Resting-state EEG alpha/theta ratio related to neuropsychological testperformance in Parkinson’s Disease

Q2Q1Objective To determine possible associations of hemispheric-regional alpha/theta ratio (α/θ) with neuropsychological test performance in Parkinson’s Disease (PD) non-demented patients. Methods 36 PD were matched to 36 Healthy Controls (HC). The α/θ in eight hemispheric regions was computed from the relative power spectral density of the resting-state quantitative electroencephalogram (qEEG). Correlations between α/θ and performance in several neuropsychological tests were conducted, significant findings were included in a moderation analysis. Results The α/θ in all regions was lower in PD than in HC, with larger effect sizes in the posterior regions. Right parietal, and right and left occipital α/θ had significant positive correlations with performance in Judgement of Line Orientation Test (JLOT) in PD. Adjusted moderation analysis indicated that right, but not left, occipital α/θ influenced the JLOT performance related to PD. Conclusions Reduction of the occipital α/θ, in particular on the right side, was associated with visuospatial performance impairment in PD. Significance Visuospatial impairment in PD, which is highly correlated with the subsequent development of dementia, is reflected in α/θ in the right posterior regions. The right occipital α/θ may represent a useful qEEG marker for evaluating the presence of early signs of cognitive decline in PD and the subsequent risk of dementia.https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5832-0603Revista Internacional - Indexad

Avances de la Investigación en Ingeniería

El texto está conformado por 31 capítulos, agrupados en 5 grandes áreas temáticas. En la primera parte se encuentran los trabajos relacionados con el tema de los Recursos Hidráulicos; en la segunda parte se tratan temas relacionados con la Planificación y Gestión del Territorio; la tercera parte está relacionada con el Manejo Integral de los Recursos Agua, Aire y Suelo; la cuarta parte incluye la Investigación Aplicada a la Ingeniería de Sistemas, y la última parte comprende la Investigación Aplicada a la Ingeniería Civil

Global COVID-19 lockdown highlights humans as both threats and custodians of the environment

The global lockdown to mitigate COVID-19 pandemic health risks has altered human interactions with nature. Here, we report immediate impacts of changes in human activities on wildlife and environmental threats during the early lockdown months of 2020, based on 877 qualitative reports and 332 quantitative assessments from 89 different studies. Hundreds of reports of unusual species observations from around the world suggest that animals quickly responded to the reductions in human presence. However, negative effects of lockdown on conservation also emerged, as confinement resulted in some park officials being unable to perform conservation, restoration and enforcement tasks, resulting in local increases in illegal activities such as hunting. Overall, there is a complex mixture of positive and negative effects of the pandemic lockdown on nature, all of which have the potential to lead to cascading responses which in turn impact wildlife and nature conservation. While the net effect of the lockdown will need to be assessed over years as data becomes available and persistent effects emerge, immediate responses were detected across the world. Thus initial qualitative and quantitative data arising from this serendipitous global quasi-experimental perturbation highlights the dual role that humans play in threatening and protecting species and ecosystems. Pathways to favorably tilt this delicate balance include reducing impacts and increasing conservation effectiveness