Promoting reminiscences with virtual reality headsets: A pilot study with people with dementia

This study aimed to explore the feasibility and effects of promoting reminiscences, using virtual reality (VR) headsets for viewing 360° videos with personal relevance, with people with dementia. A study with a mixed methods design was conducted with nine older adults diagnosed with dementia. Interventions consisted of four sessions, in which the participants’ engagement, psychological and behavioral symptoms, and simulation sickness symptoms were evaluated. Neuropsychiatric symptomatology and quality of life were measured pre- and post-intervention. Caregivers were interviewed regarding the effect of the approach. In most cases, participants appeared to enjoy the sessions, actively explored the 360° environment, and shared memories associated with the depicted locations, often spontaneously.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Sex Differences in Revascularization, Treatment Goals, and Outcomes of Patients With Chronic Coronary Disease: Insights From the ISCHEMIA Trial

Background: Women with chronic coronary disease are generally older than men and have more comorbidities but less atherosclerosis. We explored sex differences in revascularization, guideline-directed medical therapy, and outcomes among patients with chronic coronary disease with ischemia on stress testing, with and without invasive management. Methods and results: The ISCHEMIA (International Study of Comparative Health Effectiveness with Medical and Invasive Approaches) trial randomized patients with moderate or severe ischemia to invasive management with angiography, revascularization, and guideline-directed medical therapy, or initial conservative management with guideline-directed medical therapy alone. We evaluated the primary outcome (cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, or hospitalization for unstable angina, heart failure, or resuscitated cardiac arrest) and other end points, by sex, in 1168 (22.6%) women and 4011 (77.4%) men. Invasive group catheterization rates were similar, with less revascularization among women (73.4% of invasive-assigned women revascularized versus 81.2% of invasive-assigned men; P<0.001). Women had less coronary artery disease: multivessel in 60.0% of invasive-assigned women and 74.8% of invasive-assigned men, and no ≥50% stenosis in 12.3% versus 4.5% (P<0.001). In the conservative group, 4-year catheterization rates were 26.3% of women versus 25.6% of men (P=0.72). Guideline-directed medical therapy use was lower among women with fewer risk factor goals attained. There were no sex differences in the primary outcome (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] for women versus men, 0.93 [95% CI, 0.77-1.13]; P=0.47) or the major secondary outcome of cardiovascular death/myocardial infarction (adjusted HR, 0.93 [95% CI, 0.76-1.14]; P=0.49), with no significant sex-by-treatment-group interactions. Conclusions: Women had less extensive coronary artery disease and, therefore, lower revascularization rates in the invasive group. Despite lower risk factor goal attainment, women with chronic coronary disease experienced similar risk-adjusted outcomes to men in the ISCHEMIA trial. Registration: URL: http://wwwclinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01471522

Promoting Reminiscences with Virtual Reality Headsets: A Pilot Study with People with Dementia

This study aimed to explore the feasibility and effects of promoting reminiscences, using virtual reality (VR) headsets for viewing 360° videos with personal relevance, with people with dementia. A study with a mixed methods design was conducted with nine older adults diagnosed with dementia. Interventions consisted of four sessions, in which the participants’ engagement, psychological and behavioral symptoms, and simulation sickness symptoms were evaluated. Neuropsychiatric symptomatology and quality of life were measured pre- and post-intervention. Caregivers were interviewed regarding the effect of the approach. In most cases, participants appeared to enjoy the sessions, actively explored the 360° environment, and shared memories associated with the depicted locations, often spontaneously. There were no cases of significant increases in simulator sickness and psychological and behavioral symptoms during sessions, with only some instances of minor eyestrain, fullness of head, anxiety, irritability, and agitation being detected. Although there were no significant changes in the measured outcomes after intervention, the caregivers assessed the experience as potentially beneficial for most participants. In this study, promoting reminiscences with VR headsets was found to be a safe and engaging experience for people with dementia. However, future studies are required to better understand the added value of immersion, using VR, in reminiscence therapy.</jats:p

White Matter Microstructure Alterations Associated With Paroxetine Treatment Response in Major Depression

More than one-third of depressive patients do not achieve remission after the first antidepressant treatment. The “watch and wait” approach used to find the most effective antidepressant leads to an increased personal, social, and economic burden in society. In order to overcome this challenge, there has been a focus on studying neural biomarkers associated with antidepressant response. Diffusion tensor imaging measures have shown a promising role as predictors of antidepressant response by pointing to pretreatment differences in the white matter microstructural integrity between future responders and non-responders to different pharmacotherapies. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to explore whether response to paroxetine treatment was associated with differences in the white matter microstructure at baseline. Twenty drug-naive patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder followed a 6- to 12-week treatment with paroxetine. All patients completed magnetic resonance brain imaging and a clinical assessment at baseline and 6–12 weeks after treatment. Whole-brain tract-based spatial statistics was used to explore differences in white matter microstructural properties estimated from diffusion magnetic resonance imaging. Voxel-wise statistical analysis revealed a significant increase in fractional anisotropy and a decrease in radial diffusivity in forceps minor and superior longitudinal fasciculus in responders compared to non-responders. Thus, alterations in white matter integrity, specifically in forceps minor and the superior longitudinal fasciculus, are associated with paroxetine treatment response. These findings pave the way for personalized treatment strategies in major depression.</jats:p

Predicting Digital Literacy: A Systematic Review of Digital Competence, Usage, and Transformation

Information and communication technologies have become an integral part of daily life. However, the increasing reliance on technology in both personal and professional contexts presents significant challenges. Individuals' levels of digital literacy affect their ability to complete everyday and work-related tasks that depend on digital tools. The present systematic review is aimed at identifying the main predictors of digital literacy and understanding how these influence its three levels: digital competence, digital use, and digital transformation. This work (INPLASY Reference 202310053) followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology. A literature search covering was conducted across Web of Science, Scopus, Elsevier, PsycInfo, and PubMed using a PICO framework-based search string, from 2017 to 2022. A total of 5342 records were identified, of which 103 underwent full-text screening. A total of 44 articles was included in the review. The analysis revealed that digital competence is primarily associated with higher education, higher socioeconomic status, and older age. Digital use is mainly predicted by access to digital devices and internet connectivity. Digital transformation is often associated with health-related contexts, where individuals are expected to self-manage their health through digital applications. Despite the growing interest in digital literacy, research on its determinants remains scarce and fragmented. Significant challenges and gaps persist, including inconsistent definitions and measurement approaches, limited investigation into digital transformation, a lack of intersectional analyses, and the overrepresentation of WEIRD (western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic) populations. There is a pressing need for more systematic, inclusive, and theory-driven research to inform policymakers and practitioners aiming to foster societal development. To address these gaps, we propose an ecological model of development that reflects how interconnected systems can shape digital literacy

Anticipatory cues in emotional processing shift the activation of a combined salience sensorimotor functional network in drug-naïve depressed patients

Background Major depressive disorder is characterized by a large-scale brain network dysfunction, contributing to impairments in cognitive and affective functioning. Core regions of default mode, limbic and salience networks are also impaired in emotional processing and anticipation. This study aimed to explore default mode, salience, and limbic networks modulation during the processing of emotional stimuli with and without anticipatory cues in depression, and further investigate how these networks were functionally coupled with the rest of the brain. Methods Twenty-one drug-naïve depressed patients and 15 matched controls were included in the study. All participants completed a psychological assessment and the affective pictures paradigm during an fMRI acquisition. Group independent component analysis and psychophysiological interactions analyses were performed. Results A significant interaction between Cue, Valence and Group was found for the salience/sensorimotor network. When processing uncued emotional stimuli, patients showed increased activation of this network for negative vs. neutral pictures, whereas when anticipatory cues were displayed previously to the picture presentation, they invert this pattern of activation (hyperactivating the salience/sensorimotor network for positive vs. neutral pictures). Patients showed increased functional connectivity between the salience/sensorimotor network and the left amygdala as well as the right inferior parietal lobule compared to controls when processing uncued negative pictures. Limitations The sample size was modest, and the salience/sensorimotor network included regions not typically identified as part of salience network. Thus, this study should be replicated to further interpret the results. Conclusions Anticipatory cues shift the pattern of activation of the salience/sensorimotor network in drug-naïve depressed patients

Studies in Celebration of 10 Years of the Master's Degree in Children, Family and Succession Law, from the Law School of the University of Minho

No ano letivo de 2013/14, seguindo um projeto ousado da Escola de Direito, tiveram início as aulas do Mestrado em Direito das Crianças, Família e Sucessões, da Escola de Direito da Universidade do Minho, que comemorou, por isso,  no ano letivo de 2023/24, dez anos de existência. De modo a assinalar este marco temporal, e como forma de celebração, promove-se a publicação de uma obra coletiva com estudos vários de alguns dos estudantes que elegeram este mestrado para aprofundar os seus conhecimentos nestas áreas.In the 2013/14 academic year, following an ambitious initiative by the School of Law, the University of Minho launched its Master’s program in Child, Family, and Succession Law. Consequently, in the 2023/24 academic year, this program celebrated its tenth anniversary. To mark this milestone and as a means of celebration, a collective volume featuring diverse studies by several students who chose this program to deepen their expertise in these fields is now being published. All texts in this collection are authored by graduates holding a Master’s in Child, Family, and Succession Law from the University of Minho’s School of Law. They reflect both the scientific rigor and genuine interest of the authors in these areas. This publication is therefore dedicated to all students with a particular affinity for these sensitive and critically important fields and who devote their research and work to them. We hope that this work will be useful for both practitioners and academics and, furthermore, that it will inspire more students to pursue studies in family and succession law. With the exception of some formal guidelines and requirements for standardization, each author’s choices and style have been respected