoscopy surgeons: a quantitative assessment on a porcine kidney model

Objective To determine whether the use of 3-dimensional (3D) imaging translates into a better surgical performance of naïve urologic laparoscopic surgeons during pyeloplasty (PY) and partial nephrectomy (PN) procedures. Materials and Methods Eighteen surgeons without any previous laparoscopic experience were randomly assigned to perform PY and PN in a porcine model using initially 2-dimensional (2D) and 3D laparoscopy. A surgical performance score was rated by an "expert" tutor through a modified 5-item global rating scale contemplating operative field view, bimanual dexterity, efficiency, tissue handling, and autonomy. Overall surgical time, complications, subjective perception of participating surgeons, and inconveniences related to the 3D vision were recorded. Results No difference in terms if operative time was found between 2D or 3D laparoscopy for both the PY (P =.51) and the PN (P =.28) procedures. A better rate in terms of surgical performance score was noted by the tutors when the study participants were using 3D vs 2D, for both PY (3.6 [0.8] vs 3.0 [0.4]; P =.034) and PN (3.6 [0.51] vs 3.15 [0.63]; P =.001). No complications occurred in any of the procedures. Most (77.2%) of the participating na??ve laparoscopic surgeons had the perception that 3D laparoscopy was overall easier than 2D. Headache (18.1%), nausea (18.1%), and visual disturbance (18.1%) were the most common issues reported by the surgeons during 3D procedures. Conclusion Despite the absence of translation in a shorter operative time, the use of 3D technology seems to facilitate the surgical performance of naive surgeons during laparoscopic kidney procedures on a porcine model.