Asymmetric Dopaminergic Degeneration and Attentional Resources in Parkinson’s Disease

Background: Attention is crucial to voluntary perform actions in Parkinson’s disease (PD), allowing patients to bypass the impaired habitual motor control. The asymmetrical degeneration of the dopaminergic system could affect the attentional functions.Objective: To investigate the relationship between the asymmetric dopaminergic degeneration and the attentional resources in Parkinsonian patients with right-side (RPD) and left-side (LPD) motor symptoms predominance.Methods: 50 RPD, 50 LPD, and 34 healthy controls underwent visual (V), auditory (A), and multiple choices (MC) reaction time (RTs) tasks. For PD patients, these tasks were performed before and after a 4-week intensive, motor-cognitive rehabilitation treatment (MIRT). The effectiveness of treatment was evaluated assessing Unified Parkinson’s disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) III and Timed-up and Go Test (TUG).Results: RTs did not differ between PD patients and healthy controls. Before MIRT, no differences between LPD and RPD patients were observed in RTs (p = 0.20), UPDRS III (p = 0.60), and TUG (p = 0.38). No differences in dopaminergic medication were found between groups (p = 0.44 and p = 0.66 before and after MIRT, respectively). After MIRT, LPD patients showed a significant reduction in MC RTs (p = 0.05), V RTs (p = 0.02), and MC-V RTs. A significant association between changes in RTs and improvements in UPDRS III and TUG was observed in LPD patients.Conclusion: attention does not differ among RPD patients, LPD patients and healthy controls. Only LPD patients improved their performances on attentional tasks after MIRT. We argue that the increased early susceptibility of the left nigrostriatal system to degeneration affects differently the cognitive modifiability and the neuroplastic potential. Our results could provide insight into new therapeutic approaches, highlighting the importance to design different treatments for RPD patients and LPD patients

Motivational and myopic mechanisms underlying dopamine medication-induced impulsive-compulsive behaviors in Parkinson's disease

IntroductionDopaminergic medications can trigger impulsive-compulsive behaviors (ICBs) in pre-disposed patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), but what this implies on a neurocognitive level is unclear. Previous findings highlighted potentially exacerbated incentive motivation (willingness to work for rewards) and choice impulsivity (preferring smaller, immediate rewards over larger, delayed rewards) in PD patients with ICBs (PD + ICBs).MethodsTo deeply understand this evidence, we studied 24 PD + ICBs and 28 PD patients without ICBs (PD-ICBs). First of all, patients underwent the assessment of impulsivity traits, mood, anxiety, and addiction condition. We further administered robust objective and subjective measures of specific aspects of motivation. Finally, we explored whether these processes might link to any heightened antisocial behavior (aggression and risky driving) in PD + ICBs.ResultsHigh levels of positive urgency trait characterized PD + ICBs. They choose to exert more effort for rewards under the conditions of low and medium reward probability and as reward magnitude increases. Findings on choice impulsivity show a great tendency to delay discounting in PD + ICBs, other than a high correlation between delay and probability discounting. In addition, we found what appears to be the first evidence of heightened reactive aggression in PD patients with ICBs. Exacerbated incentive motivation and delay discounting trended toward positively predicting reactive aggression in PD + ICBs.DiscussionOur promising results suggest that there might be immense value in future large-scale studies adopting a transdiagnostic neurocognitive endophenotype approach to understanding and predicting the addictive and aggressive behaviors that can arise from dopaminergic medication in PD

“Trascender el Cargo” Gobierno Local Indígena y Profesionalización en los Altos de Chiapas (México).

En este artículo se analiza el proceso de emergencia de los profesionistas maya-tsotsiles retornados y su capacidad de trascender como sujetos políticos en el gobierno indígena local de un municipio de los Altos de Chiapas. Se define y caracteriza el concepto de gobierno local indígena a partir de la presencia y papel que juega el sistema de cargos, que, más que como una categoría, se estudia como un proceso, desde el punto de vista de la filosofía política que lo sostiene, ahondando en los criterios de legitimación del poder, así como en el ideal de gobierno y ciudadanía implicados en ello En este sentido se reconstruyen los procesos que intervienen en la emergencia de los profesionistas de la nueva generación, que se configuran como sujetos renovados, capaces de impulsar la transición hacia una intermediación civil con el Estado, así como de generar cambios en el acceso y ejercicio del poder de los gobiernos locales indígenas. El análisis se enmarca en un contexto político-económico de transformaciones glocales importantes, que posibilitan cambios en las lógicas del gobierno local indígena así como la emergencia de concepciones del poder y la ciudadanía en disputa. Palabras-claves: Gobierno local; indígena; profesionalización; trascendencia; intermediación civil "Transcender a Carga". Do Governo Indígena Local e Profissionalização nas Terras Altas de Chiapas (México)" Resumo Este artigo analisa o processo de emergência dos profissionais retornados de tsotsis maias e sua capacidade de transcender como sujeitos políticos no governo indígena local de um município das Terras Altas de Chiapas. Define e caracteriza o conceito de governo local indígena baseado na presença e no papel do sistema de carga, que, ao invés de como categoria, é estudado como um processo, do ponto de vista da filosofia política que o sustenta Aprofundando os critérios de legitimação do poder, bem como o ideal do governo e dos cidadãos envolvidos. Nesse sentido, os processos que intervêm no surgimento de profissionais da nova geração, configurados como sujeitos renovados, capazes Promover a transição para a intermediação civil com o Estado, bem como gerar mudanças no acesso e exercício do poder dos governos locais indígenas. A análise é enquadrada dentro de um contexto político-econômico de importantes transformações glocais, que permitem mudanças na lógica do governo local indígena, bem como o surgimento de concepções de poder e cidadania em disputa. Palavras-chaves: Governo local indígena; profissionalização; transcendência; intermediação civil "Transcending Cargo” Local Indigenous Government and Professionalization in the Highlands of Chiapas (Mexico)." Abstract: This article analyzes the emergence process of the returned Mayan tsotsil professionals and their capacity to transcend as political subjects in the local indigenous government of a municipality in the Chiapas Highlands. It defines and characterizes the concept of indigenous local government based on the presence and role of cargo system, which, rather than as a category, is studied as a process, from the point of view of the political philosophy that supports it , Deepening the criteria of legitimation of power, as well as the ideal of government and citizens involved in it. In this sense, the processes that intervene in the emergence of professionals of the new generation, who are configured as subjects renewed, capable To promote the transition towards civil intermediation with the State, as well as to generate changes in the access and exercise of power of indigenous local governments. The analysis is framed within a political-economic context of important glocal transformations, which allow for changes in the logic of indigenous local government as well as the emergence of conceptions of power and citizenship in dispute. Keywords: Indigenous; local government; professionalization; transcendence; civil intermediatio

Profesionistas retornados en el gobierno indígena. Una reflexión crítica sobre la intermediación a partir de un estudio de caso en México

En este artículo, a partir de una revisión crítica del concepto de Estado y sus implicaciones sobre el estudio de la intermediación, analizo laemergencia de los profesionistas indígenas como sujeto político en un municipio tsotsil de los Altos de Chiapas, México. En este sentido, reconstruyo el proceso de inserción de los profesionistas tsotsiles en el gobierno indígena local, examino el papel que juegan en su reproducción y transformación y reflexiono sobre las prácticas de intermediación que promueven a partir de la pregunta: Como actores emergentes en el gobierno local indígena ¿cómo interpretamos el papel de intermediación de los profesionistas tsotsiles en un contexto en el que se desdibuja la separación entre Estado y sociedad civil?

Aprender de los mayores: un intercambio intergeneracional en los Altos de Chiapas

Este artículo trata sobre las ideas que dos generaciones de habitantes de Larráinzar tienen del “buen vivir” en el pueblo. Igualmente, contextualiza un estudio de caso y pone el énfasis en sus características histórico-políticas. Expone la perspectiva de los mayores sobre el papel del sistema de cargos en la formación ético-política de las nuevas generaciones hacia la continuidad de los valores propios. También aborda los procesos de apropiación y reformulación que hacen los jóvenes frente a los problemas contemporáneos en ese municipio. Este artículo nos invita a explorar la comunicación a través de la tradición oral y de los procesos de diálogo entre personas mayores y jóvenes

La gestión y el autodesarrollo como derechos humanos fundamentales de los pueblos indígenas

The preliminary results are presented of the conjunction of a duel effort: research on the international legal framework regarding development carried out in the framework of our research project registered in the Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas (UNACH), and our teaching practice in two subjects, positive law and ethno-development, taught in the latter half of 2008 to students in their 7th semester of studies in the undergraduate program on Indigenous Management and Self-Development. Conclusions presented are not definitive given that, as noted, they are derived from preliminary resultsSe presentan los primeros resultados de la conjunción de un doble esfuerzo, por un lado, la investigación sobre el marco jurídico internacional sobre el desarrollo, realizada en el marco de nuestro proyecto de investigación registrado en la Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas (UNACH) y el ejercicio docente en dos materias "derecho positivo y etnodesarrollo" que impartimos en la licenciatura de Gestión y Autodesarrollo Indígena al grupo de VII semestre a fines del año 2008. Finalmente las conclusiones que se plasman no son definitivas pues como se ha señalado, se derivan de resultados preliminares