Mecanismos explicativos de la actividad cerebral prefrontal en pruebas de fluidez verbal fonológicas.

Este trabajo tuvo por objetivo aportar evidencia empírica sobre los mecanismos cognitivos relacionados con la activación prefrontal en la Pruebas de Fluidez Verbal Fonológicas. Se ha propuesto a la Memoria de Trabajo como responsable de esa actividad.Se postuló que los procesos de extracción y búsqueda estarían comprometidos, y relacionados con la dificultad para hallar palabras. La menor cantidad de palabras disponibles provocaría una mayor actividad de la Memoria de Trabajo. Se diseñó un estudio para poner a prueba esta hipótesis: se escogieron diez letras con disponibilidad léxica variable (alta, moderada y baja) y se relacionó con pruebas de Memoria de Trabajo. Los participantes fueron 147 jóvenes universitarios neurológicamente sanos, y se encontró que la Memoria de Trabajo es una variable explicativa significativa del rendimiento en Pruebas de Fluidez Verbal Fonológica, pero no hay diferencia en su compromiso en relación a la disponibilidad léxica. Por lo tanto, se encontró evidencia en contra de que la Memoria de Trabajo se activa como mecanismo de extracción en este tipo de pruebas. Se sugiere que su participación está más relacionada como control activo de búsqueda.Explanatory mechanisms of prefrontal brain activity in phonological verbal fluency test.AbstractThis study aimed to provide empirical evidence about the cognitive mechanisms associated with prefrontal activation in Phonological Verbal Fluency Tests. It has been proposed that working memory could be responsible for this activity. It is involved in search and extraction processes, related to the difficulty in finding words.So, the least amount of available words lead to greater activity of working memory. This study was designed to test this hypothesis: ten letters were selected with variable lexical availability (high, moderate and low) and was associated with performance on working memory tests. Participants were 147 neurologically healthy young university students.We found that working memory is a significant explanatory variable of performance in Phonological Verbal Fluency Test, but no difference in its relationship to lexical availability. Therefore, we found evidence against that working memory is activated as a mechanism for extracting in order to highest difficulty conditions. It is suggested that their participation is more related to search and attentional active control.Key words: Verbal fluency; Executive functions working; Memory; Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; Cognitive neuropsycholog

Experiences With and Attitudes Toward Death and Dying Among Homeless Persons

BACKGROUND: Homeless persons face many barriers to health care, have few resources, and experience high death rates. They live lives of disenfranchisement and neglect. Few studies have explored their experiences and attitudes toward death and dying. Unfortunately, studies done in other populations may not apply to homeless persons. Exploring these experiences and attitudes may provide insight into life, health care, and end-of-life (EOL) concerns of this population. OBJECTIVE: To explore the experiences and attitudes toward death and dying among homeless persons. DESIGN: Qualitative study utilizing focus groups. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-three homeless persons recruited from homeless service agencies. MEASUREMENTS: In-depth interviews, which were audiotaped and transcribed. RESULTS: We present seven themes, some of which are previously unreported. Homeless persons described many significant experiences with death and dying, and many participants suffered losses while very young. These encounters influenced participants’ attitudes toward risks and risky behavior: e.g., for some, these experiences provided justification for high-risk behaviors and influenced their behaviors while living on the streets. For others, they may be associated with their homelessness. Finally, these experiences informed their attitudes toward death and dying as well as EOL care; homeless persons believe that care will be poor at the EOL. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study have implications for addressing social services, health promotion, prevention, and EOL care for homeless persons, as well as for others who are poor and disenfranchised

The dangerous shortage of domestic violence services

Domestic violence is a serious, preventable health problem affecting more than thirty million Americans annually, yet little is known about federally funded service provision. We used the National Census of Domestic Violence Services, an innovative victim-safety focused survey, to count services provided by more than 2,000 programs. During the twenty-four-hour survey period, 48,350 people used these services. The results show substantial unmet demand for services (10 percent of requests) because of resource constraints, particularly in rural, economically disadvantaged, and minority communities. Greater funding of domestic violence programs, particularly housing support, is likely to be a cost-effective public health investment. An analysis suggests that more than one in ten victims in a twenty-four-hour period asked for—but didn’t get—help