Visualización de modelos digitales tridimensionales en la enseñanza de anatomía: principales recursos y una experiencia docente en neuroanatomía

La conformación de las estructuras anatómicas es compleja en los 3 planos del espacio. Históricamente, la enseñanza de la anatomía se ha hecho a partir de representaciones bidimensionales, de modelos físicos tridimensionales o de cuerpos reales. Solo recientemente ha sido factible crear modelos anatómicos digitales tridimensionales, que pueden ser explorados en línea a través de Internet. El objetivo del presente trabajo es analizar 2 de las herramientas en línea más conocidas para la visualización anatómica (Anatomography® y BioDigital® Human), y presentar una experiencia docente de uso en el área de neurociencias. Se crearon imágenes de estructuras cerebrales animadas que se usaron en clase posteriormente, y se preguntó a los alumnos sobre su interés y utilidad. Los resultados indicaron que la utilización de este tipo de recursos es interesante por su flexibilidad, atractivo y coste.The conformation of anatomical structures is complex in the 3 spatial planes. Historically, anatomy teaching has been carried out using 2-dimensional representation, 3-dimensional physical models, or real bodies. Only recently has it been possible to create digital 3-dimensional anatomical models that can be explored online or downloaded. The aim of this work is to critically describe two of the best-known online tools for anatomical visualisation (Anatomography® and BioDigital® Human), and to present a teaching experience in the neuroscience domain. Animated images of brain structures were created and later used in class, and students were asked about their interest and usefulness. Results indicated that the use of this kind of resource is interesting, due to its flexibility, attractiveness and cost

Tendencias estratégicas de personas con TDAH en un simulador de tablero por equipos

El trastorno de déficit de atención con hiperactividad puede llegar a afectar de manera negativa a quienes lo padecen. La dificultad para tomar decisiones estratégicas y su capacidad para formar y mantener relaciones interpersonales estables son de los elementos característicos que repercuten en el desenvolvimiento del día a día de estas personas. El objetivo de este protocolo es plantear un diseño experimental de pacientes (personas con TDAH, N=64) y controles (personas sin TDAH, N=64) para poder profundizar en las repercusiones que puede llegar a tener el TDAH al momento de planificar y trabajar en equipo. Se propone utilizar el simulador estratégico de tablero por equipos “8 Batallones”. Se buscaría estudiar los resultados obtenidos a lo largo de una serie de partidas donde los pacientes jugarían contra los controles. Posteriormente se buscaría analizar las diferencias entre estas y las posibles causas de los resultados por medio de un modelo lineal general. La metodología planteada podría permitir un acercamiento al estudio de las interacciones y los resultados de los mismos por medio de instrumentos lúdicos

On the definition of Statistics

En este ensayo se propone una definición de Estadística que hace hincapié en la representatividad resaltando la diferencia entre Estadística y Matemática. La definición de Estadística es una de las cuestiones claves en la formación de los propios Estadísticos y de los investigadores en general. Paradójicamente en los estudios sobre didáctica de esta materia se hacen pocas referencias a esta definición. En los manuales y en los diccionarios el concepto de Estadística suele resolverse con alguna cita normalmente descriptiva sobre el objeto y los métodos que la ocupan, realizándose una clasificación en distintas categorías en función de los instrumentos utilizados. Pero no suele hacerse referencia a una definición previa, propiamente dicha, que establezca los límites de la materia de una forma clara y que pueda ser utilizada para mejorar la comprensión sobre la misma. De esta forma se define la Estadística como: "Ciencia que se ocupa del estudio de fenómenos de tipo genérico, normalmente complejos y enmarcados en un universo variable, mediante el empleo de modelos de reducción de la información y de análisis de validación de los resultados en términos de representatividad."This essay proposes a definition of Statistics stressing on representativeness, enlightening the difference between Statistics and Mathematics. Definition of Statistics is one of the crucial issues involved in statistian's education and, more generally, in researchers' instruction. Nevertheless, there is little reference to it in didactics studies on the subject. Manuals and dictionaries address the concept of Statistics with some descriptive reference to object and methods, classifying the subject in distinct categories according to the instruments involved. But seldom these refers any previous definition, on its own, clearly establishing boundaries and allowing a better understanding on the subject. Thus so, we define Statistics as: "Science concerning the study of general phenomena, usually complex and embodied in variable universe, through models of information reduction and outcomes validation analysis in terms of representativeness.

Switcher-random-walks: a cognitive-inspired mechanism for network exploration

Semantic memory is the subsystem of human memory that stores knowledge of concepts or meanings, as opposed to life specific experiences. The organization of concepts within semantic memory can be understood as a semantic network, where the concepts (nodes) are associated (linked) to others depending on perceptions, similarities, etc. Lexical access is the complementary part of this system and allows the retrieval of such organized knowledge. While conceptual information is stored under certain underlying organization (and thus gives rise to a specific topology), it is crucial to have an accurate access to any of the information units, e.g. the concepts, for efficiently retrieving semantic information for real-time needings. An example of an information retrieval process occurs in verbal fluency tasks, and it is known to involve two different mechanisms: -clustering-, or generating words within a subcategory, and, when a subcategory is exhausted, -switching- to a new subcategory. We extended this approach to random-walking on a network (clustering) in combination to jumping (switching) to any node with certain probability and derived its analytical expression based on Markov chains. Results show that this dual mechanism contributes to optimize the exploration of different network models in terms of the mean first passage time. Additionally, this cognitive inspired dual mechanism opens a new framework to better understand and evaluate exploration, propagation and transport phenomena in other complex systems where switching-like phenomena are feasible.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures. Accepted in "International Journal of Bifurcations and Chaos": Special issue on "Modelling and Computation on Complex Networks

I Jornada de experiencias del Programa de Psicología

Las Jornadas de experiencia pretenden ser una ocasión que brinde a los alumnos de Prácticum de todos los Grados de la Facultad de Educación y Psicología. Compartir su experiencia de prácticas entre ellos, con sus profesores y con los compañeros de otros cursos, especialmente con aquellos que todavía no han realizado el Prácticum o están buscando un centro para hacer prácticas voluntarias. A través de la presentación oral, de un póster o de un e-portafolio, los alumnos darán a conocer los proyectos de investigación-acción o de aprendizaje-servicio que han llevado a cabo durante el Prácticum. En sus exposiciones, mostrarán cómo han aplicado a la práctica la teoría aprendida en las diversas asignaturas de los Grados y compartirán el desarrollo competencial que esta experiencia les ha permitido realizar. Además, facilitarán a los profesores conocer, de una forma más directa, las necesidades o aspectos de mejora que los alumnos han detectado en los centros de prácticas y ayudarán a identificar posibles líneas de investigación y proyectos que podrán realizarse en colaboración con los colegios, gabinetes, hospitales, fundaciones, empresas y diversas instituciones en las que los alumnos realizan el Prácticum

Reduction in ventral striatal activity when anticipating a reward in depression and schizophrenia: a replicated cross-diagnostic finding.

In the research domain framework (RDoC), dysfunctional reward expectation has been proposed to be a cross-diagnostic domain in psychiatry, which may contribute to symptoms common to various neuropsychiatric conditions, such as anhedonia or apathy/avolition. We used a modified version of the Monetary Incentive Delay (MID) paradigm to obtain functional MRI images from 22 patients with schizophrenia, 24 with depression and 21 controls. Anhedonia and other symptoms of depression, and overall positive and negative symptomatology were also measured. We hypothesized that the two clinical groups would have a reduced activity in the ventral striatum when anticipating reward (compared to anticipation of a neutral outcome) and that striatal activation would correlate with clinical measures of motivational problems and anhedonia. Results were consistent with the first hypothesis: two clusters in both the left and right ventral striatum were found to differ between the groups in reward anticipation. Post-hoc analysis showed that this was due to higher activation in the controls compared to the schizophrenia and the depression groups in the right ventral striatum, with activation differences between depression and controls also seen in the left ventral striatum. No differences were found between the two patient groups, and there were no areas of abnormal cortical activation in either group that survived correction for multiple comparisons. Reduced ventral striatal activity was related to greater anhedonia and overall depressive symptoms in the schizophrenia group, but not in the participants with depression. Findings are discussed in relation to previous literature but overall are supporting evidence of reward system dysfunction across the neuropsychiatric continuum, even if the specific clinical relevance is still not fully understood. We also discuss how the RDoC approach may help to solve some of the replication problems in psychiatric fMRI research.Supported by the Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund [097814/Z/11], a MRC Clinician Scientist [G0701911], a Brain and Behavior Research Foundation Young Investigator, and an Isaac Newton Trust award to Dr Murray; an award to Dr Segarra from the Secretary for Universities and Research of the Ministry of Economy and Knowledge of the Government of Catalonia and the European Union; by the University of Cambridge Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, funded by a joint award from the Medical Research Council [G1000183]and Wellcome Trust [093875/Z/10/Z]; by awards from the Wellcome Trust [095692] and the Bernard Wolfe Health Neuroscience Fund to Dr. Fletcher, and by the Cambridge NIHR Biomedical Research Centre.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Frontiers via http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.0128

Lifetime mental health problems in Adult Lower Secondary Education: a student survey

Background/Objective: Adult Lower Secondary Education is an education program for basic qualifications for the labor market. Our study aimed to compare lifetime mental health problems between current Adult Lower Secondary Education students and higher Vocational Education students, as the former constitutes a highly distinct and understudied group. Methods: Findings were based on a cross-sectional self-report survey. Lifetime relative odds of occurrence of mental disorders [i.e., psychiatric disorders typically diagnosed in adults, learning difficulties or deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)] were compared between Adult Lower Secondary Education students (n = 134) and Vocational Education students (n = 149). Results: While the frequency of mental health problems was high in both groups, psychiatric disorders typically diagnosed in adults were more common in Adult Lower Secondary Education students than among other students. Vocational Education students reported higher rates of ADHD. Conclusion: There is a need for additional psychological resources for Adult Lower Secondary Education students, an educational level that is the last path for many to acquire a basic degree

Hedonic and disgust taste perception in borderline personality disorder and depression.

Depression and borderline personality disorder (BPD) are both thought to be accompanied by alterations in the subjective experience of environmental rewards. We evaluated responses in women to sweet, bitter and neutral tastes (juice, quinine and water): 29 with depression, 17 with BPD and 27 healthy controls. The BPD group gave lower pleasantness and higher disgust ratings for quinine and juice compared with the control group; the depression group did not differ significantly from the control group. Juice disgust ratings were related to self-disgust in BPD, suggesting close links between abnormal sensory processing and self-identity in BPD.Supported by the Wellcome Trust [093875/Z/10/Z], [097814/Z/11], [095692]; Medical Research Council [G0701911], [G1000183]; Isaac Newton Trust, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Talisman Trust, University of Cambridge, and the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre.This is the final version. It was first published by the Royal College of Psychiatrists at http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/207/1/79.lon