Características neuropsicológicas y alteraciones del neurodesarrollo en niños con nacimiento prematuro

[ES] Alrededor de 15 millones de niños nacen cada año de manera prematura (<37 semanas de gestación) en todo el mundo lo que supone cerca de un 11% del total de nacimientos, y estos números siguen incrementado con los años, además muchos de esos niños nacen con muy bajo peso (<1.500 g.). En España estas cifras son algo más bajas, siendo próximo a un 7% el total de nacimientos prematuros. Además, la supervivencia de los recién nacidos prematuros también ha aumentado en las últimas décadas, esto se debe en gran medida a los grandes avances en los cuidados intensivos neonatales. No obstante, el número de dificultades que tienen que afrontar los menores prematuros a lo largo de sus vidas es grande y variado. Uno de los problemas más frecuentes son la presencia de trastornos del neurodesarrollo y más en concreto del Trastorno del Espectro Autista (TEA). La prevalencia reportada por metaanálisis actuales para el TEA en la población prematura es alrededor de un 7%, mientras que la prevalencia para la población general se encuentra entorno al 1% a nivel mundial. Estos datos sugieren que existen un mayor riesgo de presentar un TEA en poblaciones prematuras. Los resultados de esta tesis contribuyen a la mejora de la detección precoz, apoyando una necesidad de seguimiento a través del tiempo para esta población en riesgo. En general, los resultados expuestos aportan nueva evidencia a la descripción de perfiles neuropsicológicos que pueden ser clave a la hora de diferenciar trayectorias evolutivas que identifiquen factores de riesgo para la presencia de problemas en el neurodesarrollo, como es el TEA. Además, la caracterización de estos perfiles sería de gran valor para los profesionales encargados del diseño de intervenciones, pues les permitiría centrar las prácticas de intervención sobre la problemática específica de cada niño y prevenir futuros problemas. A largo plazo disponer de intervenciones preventivas supondría una mejora en la calidad de vida de los menores prematuros y sus familias, pero también un ahorro en los costes de los sistemas sanitarios públicos. [EN] Around 15 million children are born prematurely each year (<37 weeks of gestation) worldwide, which represents about 11% of all births, and these numbers are continuing to increase, with many of these children also born with very low weight (<1,500 grams). In Spain, these figures are somewhat lower, as the total number of premature births is close to 7%. The survival of preterm infants has also increased in recent decades, which is largely due to advances in neonatal intensive care. However, the number of difficulties that premature children have to face throughout their lives is high and can affect many areas. One of the most frequent problems is the presence of neurodevelopmental disorders and more specifically, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The prevalence reported by current meta-analyses of ASD in the premature population is around 7%, while the prevalence for the general population is around 1% worldwide. These data suggest that there is an increased risk of developing an ASD in premature populations. Currently, there are no studies on the prevalence of ASD in premature populations and with very low birth weight in Spain. The results of this thesis contribute to the improvement of early detection, supporting the need to maintain follow-ups over time for this at-risk population. In general, the results provide new evidence for the description of neuropsychological profiles that may be key when it comes to differentiating developmental trajectories that identify risk factors for the presence of neurodevelopmental problems, such as ASD. Furthermore, the characterization of these profiles would be of great value for the professionals in charge of the design of interventions, since it would allow them to focus their practices on the specific problems of each child and prevent future problems. In the long term, providing preventive interventions would mean an improvement in the quality of life of premature minors and their families, while also reducing costs for public health systems and society

El uso de metodología online para la evaluación de competencias como estrategia de mejora en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje de estudiantes universitarios de psicología

Memoria ID-110. Ayudas de la Universidad de Salamanca para la innovación docente, curso 2020-2021

Neuropsychological profile of executive functions in autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia spectrum disorders: a comparative group study in adults

[EN] As assessed by numerous neuropsychological tasks, individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs) have similar impairments related to executive functions (EFs). The neuropsychological profle of these two conditions was examined using the three-component EFs’ framework of Miyake and Friedman(Cogn Psychol 41(1):49-100, 2000). This approach assesses Inhibition (suppression of unwanted and irrelevant information/responses), Updating (use and control of contents of working memory), and Shifting (disengagement between activities or mental tasks) using nine diferent tasks. In line with previous research, we expected greater performance defcits in ASD in all three components compared to SSD, as well as faster responses for the SSD group. A self-paced task format allowed us to examine whether unlimited time given for a task would lead to better performance. The sample was constituted by the control group (N=25), ASD group (N=24), and SSD group (N=12). Groups did not difer on Inhibition performance. In Updating, individuals with SSD performed poorer than the other groups. As for Shifting, both groups demonstrated poorer performance compared to controls, with the SSD group presenting the greatest difculties. In terms of reaction time (RT), SSD participants’ RT were the slowest on Inhibition and Shifting tasks. There was a positive correlation between performance and time spent on Inhibition and Shifting only for the SSD group, which demonstrates that their performance improves when there are no time constraints. Our work provides a better understanding of spared and impaired EFs, which could be useful for designing strategies aimed at improving specifc EFs in each group.Publicación en abierto financiada por el Consorcio de Bibliotecas Universitarias de Castilla y León (BUCLE), con cargo al Programa Operativo 2014ES16RFOP009 FEDER 2014-2020 DE CASTILLA Y LEÓN, Actuación:20007-CL - Apoyo Consorcio BUCLE

Active learning and self-assessment through the implementation of the ahoot! Platform for teaching improvement and innovation in psychology and education

[EN] The use of gamification tools has improved the advance towards models of analysis of active assessment and learning in a natural, complex environment with contingent responses and student exchanges and, therefore, has improved the quality of the results obtained in the short and long term in relation to the subjects and areas of application of the proposal. The aim of this work was to promote the development of innovative teaching techniques, processes and strategies that encourage university student participation. To this end, a gamification methodology was used with the tool Kahoot! for evaluation, where participants created questionnaires and assessed the questionnaires of other participants. The results obtained through the different analyses provide strong evidence of the success of using the tool in the classroom. Both the survey and the statistical analyses have shown that the use of the Kahoot! Questionnaires linked with the use of multimedia materials has not only been useful for the teachers, but also for the students.[ES] El uso de herramientas de gamificación ha supuesto un avance hacia modelos de análisis de la evaluación y el aprendizaje activos en un entorno natural, complejo y con respuestas contingentes e intercambios de los alumnos y, por tanto, ha supuesto una mejora en la calidad de los resultados obtenidos a corto y largo plazo en relación con las materias y áreas de aplicación de la propuesta. El objetivo de este trabajo ha sido el de Potenciar el desarrollo de técnicas, procesos y estrategias docentes innovadoras que impulsen la participación del estudiante universitario. Para ello, se utilizó una metodología de gamificación con la herramienta Kahoot! Para la evaluación de contenidos, donde los participantes creaban cuestionarios y evaluaban los cuestionarios de otros participantes. Los resultados obtenidos mediante los diferentes análisis ofrecen una sólida evidencia del éxito del uso de la herramienta en el aula. Tanto la encuesta como los análisis estadísticos han puesto de manifiesto que el uso de los cuestionarios Kahoot! unidos a los métodos de explicación de las preguntas con materiales multimedia, no solo ha sido útil para el profesorado, sino que también lo ha sido para los alumnos.Bejarano Martín, A.; Magán Maganto, M.; Canal Bedia, R.; Jenaro Río, C.; Flores Robaina, N. (2022). Aprendizaje activo y autoevaluación a través de la implementación de la plataforma Kahoot! Para la mejora e innovación docente en psicología y educación. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 102-116. https://doi.org/10.4995/INRED2022.2022.1581810211

Aprendizaje activo y autoevaluación a través del diseño e implementación de un escape room para la mejora e innovación docente en asignaturas de Educación, Terapia ocupacional y Criminología

Memoria ID2022-013. Ayudas de la Universidad de Salamanca para la innovación docente, curso 2022-2023

Dinamización de la enseñanza-aprendizaje a través de la evaluación de contenidos mediante quiz-shows en los grados de Psicología, Criminología y Terapia Ocupacional

Memoria ID2022-034. Ayudas de la Universidad de Salamanca para la innovación docente, curso 2022-2023

Aprendizaje activo y autoevaluación a través de la implementación de la plataforma Kahoot! para la mejora e innovación docente en psicología y educación basado en la aplicación Q12 Trivia

Memoria ID-186. Ayudas de la Universidad de Salamanca para la innovación docente, curso 2018-2019

Prevalence of psychiatric disorders in adults with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis

[EN]Some challenges faced by people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) when adapting to a neurotypical environment are related with the risk of suffering a psychiatric disorder. The aim of the present study is to conduct a systematic review on the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in adults with ASD (PROSPERO’s reference number CRD42016041948). Four databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science and CINAHL) were used for the electronic search, and six editorials (Science Direct, Wiley, Springer, Taylor & Francis, SAGE Publishing and BioMed Central) were manually searched for studies not previously identified. Study eligibility criteria were observational studies on psychiatric comorbidity in adults (18 years or older) with ASD, based on standard diagnostic classifications (DSM/ICD), reported in English peer-reviewed journals. A total of 1288 and 24 references were identified by electronic and manual searches, respectively. Results showed that attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder is the most prevalent psychiatric disorder in adults with ASD. Mood and anxiety disorders are also very frequent among this population. The lowest comorbidity prevalence rates of all diagnostic categories are the ones related to substance use and eating disorders. These results show a need for a greater production of studies in this field, especially follow-up studies that focus on risk and protective factors for the emergence of psychiatric problems in adults with ASD. For this reason, it is imperative to create specific diagnostic tools that allow the assessment of mental pathology, attending to the particularities of its manifestation in people with ASD

Early Detection and Intervention of ASD: A European Overview

Over the last several years there has been an increasing focus on early detection of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), not only from the scientific field but also from professional associations and public health systems all across Europe. Not surprisingly, in order to offer better services and quality of life for both children with ASD and their families, different screening procedures and tools have been developed for early assessment and intervention. However, current evidence is needed for healthcare providers and policy makers to be able to implement specific measures and increase autism awareness in European communities. The general aim of this review is to address the latest and most relevant issues related to early detection and treatments. The specific objectives are (1) analyse the impact, describing advantages and drawbacks, of screening procedures based on standardized tests, surveillance programmes, or other observational measures; and (2) provide a European framework of early intervention programmes and practices and what has been learnt from implementing them in public or private settings. This analysis is then discussed and best practices are suggested to help professionals, health systems and policy makers to improve their local procedures or to develop new proposals for early detection and intervention programmes.The authors were supported by a research grant awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Grant PSI2016-80575-R) and European Union. DGSANCO. Ref.: SANCO/2014/C2/035.S

Predictors of autism spectrum disorder diagnosis in a spanish sample of preterm children with very low birthweight: A cross-sectional study

Background and aims: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with a higher likelihood of being diagnosed in preterm populations. Likewise, low birthweight has also been connected with an increased likelihood of ASD. The objectives were to study the frequency and define the relationship between ASD, gestational age, birthweight, and growth percentiles for preterm children. Methods: A sample of preterm children with very low birthweight was selected from the Spanish population at 7-10 years old. Families were contacted from the hospital, and they were offered an appointment to conduct a neuropsychological assessment. The children who showed signs of ASD were referred to the diagnostic unit for differential diagnosis. Results: A total of 57 children completed full assessments, with 4 confirmed ASD diagnoses. The estimated prevalence was 7.02%. There were statistically significant weak correlations between ASD and gestational age (τb = -0.23), and birthweight (τb = -0.25), suggesting there is a higher likelihood of developing ASD for those born smaller or earlier in their gestation. Conclusion: These results could improve ASD detection and outcomes for this vulnerable population while also supporting and enhancing previous findings.This work was supported by the State Program of Research, Development and Innovation Oriented towards Social Challenges from Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (GrantNo. PSl2016‐80575‐R), the State Research Agency, Ministry of Science and Innovation (GrantNo: PID2019‐107177RB‐I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033) and the Support Program for Research Projects of the Junta de Castilla y León, Order EDU/1192/2020 (Ref.: SA119P20). None of these funding sources had any involvement in study design; collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; writing of the report; or the decision to submit the report for publication.S