Efeito do topiramato sobre o craving em usuários de crack

The study aims to analyze the effects of topiramato on the craving of crack users. It is an open crossover clinical trial involving users from the Psychosocial Care Center for Alcohol and Drugs (CAPSad) in city of Parnamirim, RN, approved by the CEP CAAE: 38710614.1.0000.5537, respecting the norms of the resolution n. 466/2012/CNS. The study produced preliminary two scientific papers: a theoretical essay and an integrative review, as a way of seeking the state of art. The first paper was based in the theoretical framework of Hinds, Chaves and Cypress, which focuses different contexts, from the issues of individual use to the coping policies in Brazil, highlighting that the situation and the complexity of the phenome requires coping strategies for the full attention to the user, family and society. As a result of the integrative review, among the 902 retrieved records, eight of them presented therapeutic schemes with positive effects for the craving of cocaine. They used nine different drugs. It is important to spot out that there was no result for the craving of crack. The data collection was conducted from December 2014 to July 2015 and has as sample predominantly single males. The sample was composed of 30 subjects who met the inclusion criteria: adults, age from 18 years, diagnosis of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) for cocaine/crack; cognitive capacity preserved; attendance to the service, participated at least three visits in the 12 months prior to data collection; and accepted to be monitored in the proposed treatment. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics from the Statistical Package of Support for Social Sciences (SPSS) on the instruments: 1) Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST), pointing out, among other results, that only 14% used crack/cocaine weekly during treatment, while 83% used daily or weekly after the washout period; 2) Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, with an average of 80.23 and 77.47 with and without drug treatment, respectively. An analysis from the Student t test show no significant differences in impulsivity with or without the drug; and 3) Cocaine-Craving Questionnaire-Brief (CCK-B), indicating that the number of users with craving intensity level is significantly higher without drug treatment (86%) than with treatment (33%). The analysis between craving and level of impulsivity showed that there is a low correlation (Pearson) between these two variables during treatment and after the washout, demonstrating that impulsivity has low influence on the outcome of drug therapy. As conclusion, it was noted that the topiramate produces positive effect on reducing the craving for crack users and their use is a relevant strategy for efficacy in the treatment of crack users.

Efeito do topiramato sobre o craving em usuários de crack

The study aims to analyze the effects of topiramato on the craving of crack users. It is an open crossover clinical trial involving users from the Psychosocial Care Center for Alcohol and Drugs (CAPSad) in city of Parnamirim, RN, approved by the CEP CAAE: 38710614.1.0000.5537, respecting the norms of the resolution n. 466/2012/CNS. The study produced preliminary two scientific papers: a theoretical essay and an integrative review, as a way of seeking the state of art. The first paper was based in the theoretical framework of Hinds, Chaves and Cypress, which focuses different contexts, from the issues of individual use to the coping policies in Brazil, highlighting that the situation and the complexity of the phenome requires coping strategies for the full attention to the user, family and society. As a result of the integrative review, among the 902 retrieved records, eight of them presented therapeutic schemes with positive effects for the craving of cocaine. They used nine different drugs. It is important to spot out that there was no result for the craving of crack. The data collection was conducted from December 2014 to July 2015 and has as sample predominantly single males. The sample was composed of 30 subjects who met the inclusion criteria: adults, age from 18 years, diagnosis of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) for cocaine/crack; cognitive capacity preserved; attendance to the service, participated at least three visits in the 12 months prior to data collection; and accepted to be monitored in the proposed treatment. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics from the Statistical Package of Support for Social Sciences (SPSS) on the instruments: 1) Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST), pointing out, among other results, that only 14% used crack/cocaine weekly during treatment, while 83% used daily or weekly after the washout period; 2) Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, with an average of 80.23 and 77.47 with and without drug treatment, respectively. An analysis from the Student t test show no significant differences in impulsivity with or without the drug; and 3) Cocaine-Craving Questionnaire-Brief (CCK-B), indicating that the number of users with craving intensity level is significantly higher without drug treatment (86%) than with treatment (33%). The analysis between craving and level of impulsivity showed that there is a low correlation (Pearson) between these two variables during treatment and after the washout, demonstrating that impulsivity has low influence on the outcome of drug therapy. As conclusion, it was noted that the topiramate produces positive effect on reducing the craving for crack users and their use is a relevant strategy for efficacy in the treatment of crack users.

D2.3 First bundle of client-side components

This document describes the first bundle of core WP2 (user data analytics) client side components, including their specifications, usecases, and working prototypes. Included assets contain a description of their current status, and links to their full designs and downloadable versions. This deliverable only describes operational SW assets (even though beta) that are tested and documented. It should be noted, however, that various additional software assets (2.2d Cognitive Capacity Measurement and 2.3a Realtime Emotion Detection) are near completion for inclusion in games during the first pilot round. Those assets are still scheduled for inclusion in the final bundle deliverable D2.2.

Décentralisation et allocation des ressources : les détours de la municipalisation du système de santé brésilien.

Dans cette thèse, nous avons analysé le déroulement d’un processus de municipalisation du système de santé, effectué au Rio Grande do Norte (RN), un des états fédérés du nord-est du Brésil. En tenant compte des contextes historiques d’implantation, nous avons centré notre attention sur la contribution des acteurs impliqués dans ce processus, spécialement dans l’allocation des ressources financières du système. Les croyances, perceptions, attentes, représentations, connaissances, intérêts, l’ensemble des facteurs qui contribuent à la constitution des capacités cognitives de ces acteurs, favorise la réflexivité sur leurs actions et la définition de stratégies diverses de façon à poursuivre leurs objectifs dans le système de santé. Ils sont vus ainsi comme des agents compétents et réflexifs, capables de s’approprier des propriétés structurelles du système de santé (règles et ressources), de façon à prendre position dans l’espace social de ce système pour favoriser le changement ou la permanence du statu quo. Au cours du processus de structuration du Système unique de santé brésilien, le SUS, la municipalisation a été l’axe le plus développé d’un projet de réforme de la santé. Face aux contraintes contextuelles et de la dynamique complexe des espaces sociaux de la santé, les acteurs réformistes n’ont pas pu suivre le chemin de l’utopie idéalisée; quelques détours ont été parcourus. Au RN, la municipalisation de la santé a constitué un processus très complexe où la triade centralisation/décentralisation/recentralisation a suivi son cours au milieu de négociations, de conflits, d’alliances, de disputes, de coopérations, de compétitions. Malgré les contraintes des contextes successifs, des propriétés structurelles du système et des dynamiques sociales dans le système de santé, quelques changements sont intervenus : la construction de leaderships collectifs; l’émergence d’une culture de négociation; la création des structures et des espaces sociaux du système, favorisant les rencontres des acteurs dans chaque municipalité et au niveau de l’état fédéré; un apprentissage collectif sur le processus de structuration du SUS; une grande croissance des services de première ligne permettant d’envisager une inversion de tendance du modèle de prestation des services; les premiers pas vers la rupture avec la culture bureaucratique du système. Le SUS reste prisonnier de quelques enjeux institutionnalisés dans ce système de santé : la dépendance du secteur privé et de quelques groupes de professionnels; le financement insuffisant et instable; la situation des ressources humaines. Les changements arrivés sont convergents, incrémentiels, lents; ils résultent d’actions normatives, délibérées, formalisées. Elles aussi sont issues de l’inattendu, de l’informel, du paradoxe; quelques-unes plus localisées, d’autres plus généralisées, pour une courte ou une plus longue durée.

Caracterização e Factores que Influenciam o Desempenho dos Bombeiros Profissionais: estudo exploratório

É indubitável que a decisão está presente no dia-a-dia de todos nós, independentemente do tipo de actividade em que estamos envolvidos. Na vida organizacional, enfrentamos muitas situações que exigem uma resposta momentânea, aqui denominadas de imediatas, as quais não permitem uma recolha de informação adequada, tempo para reflexão, discussão e troca de ideias, entre outras restrições. Além das limitações já citadas por outros autores, como a própria capacidade cognitiva do indivíduo, faculdade de processamento, há outros elementos que influenciam o processo de tomada de decisão, especialmente em ambientes sob pressão e em constante mutação, como é o dos bombeiros. O presente trabalho procura conhecer quais os factores que influenciam a tomada de decisão de bombeiros profissionais com funções de chefia, em ocorrências de incêndios urbanos e acidentes de viação. Neste contexto, foram abordados alguns enquadramentos para a tomada de decisão, como o Modelo da Tomada de Decisão da Primeira Opção Identificada (TDPOI) de Gary Klein, entre outros. No sentido de aprofundar a nossa investigação, foram realizados dois estudos exploratórios através de entrevistas presenciais. A amostra é constituída por 14 profissionais do sector, entre eles bombeiros com funções de chefia, comandantes e delegados sindicais. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que a experiência e a formação são os factores que se evidenciam, e influenciam a decisão dos bombeiros. Constatamos que nos Bombeiros Portugueses a experiência é uma característica dos decisores, pois são eles que farão as opções de alto risco. Por outro lado, apesar de a formação visar a aquisição de competências profissionais, nomeadamente na área da decisão, esta carece de actualização, porque não satisfaz as necessidades dos bombeiros. Apresentam-se também as principais limitações do estudo e sugestões para investigações futuras. / Undoubtedly, the decision is present in day-to-day for us all, regardless of the type of activity we are involved. In organizational life, we face many situations that require a momentary response, here called the immediate, which do not allow collection of adequate information, time for reflection, discussion and exchange of ideas, among other restrictions. Besides the limitations already mentioned by other authors, as the individual's cognitive capacity, processing power, there are other factors that influence the decision-making process, especially in environments under pressure and constantly changing, as is the Fire. This paper seeks to know which factors influence the decision making of professional firefighters with leadership roles in urban fire occurrences and accidents. In this context, we discuss some frameworks for decision making, as the Recognition-Primed Decision (RPD) Model by Gary Klein, among others. In order to further our investigation, two exploratory studies were conducted through personal interviews. The sample consists of 14 professionals, including firefighters with executive functions, commanders and union representatives. The results showed that the experience and training are factors that are evident, and influence the decision of the firefighters. We note that the Portuguese Firemen experience is a characteristic of decision-makers because they are options that will make high-risk. On the other hand, although the training to aim at the acquisition of professional skills, particularly in the area of decision, it needs updating, because it meets the needs of firefighters. We present also the main limitations of the study and suggestions for future investigations.

Décentralisation et allocation des ressources : les détours de la municipalisation du système de santé brésilien

Dans cette thèse, nous avons analysé le déroulement d’un processus de municipalisation du système de santé, effectué au Rio Grande do Norte (RN), un des états fédérés du nord-est du Brésil. En tenant compte des contextes historiques d’implantation, nous avons centré notre attention sur la contribution des acteurs impliqués dans ce processus, spécialement dans l’allocation des ressources financières du système. Les croyances, perceptions, attentes, représentations, connaissances, intérêts, l’ensemble des facteurs qui contribuent à la constitution des capacités cognitives de ces acteurs, favorise la réflexivité sur leurs actions et la définition de stratégies diverses de façon à poursuivre leurs objectifs dans le système de santé. Ils sont vus ainsi comme des agents compétents et réflexifs, capables de s’approprier des propriétés structurelles du système de santé (règles et ressources), de façon à prendre position dans l’espace social de ce système pour favoriser le changement ou la permanence du statu quo. Au cours du processus de structuration du Système unique de santé brésilien, le SUS, la municipalisation a été l’axe le plus développé d’un projet de réforme de la santé. Face aux contraintes contextuelles et de la dynamique complexe des espaces sociaux de la santé, les acteurs réformistes n’ont pas pu suivre le chemin de l’utopie idéalisée; quelques détours ont été parcourus. Au RN, la municipalisation de la santé a constitué un processus très complexe où la triade centralisation/décentralisation/recentralisation a suivi son cours au milieu de négociations, de conflits, d’alliances, de disputes, de coopérations, de compétitions. Malgré les contraintes des contextes successifs, des propriétés structurelles du système et des dynamiques sociales dans le système de santé, quelques changements sont intervenus : la construction de leaderships collectifs; l’émergence d’une culture de négociation; la création des structures et des espaces sociaux du système, favorisant les rencontres des acteurs dans chaque municipalité et au niveau de l’état fédéré; un apprentissage collectif sur le processus de structuration du SUS; une grande croissance des services de première ligne permettant d’envisager une inversion de tendance du modèle de prestation des services; les premiers pas vers la rupture avec la culture bureaucratique du système. Le SUS reste prisonnier de quelques enjeux institutionnalisés dans ce système de santé : la dépendance du secteur privé et de quelques groupes de professionnels; le financement insuffisant et instable; la situation des ressources humaines. Les changements arrivés sont convergents, incrémentiels, lents; ils résultent d’actions normatives, délibérées, formalisées. Elles aussi sont issues de l’inattendu, de l’informel, du paradoxe; quelques-unes plus localisées, d’autres plus généralisées, pour une courte ou une plus longue durée.

O Impacto de um Programa de Estimulação Cognitiva em Pessoas Idosas a Residir na Comunidade vs. Institucionalizadas

This study aims to examine the benefits of a cognitive stimulation program in reducing social isolation and irritability and improving cognitive capacity and emotional status of elderly people. A program of 14 sessions was conducted with individuals living in the community (n=6) and with group of individuals living in nursing home (n=6). Both groups were evaluated before and after the intervention with the Multidimensional Observation Scale for Elderly Subjects (MOSES). Also a focus group with the program monitors ́ allowed to collect information about the experience in conducting the sessions and their opinion about the whole program. Results have demonstrated benefits statistically significant in the domains of relationships and emotional status for the group who received the intervention at home. This experience allowed to conclude that the implementation of cognitive stimulation programs should be extended to home-based services, especially for older persons living alone.

The relationship between social support and functional capacity in elderly persons with cognitive alterations

The objective of this study was to identify the relationship between social support and the functional capacity of elderly persons with cognitive alterations. It is a descriptive, cross-sectional and quantitative study. The subjects were 101 elderly persons registered in Family Health Centers whose performance in the Mini-Exam for Mental Status was below a certain specified level in a previous study. The Medical Outcomes Study questionnaire, Katz Index and Pfeffer Questionnaire were applied. The dimensions of material, affective, emotional, informational and positive social interaction support resulted in an average final score of 74.32 points, indicating a better level of material and affective support in relation to the other dimensions of support. There was a statistically significant correlation between emotional support and the Katz Index. Knowledge about this relationship favors the development of a nursing care pathway for the elderly which is capable of maintaining their functional capacity and ensuring satisfactory social relations.

Social-cognitive and perceived environment influences associated with physical activity in older Australians

Background, Regular physical activity in older adults can facilitate healthy aging, improve functional capacity, and prevent disease. However, factors associated with physical inactivity in older populations are poorly understood. This study attempts to identify social-cognitive and perceived environmental influences associated with physical activity participation in older populations. Methods. In a randomly selected sample of 449 Australian adults age 60 and older, we assessed self-reported physical activity and a range of social-cognitive and perceived environmental factors. Respondents were classified as sufficiently active and inactive based on energy expenditure estimates (kcal/week) derived from self-reported physical activity. Two logistic regression models, with and without self-efficacy included, were conducted to identify modifiable independent predictors of physical activity. Results. Significantly more males than females were physically active. Physical activity participation was related to age with a greater proportion of those age 65-69 being active than those age 60-64 or 70 or older. High self-efficacy, regular participation of friends and family, finding footpaths safe for walking, and access to local facilities were significantly associated with being active. Conclusion. Identifying predictors of physical activity in older populations, particularly social support, facility access, and neighbourhood safety, can inform the development of policy and intervention strategies to promote the health of older people. (C) 2000 American Health Foundation and Academic Press.

A cognitive complexity metric applied to cognitive development

Two experiments tested predictions from a theory in which processing load depends on relational complexity (RC), the number of variables related in a single decision. Tasks from six domains (transitivity, hierarchical classification, class inclusion, cardinality, relative-clause sentence comprehension, and hypothesis testing) were administered to children aged 3-8 years. Complexity analyses indicated that the domains entailed ternary relations (three variables). Simpler binary-relation (two variables) items were included for each domain. Thus RC was manipulated with other factors tightly controlled. Results indicated that (i) ternary-relation items were more difficult than comparable binary-relation items, (ii) the RC manipulation was sensitive to age-related changes, (iii) ternary relations were processed at a median age of 5 years, (iv) cross-task correlations were positive, with all tasks loading on a single factor (RC), (v) RC factor scores accounted for 80% (88%) of age-related variance in fluid intelligence (compositionality of sets), (vi) binary- and ternary-relation items formed separate complexity classes, and (vii) the RC approach to defining cognitive complexity is applicable to different content domains. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.

Assessing cardiorespiratory capacity in older adults with major depression and Alzheimer disease

ABSTRACT Objective To assess cardiorespiratory capacity through subjective and objective tests in older adults diagnosed with major depression (MDD), Alzheimer disease (AD) and healthy older adults. Methods Fifty seven subjects (72 ± 7.9 years) were divided into three groups: MDD (n = 20), AD (n = 17) and Healthy (n = 20). The subjects answered Hamilton Scale (HAM-D), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Veterans Specific Activity Questionnaire (VSAQ) and 2-minute Step test. Results MDD and AD showed lower scores than healthy group for Nomogram VSAQ (p < 0.001) and 2-minute Step (p = 0.009; p = 0.008, respectively). Adjusted for age and educational level, no differences among groups were observed for Step (MDD, p = 0.097; AD, p = 0.102). AD group did not present differences to healthy group for Step, when adjusting for MMSE (p = 0.261). Conclusions Despite the lower cardiorespiratory fitness of elderly patients with DM and DA have been found in both evaluations, the results should be viewed with caution, since the tests showed low correlation and different risk classifications of functional loss. In addition, age, level educational and cognitive performance are variables that can influence the performance objective evaluation.

An exploratory study on facial emotion recognition capacity in beginning Alzheimer's disease.

Objective: It was the aim of this study to investigate facial emotion recognition (FER) in the elderly with cognitive impairment. Method: Twelve patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 12 healthy control subjects were asked to name dynamic or static pictures of basic facial emotions using the Multimodal Emotion Recognition Test and to assess the degree of their difficulty in the recognition task, while their electrodermal conductance was registered as an unconscious processing measure. Results: AD patients had lower objective recognition performances for disgust and fear, but only disgust was accompanied by decreased subjective FER in AD patients. The electrodermal response was similar in all groups. No significant effect of dynamic versus static emotion presentation on FER was found. Conclusion: Selective impairment in recognizing facial expressions of disgust and fear may indicate a nonlinear decline in FER capacity with increasing cognitive impairment and result from progressive though specific damage to neural structures engaged in emotional processing and facial emotion identification. Although our results suggest unchanged unconscious FER processing with increasing cognitive impairment, further investigations on unconscious FER and self-awareness of FER capacity in neurodegenerative disorders are required.

Stressing schizotypy: The modulating role of stress-relieving behaviours and intellectual capacity on functional hemispheric asymmetry.

Relative cognitive impairments are common along the schizophrenia spectrum reflecting potential psychopathological markers. Yet stress, a vulnerability marker in schizophrenia (including its spectrum), is likewise related to cognitive impairments. We investigated whether one such cognitive marker (attenuated functional hemispheric asymmetry) during stressful life periods might be linked to individuals' schizotypal features or rather to individuals' stress-related experiences and behaviours. A total of 58 students performed a left hemisphere dominant (lateralised lexical decisions) and right hemisphere dominant (sex decisions on composite faces) task. In order to account for individual differences in stress sensitivity we separated participants into groups of high or low cognitive reserve according to their average current marks. In addition, participants filled in questionnaires on schizotypy (short O-LIFE), perceived stress, stress response, and a newly adapted questionnaire that enquired about potential stress compensation behaviour (elevated substance use). The most important finding was that enhanced substance use and cognitive disorganisation contributed to a right and left hemisphere shift in language dominance, respectively. We discuss that (i) former reports on right hemisphere shifts in language dominance with positive schizotypy might be explained by an associated higher substance use and (ii) cognitive disorganisation relates to unstable cognitive functioning that depend on individuals' life circumstances, contributing to published reports on inconsistent laterality-schizotypy relationships.

Assessment of the capacity to consent to treatment in patients admitted to acute medical wards.

BACKGROUND: Assessment of capacity to consent to treatment is an important legal and ethical issue in daily medical practice. In this study we carefully evaluated the capacity to consent to treatment in patients admitted to an acute medical ward using an assessment by members of the medical team, the specific Silberfeld's score, the MMSE and an assessment by a senior psychiatrist. METHODS: Over a 3 month period, 195 consecutive patients of an internal medicine ward in a university hospital were included and their capacity to consent was evaluated within 72 hours of admission. RESULTS: Among the 195 patients, 38 were incapable of consenting to treatment (unconscious patients or severe cognitive impairment) and 14 were considered as incapable of consenting by the psychiatrist (prevalence of incapacity to consent of 26.7%). Agreement between the psychiatrist's evaluation and the Silberfeld questionnaire was poor (sensitivity 35.7%, specificity 91.6%). Experienced clinicians showed a higher agreement (sensitivity 57.1%, specificity 96.5%). A decision shared by residents, chief residents and nurses was the best predictor for agreement with the psychiatric assessment (sensitivity 78.6%, specificity 94.3%). CONCLUSION: Prevalence of incapacity to consent to treatment in patients admitted to an acute internal medicine ward is high. While the standardized Silberfeld questionnaire and the MMSE are not appropriate for the evaluation of the capacity to consent in this setting, an assessment by the multidisciplinary medical team concurs with the evaluation by a senior psychiatrist.